April 21, 2021
The US Department of Energy (DOE) plans to build a microreactor so researchers and end users can understand how microreactors can be integrated with other technologies. The liquid metal cooled microreactor for microreactor application research validation and evaluation (MARVEL) could be operational within three years.
Two views of the INL concept for the MARVEL reactor to be installed at TREAT (Image: INL)
Microreactors are very small, factory-built, portable reactors that can provide power and heat for decentralized generation in the civil, industrial, and defense energy sectors. The DOE Microreactor Program, led by Idaho National Laboratory (INL), conducts fundamental and applied research and development to reduce the risks associated with new technology performance and microreactor manufacturing readiness.
The MARVEL design is primarily based on existing technology and is manufactured using standard components that allow for faster construction, according to DOE. It will include a 100 kW heat fission reactor based on the SNAP-10A design, which was developed in the 1960s as a 45 kWt nuclear fission reactor for use in space missions. The sodium-cooled reactor with natural circulation cooling has an operating temperature of 500 to 550 ° C and runs on highly enriched uranium with high assay from available research materials. Stirling engines are used to transfer energy from the core and generate electricity.
According to the DOE, the reactor being built at INL’s Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) could be installed in less than a year.
“By providing small-scale demonstrations, MARVEL will provide experimental capabilities not currently available in DOE’s national laboratories,” the department said. The test bench also helps companies demonstrate their designs. Industry partners can connect their end-user microreactor applications to the system to test and demonstrate technology readiness. MARVEL will also test and demonstrate the reactor system’s ability to manage grid demand and reactor power, which could support a range of applications such as integrated renewable energy systems, water treatment, hydrogen production and heat for industrial processes.
The MARVEL test platform is a collaboration between the DOE microreactor program and the National Reactor Innovation Center. DOE publicly commented on a draft environmental review for its proposal to build the reactor in January. The US Department of Defense is also working on the development of a mobile microreactor as part of its Project Pele initiative.
INL has published a video describing the MARVEL project.
Researched and written by World Nuclear News
Comments are closed.