Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear

What are Microreactors?
Microreactors are a class of very small modular reactors targeted for non-conventional nuclear markets. The US Department of Energy supports a variety of advanced reactor designs, including gas, liquid-metal, molten-salt, and heat-pipe-cooled concepts. In the U.S., microreactor developers are currently focused on designs that could be deployed as early as the mid-2020s.

Potential Microreactor applications are:

Remote communities

Mining sites

Remote defense bases

Applications such as back-up generation for power plants

Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions

Such applications currently face economic and energy security challenges that can be uniquely addressed by this new class of innovative nuclear reactors.

Key Attributes

Microreactors have key features enabled by their small size that distinguish them from other reactor types mainly large reactors (LWRs) and small modular reactors (SMRs).

These are:

Typically produce less than 20 MWth
Smaller footprint
Factory fabrication
Transportable
Self-regulating (enabling remote and semi-autonomous microreactor operation)
Rapid deploy-ability and availability during emergency response
Possible operation up to 10 years or more

What are National Laboratories Doing?

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Microreactor Program was established to support research and development (R&D) of technologies related to the development, demonstration and deployment of very small, transportable reactors to provide power and heat for decentralized generation in civilian, industrial and defense energy sectors.

Led by Idaho National Laboratory (INL), the program conducts both fundamental and applied R&D to reduce the risks associated with new technology performance and manufacturing readiness of microreactors. The intent of the program is to ensure that microreactor concepts can be licensed and deployed by commercial entities to meet specific use case requirements. The program will also support R&D specific to certain reactor technologies to ensure relevancy and address the needs of commercial developers.

Who is partnering with the National Laboratories?

The U.S. DOE Microreactor Program collaborates and interfaces with other DOE programs and activities to advance its mission to support development and deployment of microreactor concepts. DOE has several programs covering a range of technologies relevant to microreactor development. The program will engage with these programs through the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy planning process, coordination meetings, and review and planning meetings to ensure that scope is aligned and not duplicative.

Associated Programs Advanced Reactor Technology (ART) Program Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies (NEET) Programs Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) Transformational Challenge Reactor (TCR)		Contacts U.S. DOE Program Manager Diana Li diana.li@nuclear.energy.gov Office: (301) 903-1503 National Technical Director John Jackson john.jackson@inl.gov Office: (208) 526-0293
Technical Area Leads
System Integration & Analyses Alexander Huning Fusion and Fission Energy Sciences Directorate Oak Ridge National Laboratory huninghj@ornl.gov Office: (865) 574-7368		Demonstration Support Capabilities Piyush Sabharwall Nuclear Science & Technology Idaho National Laboratory piyush.sabharwall@inl.gov Office: (208) 526-6494
Technology Maturation Holly Trellue Nuclear Engineering & Nonproliferation Division Los Alamos National Laboratory trellue@lanl.gov Office: (505) 665-9539		Microreactor Application John Jackson Nuclear Science & Technology Idaho National Laboratory john.jackson@inl.gov Office: (208) 526-0293

Information Sheets
The U.S. DOE Microreactor Program
Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation Project (MARVEL)
Microreactor Agile Non-nuclear Experimental Testbed (MAGNET)
Single Primary Heat Extraction and Removal Emulator (SPHERE)

Program Plans
Program Plan
Operations Plan

Organizational Structure
Org Structure

Technical Reports
Technical Reports
Microreactor Program: Experimental Capabilities

Publications
Journal Articles
Nuclear Technology Special Issue

Verification and Validation (Experimental Results)
Manuscripts

Sockeye Validation Support Using the SPHERE Facility

 Experimental Database

SPHERE
MAGNET (will be available soon)

In The News
Puerto Rico work to update grid, make territory more energy independent
An affordable zero emissions grid needs new nuclear

Microreactors Flipboard

March 5-6, 2024
Microreactor Program Review
In-Person Location: Idaho National Laboratory, Engineering Research Office Building (EROB), 2525 Fremont Ave, Idaho Falls, ID
Conference Room 159B
Agenda
Day 1 - Presentations
Day 2 - Presentations

March 7, 2024
MARVEL Technology Review
In-Person Location: Idaho National Laboratory, Engineering Research Office Building (EROB), 2525 Fremont Ave, Idaho Falls, ID
Conference Room 159B
Agenda
Presentations

Past Meetings and Workshops

March 8-9, 2023: Microreactor Program Winter Review

Agenda

Program Overview

DOE Kickoff

Systems Integration and Analysis

Technology Maturation

Microreactor Application

Demonstration Support

October 19-20, 2022: Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation Project (MARVEL)

MARVEL Factsheet

MARVEL Preliminary Engagement Questionnaire

Agenda