A team of researchers from Skoltech and the Institute of High-Temperature Electrochemistry of UB RAS developed an AI model for molten salt calculations that could reinvent the energy sector.
The team published their findings in the Journal of Molecular Liquids, detailing the success of this machine-learning model. As reported by Tech Xplore, the AI model calculates the thermophysical properties of molten salts at various temperatures. Understanding molten salts' complex and sensitive properties is the key to next-gen nuclear reactors.
Nuclear power is a clean energy source. It doesn't produce pollution or planet-warming gas. But it does produce nuclear waste. This waste can be highly radioactive. It poses a risk to human health and the environment. Strides are being made in nuclear waste management and storage. But this AI model might make waste storage unnecessary.
If scientists can better understand and control salt composition, molten salt reactors could become the new standard. However, the factors impacting salt composition are extensive. Performing all the necessary calculations and tests would take substantial money, time, and effort. That's where the AI model comes in.
The model, known as a moment tensor potential system, provides information on atoms' complex interactions. It calculates property interactions in various settings. Essentially, it runs crucial experiments without actually having to run experiments.
The study's lead author is Nikita Rybin, a research scientist at Skoltech AI's Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence for Materials Design. He explained, "Computationally guided search for melts with particular physicochemical properties might substantially simplify and accelerate the development of next-generation nuclear reactors, since the number of real experiments will be minimized."
Molten salt reactors offer many benefits. They can create more energy and less nuclear waste. This accelerated research could revolutionize the nuclear power industry. These reactors would reduce the need for waste management while amplifying energy output. More accessible nuclear power could help people save money on energy while cooling down the planet.
Ultimately, molten salt reactors would help humanity move away from dirty energy, which is costly and harmful to human health and the planet. Nuclear power is also safer to manufacture, contrary to what many believe.
According to Our World in Data, nuclear energy production results in 97-99.9% fewer deaths than coal, oil, and gas. These deaths could be due to air pollution, manufacturing/mining accidents, or planet-warming gas pollution.
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Yes — it'll pay off 👍 For perspective, OWD uses a hypothetical town to explain the death tolls associated with energy types. If this fictional town were powered by coal, gas, or oil, three to 25 people would die due to energy production yearly. If it were powered by nuclear energy, one person would die roughly every 33 years.
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A pivot away from dirty energy and toward nuclear power could save money, save lives, and save the planet. This impressive machine-learning model is a huge step toward that brighter future.
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