YOUR NEW SMR MUST NOT BE THERMAL

Abstract

All nuclear reactors extract about 200 MeV from the fission of a heavy atom. Therefore the choice of a reactor is determined by other factors: economics, expediency, opportunity, national pride, etc. The advent of SMRs permits us to re-examine our choices. All thermal reactors consume <1% of the heavy atoms in mined uranium. The rest of the fuel is considered waste. Is now the time to choose better reactor cores that, with fuel recycling, are capable of extracting the energy of all the heavy atoms in that fuel? Yes, it is. This opportunity may not come again.