fl uid to move heat from the core to the heat exchanger, and is fully encapsulated in a sealed pipe. Unlike traditional sodium- cooled reactor designs, in which large volumes of sodium are pumped around the core, the eVinci requires very small amounts of sodium to serve as the coolant, almost all of which is entrained in the wicks of the heat pipes. It is relatively benign in terms of chemical reaction kinetics. There are no mechanical pumps, valves or large- diameter primary loop piping. The heat pipes replace the reactor coolant pump, reactor coolant system, primary coolant chemistry control and all associated auxiliary systems. The size of the overall reactor product is very compact with few components. In its current development status, each fuel channel is adjacent to three heat pipes for effi ciency and redundancy, achieving an overall 1:2 fuel channel to heat pipe ratio. Designing this large number of heat pipes in the core is intended to increase reliability and safety. Thermal to power conversion is being designed to accommodate the range Nuclear Plant Journal, March-April 2019 NuclearPlantJournal.com 35 (Continued on page 36) eVinci compared to other energy sources. Jurie Van Wyk Jurie van Wyk is a Principal Engineer and technical lead of the eVinci™ Micro Reactor program for Westinghouse. With the co-lead, he shares responsibility for the overall technical authority of the project and aligns work between design, testing, licensing and manufacturing, and the overall development and commercialization program. Mr. van Wyk’s 19 years with Westinghouse have been focused in areas of new advanced reactor development, including the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor and the Westinghouse Small Modular Reactor. Mr. van Wyk has been co-patent author of multiple patent disclosures fi led for full patent applications. His experience in evaluating new advanced reactor designs for economic feasibility has shaped the vision for the eVinci design that paved the way for a new nuclear application in remote power generation. Mr. van Wyk has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Stellenbosch. to site. A plug and play interface allows onsite installation in less than 30 days. The reactor is capable of operating multiple years without refueling and in island mode, with black start capability. These attributes are of interest to those in the energy industry seeking great resiliency and energy security. Westinghouse is also applying its expertise in instrumentation and controls to design the eVinci micro reactor to operate autonomously. The eVinci design is also planned to deliver combined heat and power with smart load-follow capability via a micro- grid interface subsystem. High-grade heat – up to 600 o C – can be used for industrial heating applications such as desalination, hydrogen generation and onsite liquid fuel production. Low-grade heat can be used for district heating or greenhouse applications. Autonomous clean energy power and heat production can help meet increasing demand while also playing a positive role concerning our climate and environment with the eVinci micro reactor. The eVinci micro reactor also requires far less land area than other sources of clean energy to generate equivalent power while providing energy independence and security. The Technology and How it Works The eVinci micro reactor is a high- temperature heat pipe reactor. This technology’s groundbreaking safety features stem from the simplicity of its design. The core design is unique: It is comprised of a solid monolithic block with three types of channels that accommodate fuel, neutron moderators and heat pipes. There are no moving or mechanical parts, except for reactivity control drums, which surround the monolithic block and allow absorber material to passively turn inward toward the core if power is lost, as well as on demand. A thick radial neutron refl ector surrounds the monolithic core block and reactivity control drums, which, in turn, is surrounded by a neutron shield, followed by a gamma shield. A canister encases the entire core and each of these fi ssion product barriers. The reactor core is itself subcritical; it cannot achieve criticality without both the neutron moderator and the neutron refl ector. Each heat pipe contains a small amount of sodium liquid as the working f f p of electric power output goals of specifi c eVinci micro reactors. Two mature power conversion technology options are being considered to generate electricity. Neither requires cooling water since the fi nal heat rejection is envisioned to be by air and not by water. Fuel Westinghouse has evaluated multiple fuel options for the eVinci micro reactor; including options for uranium in oxide, metallic and silicide form. Working with LANL and Idaho National Laboratory (INL), both of which are uniquely qualifi ed to conduct fuel performance tests, Westinghouse and its strategic