Bill gates stops chasing nuclear wave, pursues variety. Twrs differ from other kinds of fastneutron and breeder reactors in their ability to use fuel efficiently without uranium enrichment or reprocessing, instead directly using depleted uranium. This technology has been well researched and tested as a viable example. On some essential peculiarities of the traveling wave. As a function of time, the latest design represents a standing wave or a soliton, rather than a traveling wave. Terrapowers travelling wave reactor why not use an ifr.
A traveling wave reactor twr is a class of liquid metal reactor lmr that is uniquely designeup using only natural or d to operate after start depleted uranium. Twr, sstar, and similar proposals differ from previous fast breeders by putting a. Bill gates stops chasing nuclear wave, pursues variety of reactors. Terrapowers traveling wave reactor twr incorporates inherent safety features and reduces the risk for proliferation in the nuclear energy supply chain. Travelingwave reactors twrs are advanced nuclear reactors that are capable of eventually running forever given only depleted uranium fuel. In this clip, bill gates explains a unique and earthsaving type of nuclear reactor thats in the works. This kind of reactor doesnt require enriched fuels, so it avoids. Unlike traditional nuclear reactors that rely on enriched uranium to produce power, the traveling wave reactor twr can function, for the most part, on waste uranium, a. Bill gates explains terrapower and the traveling wave reactor. The plant is a fourstory, entirely aboveground building with a 1025 mw electrical output. The traveling wave reactor twr is a oncethrough reactor that uses in situ breeding to greatly reduce the need for enrichment and reprocessing. Reactors at the drive output to reduce the effect of reflected wave.
The molten chloride fast reactor meets terrapowers vision for advanced nuclear power. The traveling wave reactor is a liquidmetalcooled, fastneutron breeder reactor, with many of the same advantages and disadvantages as other fast breeder reactors. The concept works on the basis that breedburn waves and the fuel move relative to one another. We consider a model of neutronnuclear wave burning. For well over a decade, bill gates has funded terrapower, a startup seeking to design, build, and commercialize a revolutionary nuclear reactor.
Twrs differ from other kinds of fastneutron and breeder reactors in their ability to use fuel efficiently without uranium enrichment or reprocessing, instead directly using depleted uranium, natural. The design is based on the elements of sodium cooled, fast reactor technology. Bill gates has invested in terrapower, a company that is developing nuclear energy technology called a travelling wave reactor. The most recent commercial demonstration reactors belong. The startup is exploring a molten chloride reactor concept, but says it remains committed to traveling wave reactors. Unlike traditional nuclear reactors that rely on enriched uranium to produce power, the travelingwave reactor twr can function, for the most. B chapter name about the center on global energy policy the center on global energy policy provides independent, balanced, datadriven analysis to help. Terrapower quietly explores new nuclear reactor strategy. Why arent we building a traveling wave reactor in the u. The burning mechanism of the reactor core design was studied. A travelling wave reactor twr is an advanced nuclear reactor which is capable of running for decades given only depleted uranium fuel, it is. Proponents of sodiumcooled reactors, including traveling wave reactors, tend not to focus on how they plan to overcome the problematic parts of the sodiumcooled design history, centered in large part on sodiumrelated problems, but rather tend to focus on the vast available raw material to produce a large amount of power for the indefinite. Terrapowers nuclear reactor could power the 21st century.
Terrapower expects a typical 1,200megawatt traveling wave reactor to produce 5 metric tons of waste per gigawatt year, not 5 metric megatons. Nuclear experts head to china to test experimental reactors. One of those technologies is known as twr, which stands for traveling wave reactors. Sustainability of a twr economy 235 the main difference between thermal reactors and fast reactors is the degree to which uranium can be burned. September 20 institute for energy and environmental research. This paper is aimed to understand a stationary nuclear burning wave nbw as a macroscopic physical process. Environmental issues global temperature changes greenhouse gases nuclear energy environmental aspects production management nuclear facilities nuclear reactors. Ein laufwellenreaktor englisch travelingwave reactor, twr ist ein theoretisches konzept. The companys flagship advanced nuclear reactor concept, the traveling wave reactor twr design, represents incredible progress in nuclear technology thanks to the power of advanced computer modeling and our dedicated team of scientists and engineers. Their traveling wave reactor design uses depleted uranium to operate, rather than uranium235 like in current reactors, and is built so that if left unattended, it will slowly shut down, making a.
China isnt building a travelling wave nuclear plant yet, mit tech. A travelingwave reactor twr is a proposed type of nuclear fission reactor that can convert fertile material into usable fuel through nuclear transmutation, in tandem with the burnup of fissile material. Travelling wave reactor twr is a fast reactor in which nuclear burning propagates as a wave. Traveling wave reactor wikipedia republished wiki 2. Conference paper pdf available june 2014 with 614 reads. Likewise, a typical reactor today produces 21 metric. What are competitions and alternatives to terrapower. Generation to generation preface the devastating earthquake, tsunami, and consequent multi reactor damage in japan will have a significant impact on the future use of nuclear energy, the nuclear industry, and the global nuclear order. The traveling wave reactor, twr constitutes a reformulation of the liquid metal fast reactor, lmfbr and the coupled cores concepts and a reformulation of battery reactors based on naval propulsion reactors designs. A traveling wave reactor twr is a type of nuclear fission reactor that can convert fertile material into usable fuel through nuclear transmutation, in tandem with the burnup of fissile material. He is now retired from argonne national laboratory after a career. Onegroup neutron diffusion equation and kinetic equations for nuclei densities are applied to a plane wave in an infinite reactor. As it runs, the core in a travelingwave reactor gradually converts nonfissile material into the fuel it needs. Comments on terrapowers travelling wave reactor printable pdf version here by dr george s.
Preliminary core design and optimization analysis of travelling. Fast travelingwave reactor of the channel type vitaliy d. Breeding converts incoming subcritical reload fuel into new critical fuel, allowing a breedburn wave to propagate. The travelingwave reactor, in concept, would use depleted uranium to produce vast amounts of energy without the need for enrichment plants and reprocessing facilities, which is why billionaire bill gates is interested in developing it. Nuclear experts head to china to test experimental reactors by. Sodiumcooled fast reactors have a checkered history. A reactor that burns depleted fuel emerges as a potential game changer print. Rather than relying exclusively on enriched uranium, traveling wave reactors. Kennedy and aris showed the existence of traveling waves for the case v 0 and 0 and conjectured the existence. His fission company, terrapower, alters its traveling wave reactor, explores thorium, liquid fuel and alternative designs. Terrapower quietly explores new nuclear reactor strategy the startup is exploring a molten chloride reactor concept, but says it remains committed to traveling wave reactors. A private company called terrapower which is funded by bill gates among others has supposedly completed a design and is looking to actually build the first reactor. George is is a nuclear reactor physicist, part of the team that developed the integral fast reactor.
A reactor at the output of a drive is sometimes installed in order to prevent a reflected wave voltage spike when long motor leads are required. And while government researchers intermittently bring out new reactor designs, the travelingwave reactor is noteworthy for having come from something that barely exists in the nuclear industry. A reactor that burns depleted fuel emerges as a potential. A travelingwave reactor twr is a proposed type of nuclear fission reactor that can convert. The traveling wave reactor design is an ingenuitive piece of engineering that compartmentalizes many of the reactors functions to make the reactor more efficient and safer. Usbased terrapower has signed a memorandum of understanding with china national nuclear corporation cnnc to develop its travelling wave reactor twr. Pantak 1department of theoretical and experimental nuclear physics, odessa national polytechnic university, odessa, ukraine 2state ecological academy for postgraduate education, kiev, ukraine.
It helps that the reactor is the product of a team of top scientists backed by the deep pockets of microsoft founder. The mou was signed in seattle on 22 september by terrapower ceo lee mcintire and cnnc president qian zhimin. To create the traveling wave reactor twr design, terrapower has put together a team. It is from the february ted2010 conference, and here. Terrapower, cnnc team up on travelling wave reactor. The reactor is contained in one vessel, with all of the coolant and heat transfer equipment enclosed in a second vessel, attached to the reactor by a single coaxial line for coolant flow. Terrapower, cnnc team up on travelling wave reactor 25 september 2015 usbased terrapower has signed a memorandum of understanding with china national nuclear corporation cnnc to develop its travelling wave reactor twr. Sustainability of a twr economy 235 the main difference between thermal reactors and fast reactors. The traveling wave reactor twr is a proposed reactor design that belongs to a set known.
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