Small Modular Reactors of the Past and the Future

Speakers: Mr Michael Crawforth MInstP, Business Development Manager at Rolls-Royce SMR and Mr Oliver Lonsdale CPhys MInstP, Nuclear Engineer at Rolls-Royce

Nuclear technology has been around for many decades now, and the recent excitement echoes previous periods of nuclear enthusiasm. The world has seen the development of a range of national nuclear power programmes over the years. Some of these programmes have sought to provide large scale power generation for civil power grids, while others sought to use nuclear power for the propulsion of naval vessels or even sending nuclear reactors out into space to orbit above us. One programme in particular reflects the current enthusiasm for small modular reactors - the US Army Nuclear Power Program. This programme ran parallel to the ultimately more successful Naval Nuclear Power Program, but had very different goals. 

This talk will begin with an overview of the programme, running from 1954 to 1977, and look at how some of the designs bear similarities to proposed reactors, and look into why the program failed and how reactor vendors of today can avoid the same fate.  This then brings us to the present ‘nuclear renaissance’ to explore the rapidly evolving SMR landscape in the UK and what this could mean for the energy system of tomorrow.

About the Speakers

This event brings you not one but two experts in the nuclear industry with a combined 28 years of experience in the nuclear sector. Mike Crawforth currently working for Rolls-Royce SMR looking to deploy nuclear power across a wide range of use cases in the UK and abroad. Oliver Lonsdale is now working within Rolls-Royce helping to shape the UK’s future Defence Nuclear landscape. 

Venue

Doors open at the venue at 18:30 with the talk beginning at 19:00. Please enter the Museum of Making via the Lombe Door. There is no parking at the venue but there is parking within 2-3 minutes walking distance.

There will be a bar available for the purchase of refreshments.

You must register for this talk as spaces are limited and it allows us to contact you should there be any changes to the talk details.