Small nuclear reactors

If the release occurs over a period of, say 10 s, the power production is 18.5 megawatts (MW), comparable to a small nuclear reactor. 

At the end of World War II, great hopes were expressed for the use of nuclear reactors as a way of providing power for many human energy needs. For example, some optimists envisioned the use of small nuclear reactors as power sources in airplanes, ships, and automobiles. These hopes have been realized to only a limited extent. Nuclear powered submarines, for example, have become a practical reality. But other forms of transportation seldom make use of this source of energy. 

Finally, 35 small nuclear reactors have been employed by the former USSR and 1 by USA as high power energy sources in satellites. Two naval-type reactors on barges are also being built in Russia to be used for heat and electricity supply in remote locations in the arctic. Reactors have also been developed in the US for use as aircraft and rocket engines. 

Nuclear reactors emit 5 x 10 n/s per each MW of the released power. Another important characteristic of such neutron sources is the maximum flux density, the neutron brightness, inside the core or moderator of the reactor. In research reactors, it may reach 10 n/sxcm. In pulsed reactors, even greater brightness can be obtained -10 n/s x cm in pulse -100 ps. Some typical technical characteristics of a small nuclear reactor are capacity -100 MW, protective shell radius -100 cm, after each act of fission goes out of the shell an average -1 n, which corresponds to the brightness -3 x 10 n/s x cm. ... 

It has been learned that to cope with energy requirement in the remote islands and less developed regions of Indonesia small or very small nuclear reactors producing electricity and/or process heat could be appropriately applied. The barge mounted gas-turbine power plants, constructed in Surabaya shipyard, have been operating so far to provide temporary power for Balikpapan city. By size requirement, a nuclear propulsion reactor is the most attractive example so far envisioned. A modest quantity of technology information on floating small NPPs have been obtained and learnt. 

These challenges are the most significant driving forces behind the LLNL proposed program for development of a new, small nuclear reactor system. 

SMALL NUCLEAR REACTOR SAFETY DESIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR AUTONOMOUS OPERATION... 

SAFETY CONCEPT AND OPERATION CONTROL APPROACH IN THE DESIGN OF SMALL NUCLEAR REACTORS... 

K. Sako, et.al., "Concept of Highly Passive Safe Reactor SPWR, Reactor System Design", Proc. Int. Specialists Meeting on Potential of Small Nuclear Reactors for Future Clean and Safe Energy Sources, Tokyo (1991). 

Small Nuclear Reactors at Various Stages of Operation, Construction, and Design Worldwide... 

The purpose of this section is to provide a broad technical outline of the market potential for smaller-sized nuclear power reactors in OECD countries. Smaller-sized nuclear power reactors are defined as those with net output capacities of 700 MWe or less. This range may be further sub-divided into four categories mini-reactors of less than 50 MWe, small nuclear reactors (SPRs) from 50 to 200 MWe, small to medium-sized power reactors (SMPRs) from 200 to 400 MWe, and medium-sized power reactors (MPRs) from 400 to 700 MWe. This section focuses on SMPRs and MPRs, with special emphasis on SMPRs. 

The Association mentioned also a number of smaller islands outside the United States but within the OECD area as possible sites for small nuclear reactors. These include New Caledonia (France), Greenland (Denmark), the Virgin Islands (US/UK), the Canary Islands (Spain), St. Pierre and Miquelon (France), the Isle of Man (UK), the Channel Islands (UK), and Guam (US). Evaluation of the electrical generation capacity and projected electrical growth rates for these islands indicates, however, that they all are too small to practically consider even the smallest-sized SMPR in the foreseeable future. 

LONG-LIFE CORE SMALL NUCLEAR REACTOR WITH CLOSED-VESSEL REFUELLING — ATOMS FOR PEACE REACTOR (AFPR-100)... 

Development of integrated, software-based modularization/ factory fabrication/ logistics and rapid site assembly technologies for overcoming the loss of economy-of-scale. These technologies are already commercialized in shipbuilding, ocean oil rig, aircraft, and other industries, but need to be adapted to the small nuclear reactor field ... 

XXV-1] SEKIMOTO, H. (editor), Potential of small nuclear reactors for future clean and safe energy sources, Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (1992). 

The United States Navy turned to CPD to provide radium-beryllium neutron sources to start the small nuclear reactors in the world s first two nuclear submarines, the Nautilus (shown here) and theSVaxe. CPD had to file daily progress reports and field personal phone calls fiom Admiral Rickover. Over the next fiw years, CPD would make start-up sources for more than 15 nuclear subs. 

Neutron sourees for BNCT are currently limited to unclear reactors and several reactors with very good neutron beam quality have been developed and currently are being used elinically [226]. The advantage of a reactor is that the neutrons from reactors are relatively cheap, if capital costs are discounted. The disadvantages of reactors are that the capital costs are very high and reactors are too complicated for an ordinary clinic to operate, so these clinics caimot afford to build and maintain a small nuclear reactor to use as a neutron source. 

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