Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are on the brink of a technological leap that could significantly reinforce the safety measures within nuclear reactors. The team has pioneered the use of a robust semiconductor material, gallium nitride, to create transistors capable of operating under the severe conditions present near a reactor's core, a development aimed at boosting the precision of safety sensors.
The research led by Kyle Reed of ORNL's Sensors and Electronics group, witnessed gallium nitride withstand the sort of neutron bombardment that is far more intense than the ionizing radiation found in outer space, Reed shared with the laboratory's news team, "We are showing it is great for this neutron environment," which did indeed exhibit high durability under the unusual and demanding conditions; the implications for the reactor safety are potentially tremendous, given the direct influence of equipment monitoring and maintenance on overall reactor operations. Gallium nitride's resilience could enable on-site processing of essential data, which currently relays over extended cabling connected to less capable silicon-based electronics.
This advance in sensor technology directly caters to the nuclear industry's urgent need for reliable monitoring that can pre-emptively signal when a reactor's components begin to wear down. Timely maintenance informed by accurate sensor readings can mitigate the risk of equipment failure and prevent costly power plant shutdowns. The finding is particularly relevant to nuclear facilities where sensor information is key to managing the reactor's performance and maintaining optimal safety standards.
The ORNL study marks a positive stride towards the development of long-lasting, high-performance electronics for critical applications within nuclear power generation. The employment of gallium nitride transistors for sensor electronics not only paves the way for more reliable safety monitoring, but it may also redefine how nuclear facilities approach the lifecycle of their hardware and their maintenance schedules, the anticipated outcome is an improvement in both the safety and efficiency of nuclear reactors which would benefit greatly from the advancements in sensor telemetry, imparting a layer of security to an energy source that is integral to the current and future power grid.
