Different Small Modular Reactor Designs

We look at the various technologic solutions for small water, molten salt and gas cooled reactors and get into the details of why these reactors are potentially much better than existing mega reactors.

Example of a very small nuclear reactor (Image: Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation)

Today there are about 50 small modular reactor (SMR) projects being developed around the world. The variations in technologies pursued varies enormously. Here I am going to give you an overview of a few of these reactors that look most promising, and explain the pros and cons of their different technological approaches.

This story was inspired by a recording of conference where Fermi Energia presented their findings about most promising SMRs to pursue for Estonia.

Engineering Choices for a Nuclear Reactor

Before discussing different designs it is worth getting an overview of what are all the important parts of a reactor that we can modify to change what type of reactor we have.

Seen from the most basic level, nuclear reactors are just a fancy way of boiling water. The fundamental operation from a birds-eye view is similar to that of a coal plant or natural gas plant: You heat up water until it boils. The steam drives a…