US-based Westinghouse Electric Company says the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved the Principal Design Criteria (PDC) Topical Report for the eVinci microreactor design.
PDCs define a reactor’s design bases, or how each part of the reactor’s structures, systems, and components will function and ensure that the design is in line with NRC regulations. PDC approval eases the path to licensing the eVinci microreactor for deployment as and streamlines the licensing process for customers.
This is the latest in a series of licensing milestones for the eVinci microreactor, including approval of the eVinci Advanced Logic System Version 2 instrumentation and control platform.
The eVinci microreactor design is a heatpipe-cooled transportable reactor that will be fully factory built, fuelled and assembled, and capable of delivering combined heat (up to 13 MWt) and power (up to 5 MWe). Its small size allows for standard transportation methods and rapid, on-site deployment, with superior reliability and minimal maintenance. It will use TRISO (TRI-structural ISOtropic) nuclear fuel. It is one of several advanced reactor designs being supported by the US Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) intended to accelerate the development and deployment of new reactor technologies.
