In energy news, the first small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) just made news as it is to be certified for use in the United States. I'm a bit of an energy nerd lately as I have been doing a lot of work around electricity and water reduction in my 9-5 job.
NuScale Power Small Modular Reactor has been reviewed and this is big news for the push for cleaner energy. The NuScale's design is a pressurized water reactor that is scalable, meaning that multiple units can be used together to increase the overall power output. The NuScale SMR is a pressurized water reactor that uses conventional nuclear power technology, but is safer and more scalable with a lower cost of implementation.
The NuScale SMR consists of a pressurized water reactor vessel that contains the nuclear fuel and the coolant, as well as a pressurized water loop that is used to transfer heat from the reactor to a steam generator. The steam generator then produces steam, which is used to power a turbine generator to produce electricity. One of the key features of the NuScale SMR is its passive safety system, which is designed to cool the reactor in the event of an emergency without the need for any active intervention. This is achieved through the use of natural circulation, which relies on the density difference between the hot and cool water in the system to drive the flow of coolant through the reactor.
NuScale SMR's are also designed to be factory-fabricated and shipped to the site for installation, which can reduce the overall costs and construction time compared to traditional large-scale nuclear power plants. NuScale's SMR is a compact and efficient way of generating low-carbon electricity, with a design that prioritizes safety and the ability to be easily integrated into existing power grids.
I'm excited to see more work being done in this space as I feel like we focus a lot on wind and solar for green energy options.