"World's simplest" nuclear reactors could be installed underground to provide heat to cities

zohaibahd

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In brief: A Finnish startup is developing what they say could be the world's simplest commercial nuclear reactor. As if that does not sound strange enough, the reactor will solely produce heat – no electricity – in a "cost-competitive" manner.

The reactor dubbed LDR-50 offers a thermal output of 50 MW, running at a cozy 150°C, which is far below the scorching temps of conventional nuclear plants. That low operating temperature also allows the reactor to use natural circulation for cooling instead of energy-hungry pumps.

Steady Energy, the company building the reactor, said heating water to 150°C for various purposes single-handedly accounts for 10 percent of global emissions. The LDR-50 aims to solve this problem by providing a more eco-friendly way to heat the water.

The facility will supply the generated heat to district heating networks, industrial processes, desalination plants, and more. Steady Energy aims to drastically reduce construction costs and timelines compared to alternatives by sidestepping the complex steam turbines and generators needed for electricity production.

The simple design also allows the LDR-50 to come in a cargo container-sized package. The company can easily install the reactor underground to boost safety while saving coveted urban space.

The company has not explicitly mentioned the nuclear fuel the LDR-50 uses. However, such small modular reactors (SMRs) typically use low-enriched uranium, a white-grey, waxy solid used to make nuclear fuel.

Steady Energy spun out of Finland's VTT research center just last year, but it's already signed deals for 15 LDR-50 reactors across its homeland. The company is backed by Belgian engineering firm Tractebel's nuclear expertise. Tractebel is a well-established name in the global energy and infrastructure sectors, and it's signed on to provide third-party support for the reactor's design and safety cases. The two companies say they're working to establish a "severe accident management program," which is required by national and international legislation despite the technology being inherently simple and safe.

Finland's nuclear watchdog is assessing the LDR-50, and Steady Energy hopes to start constructing its first reactor heating plant by 2029. If all goes to plan, the world's simplest new nuclear option could warm neighborhoods across the country in just a few years.

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This would be great, if you can find people who actually have some integrity, and a good work ethic. Sadly, I don't think there are many people in this country, with those attributes. And, I doubt you'll find many "values" among, most Millennial's and Gen Z's. These two generations for the most part, pay homage to the Smartphone!~
 
Heating is a huge part of global emissions, so focusing on solving that with a simpler, safer design makes a lot of sense. I like that it’s compact and can be installed underground that could be a game-changer for urban areas. It’ll be interesting to see how quickly they can get these reactors up and running, especially with Finland’s nuclear watchdog already reviewing it.
 
There are so many ways to do this without hiding an atomic bomb under our feet...

If you build a city from scratch then large underground water heat exchangers can make sense depending how far you have to drill down to get to heated rock/mantle or whatever, Briefly read somewhere it's a real science as need different drill heads, techniques at different levels and how substance you are drilling into reacts or changes , is it stable or quixotic etc -plus what happens if get stuck or system shut down while drilling, will if solidify and destroy your work
 
I don't remember if it was Finland, but I remember back in the early 70's in high school, reading
some city in the Norway, Finland area ran hot water that was used to heat home, under the city
streets which kept them from freezing in the winter.
 
Half life of 700 million years.. what could go wrong..
Most toxic and otherwise dangerous elements have a half-life of .... forever. And the isotope that has a half-life of 700M years is the U-235 already found naturally in soil around the world. There are places where it's so concentrated, in fact, that Mother Nature formed it into an operating nuclear reactor all on its own.

Also, there's a simple inverse relationship between half-life and radioactive output. The truly dangerous radionuclides decay in days or hours, whereas something like Calcium-48 has a half life of some 60,000,000,000,000,000,000 years ... so long that its radioactivity is essentially zero. And natural hydrogen is believed to have a half-life longer than the age of the universe.


There are so many ways to do this without hiding an atomic bomb under our feet...
A reactor made in this manner can no more explode than the oxygen in your lungs can.
 
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Most toxic and otherwise dangerous elements have a half-life of .... forever. And the isotope that has a half-life of 700M years is the U-235 already found naturally in soil around the world. There are places where it's so concentrated, in fact, that Mother Nature formed it into an operating nuclear reactor all on its own.

Also, there's a simple inverse relationship between half-life and radioactive output. The truly dangerous radionuclides decay in days or hours, whereas something like Calcium-48 has a half life of some 60,000,000,000,000,000,000 years ... so long that its radioactivity is essentially zero. And natural hydrogen is believed to have a half-life longer than the age of the universe.



A reactor made in this manner can no more explode than the oxygen in your lungs can.

point is if its made by people, and decays at a rate enough to heat water to 150c it is toxic and will eventually fail and cause issues. just looking at the last 20 years we have many radioactive events that threatened life .. this is ... like a vault-tec commercial .. hard pass
 
point is if its made by people, and decays at a rate enough to heat water to 150c it is toxic and will eventually fail and cause issues. just looking at the last 20 years we have many radioactive events that threatened life .. this is ... like a vault-tec commercial .. hard pass
Both Chernobyl and Fukushima were avoidable. The key to avoiding them is safety protocol, not burying one's head in the sand. Just like strict adherence to safety protocol has made air travel much safer than everyday road traffic.
 
I don't remember if it was Finland, but I remember back in the early 70's in high school, reading
some city in the Norway, Finland area ran hot water that was used to heat home, under the city
streets which kept them from freezing in the winter.

This is not that uncommon. Munich has district heating. So does the University of Wisconsin campus; there are underground steam pipes all over the place. I wonder if "Tunnel Bob" is still around or alive checking them.
 
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