The late 2020’s could see the start of a new age of factory mass produced nuclear power.
With more than 70 advanced nuclear reactor projects in various stages of development in the United States alone, there is exciting growth in this field. “Micro-reactors” are one class of these innovative technologies, whose particular attributes hold out special promise to the nation’s largest energy user—the United States military.
The Department of Energy DOE is putting most of its first of its kind funding ($13 million out of $19 million) for advanced nuclear power research into the Westinghouse 25 MWe eVinci nuclear reactor. The funding will prepare Westinghouse’s 25-MWe eVinci micro-reactor for nuclear demonstration readiness by 2022.
The funding announcements are part of a recent ramp up in attention and efforts by the U.S. government to boost development of advanced nuclear technologies. The awards are through the Office of Nuclear Energy’s funding opportunity announcement U.S. Industry Opportunities for Advanced Nuclear Technology Development. This is the fourth round of funding through this FOA, which has now awarded a total of approximately $117 million.
Future of Advanced Nuclear Fission
Small modular reactors and micro-reactors can power remote communities, both military and civilian. Micro-reactors, like Westinghouse's eVinci, are easily transportable and do not need refueling for years.
These smaller reactors are more affordable and will allow nuclear power to be decentralised, no longer requiring the main source of power to come from massive nuclear stations, according to Westinghouse.
The eVinci will be mostly solid-state with very few moving parts. It will be using many heat pipes to transfer heat instead of water or steam. Eventually, these microreactor modules will be made in one month in a factory. It is hoped they could be produced like aeroplane engines by the thousands.
The reactor will be designed to operate autonomously and be walk-away safe. Operating more efficiently and at lower-cost than existing nuclear reactors. Westinghouse are targeting $2 per watt of electricity which means a cost of $20 million for a 10 MWe reactor that fits on truck. A 25 MWe nuclear reactor would cost $50 million.
Forty such microreactors would be equal to a Gigawatt reactor and cost $2 billion. This is four times cheaper than current western nuclear reactors and as cheap as natural gas. The technological simplicity of the eVinci is what makes it unique.
Its reactor core is a solid-steel monolith that features channels for fuel pellets, the moderator (metal hydride), and heat pipes, which are arranged in a hexagonal pattern. The monolith will serve as the second fission product barrier (the fuel pellet is the first barrier) as well as the thermal medium between the fuel channels and heat pipes. The heat pipes will extract heat from the core using a technology based on thermal conductivity and fluid phase transition.
Key Attributes of eVinci Micro Reactor:
Transportable energy generator
Fully factory built, fuelled and assembled
Combined heat and power – 200 kWe to 25 MWe
Up to 600ºC process heat
5- to 10-year life with walkaway inherent safety
Target less than 30 days onsite installation
Autonomous load management capability
Unparalleled proliferation resistance
High reliability and minimal moving parts
Green-field decommissioning and remediation
However, Westinghouse admits that it is fielding a number of challenges related to the deployment of the micro-reactor. Westinghouse will need to field first-of-their-kind challenges in licensing, instrumentation, remote reactor monitoring, and logistics.
“These challenges require careful risk management and planning, but they are not considered showstoppers and their management is part of the Westinghouse eVinci reactor development program,” the company said.
Westinghouse's eVinci was one of four projects that received DOE funding. The other three were located in California and split the remaining $6.2 million.
The awardees are:
eVinci Micro Reactor Nuclear Demonstration Unit Readiness Project – $12.8M
Passive Radio Frequency Tags and Sensors for Process Monitoring in Advanced Reactors – $1.2M
Modeling and Simulation Development Pathways to Accelerate KP-FHR Licensing – $5M
Technology Pre-Application Licensing Report on the Development of a Mechanistic Source Term Methodology for the Kairos Power Fluoride Cooled High Temperature Reactor – $500K
