Mini reactorsMini Nuclear Reactor to Solve the E-Truck Recharging Dilemma

Published 9 October 2020

Electric semitrucks sound like a great idea, leading to cleaner, carbon-free skies. But the largest cross-country 18-wheel truck needs five to 10 times more electricity than an electric car to recharge its battery. And these trucks often need to recharge far from high-power transmission lines. Where will that electricity come from? Engineers will tell you the answer is clear — microreactors.

Driving a newer electric car for the first time can instill the excitement of playing a favorite video game. Everything is sleek, fast and futuristic. That’s an image that every technology firm wants to convey, including the makers of semitrucks, many of which have unveiled plans to electrify their 18-wheelers.

At first glance, electric semitrucks sound like a great idea, leading to cleaner, carbon-free skies. But the largest cross-country 18-wheel truck needs five to 10 times more electricity than an electric car to recharge its battery. And these trucks often need to recharge far from high-power transmission lines. Where will that electricity come from?

A team of engineers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratorywill tell you the answer is clear — microreactors.

These microreactors, which rely on nuclear fuel and passive safety features, could recharge cross-country semitrucks at thousands of rest stops across the country, say these engineers who have developed a novel way to generate power that links a nuclear reactor — about the size of two home water heaters — to an energy storage system.

“The reactor can operate for more than 10 years and generate direct current power to charge electric semis at rest stops,” said Derek Kultgen, a principal engineer in Argonne’s Nuclear Science and Engineering division, who leads the new project. ​“We expect recharging costs to be far less expensive than fueling a diesel semitruck.”

Shrinking Reactors, Reducing Complexity and Costs
Nuclear experts have designed small reactors that could generate power in remote areas — e.g., the Artic, military bases, on spacecraft — for years without refueling or servicing. These designs arise from 20-plus years of DOE research and use mature, proven technologies for nuclear safety.

Indeed, Kultgen’s plan is one of five new projects at the laboratory that are exploring how so-called microreactors can help solve the nation’s energy challenges. The projects combine two of Argonne’s strengths — nuclear research and energy storage.

Yet, this rest stop concept stands out for three reasons.