Imagine a world where nuclear power plants are buried a mile underground. Deep Fission is proposing a revolutionary idea: placing nuclear reactors deep within the Earth to enhance safety. But is this a stroke of genius or a descent into the absurd? Let's dive in.
Today's pressurized water reactors (PWRs) are already marvels of engineering, capable of generating gigawatts of power in a relatively small footprint. They have a strong safety record, with the Three Mile Island accident, for instance, releasing only a negligible amount of radiation according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Deep Fission believes they can make these reactors even safer by placing them in a 1-mile (1.6 km) deep borehole.
Their proposed design, the Deep Fission Borehole Reactor 1 (DFBR-1), is currently undergoing pre-application review by the NRC. You can find their whitepaper and regulatory engagement plan online. Each 30-inch (76.2 cm) borehole would house a single 45 MWt DFBR-1 microreactor, with most of the primary loop contained within the reactor module.
The rationale behind this design is intriguing. At such depths, the pressure is similar to that inside a PWR, and the water column above the reactor is intended to provide an extra layer of safety. This design is claimed to eliminate the need for a concrete containment structure and other safety features typically found in PWRs. However, the steam generated at the bottom of the borehole must travel all the way to the surface to generate a projected 15 MWe via a steam turbine. Sampling tubes and ropes for replacing standard LEU PWR fuel rods also need to reach the depths of the reactor.
But here's where it gets controversial... Is this a brilliant innovation or an overly complex solution? The concept has already gained some traction, with the company making inroads in the Department of Energy’s advanced reactor program. They aim to have their first reactor operational by 2026. However, they face competition from projects like TerraPower's Natrium, which are already under construction and offer significantly more power per reactor, along with built-in grid-level storage.
And this is the part most people miss... The commercial power sector in the US is no longer stagnant. This bold new approach by Deep Fission is certainly shaking things up.
What do you think? Is burying reactors a smart move, or are there hidden challenges that outweigh the benefits? Share your thoughts in the comments!
