b'A NEW GENERATIONOF CLEAN ENERGY RELIES UPON IDAHOIDAHO WILL ONCE AGAIN l ead the nation in a new generation of nuclearSmall is beautiful: MicroreactorsExploring tomorrows Integratedenergy technologies. tackle new challenges Energy Systems todaySurprising? Not if you consider Idahos history with nuclear power that dates to theEver since the first usable amount of electricityPower plants exist to make electricity, but most multiple energy users (e.g., grid consumers,Nuclear powerend of World War II when electricity was produced at what is now INL. generated by nuclear energy was demonstratedalso produce a lot of heat. What if they could industrial heat or electricity users, transportationon the moon and beyondin 1951 at Idahos Experimental Breeder Reactor-I,use that heat for other processes that requirefuel users), and multiple energy storage optionsFrom the earliest days of space exploration, Today, Idaho continues its tradition of making the first of a kind possible. Privatenuclear power has played an essential role inthermal energy? (e.g., thermal, electrical and chemical). nuclear energy has played an important role companies are developing designs for new nuclear reactors that are smaller, saferU.S. electricity generation. Today, nuclear energyToday, roughly 40% of all energy is wasted.INL is supporting these efforts through a new testin powering spacecraft. DOE has built nearly and less expensive. They hope to take advantage of the expertise and capabilities makes nearly 20% of the nations electricity andMore efficient energy use would be betterbed to link three components: an energy supplier,50 nuclear power sources (called radioisotope INL offers by coming here to demonstrate those designs.about 55% of our carbon-free electricity. Largefor the environment and for the plant owner.an industrial energy user and the grid. The mockthermoelectric generators or RTGs) that The welcome mat waits at the doorstep of the National Reactor Innovation Center,light-water reactors each generate hundreds andA power plant used for both electricity andenergy supplier will be an electric heating systemconvert heat generated by the natural decay established by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to test and demonstrate newsometimes thousands of megawatts of electricity,heat is called an integrated energy system.that simulates the heat coming from a nuclearof plutonium-238 into electricity, powering nuclear energy technologies. with every megawatt being enough to powerIntegrated energy systems could couple nuclear,power plant. The industrial user will be a hydrogenmore than two dozen space missions. about 1,000 homes. renewable and fossil energy sources. Suchproduction system that uses the heat, along with Among the first companies to get DOE backing, TerraPower LLC and X-energy willInterest is now growing in microreactors: verysystems offer efficiencies that can lead to energyelectricity, to make hydrogen by splitting water. RTGs are truly the foundation of our work develop their advanced nuclear reactors within an aggressive seven-year timesmall, factory fabricated, transportable reactors.independence, economic competitiveness, jobA grid simulator will represent variable demand with NASA, but DOE is also helping NASA frame. INL researchers will assist with modeling and simulation work, fuel irradiationMicroreactors can power isolated communities,creation and smarter use of resources. for electricity. The test bed will be linked to INLsexpand nuclear power technologies for future experiments and other testing activities at INLs facilities. The DOE awards signal amining sites and remote military bases, as wellHuman Systems Simulation Lab to fully represent missions. For example, INL is working with vote of confidence to the larger nuclear reactor community that building these newas applications such as backup generation forINL leads a national laboratory Integrated Energya tightly coupled integrated energy system. industry on new fuels and microreactors that reactors can be done by 2027.power plants, humanitarian assistance, waterSystems Program that investigates how to expandcould potentially provide surface power for desalination and disaster relief missions. Just likethe role of nuclear energy beyond just producingBy tying together capabilities and funding from missions on the moon and eventually Mars.traditional reactors, microreactors use fission toelectricity. Expanded roles include supplyinga variety of energy research areas, INLs test bed INL is also helping develop nuclear-powered produce energy with no carbon emissions. both heat and electricity to various industrial,is a truly innovative energy integration endeavorrockets that could significantly reduce travel transportation and energy storage applications.that offers a preview of the energy systems of times and carry greater payloads than todays INL is working with microreactor developers byIntegrated energy systems may include multiplethe future. top chemical rocketsgiving humans a providing access to laboratory capabilities toenergy inputs (e.g., nuclear, renewable and fossil),promising chance of exploring deep space. INL make fuel and other components using state- is currently helping NASA develop and test fuel of-the-art techniques. The lab will share its deepcomposites to examine how they perform under expertise in best practices for facility operations.Hydrogen the harsh temperatures needed for nuclear INLs new Microreactor Agile NonnuclearConventional Vehicle thermal propulsion.Experimental Testbed (MAGNET) will be able toStorage Syntheticsimulate microreactor thermal behavior and verifyFuelscomputer modeling and simulation tools. The federal government is supportingRenewablesmicroreactor development through funding andHydrogen UpgradingOil/legislation. Microreactors are expected to be builtCO 2 Biomassin the next three to five years to provide researchPowerand development opportunities, essentialNuclear Generationelectricity, and energy-intensive services to Ammonia/power our lives.FertilizerHydrogen N 2Fossil GenerationElectric Grid MetalsInfrastructure Re\x1fningMicroreactors are small and transportable.Above: Radioisotope power systems like this oneThey can power remote communities, supportOther are the foundation of INLs work with NASA. End Useindependent microgrids and restore power toHeating Left: Conventional electricity generation could feed areas hit by natural disasters. both the grid and industries that rely on hydrogen.GasInfrastructure10|Idaho National Laboratory|your.inl.gov your.inl.gov|Idaho National Laboratory|11'