The Chernobyl, 3 Mile Island, and Fukushima incidents are often cited as reasons why nuclear energy is unsafe to use when it is cleaner than other major energy sources. But did you know the last time a nuclear incident happened was in 2011 and a new generation of nuclear reactors have been designed to prevent core meltdowns from happening? Because the bad stigma still exists in the public mind, Deep Fission wants to build a nuclear reactor that is 1 mile (1.6 km) underground.
Deep Fission will use a conventional pressurized water reactor (PWR) inserted into a 30″ wide (76 cm) hole nearly 2 kilometers deep. Then there is a pipe to channel the water for the cooling system and another pipe will bring the resulting steam back to the surface to power the electric generator.
Because it is located deep underground, it does not require a special chamber with thick walls made of lead to block the radiation. The weight of the water in the pipe being brought down using gravity will supply the guesswork to the PWR naturally without a complex pumping system. When maintenance is required, the PWR can be brought back to the surface for repairs or refueling.
The reactor will be built in an area with hard rock away from groundwater sources. If an accident occurs, the reactor is designed to self-stop the reaction before a core meltdown occurs. If there is even an explosion, it is far underground and the hole can then be blown up.
Deep Fission at this point is still just a concept and in the process of getting permission to test its effectiveness in the real world.