Westinghouse SMR

Nuclear power technologies

ANSTO, the home of Australia’s nuclear science and technology expertise, provides trusted advice to the Australian Government on matters relating to developments in nuclear science and technology. 

Through our significant research capabilities and expertise supporting nuclear reactor operations and nuclear facilities, ANSTO also contributes to the development of these technologies overseas. 

The designs of future nuclear power reactors are very different from those designed and built in the last century. The new reactors have been engineered with advanced safety features to ensure a sustainable source of clean electricity for the future. 
 

Nuclear power reactors worldwide

Nuclear research

Nuclear reactor
19th February 2024

Japanese scientists collaborate on self-healing ceramics for nuclear reactors

ANSTO researchers have taken up the challenge to develop a coating for the cladding used in nuclear reactors to prevent it from taking up hydrogen and releasing it if temperatures get too high and repair itself if damaged.

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Anna Hautecouverture and Tim Ablott
14th September 2023

Scholarship recipients focus on recycled fuels to improve sustainability of nuclear industry

Two early career nuclear scientists who received international scholarships have spent time in the Nuclear Fuel Cycle group at ANSTO are making progress on their work to improve nuclear fuel.

Innovation
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Hexagonal fuel assembly of water-water energetic reactor close up
21st September 2022

Research on nuclear fuel burnup supports reduction of waste and fuel costs

Recent research investigating what occurs at the interface of the uranium oxide fuel pellet and the surrounding cladding supports efforts to increase the burnup level of nuclear reactor fuel.

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New nuclear power technologies

There has been considerable public discussion about small modular reactors (SMRs) as the newest, most innovative and versatile nuclear power solution in comparison to large reactors, that many countries around the world are interested in adopting.

As Australia’s knowledge centre for current and emerging nuclear technologies, it is important that Australians are kept abreast of global developments in nuclear power technologies.

 

Conventional reactors

-Pressurized water reactor (PWR)

-Boiling water reactor (BWR)

_Pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR)

-Advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR)

-Light water graphite-moderated reactor (LWGMR)

-Fast neutron reactor (FNR)

Small modular reactors

Multiple designs

Gen IV reactors

-Sodium Fast Reactor 

-Lead Fast Reactor

-Very High Temperature Reactor

-Gas-cooled Fast Reactor

-Supercooled Water Cooled Reactor

Molten Salt Cooled Reactor

 

So, what are small modular reactors, or SMRs? The term refers to a class of modern reactors that are essentially “small”, and each unit can be manufactured in a factory. 

SMR comparison with conventional reactor

They are “modular” in the sense that each unit can be assembled next to another and scaled up or down to meet the local electricity needs.

They are also designed to “plug in” to existing power networks and therefore can essentially replace an aging power station with a modern, reliable, and zero-emissions power source.  

SMRs differ from today’s more common nuclear power reactors in a few important ways:

First, their holistic approach to manufacturing occurs through design simplification. Compared to the complex design and construction of currently operating large-scale reactors, simplification opens up the prospect of assembly-line manufacturing of pre-fabricated modules—providing economies of scale.

As the majority of construction takes place off-site, building small modular reactors are expected to take less time than a conventional reactor build.  

It is possible to construct a reactor with a single module or use units in combination for greater power output. Additional modular units can be added and brought online incrementally for greater power output.

Read more about small modular reactors below.

Read more about advanced reactor technologies

ISMR plant

The evolution of molten salt reactors

Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs) are nuclear reactors that use a fluid fuel in the form of very hot fluoride or chloride salt rather than the solid fuel used in most reactors. Since the fuel salt is liquid, it can be both the fuel to produce heat and the coolant to transport the heat to a power plant.

IMSR core unit

Advanced reactors

Advanced nuclear reactors, such as molten salt-based reactors and very high-temperature reactors provide a viable option within a future mix of energy systems.