A new generation of nuclear reactors

摘要

Seventeen years after the last nuclear power plant was ordered in the United States, nuclear engineers have designed, and in one case, begun constructing a new generation of advanced light-water reactors. These new reactors, which are simpler and safer, will replace aging reactor systems reaching the end of their licensed operation and provide extra baseload capacity for an expanding worldwide demand for energy. The new reactor plants have a modular design consisting of prefabricated components that can be shipped directly to a construction site for quick assembly.