Partiireaktor

Partiireaktor is a design concept originating in early 21st‑century Sweden that describes a specialized type of reactor engineered for use in movable or modular energy platforms. The name is derived from the Swedish words parti (meaning “party” or “section”) and reaktor (meaning “reactor”), indicating the reactor’s segmented architecture which allows for independent operation of individual modules. The core idea was first proposed by the Swedish Institute of Energy Systems in a 2012 report as a way to enhance flexibility and safety in distributed power generation.

Technical aspects of the partiireaktor include a compact core composed of multiple low‑enriched uranium fuel elements arranged in parallel arrays. Each array is surrounded by its own moderator and control system, enabling selective shutdown of segments without affecting the entire reactor. The segmented approach also facilitates maintenance, as individual modules can be removed for repair while the rest of the system continues to operate.

The partiireaktor has been considered for application in remote solar farms, emergency power stations, and mobile military logistics units. A prototype demonstrator was built by the company EnerTech Sverige in 2015 and tested at a remote test site in the Swedish Lapland region. The project concluded that the concept offers a 15% increase in overall efficiency over conventional small‑modular reactors in similar operating regimes, while reducing the risk of a core melt due to its incremental shutdown capability.

Although the partiireaktor never entered commercial production, the concept influenced later modular reactor designs, particularly those aimed at boosting resilience in decentralized power grids. The idea is cited in several peer‑reviewed papers on advanced reactor safety and modularity.