Use of 3D Printing Growing in the Nuclear Energy Sector
It might seem counterintuitive, but the use of 3D printing is becoming more and more useful in the nuclear power industry. The first successful 3D printed nuclear plant component was deployed in 2017 by Siemens, and additional deployments have occurred in the three years since by such industry leaders as Westinghouse Electric and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy.
Why 3D Printing in the Nuclear Sector Makes Sense
The main benefit of 3D printing (also known as additive manufacturing) is that it saves both time and money. In a nutshell, a 3D blueprint or model can be instantly converted into a usable plastic, rubber or metal component. This saves time, reduces costs, and offers added design flexibility, especially as it relates to creating prototypes – i.e., rather than configuring manufacturing equipment for one-off prototypes, 3D printing only requires programming changes. It’s also an excellent solution for replacing discontinued parts.
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy represents a good benchmark for the technology, as the company claims the printing technology has reduced manufacturing times by a whopping 90%! The company’s incredible success with the technology has spawned additional use-cases, perhaps the most promising of which is in the micro-reactor industry (i.e., nuclear reactors generating less than 10 MW of power).
The next evolution in the technology is to print a nuclear reactor core, and researchers are currently working on doing just that. Initiatives are also underway to use the technology for nuclear waste separation, radiation shielding, and more.
All in all, I love this concept! Despite rumors to the contrary, nuclear power is not going away anytime soon, so anything that can reduce nuclear plant expenses while also maintaining – or even improving – reliability is a win for everyone from plant operators to customers to emergency preparedness professionals. I fully expect to see the use of 3D printing expand deeper into the nuclear industry over the next few years, and I, for one, cannot wait to see the results.
