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Cover Story
safer, smarter nuclear power
What are the most common challenges you face when designing heat exchangers for nuclear applications?“ One of the significant challenges is material selection. Heat exchangers in nuclear applications must meet exceptional durability requirements, as they are subjected to high temperatures and must be very resistant to corrosion. Corrosion, in particular, is a critical issue. If materials deteriorate and introduce radioactive particles into the reactor coolant system, they can jeopardise operator safety.”“ Another challenge is designing within the spatial constraints of modular reactors. Unlike traditional designs that allow greater flexibility with component sizing, SMR components must align precisely with modular dimensions, requiring clever engineering and optimisation.”“ Finally, nuclear engineering is inherently regulation-intensive. There’ s a constant balancing act between design efficiency and meeting strict safety and regulatory requirements.”
How do you balance efficiency, safety, and regulatory requirements in the design process?“ In nuclear engineering, safety always comes first. There’ s no room for compromise in that regard. If
Katrina Bradley, Component Design Engineer at Rolls- Royce SMR. www. heat-exchanger-world. com Heat Exchanger World April 2025
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