Startup X-energy has started design of a gas-cooled pebble bed modular nuclear reactor

[endicom]

Next Big Future
Brian Wang
Mar. 17, 2017

X-energy yesterday announced the start of work on the conceptual design of its Xe-100 high temperature gas-cooled pebble bed modular reactor, following a review of the company's readiness by an external panel of industry experts.

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Triso fuel's carbon and ceramic layers prevent the release of radioactivity, providing each particle with its own independent containment system, while the graphite surrounding the particles moderates the nuclear reaction. Such fuel cannot melt down and X-energy describes the reactor as "walk-away" safe in the event of a loss of coolant.

More... http://www.nextbigfuture.com/2017/03/startup-x-energy-has-started-design-of.html#more

[EC]

For later.

[Oceander]

What happens if a massive earthquake cracks the system open, or it gets flooded by a massive tsunami?

[endicom]

What happens if a massive earthquake cracks the system open, or it gets flooded by a massive tsunami?

Pebble panic. But the lights will go out so at night you'll be able to see the glowing pebbles advancing towards you going, ee! ee!

So run.

[Oceander]

Pebble panic. But the lights will go out so at night you'll be able to see the glowing pebbles advancing towards you going, ee! ee!

So run.

Sorry if my question offended you.

[endicom]

Sorry if my question offended you.

Offended me? I didn't know you were being serious.

Massive earthquakes or tsunamis? Thousands of chemical factories and storage areas would likely be a greater problem than this pebble bed reactor. If it's true that the pebbles won't melt down without cooling then there would be no Fukushima event in store.

[Oceander]

Offended me? I didn't know you were being serious.

Massive earthquakes or tsunamis? Thousands of chemical factories and storage areas would likely be a greater problem than this pebble bed reactor. If it's true that the pebbles won't melt down without cooling then there would be no Fukushima event in store.

Fair dinkum.  Still, it would be useful to know; after all, it doesn't really matter that it won't contaminate everything if it ends up contaminating you.

[endicom]

Fair dinkum.  Still, it would be useful to know; after all, it doesn't really matter that it won't contaminate everything if it ends up contaminating you.

I guess I bought most of the nuclear hype in the 1950s and because I was a child. The scales were later pried from my eyes.

Regarding the safety of pebble bed reactors, I'll stay open to argument but the process of the linked article does look to be about as safe as is gets. No power plant is safe under catastrophic conditions and the car I drive is a potential IED so absolute safety is just not to be had.

[Oceander]

I guess I bought most of the nuclear hype in the 1950s and because I was a child. The scales were later pried from my eyes.

Regarding the safety of pebble bed reactors, I'll stay open to argument but the process of the linked article does look to be about as safe as is gets. No power plant is safe under catastrophic conditions and the car I drive is a potential IED so absolute safety is just not to be had.

To be fair, I think nuclear is seriously underrated and that we should be building more, not fewer, nuclear plants.  And I agree that it sounds like the pebble reactor would be significantly safer.

[Joe Wooten]

I want to see them build one at a commercial size. Scaling up the little 15 MWth reactors has proven very hard to do.