The future of safety in nuclear power: What designs are on the horizon?

In my last post, I explored some of the world's worst nuclear power incidents, and their apparent causes. After reading numerous sources and official reports from international nuclear agencies and regulatory bodies, it seems like the lion's share of blame for these incidents lies in the procedures, or lack thereof, and with the plant operators themselves. Chernobyl was entirely preventable, even despite the outdated design that was being used in the reactors themselves. Better training and preparatory procedures mean that the blame also extends, in this case, to the upper levels of plant management, and Russian nuclear regulatory bodies. In the case of Fukushima, a clear lack of planning and infrastructure updates were directly responsible for the incident involving several reactor meltdowns. Plant oversight bodies and company executives were aware of potential weaknesses of the plant's design when it comes to natural disasters, and in particular, tsunamis. The nuclear technology itself did not fail. When the tsunami hit the power station at Fukushima, backup power generators were flooded out, resulting in a loss of cooling power to the reactors, ultimately leading to the meltdowns.

All of that being said, nuclear power is still something that needs the utmost in care and attention when it comes to the details. The consequences are beyond dire when things do go wrong. Many things have been learned in the history of these nuclear incidents, and most countries utilizing nuclear power have such extensive oversight that nuclear power is likely very safe. Many people arent convinced though, at least when it comes to the current types of reactors being used. Many people still think that no matter the level of oversight and safety being employed, the risk is too great. So are there any future technologies out there that would mitigate this risk? What future designs can increase safety, and maybe even help solve other problems affecting nuclear power.

One possibility for the future is actually a technology that was initially introduced over fifty years ago, called molten salt reactors, or MSRs. MSRs are starting to gain attention again, as newer technologies may be able to solve some of the problems that initially plagued the idea when it was first introduced. According to an article in the Progress in Nuclear Energy journal entitled "The Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) in Generation IV: Overview and Perspectives," there are several potential advantages to the MSR design. Among those advantages are the fact that MSRs can actually use spent fuel from other nuclear power plants as their primary fuel. Due to their design, they can extract a significantly higher amount of energy from the fuel than the current pressurized water reactor designs currently in use. The article also states that MSRs generate much lower levels of nuclear by product than do current designs, leaving us with a much smaller waste problem, and in fact making use of the world's currently stockpiled spent fuel. Most importantly, the article points out the significant safety aspects of MSR designs. MSR reactors, due to their design, inherently will not meltdown, and indeed are self regulating. They need power put into them in order to sustain a nuclear reaction. In a worst-case scenario where all power was cut to the reactor, simple and full-proof mechanisms ensure that the reactor simply shuts down.

An article by the International Atomic Energy Agency summarizes the advantages of the MSR design in much the same way. The IAEA describes the MSR design as being highly efficient in power production, while generating less high-level nuclear waste. They also agree that MSRs can utilize already existing nuclear waste fuel as their own fuel, and that they offer a level of inherent safety not seen with today's commonly used reactor designs. Below is a basic diagram of the MSR design:

Below is a picture of an actual experimental MSR that was developed in the 1960s at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee:

Further research of this and other promising new reactor designs is occurring around the world, in Europe, Asia, and North America. The need for viable energy sources that do not release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is obvious for both the near term and the long term. Renewable sources such as wind and solar may not always be viable alternatives, so it is critical that further research and development continue in the area of nuclear power. These new designs also show great promise from a safety aspect. It seems likely that current technology, along with ever-increasing safety measures, has made nuclear power a reasonably safe and viable power for today. That being said, increased safety from future designs will only help to ensure the survival of nuclear power for generations to come.

Work Cited

Serp, Jerome, et. Al. “The Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) in Generation IV: Overview and         Perspectives.” Progress in Nuclear Energy 77 (2014) pp. 308-319. Accessed on 10 Apr. 2017.