My understanding is that it offers purely safety related benefits. It can cool itself off and stop all reactions in emergency situations where traditional reactors would still need active cooling
The other commenter mentioned some things, but another aspect is that, if I’m correctly remembering the design, they have a shorter refueling cycle. Whereas usually you’d have to shut down a reactor for around a month (couple weeks at least) Pebble Beds can operate continuously iirc.
So is the benefit of the pebble-bed reactor the lack of need for water and being built on a lake or river? Are they any cheaper or longer lifespan?
My understanding is that it offers purely safety related benefits. It can cool itself off and stop all reactions in emergency situations where traditional reactors would still need active cooling
The other commenter mentioned some things, but another aspect is that, if I’m correctly remembering the design, they have a shorter refueling cycle. Whereas usually you’d have to shut down a reactor for around a month (couple weeks at least) Pebble Beds can operate continuously iirc.