Interdisciplinary Review of Advances in Micro Nuclear Reactor Technology: Design and Deployment, Radiation-Tolerant Materials, Electromagnetic Systems, And Therapeutic Applications

This review synthesizes and critically evaluates four scholarly works spanning the full technological breadth of contemporary micro nuclear reactor (MNR) research. The first work provides a comprehensive general overview of MNR classification, design principles, fuel technologies, safety philosophy, global development programs, and economic considerations, establishing the contextual framework for all subsequent studies. The second study presents the conceptual design of the ZAN4e — a 10 MW(thermal) lead-cooled, graphite-moderated, Stirling-engine microreactor developed for Canadian Arctic communities — and demonstrates its neutronic and thermal-hydraulic viability through analytical and computational analysis. The third study characterizes the micro-mechanical response of four Gen-IV candidate structural alloys to high-dose ion irradiation, establishing that nanocrystalline and oxide-dispersion-strengthened microstructures confer exceptional radiation tolerance through grain-boundary and nanocluster defect sinking. The fourth contribution, encompassing two interconnected papers, addresses the component-level engineering challenges of the MicroURANUS small modular reactor and a research reactor, analyzing electromagnetic pump thermal management and a novel remote-controlled fuel locking mechanism respectively. Together these works chart a coherent trajectory from macro-level technology assessment to system-level reactor design, materials qualification, and precision therapeutic application of nuclear reactions. This review examines the scientific context, methodological rigor, principal findings, limitations, and cross-cutting engineering implications of each contribution, and identifies priority directions for future research.