Construction begins on test facility for new nuclear energy concept

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Construction has begun at Oregon State University on a $4.8 million facility to test a new nuclear energy technology that could be safer, more efficient and produce less waste than existing approaches.

It’s a viable and versatile energy concept for the future, researchers say. As needed, it could produce electricity, hydrogen to power automobiles, steam to heat a building complex, or provide a cheaper way to desalinate seawater.

The nuclear power industry is already undergoing a global renaissance with such technologies as “passive safety” and small modular reactors. They use traditional water-cooled approaches in innovative designs, some of which were developed and tested in recent years by OSU nuclear engineers.

But the new approach is a “super-hot” type of nuclear reactor cooled by helium gas, not water, and it would operate at temperatures above 2,000 degrees – about three times as hot as existing reactors. The basic concept of this reactor technology has been known for some time, but advances in material science and the unusual range of applications for such reactors now make them much more attractive.

Like any existing nuclear reactor, the high-temperature nuclear reactors could produce electricity – about 35-50 percent more efficiently than existing approaches. But they also create about half as much radioactive waste, by the nature of their design cannot melt down, and like all nuclear technologies produce no greenhouse gas emissions.

They could be cost-effectively built as small modular reactors, and produce super-heated steam that works well for powering large chemical companies or building complexes. As demand grows for fresh water in arid regions, they could offer a more cost-effective way to desalinate sea water.

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NNSA Helps Vietnam with Safety Plans as It Contemplates New Reactors

Experts from the agency that oversees the safety of U.S. military nuclear programs recently met with Vietnamese regulators to help them improve accident preparedness as the country makes plans for four new reactors.

The National Nuclear Security Administration and the Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety addressed emergency planning, air monitoring and emergency management. NNSA personnel also demonstrated plume modeling techniques and specialized radiological detection equipment.

“I am pleased that NNSA emergency personnel were able to meet with Vietnamese officials to help enhance their emergency management systems,” NNSA Associate Administrator for Emergency Operations Joseph Krol said in a release. “The sharing of knowledge and expertise with other countries demonstrates our commitment to support our international partners while delivering on President Obama’s nuclear security objectives.”

NNSA also reached an agreement to conduct medical and search training in Vietnam this summer. NNSA collaborates with 80-plus countries to help them improve nuclear safety and emergency planning. In Vietnam, the International Atomic Energy Agency has offered assistance as well, with its Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review mission announced in 2009.

Currently, no power reactors operate in Southeast Asia. Vietnam has crafted several plans in recent years to help meet its growing energy demands using nuclear power. In 2010, it reached intergovernmental agreements with Japan and Russia to build four reactors at two sites in the country’s interior, according to the World Nuclear Association.

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