Researchers in the US have developed a modeling approach that could allow nuclear power plants to adjust electricity output to changing grid demand without repeatedly reducing reactor power.

The system combines molten salt reactors with thermal energy storage, allowing excess heat to be stored when electricity demand is low and used to generate additional power when demand increases.

Developed by researchers at the University of Central Florida (UCF), the approach could help nuclear plants operate alongside solar and wind farms, whose electricity production changes with weather conditions and the time of day.

The researchers combined thermodynamic modeling with an economic analysis to examine how storing and releasing reactor heat could improve operational flexibility and help nuclear plants respond to fluctuating electricity prices.

Unlike solar and wind installations, conventional nuclear power plants are generally designed to produce electricity continuously. Adjusting their output to match rapid changes in demand can introduce operational challenges.

As renewable energy contributes a larger share of electricity generation, nuclear plants may need to become more flexible without compromising the steady operation of their reactors.

“Nuclear power needs to be flexible while nuclear reactors operate at a steady pace because grid demand varies throughout the day, and this is especially pronounced in grids with high solar penetration, which typically peaks around noon and diminishes toward night,” said Augusto Delavald Marques, a doctoral researcher involved in the study.

Thermal energy storage offers a way to separate heat production from electricity generation.

Instead of sending all the heat produced by a reactor directly to the power generation system, some could be diverted into storage when electricity demand is low.

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