Just as a clogged kitchen sink can bring household routines to a halt, a blockage in a nuclear reactor’s heat exchanger can slow operations and require urgent attention. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory are now using artificial intelligence to spot these hidden clogs early. This approach will help molten-salt-cooled reactors (MSCR) run smoothly and reduce expensive interruptions. The study is published in Scientific Reports.

MSCRs are a promising type of next-generation nuclear reactor that can help meet the country’s energy needs. The design of such reactors, including key components such as heat exchangers, is still under consideration by the research community.

The research team proposed a first-of-its-kind compact matrix-type heat exchanger with an embedded hardware-software system that enables efficient monitoring.