Summary of The future of Nuclear = Small, Mobile, Microreactors | Radiant

Radiant is working on developing portable micro reactors that can replace diesel generators and provide power in challenging terrains.

They are focusing on fission power as a practical and fast path to get off fossil fuels and expand capabilities.

nuclear power can save lives by eliminating the need for fuel shipments in dangerous locations.

Radiant is pioneering small reactors that can be mass-produced quickly and iterated upon for continuous improvement.

The company is working on miniaturizing reactors to make them more affordable and easier to construct.

They are developing a portable nuclear micro reactor called Kaleidos, with the first reactor set to be turned on in 18 months.

The reactor uses fission, where one atom splits into two or more atoms, releasing energy.

The reactor core contains fuel with uranium 235 and uses helium as a coolant to transfer heat to a power generation loop.

Radiant is testing their technology through a helium test loop and a digital twin model of the reactor system.

They are working towards a passive cooldown test to demonstrate the safety and shutdown profile of the reactor in case of an emergency.

Radiant plans to conduct a fuel test at a National Lab in 2026, marking the first reactor test in 50 years.

The company has faced challenges in scaling, hiring, and aligning teams but is now 18 months away from achieving their goal.

Researchers or sources featured

Notable Quotes

— 04:24 — « were building the smallest nuclear reactor because smaller is cheaper, its super hard scaling. »
— 07:02 — « something that fissions, like a material thats like uranium 235, and then some way to slow neutrons down. »
— 07:52 — « by 2028 we should be able to deliver one of these portable nuclear microreactors to a customer site and then ramp production as soon as possible up to 50 units a year. »
— 14:07 — « enabling us to get a set of correlations which we can then put into our digital twin models to exactly predict how much heat will be rejected to the environment. »
— 17:01 — « the crane, like their vision, is almost too big for where they are but these are experienced engineers and builders with a clear plan to turn on their first reactor in 18 months. »

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Science and Nature

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