L3Harris Recognized for Innovative Molten Salt Reactor Simulator

L3Harris Technologies has been awarded the 2021 Innovation Award for a first-of-a-kind simulator by the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCNI), the country’s leading nuclear supply chain trade association.

L3Harris delivered the simulator to Terrestrial Energy to support its Generation IV Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) power plant in Canada. L3Harris’ engineers pushed technology boundaries to create the real-time simulation of the IMSR power plant, which features L3Harris’ foundational Orchid technology.

“L3Harris’ innovative work supports the commercialization of our Generation IV IMSR nuclear power plant, an SMR that generates electric power 50% more efficiently than today’s reactor technology for clean, resilient, cost-competitive nuclear power,” said Simon Irish, CEO of Terrestrial Energy.

Unlike conventional nuclear power plants that use solid nuclear fuels and water, the IMSR power plant simulator models liquid nuclear fuel and molten salts that move through the reactor. The simulator demonstrates the IMSR power plant’s potential as a clean energy source and cost-competitive alternative to fossil fuel combustion.

L3Harris’ Montreal operations have nearly five decades of global experience simulating nuclear power plants. The company provided the first simulators for Canadian CANDU power plants and is now providing the first simulators for Canada’s IMSR power plants.