Engineers created a safe micro-nuclear reactor that fits in the back of a truck
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BYU chemical engineering professor Matthew Memmott works in his lab on campus. Photo by Brooklyn Jarvis Kelson/BYU Photo
New solution provides safer nuclear powerNuclear reactors in the U.S. usually fall under the category of Light-Water Reactor. These split uranium atoms to create energy, with leftover materials and heat stored in solid fuel rods that require running water to keep them cool. If the rods don't receive enough water and overheat, the entire facility is at risk of a meltdown.
The new solution proposed by the BYU scientists will store the leftover radioactive elements in molten salts instead of fuel rods. "Nuclear energy can be extremely safe and extremely affordable, if done the right way," Memmott explained. "It’s a very good solution to the energy situation we're in because there are no emissions or pollution from it."
The new micro-reactor proposal would dissolve all of the radioactive byproducts in molten salt. Salt has an incredibly high melting temperature of about 550°C, meaning it doesn't take long for these byproducts to drop below the melting point. The radiated heat is absorbed into the salt, which doesn't remelt, removing the risk of a meltdown.
The products of the reaction are also safely stored within the molten salts, meaning nuclear waste is eliminated. Some of the products can also be extracted and resold. Valuable elements such as cobalt-60, gold, platinum, and neodymium can all be removed from the salt. Molten salt reactors date back to the 1960s, and recent developments have lead to a new surge in experiments, such as the ones at BYU.
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