- 3D printers built complex concrete pieces faster, but long -term durability remains largely proven
- Oak Ridge finished reactor shielding in days, increasing the speed debates against security throughout the industry
- Advanced construction methods depend more on the software, reducing labor but increasing system dependence
In East Tennessee, a 3D printer arm has been used to build concrete armor columns for a nuclear reactor.
The work is part of the low -power demonstration reactor project, backed by the United States Department of Energy, and marks a new direction in the way in which the nuclear infrastructure is constructed, with 3D and AI printing tools that play important papers.
And according to the National Laboratory of OAK RIDGE (ORNL), large parts of the construction were completed in just 14 days, which could have taken several weeks using conventional methods.
The efficiency gains clash with engineering caution
The new method uses 3D printers to create detailed molds to melt concrete, even in complex forms, with the aim of making construction faster, cheaper and more flexible, while depending more on materials and labor in the United States.
The AI tools also played a role in the project, since Ornl used technology to guide parts of the design and construction process.
These tools can help reduce human error and accelerate work, especially when difficult or unique parts are created, but depending largely on AI also poses questions. How can builders make sure these systems do not make unnoticed mistakes? Who verifies the decisions that are automated?
The project is also a response to the increase in energy demands, since AI systems and data centers use more energy, nuclear energy is considered a stable source to support them.
Some experts say that future AI tools can end up working with the power of the reactors that helped to design, a feedback circuit that could be efficient and risky.
The use of 3D printing in this project allows to build precise structures faster.
Even so, it is not yet clear how well these 3D printed parts will remain over time.
Nuclear reactors must last decades, and failure in any part of the structure could be dangerous. Quality tests and controls must be kept up to date with the speed of new construction methods.
For now, 3D printing and AI seem to offer powerful tools for the nuclear industry.
But while the fastest construction is an important benefit, security must continue to be the main concern: this “new era” can bring improvements, but it will need much attention and caution in each step.
Via Hardware Toms
