PRISM Sodium-Cooled Reactor
Turning Used Energy into New Energy, the PRISM (Power Reactor Innovative Small Modular) is GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's next generation sodium-cooled reactor. The dynamics of using liquid sodium as a coolant instead of water allows the neutrons to have a higher energy that drives fission of the transuranics. This reaction produces heat energy, which is then converted into electricity by a conventional steam turbine. The PRISM reactor consumes transuranics in used nuclear fuel from water-cooled reactors, essentially turning waste into energy.
Features & Benefits
Passive design features, such as passive reactor core cooling, eliminate active systems and increase safety Simplified modular design allows factory fabrication and ultimately lower construction costsCoolant pumps have no moving parts, leading to increased reliability Simplified design eliminates valves and motors, increasing operational flexibility Alleviates storage burdens by consuming used nuclear fuel One PRISM power block generating 622 MW of electricity reduces annual CO2 emissions equivalent to taking 700,000 cars off the road
