Dr. Conca reports that X-energy, LLC announced that it has started the conceptual design phase for its Xe-100 high temperature gas-cooled (HTGR) pebble bed modular reactor. The Xe-100 is an innovative advanced nuclear power plant design, that uses its own made-in-the-USA proliferation-resistant spherical nuclear fuel elements, called pebbles. The Xe-100 is a 200 MWt (75MWe) reactor that takes less time to construct because of factory-produced components. It cannot meltdown and is walk-away safe under any accident scenario without the need for human intervention.
Partnering with Southern Nuclear to provide some heavy nuclear lifting, X-energy held a Conceptual Design Readiness Review on March 8 to validate the design, provide preparatory documentation, analysis tools, scope, management processes and overall team readiness. All the things needed to prepare for future licensing engagement with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This reactor is ideal for high-temperature industrial processes such as desalination, and is modular for flexibility in power needs and applications like load-following renewables, since it can ramp up and down quickly. The complete Xe-100 power plant has a small physical footprint, only 200 meters by 100 meters with a small emergency planning zone essentially within its own gates, and a reduced water requirement which means it can be installed in a much wider range of potential locations compared to other clean energy systems. But the real innovation is its nuclear fuel, the pebbles.
X-energy Xe-100 reactor uses tennis ball-sized pebbles made of thousands of TRISO micro-fuel particles which consist of fissile U-235 surrounded by pyrolytic graphite, which acts as the moderator, slowing down fast neutrons so they more efficiently split the U-235 nucleus. The graphite is further surrounded by a coated ceramic layer of silicon carbide for strength and containment of the fission products.
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