• Number 295  |
• September 14, 2009

Sandia team developing right-sized reactor

A smaller-scale nuclear reactor that could supply 100 to 300 megawatts of power—enough for a medium-size city—has been designed by Sandia National Laboratories. Advantages of the “right-sized reactor” include the ability to mass-assemble them in factories and to integrate a monitoring system into the design for assuring the safe, secure, and legitimate use of nuclear technology, potentially allowing them to be safely exported to developing countries. With approximately 85 percent of the design efforts completed for the reactor core, Sandia is seeking an industry partner through a cooperative research and development agreement.

[Julie Hall, 505.284.7761,
jchall@sandia.gov]