Aug 3, 20221 min
An associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering (MAE) at The University of Texas at Arlington is leading a project to provide a conceptual design of a 50-megawatt helium turbine and compressor for defence contractor General Atomics' fast modular nuclear reactor.
Daejong Kim said this reactor could provide power generation for remote communities and industrial applications.
"This system can operate independently of the grid frequency," Kim said. "High-efficiency frequency inverters offer a highly controllable and reliable load-following capability, which allows for dependable power. It could answer a lot of challenges for power generation in remote locales."
Kim said the US$497,329 General Atomics project is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Reactor Concepts program, known as ARC-20.