Compact Ceramic Heat Exchangers for MMR

Small modular reactors coupled with molten salt thermal energy storage can offer safe and reliable, carbon-free power and heat for industrial processes, including making hydrogen. Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation has developed an extremely safe small modular reactor, the MMRTM. The efficiency of the MMR TM and processes to which it provides heat and power is limited by the temperature of the molten salt heat transfer and storage system. This, in turn is limited by corrosion of materials that can be used in contact with molten salts. Ceramic materials are highly corrosion resistant. Therefore, using ceramics to build the heat exchanger will allow the system to be operated at higher temperatures and more efficiently. The objective of the project is to design compact, ceramic heat exchangers that allow ceramic materials to be used to improve the efficiency and economic benefits of MMRTM energy systems. Ceramic materials are highly corrosion resistant. Therefore, using ceramics to build the heat exchanger will allow the system to be operated at higher temperatures and more efficiently. Microchannel designs allow ceramics with moderate thermal conductivity to transfer heat highly effectively. These designs also reduce the stress in the material and increase the durability of the design. In Phase I, the effect of specific design parameters will be measured to allow for the design of a highly effective, reliable design. Test articles will be made to verify the design calculations. The corrosion resistance of candidate materials also will be measured. The primary commercial benefit will be increased efficiency of safe, reliable, carbon-free small, modular reactors. The work will also improve the economy of concentrated solar power. Additionally, ceramic microchannel heat exchanger technology will improve efficiency of turbines and other high temperature processes.