When Cities Go Nuclear: Exploring the Applications of Nuclear Batteries Toward Energy Transformation
Name
urbansci-08-00226.pdf
Size
538.56 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
47f81ee56584259f940f77995a0faa2b
Author(s)
Paul, Sanjana
Klimenka, Mikita
Duarte, Fabio
Crawford, Carmen
Gorman, Claire
Ratti, Carlo
Buongiorno, Jacopo
Date Issued
November 25, 2024
Publisher
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Citation
Paul, S.; Klimenka, M.; Duarte, F.; Crawford, C.; Gorman, C.; Ratti, C.; Buongiorno, J. When Cities Go Nuclear: Exploring the Applications of Nuclear Batteries Toward Energy Transformation. Urban Sci. 2024, 8, 226.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Global society faces the pressing question of how to eliminate reliance on fossil fuels while meeting increasing energy demand. In comparison to solar and wind energy, nuclear power has been largely ignored in urban studies research. However, nuclear energy has recently regained attention through the emergence of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), and as the stakes of decarbonization become increasingly essential. To evaluate situations in which SMRs bring value to urban energy mixes, this paper focuses on Nuclear Batteries (NBs), a specific class of SMRs, that can fit in standard shipping containers. First, we outline an evaluation framework for the use and application of NBs; second, we present use cases for NBs in real-world situations, from disaster relief to grid reinforcement; and third, we discuss the social challenges around this technology.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Urban Studies and Planning
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci8040226
