Novel Bio-Inspired Shielding Design for Deployable Microreactors
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Cosner, Helen Works
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Abstract
Rapidly deployable microreactors are being considered as an effective approach to supplying power post-disaster. Concerns for rapid deployment arise when a flat, structurally adequate surface is not guaranteed. Moreover, environmental concerns are propagated when the risk of radiation exposure from nuclear energy is involved. This paper proposes a novel multifunctional design, referred to as basemat, that provides a level operating surface for a deployed reactor by capitalizing on lightweight shielding and high-strength-to-weight materials, at the same time providing shielding and reducing soil activation. The design was optimized using different materials and overall thickness. Each variation was evaluated for its ability to shield the soil underneath the reactor from activation, limiting the activation-resulting dose rate, and its ability to hold the weight of a deployed microreactor. The shielding performance was simulated using the SCALE code package in a complex multi-step coupled analysis. The strength of the design was determined through simple compression strength calculations. From the simulation, the best-performing material combinations for radiation shielding are High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and borated polyethylene, and HDPE and water, with a basemat thickness of 2 feet. These materials are capable of limiting the dose rate in the air to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) yearly dose standards for the general population, while conservatively assuming someone is receiving the dose 24/7 for an entire year. Overall, the basemat design composed of lightweight shielding materials, such as water, HDPE, and borated polyethylene, is an effective solution for limiting the activation of the soil underneath a deployed microreactor, resulting in an overall dose that meets NRC standards, assuming continuous exposure.
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Date
2025-12
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Text
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Thesis (Masters Degree)