How do you store energy in a nuclear reactor?

There are many options for storing either the thermal energy from the nuclear reactor or the electricity from the turbo-generator in the power cycle, with both having their advantages and disadvantages respectively. Thermal, mechanical, and electrical energy storage are the most commonly used storage options.

Should thermal energy storage be integrated with light-water cooled nuclear power plants?

Storing excess thermal energy in a storage media, that can later be extracted during peak-load times is one of the better economic options for nuclear power in future. Thermal energy storage integration with light-water cooled and advanced nuclear power plants is analyzed to assess technical feasibility of different options.

Should nuclear energy be stored as thermal energy?

Since heat is a natural product of nuclear reactions, storing the energy produced as thermal energy seems to be an efficient means of storage. Also, storing heat is a technologically simple task so it should be a relatively cheap and reliable energy storage adaptation for nuclear power.

Can thermal energy storage be integrated with nuclear energy?

In particular, thermal energy storage (TES) provides several advantages when integrated with nuclear energy. First, nuclear reactors are thermal generators, meaning that fewer energy transformation mechanisms are required when thermal energy is used as the coupling energy resource.

What is thermal energy storage (TES) in small modular nuclear reactors?

Different thermal energy storage (TES) methods are proposed for small modular nuclear reactors. Exergy and energy density analyses of TES integration with NPPs are conducted and presented. Sensible heat liquid-type TES systems outperform solid-type systems.

Can thermal energy storage and nuclear energy be a transformative contribution?

Jan 2022, 1: 011006 (9 pages) Thermal energy storage (TES) coupled with nuclear energy could be a transformative contribution to address the mismatch in energy production and demand that occur with the expanding use of solar and wind energy. TES can generate new revenue for the nuclear plant and help decarbonize the electricity grid.