General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems has concluded the conceptual design phase for a new helium gas-cooled quick reactor, advancing the project toward preliminary design and technology maturation.
This milestone keeps the company on track for a potential demonstration of the technology in the 2030s.
The reactor design was one of three early-stage concept projects selected for support under the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.
Utilizing silicon carbide-wrapped HALEU fuel
The proposed Fast Modular Reactor (FMR) is designed to generate 44 megawatts of firm electricity while occupying a land area of approximately 0.2 acres.
The system utilizes silicon carbide-wrapped high-asstate low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel, which is engineered to withstand temperatures twice as high as the fuel claddings currently utilized in standard light-water reactors.
Following the completion of the conceptual design, General Atomics has submitted specific licensing documents to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). These submissions include the Principal Design Criteria and the Quality Assurance Plan Description.
The NRC has also docketed several pre-application documents that will serve as references for future formal license applications. Concurrently, prototype fuel rods produced during the earlier design phase are currently undergoing irradiation testing at the Idaho National Laboratory to experimentally verify their structural integrity.
Offering operational flexibility
The FMR is developed as a modular unit intfinished for factory manufacturing and on-site assembly. A distinct feature of the design is its ability to pair with an air-cooling system. This configuration eliminates the requirement for a water source, potentially allowing for deployment in arid or remote geographic locations where traditional water-cooled reactors cannot operate.
During the conceptual phase, the engineering team conducted various modeling and lab-scale tests to verify the performance of key safety systems and fuel operations.
This process involved the fabrication of sample fuel rods that match the specifications intfinished for the final FMR design. Funding from the Department of Energy facilitated partnerships with academic institutions and national laboratories to validate these technical aspects.
Dr. Christina Back, Vice President of General Atomics, noted that the program supported advances in the gas-cooled concept and the demonstration of materials intfinished to add a layer of safety.
She stated that these features are designed to facilitate siting in tiny communities and support diverse applications, including the recycling of applyd nuclear fuel.
Future scheduled activities include further safety-related testing and the continued development of power conversion system components, leading toward a final design phase that will include construction and non-nuclear testing.
Advancements in fuel cladding technology
In a related development regarding materials science, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems previously reported progress in its nuclear fuel cladding technology.
The company confirmed that testing of its patented, localized Silicon Carbide (SiC) joining method demonstrated durability under corrosive water conditions consistent with those found in pressurized water nuclear reactors.
This technology, referred to as SiGA, utilizes a silicon carbide composite material intfinished to form the basis of fuel rods capable of withstanding temperatures exceeding the limits of currently applyd materials.
The multilayer composite cladding structure is designed to provide high-temperature resilience for both current and future reactor systems.
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