Michael Freemantle - 2004 Sep 13: An explanation of II, III, III+, and IV generation reactors. Summarizes the direction being taken to develop better reactors.
Current reactors work well. Even so, many design changes have been proposed to make them safer, more efficient, more economical, and more acceptable for widespread use. These proposals can be categorized as "evolutionary" and "revolutionary". If we think of today's systems as the II Generation, then the evolutionary designs are designated as generation III and III+, while the revolutionary systems are IV generation.
The most revolutionary IV generation systems are fast reactors that employ a closed fuel cycle and passive safety features. These reactors can also be small, and assembly line produced, making them much more useful for a wider range of applications: electricity, water purification, hydrogen production, and heating.
Given the forecasts, a large number of new reactors will soon be needed. However, only a few countries are building new ones, mostly in the far east. China, India, Japan, and Russia are experimenting with the most advanced designs.
For all new reactors safety is a primary objective, and the newer designs make much more use of passive characteristics. This means that everyday forces such as gravity are used to move safety elements into place when needed, instead of active elements such as motors or pumps. As a result these designs are simpler, and less expensive.
The closed fuel cycle is also important. It ensures that all the fuel is converted into energy. Today's II generation systems only use about one percent of the fuel's potential.
The USA is planning to deply generation III reactors in the 2010 timeframe, and the revolutionary generation IV systems around 2040.
by
randalleavitt
2006-06-29 11:59
Rank: worth reading
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Date: 2004
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Author: Freemantle M
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Title: Nuclear Power for the Future
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Topic: nuclear fission energy
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