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Atomic Insights

Atomic energy technology, politics, and perceptions from a nuclear energy insider who served as a US nuclear submarine engineer officer

Gas Cooled Reactors

History and promise of high temperature gas cooled reactors

January 16, 2017 By Guest Author

By: Diarmuid Foley A small modular nuclear reactor to replace coal plants could be on the market within 5 years. In 2014, the Generation IV international forum[1] confirmed the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) as one of 6 promising reactor technologies that should be pursued in order to develop advanced reactors suitable for deployment in […]

Filed Under: Advanced Atomic Technologies, Atomic history, Gas Cooled Reactors, Pebble Bed Reactors, Reactors, Small Nuclear Power Plants, Smaller reactors

Will China convert existing coal plants to nuclear using HTR-PM reactors?

November 21, 2016 By Rod Adams

It would be a huge benefit to the earth’s atmosphere if China, India, Brazil and the US could reduce direct coal burning while still making use of much of the capital that they have invested in building coal fired power plants. It would make an even larger difference in reducing air pollution in the areas […]

Filed Under: Advanced Atomic Technologies, ANS Winter 2016, Climate change, Gas Cooled Reactors, Graphite Moderated Reactors, New Nuclear, Pebble Bed Reactors

U-Battery – Micronuclear power with intriguing business model

February 14, 2016 By Rod Adams 19 Comments

U-Battery was one of the more intriguing presenters at the Advanced Reactor Technical Summit (ARTSIII) held at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory last week. Even though this was a technical summit, the segments of the presentation that captured my attention were the business model and the funding source. However, certain technical choices are vital to […]

Filed Under: Advanced Atomic Technologies, ARTSIII Feb 2016, Business of atomic energy, Gas Cooled Reactors, Graphite Moderated Reactors, New Nuclear, Nuclear Batteries, Reactors, Smaller reactors

Atomic Show #248 – Dr. Pete Pappano, VP Fuel Production X-Energy

November 20, 2015 By Rod Adams 2 Comments

On Thursday, November 19, 2015, I interviewed Dr. Pete Pappano, vice president of fuel development for X-Energy. As described in X-Energy introduced its company and first product to Virginia chapter of ANS, X-Energy is a start-up company based in Maryland that is developing a modular high temperature gas cooled reactor. Each module will produce 50 […]

Filed Under: Gas Cooled Reactors, Pebble Bed Reactors, Podcast

Treasure trove of documents about the ML-1, the US Army’s trailer-mounted, nitrogen-cooled, atomic fission-heated generator

November 3, 2015 By Rod Adams 11 Comments

I recently published an article featuring a video from the Army Nuclear Power Program that focused on the Army’s mobile, low power closed cycle nitrogen cooled nuclear reactor designated the ML-1. The article generated a good discussion that indicated a strong desire for more information about the program. My initial searches didn’t turn up a […]

Filed Under: Army Nuclear Program, Atomic history, Gas Cooled Reactors, Small Nuclear Power Plants, Smaller reactors

X-Energy introduced its company and first product to Virginia chapter of ANS

October 30, 2015 By Rod Adams 48 Comments

On Tuesday, October 27, three leaders from X-Energy spoke to the Virginia ANS chapter about their company and the Xe-100, the high temperature, pebble bed gas reactor power system that they are designing. During the presentation, meeting attendees learned that X-Energy is an early phase start-up with a total staff of a few dozen people, […]

Filed Under: Advanced Atomic Technologies, Atomic Entrepreneurs, Gas Cooled Reactors, Graphite Moderated Reactors, New Nuclear, Pebble Bed Reactors, Small Nuclear Power Plants, Smaller reactors

Using portable nuclear generators to break petroleum logistical dependence circa 1963

October 27, 2015 By Rod Adams

Note: The initial version of this post was written based on an incorrect interpretation of the Roman numeral date stamp at the end of the video. The film was made in 1963, not 1968. The post was revised after a commenter provided the correct production date. End note. I have a theory about why the […]

Filed Under: Adams Engines, Advanced Atomic Technologies, Atomic Entrepreneurs, Gas Cooled Reactors, Pebble Bed Reactors, Small Nuclear Power Plants, Smaller reactors

Atomic Show #238 – StarCore Nuclear co-founders

April 7, 2015 By Rod Adams

StarCore Nuclear is a Canadian company whose co-founders, David Dabney and David Poole, are experienced engineers and businessmen. They have spent most of the past six years developing a technology and a business model aimed at providing reliable, emission-free electrical power and heat to remote locations. The basis of their technology is a high-temperature helium […]

Filed Under: Advanced Atomic Technologies, Atomic Entrepreneurs, Business of atomic energy, Gas Cooled Reactors, Graphite Moderated Reactors, International nuclear, New Nuclear, Podcast, Smaller reactors

HTR-PM – Nuclear-heated gas producing superheated steam

June 27, 2014 By Rod Adams

The first HTR-PM (High Temperature Reactor – Pebble Module), one of the more intriguing nuclear plant designs, is currently under construction on the coast of the Shidao Bay near Weihai, China. This system uses evolutionary engineering design principles that give it a high probability of success, assuming that the developers and financial supporters maintain their […]

Filed Under: Advanced Atomic Technologies, Gas Cooled Reactors, Graphite Moderated Reactors, International nuclear, New Nuclear, Pebble Bed Reactors, Small Nuclear Power Plants, Smaller reactors

Fission is an elegant way to heat a gas

June 26, 2014 By Rod Adams

What if it was possible to combine the low capital cost, reliability, and responsive operations of simple cycle combustion gas turbines with the low fuel cost and zero-emission capability of an actinide (uranium, thorium, or plutonium) fuel source? Machines like that could disrupt a few business models while giving the world’s economy a powerful new […]

Filed Under: Adams Engines, Advanced Atomic Technologies, Gas Cooled Reactors, Graphite Moderated Reactors, Pebble Bed Reactors, Small Nuclear Power Plants, Smaller reactors

Advances in high temperature nuclear reactor fuel – TRISO integrity at 1800 C!

September 26, 2013 By Rod Adams

The Idaho National Laboratory released the following exciting news on September 25, 2013. IDAHO FALLS — A safer and more efficient nuclear fuel is on the horizon. A team of researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have reached a new milestone with tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) […]

Filed Under: Advanced Atomic Technologies, Fuel Comparisons, Gas Cooled Reactors, Graphite Moderated Reactors, Pebble Bed Reactors

NGNP aims to expand nuclear fission out of its electricity producing niche (box)

March 7, 2013 By Rod Adams

Enterprise and Escorts Demonstrate Nuclear Propulsion

The NGNP Alliance recently published a thought provoking blog titled Energy Vs. Electricity and Why We Care that clearly explains the basis for their interest in using high temperature gas cooled reactors. That group of far-sighted organizations was formed in recognition that the energy market is far larger than just producing electricity. They believe that […]

Filed Under: Adams Engines, Gas Cooled Reactors, Graphite Moderated Reactors, Small Nuclear Power Plants

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