On a Long Term Strategy for the Success of Nuclear Power

Bruno Merk, Dzianis Litskevich, Karl R. Whittle, Mark Bankhead, Richard J. Taylor and Dan Mathers
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Bruno Merk: School of Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GH, UK
Dzianis Litskevich: School of Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GH, UK
Karl R. Whittle: School of Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GH, UK
Mark Bankhead: National Nuclear Laboratory, Chadwick House, Warrington WA3 6AE, UK
Richard J. Taylor: School of Mechanical Aerospace & Civil Engineering, The University of Manchester, Manchester M1 3BB, UK
Dan Mathers: National Nuclear Laboratory, Chadwick House, Warrington WA3 6AE, UK

Energies, 2017, vol. 10, issue 7, 1-21

Abstract: The current generation of nuclear reactors are evolutionary in design, mostly based on the technology originally designed to power submarines, and dominated by light water reactors. The aims of the Generation IV consortium are driven by sustainability, safety and reliability, economics, and proliferation resistance. The aims are extended here to encompass the ultimate and universal vision for strategic development of energy production, the “perpetuum mobile”—at least as close as possible. We propose to rethink nuclear reactor design with the mission to develop an innovative system which uses no fresh resources and produces no fresh waste during operation as well as generates power safe and reliably in economic way. The results of the innovative simulations presented here demonstrate that, from a theoretical perspective, it is feasible to fulfil the mission through the direct reuse of spent nuclear fuel from currently operating reactors as the fuel for a proposed new reactor. The produced waste is less burdensome than current spent nuclear fuel which is used as feed to the system. However, safety, reliability and operational economics will need to be demonstrated to create the basis for the long term success of nuclear reactors as a major carbon free, sustainable, and applied highly reliable energy source.

Keywords: nuclear; reactor; spent fuel; P&T; innovation strategy; molten salt reactor (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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