Specialists from the Central Research Institute of Structural Materials "Prometey" (NRC "Kurchatov Institute") are considering the possibility of creating a core for the "Elena-AM" small nuclear power plant using 3D printing technologies.
The need for such stations is estimated at 400 reactors. Russian enterprises that produce cores for icebreaker reactors and floating power units are already loaded with orders for the coming years. For this reason, scientists propose to print a core with a diameter of about two meters, providing anti-corrosion protection and subsequent heat treatment in a gasostatic press, which may increase its strength characteristics compared to traditional forged materials.
The station, developed by order of Rosatom, belongs to the type of nuclear thermoelectric heating stations (NTHS). It is designed to supply electricity and heat to remote regions.
The first nuclear power plant of this type should be built and put into operation by 2032. It will operate without external power supply, providing a thermal power of 7 MW and generating at least 200 kW of electricity — this will be enough for two or three small settlements. The service life of the station on one fuel load will be 40 years.
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