It may sound like science fiction, but the truth is that it is more science than fiction. A number of universities in the United States are considering build their own nuclear reactors for meet your energy needs. It is not a far-fetched plan, considering that many of them already have nuclear facilities, albeit for research purposes.
As much as we imagine nuclear reactors as large plants with cooling chimneys or huge concrete bells, the truth is that today there are nuclear reactors that fit in a truck. And for several decades they have been powering aircraft carriers or submarines, smaller than a university campus.
The idea of several universities in the United States is to take advantage of this technological advance: tiny nuclear reactors that produce only one hundredth of the electricity of a plant and that fit in a truck. Enough to make a self-sufficient campus.
Understandably, these mini nuclear reactors also come with some of the same challenges as full-scale nuclear power. For example, how to dispose of radioactive waste and how to make sure it is safe. Supporters of the initiative say those problems are easily solvable and that the benefits outweigh any risks.
Nuclear energy to light and heat the universities
Universities are interested in the technology not only to power their buildings, but also to see how far they can go to replace current energy production systems. In this regard, the University of Illinois hopes to be able to launch this technology to test it on your campus. In fact, she plans to apply for a driving permit. construction for a gas-cooled high-temperature reactor to operate it at the beginning of 2028.
And it is not the only one. Last year, Penn State University signed a memorandum of understanding with Westinghouse to use its microreactor technology. The company’s head of reactors, Mike Shaqqo, already pointed out then that universities will be “one of our first adopters of this technology.”
The idea is that these nuclear microreactors will be in operation by the end of the decade
Microreactors can generate enough nuclear power to power a campus without taking up a lot of land. The installation of a microreactor needs approximately half a hectare. While windmills or a solar farm need much more space to produce the same energy. Penn State’s goal is to have one up and running by the end of this decade.
Of course, a 10-megawatt microreactor would not satisfy all the demand that campuses currently have, but it would serve to demonstrate that miniature nuclear power technology is viable. In addition, one of the project leaders points out that the steam production from the nuclear microreactor could be used for the heating system of the buildings. A two for one.