COURTESY:
IEEE
Nuclear Industry has been around for decades, mainly in the form of Electric energy production. This production had been generated on sizable, complex, industrial facilities on shore. Historically, administration and monitoring of the production Plant is oversighted by several regulatory bodies aiming to ensure the safe and secure application of Nuclear energy.
This hasn't been always succesful. Throughout humanity's Nuclear endeavors, accidents did happen with dere consequences of significant toll in human lives and the surrounding environment. Hence the low public acceptance of Nuclear Energy implementation and the general concern on Plans of "Nuclear Infrastructure". This is true, despite a significant number of advantages and benefits of the safe application of Nuclear Energy.
Lately, there is increased interest in the future application of Nuclear Energy in general, and in the Maritime domain in particular. Technical developments and innovation has unleashed new potentials exploiting Nuclear Reactors designs of smaller size, of significant energy density, and most importantly of desicively higher Safety Standards, that could support a wider adoption. The above, combined with increased demand, from Environmental Regulation, for Carbon emissions reduction, has resulted into new research, leading in turn to new Designs or Concept developments, ranging from the installation of nuclear reactors on ships, to the construction of Floating Nuclear plants for the production of Electric power, as analysed in detail in our relevant Section.
At the core of the above revolution is the development of new designs of Small Modular Reactors (SMR). A technological break through that could materialize ultimately the wide adoption and installation of nuclear reactors on maritime infrastructure.
Nuclear Industry has been around for decades, mainly in the form of Electric energy production. This production had been generated on sizable, complex, industrial facilities on shore. Historically, administration and monitoring of the production Plant is oversighted by several regulatory bodies aiming to ensure the safe and secure application of Nuclear energy.
This hasn't been always succesful. Throughout humanity's Nuclear endeavors, accidents did happen with dere consequences of significant toll in human lives and the surrounding environment. Hence the low public acceptance of Nuclear Energy implementation and the general concern on Plans of "Nuclear Infrastructure". This is true, despite a significant number of advantages and benefits of the safe application of Nuclear Energy.
Lately, there is increased interest in the future application of Nuclear Energy in general, and in the Maritime domain in particular. Technical developments and innovation has unleashed new potentials exploiting Nuclear Reactors designs of smaller size, of significant energy density, and most importantly of desicively higher Safety Standards, that could support a wider adoption. The above, combined with increased demand, from Environmental Regulation, for Carbon emissions reduction, has resulted into new research, leading in turn to new Designs or Concept developments, ranging from the installation of nuclear reactors on ships, to the construction of Floating Nuclear plants for the production of Electric power, as analysed in detail in our relevant Section.
At the core of the above revolution is the development of new designs of Small Modular Reactors (SMR). A technological break through that could materialize ultimately the wide adoption and installation of nuclear reactors on maritime infrastructure.
Generation IV International Forum (GIF) was created as a co-operative international endeavour seeking to develop the research, necessary to test the feasibility and performance of fourth generation nuclear systems (Gen-IV systems), and to make them available for industrial deployment by 2030.
GIF has focused mainly on 6 innovative designs in an effort to maximize outputs, minimizing risks and prepare the next Generation of Nuclear Reactors, which could potentially be applied in the Maritime environment:
Additional info on GIF effort from World Nuclear Association.
GIF has focused mainly on 6 innovative designs in an effort to maximize outputs, minimizing risks and prepare the next Generation of Nuclear Reactors, which could potentially be applied in the Maritime environment:
- gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR),
- lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR),
- molten salt reactor (MSR),
- sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR),
- supercritical-water-cooled reactor (SCWR),
- very high-temperature reactor (VHTR)
Additional info on GIF effort from World Nuclear Association.
ATOMIC MARITIME