US military eyes prototype mobile nuclear reactor in Idaho

The U.S. Department of Defense is taking input connected its program to physique an precocious mobile atomic microreactor prototype astatine the Idaho National Laboratory successful eastbound Idaho.

The section began a 45-day remark play connected Friday with the merchandise of a draught biology interaction survey evaluating alternatives for gathering and operating the microreactor that could nutrient 1 to 5 megawatts of power. The department's vigor needs are expected to increase, it said.

"A safe, small, transportable nuclear reactor would code this increasing request with a resilient, carbon-free vigor root that would not adhd to the DoD's substance needs, portion supporting mission-critical operations successful distant and austere environments," the Defense Department said.

The draught biology interaction connection cites President Joe Biden's Jan. 27 enforcement bid prioritizing clime alteration considerations successful nationalist information arsenic different crushed for pursuing microreactors. The draught papers said alternate vigor sources specified arsenic upwind and star were problematic due to the fact that they are constricted by location, upwind and disposable onshore area, and would necessitate redundant powerfulness supplies.

The section said it uses 30 terawatt-hours of energy per twelvemonth and much than 10 cardinal gallons (37.9 cardinal liters) of substance per day. Powering bases utilizing diesel generators strains operations and planning, the section said, and request is expected to turn during a modulation to an electrical, non-tactical conveyance fleet. Thirty terawatt-hours is much vigor than galore tiny countries usage successful a year.

The section successful the 314-page draught biology interaction connection said it wants to trim reliance connected section electrical grids, which are highly susceptible to prolonged outages from earthy disasters, cyberattacks, home coercion and nonaccomplishment from deficiency of maintenance.

The section besides said caller technologies specified arsenic drones and radar systems summation vigor demands.

But critics accidental specified microreactors could go targets themselves, including during transportation. Edwin Lyman, manager of Nuclear Power Safety astatine the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit, said helium questioned utilizing microreactors astatine subject bases either astatine location oregon abroad.

"In my view, these reactors could origin much logistical problems and risks to troops and spot than they would lick problems," helium said. "And unless the Army is consenting to walk what it would instrumentality to marque them harmless for use, particularly successful imaginable combat situations oregon overseas operating bases, past I deliberation it's astir apt unwise to deploy atomic reactors successful theaters of warfare without providing the extortion they would need."

He said the reactors would apt beryllium susceptible during transport.

"There is ever going to beryllium a mode that an adversary tin harm a atomic reactor and origin dispersal of its atomic content," helium said.

The Idaho National Laboratory is connected the U.S. Department of Energy's 890-square-mile (2,305-square-kilometer) tract successful precocious godforsaken sagebrush steppe, astir 50 miles (80 kilometers) westbound of Idaho Falls. All prototype reactor investigating would instrumentality spot connected the Energy Department site.

The laboratory is considered the nation's starring atomic probe lab, and has aggregate facilities to assistance successful gathering and investigating the microreactor.

The Defense Department said a last biology interaction connection and determination astir however oregon whether to determination guardant is expected successful aboriginal 2022.

If approved, preparing investigating sites astatine the Idaho National Lab and past gathering and investigating of the microreactor would instrumentality astir 3 years.

Two mobile microreactor designs are being considered, but the section said elaborate descriptions are unavailable arsenic some are successful aboriginal stages of development. The section said some designs are high-temperature gas-cooled reactors utilizing enriched uranium for fuel.

The benignant of enriched uranium to beryllium utilized tin withstand precocious temperatures, "allowing for a reactor plan that relies chiefly connected elemental passive features and inherent physics to guarantee safety," the draught biology interaction connection states.

Building the mobile reactor and substance fabrication would beryllium done extracurricular Idaho, and past shipped to the Idaho National Laboratory wherever the last assembly, substance loading and a objection of the reactor's quality to run would occur.

That objection would see startup testing, moving the reactor to a caller site, and investigating astatine the 2nd location. The 2nd determination would mimic a real-world concern by investigating the reactor's quality to respond to vigor demands.

The section said the microreactor would beryllium capable to nutrient powerfulness wrong 3 days of transportation and tin beryllium safely removed successful arsenic fewer arsenic 7 days.

---

---

© 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.