| The future of nuclear |
|
|
After having been scrapped and has been mothballed bioreactor dream brought to life in Sweden. Bioreactor is fuel efficient and gives short-lived waste. However, previous models were expensive and uncertain, and eventually became politically impossible.
At KTH is Professor Janne Wallenius and sketches in the future breeder
reactor, the so-called fourth generation nuclear reactors: - What are different from last time are a few technological advances: first the safer blykylnings technician and new types of steel that can withstand the high requirements, "he says. Unlike today's light water reactors, which run on enriched uranium, using the fast reactors reprocessed nuclear waste as fuel. But it should work to neutrons from nuclear fission to be so fast that the severe cleft fuel can be switched on. But then is not enough water as the refrigerant, because it slows neutrons. Only a handful of topics, such as sodium, helium and lead, transmit neutrons with full speed. And that poses problems, as high temperatures, corrosive environments and abrasive materials. New construction materials, which can withstand the harsh environment, is a must. - In Sweden, we have chosen to invest in a lead-cooled reactor, "said Janne Wallenius. - We believe in the purely technical. Lead is a safer refrigerant than sodium, which reacts violently with water and therefore require extra heat insulation. The lead also has the advantage to expand substantially when heated, so that it circulates by itself with convection through the core. In Europe a planned research effort around one hundred billion crowns in three different types of fast reactors, mainly sodium-cooled reactors, as the French have great practical experience. But lead-cooled and gas-cooled reactors, It is planned to be a lead-cooled research reactor to be ready 2022nd - It would be privileged if Sweden invested money in the project, says Janne Wallenius. The Myrrh-reactor, which has a thermal output of 100 megawatts, will be made full-scale tests on the material and fuel behaves in a lead-cooled reactor. Three, four years later, an electricity generating blyreaktor 100 megawatts, built by the Italian company Ansaldo, put into service. Janne Wallenius also have their own plans to build a reactor in Sweden to test the technology with blykylning. It should be safe and able to run in realistic temperatures. And it should not only be used for material testing, but also be used to educate students in the reactor run. |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
