Affordable clean energy through American nuclear leadership
Mechanical engineer Nicole Elizarraras
EAGL-1 SMALL MODULAR REACTOR (SMR)
Advanced nuclear power, designed with the customer in mind
EAGL-1 is engineered around a simple principle: innovate where innovation creates meaningful advantage and rely on proven technology where proven technology already works. A 240-megawatt electric (MWe) liquid metal fast-spectrum SMR designed with support from the U.S. Advanced Reactor Development Program (ARDP), U.S. national laboratories, and work performed by members of the FANCO team across federal advanced-reactor programs.
Compact architecture, low-pressure coolant, modular manufacturing, and compatibility with established industrial materials are intended to reduce the complexity, construction risk, and cost that have historically challenged nuclear projects.
REAL-WORLD ECONOMICS
Advanced where it matters. Proven where it counts
FANCO’s cost model for EAGL-1 is based on the expected costs of its first commercial deployment, rather than on projected efficiencies or cost reductions that may be achieved only after multiple units have been built.
Our development approach focuses on minimizing system complexity, shifting more work into controlled manufacturing environments, and using existing U.S. industrial capabilities wherever practical.
The objective is to produce a reactor that can fit within regulated utility models, compete in commercial power markets, and provide customers with reliable baseload power.
240 MWe
Electric output per unit
Fast-Spectrum
Compact, efficient, & fuel-flexible
600 MWt
Thermal output per unit
Low-Pressure
Simpler, safer primary system
HALEU UO2
Conventional fuel chemistry
Lead-Bismuth Cooled
Chemically stable liquid metal
Megawatt-thermal (MWth) and megawatt-electric (MWe) measure different things. MWth indicates how much heat a reactor produces, and MWe is how much electricity it will generate. Both metrics are important to understand the efficiency of any reactor design.
THE COOLANT IS THE KEY
Why EAGL-1 uses lead-bismuth
EAGL-1 uses lead-bismuth eutectic, or LBE, as its primary reactor coolant. LBE has decades of real-world operating experience in international reactor programs.
FANCO selected LBE for EAGL-1 because it combined low-pressure operation, a high boiling point (1,670 degrees Celsius), and nonflammable / non-reactive behavior with the strong heat-transfer characteristic advantages of working with a liquid metal alloy.
These characteristics reduce the need for the high-pressure systems used in conventional water-cooled reactors and avoid the reaction concerns associated with sodium-cooled designs.
- Low operating pressure
- Nonflammable
- High boiling point
- Effective heat transfer
SAFETY BY DESIGN
Physical characteristics work with, not against, safety systems
The low-pressure primary system, high coolant boiling point, thermal inertia, and fast-spectrum core of EAGL-1 support passive responses across a wide range of conditions.
These inherent features work alongside engineered systems for monitoring, shutdown, and safe removal of residual heat, also known as “decay heat,” to protect the reactor under a range of operating scenarios.
Together, they could allow EAGL-1 to operate with fewer major systems and a smaller footprint while drawing important safety benefits from the intrinsic properties of its coolant.
A deliberate choice based on decades of hands-on advanced reactor experience
Most advanced reactor developers turn to technologies they have encountered in research, modeling, and analysis. FANCO’s coolant selection is grounded in decades of hands-on experience across liquid-metal reactors, fast-spectrum systems, advanced nuclear fuels, safety analysis, reactor operations, and national advanced-reactor programs.
Rather than beginning with a preferred technology and designing around its limitations, The team began with the requirements of commercial deployment and evaluated the reactor architecture against those requirements, resulting in LBE as the coolant of choice for EAGL-1.
Lead and lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) are different coolants. Pure lead melts at 330°C compared to LBE’s melting point of just 125°C. A lower melting point means that LBE stays liquid with significantly less heat. Remaining in liquid form allows the coolant to do its job by circulating and carrying heat away from the reactor core. A lower heat requirement is advantageous for normal plant operations, startups, and shutdowns. A low melting point is another reason FANCO selected lead-bismuth rather than pure lead for EAGL-1.
Deployment becomes less about construction and more about assembly
Traditional nuclear plants require large amounts of complex, site-specific construction. EAGl-1 is being developed to shift more of that work into factories where components and modules can be produced repeatedly under controlled conditions.
Factory-fabricated systems
Major components and subassemblies are designed to be manufactured, inspected, and tested before shipment to the project site. This approach can improve quality control, reduce on-site construction, and give customers greater confidence in project schedules and costs.
Simplified plant architecture
EAGL-1’s low-pressure coolant system and fewer major reactor systems are intended to reduce equipment volume and construction complexity of the entire plant.
Existing industrial capabilities
EAGL-1 is being designed to use well-understood materials, fabrication methods, and U.S. supply-chain capabilities wherever practical.
Repeatable site assembly
Standardized modules and plant configurations are intended to reduce the amount of project-specific engineering required for each deployment.
Scalable energy parks
Customers can begin with a standalone 240 MWe unit or deploy multiple reactors in phases as electricity demand grows.
