Amount Awarded: $25,000
Maritime commercial shipping currently contributes 3% to total world CO2 emissions, the same as total CO2 emissions from the U.S. electricity sector. Adapting land-based advanced reactor technologies, in particular those using highly robust TRISO fuel types, to use in commercial ships could reduce emissions, and due to the lower cost of nuclear fuel, enable operation at higher speeds ultimately reducing the numbers of ships needed for international maritime commerce. This project will support a Master of Engineering (MEng) student project during academic year 2025-6, to study approaches to adapt land-based reactors to commercial shipping applications, including systematically identifying the normal, off-normal, and accident conditions that can occur in marine applications; identifying modeling, simulation, and experimental approaches to perform the adaptation; and studying shipyard requirements and infrastructure to support demonstration. The NTNU Department of Ocean Operations and Civil Engineering Co-Principal Investigator, who currently leads the NuProShip project, will mentor the students in marine engineering questions, and coordinate travel to visit a relevant shipyard, and to Norway to work with simulator facilities at the Norwegian Maritime Competence Center. The Peder Sather grant funds will be used to provide stipend and travel support for the MEng students.