Moltex Energy has selected Jacobs to support their development of a new type of nuclear power plant – the Stable Salt Reactor
Based on breakthrough science, the Stable Salt Reactor is designed to generate low cost electricity by burning processed spent fuel pellets, which would otherwise have to be stored as radioactive waste.
The new reactor aims to have improved safety characteristics and economics over traditional light water reactors.
Jacobs will build an experimental facility for thermal transfer testing at its Birchwood Park research and development facility in the UK.
Moltex already uses Jacobs’ ANSWERS® software for radiation transport modelling and simulation of reactor performance.
The ANSWERS® software provides software and consultancy services for customers all over the world in the areas of reactor physics, radiation shielding, dosimetry, nuclear criticality, well logging and nuclear data.
To assist with validation of thermal transfer modelling, Jacobs’ chemistry, materials, engineering, instrumentation and modelling teams will collaborate to create a complex simulation. The simulation will replicate the heat output of a fuel channel, which will then validate computational fluid dynamics modelling of the thermal transfer across the fuel assemblies into the coolant.
Jacobs senior vice president, Clive White, said: “We’re looking forward to continuing our support for Moltex into this new phase of development as part of our strategy to be a solutions provider at the cutting edge of research into advanced reactors.
“The Stable Salt Reactor design is significant because of its potential to recycle waste in a clean, safe and economical way, generating electricity which will power communities while reducing carbon emissions.”
Funding of over $6m has been awarded to Moltex from Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, a US Department of Energy agency, to help develop the reactor, which is cooled using molten salt.
