Abstract
We introduce the concept of the nuclear battery, a standardized, factory-fabricated, road transportable, plug-and-play micro-reactor. Nuclear batteries have the potential to provide on-demand, carbon-free, economic, resilient, and safe energy for distributed heat and electricity applications in every sector of the economy. The cost targets for nuclear batteries in these markets are 20–50 USD/MWht (6–15 USD/MMBTU) and 70–115 USD/MWhe for heat and electricity, respectively. We present a parametric study of the nuclear battery’s levelized cost of heat and electricity, suggesting that those cost targets are within reach. The cost of heat and electricity from nuclear batteries is expected to depend strongly on core power rating, fuel enrichment, fuel burnup, size of the onsite staff, fabrication costs and financing. Notional examples of cheap and expensive nuclear battery designs are provided.
Highlights
We introduce the concept of the nuclear battery, a standardized, factory-fabricated, road transportable, plug-and-play micro-reactor
We present a parametric study of the nuclear battery’s levelized cost of heat and electricity, suggesting that those cost targets are within reach
We present a parametric study of the nuclear battery (NB)’s levelized cost of heat and electricity (Section 4) with the goal of (i) assessing whether those cost targets are within reach of the NB technology, and (ii) identifying its important cost drivers
Summary
A nuclear battery (NB) is defined here as a stand-alone, plug-and-play energy platform combining a micro-reactor and a turbine to supply significant amounts of heat and/or electricity from a very small footprint It uses a factory-assembled, factory-fueled and road-transportable reactor design with a power output of 1 to 20 MW. Physical security for NBs during operation will come from a combination of design features (e.g., robust fuel and reactor package), layout (e.g., below grade embedment) and remote monitoring and defense. Them uniquely versatile and flexible to use for a wide variety of markets, as explained in the nextTosection
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
