S
A novel construction method is under development in East Tennessee, where massive, custom-printed molds are being used to pour concrete for the nation’s first new advanced reactor in decades.
At Kairos Power’s campus in Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), these 3D-printed polymer forms are being used to construct components for the Hermes Low-Power Demonstration Reactor (HLDR).
The HLDR is the first advanced reactor to receive a construction permit from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The 3D-printed forms will be used for the “Janus shielding demonstration.” This is a precursor to the forms that will be used to construct parts of the HLDR.
ORNL said in a press release, “Kairos Power’s Janus column demonstrates a component of the company’s novel design for the HLDR bioshield. This is a thick concrete structure constructed around a nuclear reactor that absorbs radiation during operation, protecting workers.”
Each section measures approximately ten feet by ten feet and is stacked three units high to create a column for the reactor’s bioshield—the concrete structure that absorbs radiation.
Ryan Dehoff is the director of the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF0. He said, “At ORNL, we’re showing that the future of nuclear construction doesn’t have to look like the past. We’re combining national lab capabilities with MDF’s legacy of taking big, ambitious swings — moonshots that turn bold ideas into practical solutions — to accelerate new commercial nuclear energy.”
The 3D printing technique is an alternative to traditional steel or wood forms, which can be costly and time-consuming to build for complex shapes. The additive manufacturing approach allows “cast-in-place” construction for components with unique geometries.
One major technical challenge was ensuring that the forms had the structural integrity to withstand the high pressure of the wet concrete while maintaining geometric precision.
Ahmed (Arabi) Hassen is ORNL’s group leader for composites innovation. He said that this required new design and printing strategies for the structural application.
Edward Blandford is the co-founder and chief technology officer of Kairos Power. He said, “We’ve had a relationship with MDF since Kairos Power’s formation. They move fast, they think creatively, and they’ve demonstrated that they can deliver transformative results when conventional manufacturing would fall short.”
Blandford noted that testing the molds on the demonstration columns first will allow the team to refine methods and reduce risk before applying the technique to the main HLDR facility and future commercial plants.
The effort is part of the SM2ART Moonshot Project which is a multi-year initiative funded by the DoE and led by MDF and the University of Maine.
An ORNL press release said, “Over the next 18 months, the SM2ART Moonshot Project will continue to support Kairos Power construction initiatives, expanding to include full-scale production of forms for radiation shielding and reactor building enclosures, and integrating smart manufacturing techniques, digital twins, and data-driven quality control.”
The project also intends to develop printable biocomposite feedstocks from timber residuals, with a goal of reducing material costs by seventy five percent.
3D printing technology has gained great popularity in the nuclear energy industry. The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has also taken major steps. It has commissioned two advanced 3D printing machines that use complementary methods to produce parts for future fusion reactors.