Ensuring You Have a Safe Nickel Reactor

Posted by Jason Norman on December 24th, 2020

Due to some understandable things, reactors have a bit of a bad name in the eye of the public. People are very generalizing creatures, so certain terms that require a lot of context tend to get very general, emotionally charged associations. Reactors are definitely high up on the list of such things.

In general, people realize that they are a complicated mechanism from which a large amount of power is derived. It’s generally understood that on top of being complex, they can be quite dangerous. These conclusions are, on the whole, quite accurate. Reactors are quite dangerous, that is, if they’re not built to the proper specifications and handled with the proper care and maintenance. Negligence and incompetence are the core causes for most reactor disasters in history, the one exception being possibly Fukushima where a natural disaster could not be avoided.

However, a reactor isn’t by its very definition nuclear, as any use of thermal generation and high pressure to create power is by its very nature a reactor. So, when you hear the term nickel reactor, and are baffled as to how the element nickel could be used in a nuclear reaction, it honestly isn’t.

Generally, when a nickel reactor is described, the referring to a nickel jacketed reactor, as nickel is a very efficient element when used for pressure chambers and pressure vessels. It’s highly resistant to corrosion, it can retain a lot of its tensile strength against heat and pressure, and it’s a very affordable and lightweight element all around.

Other uses of Nickel

Nickel is in fact utilize in more than just the construction of a jacketed reactor. In certain nuclear designs, it is utilized in the efficient handling of hydrogen and reuptake, but the exact methodology there and how it works is well beyond not only the scope of this writing, but the understanding of the writer!

In general, a nickel reactor refers to the use of nickel as said before, in the construction of various components primarily the head and pressure vessel due to its resilience a deficiency in this application.

Why Materials Matter

Materials very much matter in the construction of a reactor, especially the pressure vessel itself. One has to remember that these constructs will be retaining a high pressure substance, in this case usually steam and/or water, and not only will it be under high pressure but also incredibly high temperatures in most cases. Proper metallurgy and material sciences must be employed to ensure that not only is the head and the pressure vessel of such a construction sound, but also safe.

These reactors in the chambers they utilize are extremely dangerous should their ability to retain pressurized steam and water be compromised. Not only is the steam and water extremely hot, not only is the pressure at which it escapes extremely dangerous, but the risk of shrapnel should a pressure vessel be compromised is even greater. Shreds of metal, bolts and bits of solder or welding material can be literal missiles and projectiles during a decompression event.

As usual, ASME code compliance should be exercise in the construction of all parts of a nickel reactor or any jacketed reactor, especially when it comes to boilers and pressure vessels. Safety should come first, yes, even above and beyond efficiency!