Engineers at the Idaho National Laboratory have completed a successful test campaign of a coolant system for nuclear microreactors that have the potential to launch the world into the next energy age. 

Carlo Parisi, one of the engineers, envisioned creating a next-gen cooling system for the Microreactor Applications Research Validation (Marvel) project. Five years later, it's now a reality and marks "a milestone of innovation in the nuclear sector," per a laboratory news release. 

The Primary Coolant Apparatus Test, "a non-nuclear integrated test facility," is an almost exact replica of Marvel's primary cooling loop, but it uses electricity rather than nuclear power to produce heat. In nuclear reactors, the primary loop circulates coolant to remove excess heat and transfer it to another system, which is then used to generate heat or electricity. 

The idea behind the PCAT is to test the cooling system's performance and components of the test microreactor to ensure the actual reactor will run safely and efficiently. The team also wanted to check that the software for the thermal-hydraulic design of Marvel accurately models certain features of the system. 

One problem Marvel faced in the beginning was the Stirling engine that regulates the system's heat causing excessive vibrations that could damage the reactor, but the team was able to replace it with a "more stable radiator-like setup." 

"That was a pivotal moment for us," Parisi said. "We had to rethink our approach to ensure the system's effectiveness and reliability."

The tests showed encouraging results for the Marvel reactor, confirming that "a stable natural circulation flow can be established to operate safely and allow Marvel to generate as much as 100 kilowatts of thermal power," per the release. 

It also revealed that the RELAP5-3D, the software used to perform safety analyses of Marvel, closely matched the data obtained from PCAT, meaning it will be able to predict safety issues with a high level of accuracy. 

The path forward will involve preparing for the reactor's construction at the Idaho National Laboratory's Transient Reactor Test Facility and submitting the proper paperwork to the Department of Energy. Once the engineers analyze the data gathered from the PCAT tests, they will share the findings with scientists worldwide. 

The advancement of microreactor technologies could lead to a revolution in nuclear energy production in the U.S. However, it's worth noting that because microreactors operate on the principle of nuclear fission, they still produce some radioactive waste that must be managed carefully. 

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In addition, nuclear experts such as Edwin Lyman of the Union of Concerned Scientists have spoken of some downsides of reactors, including their vulnerability to accidents and sabotage. 

Nuclear plants can also be expensive and time-consuming to build, which may offset the benefits achieved by reduced carbon pollution. However, all things considered, they're much healthier for the environment and humans than fossil fuels, and they are likely to be a major part of our energy mix for a considerable time. 

"Marvel has a unique combination of fuel, coolant and geometrical configuration that has never been used by any other reactor," Parisi said. "It was crucial to create this mock-up for testing because there was nothing similar anywhere in the world for comparison."

"Knowing that we have accomplished something unique and groundbreaking is incredibly rewarding," Parisi added. "We've created a system and a wealth of knowledge that will not only benefit our project but also potentially help the entire industry."

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