Imagine all the benefits of a large commercial nuclear power plant contained in a small transportable reactor
– By Randy Brich –
Imagine all the benefits of a large commercial nuclear power plant contained in a small transportable reactor the size of a residential spa. Now, visualize no moving parts, no maintenance and a constant, continuous reliable flow of energy for 5-7 years before refueling. By now, you are probably thinking about one of those science fiction paperbacks you read back in college. But this isn’t science fiction — it is happening here and now.
Hyperion Power Generation (www.hyperionpowergeneration.com) brings to the commercial sector a small modular sealed reactor that requires no operators and is totally failsafe. The beauty of the system, invented and patented by Los Alamos National Laboratory nuclear physicist Otis Peterson who is now Hyperion’s Chief Technology Officer, lies in its inherent simplicity.
Patent here …. http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2004/0062340.html
The present invention provides a compact reactor using such hydride characteristics to control and utilize nuclear fission energy in a new and different manner then previously attempted. A compact reactor can be economical and practical only if it is self-stabilizing and requires little or no active human control or monitoring. This present invention achieves control by utilizing the properties of a fissile metal hydride as a self-contained nuclear fuel and neutron energy moderator. If the physical size, fissile metal content and enrichment are appropriately selected, the metal will absorb ambient hydrogen, which moderates the neutron energies so that nuclear fission criticality is achieved.
The temperature will then be increased by the fission reactions until the dissociation pressure of the hydrogen for that temperature is greater than the ambient pressure of the hydrogen, at which point the hydrogen dissociates from the hydride and the source becomes sub-critical. The dissociation pressure of the hydrogen is an exponential function of temperature so that small changes in temperature can initiate substantial hydrogen transport. Consequently, with the method and apparatus of the invention a dynamic equilibrium can be achieved where the temperature of the source is controlled by the ambient hydrogen pressure.
Clean
no greenhouse gases to contribute to climate change
Safe
the most controlled and regulated type of power on the planet
Affordable
the cheapest in terms of dollars & environmental impact
Reliable
Available 24 /7 rain or shine, windy or calm
I recently interviewed Deborah Blackwell, Hyperion Power Generation’s Vice President for Licensing and Public Policy and learned that the originally planned enrichment of 4.9% has been increased to 8%. Uranium hydride comprises the approximate 4.3 ton core of the reactor. Capable of producing 70 MW thermal or 25 MW(e) with an ancillary steam plant, the HPG fits the bill perfectly for remote applications or industrially-challenged areas where infrastructure is substandard.
According to Deborah Blackwell all 280 of their pre-production orders have been from international customers with about 90% of them slated for communities. While no orders have been received from potential U.S. customers to date, several are expected in the third quarter.
Ganged together in pods of 3 to 4 modules, dependable inexpensive energy for diverse communities in developing countries can become a reality. The largest international customer, Romania (which joined the European Union in early 2007, eighteen years after the fall of communism and its attendant obsolete industrial base), has ordered a minimum of 50 of the HPG modules primarily for community applications.
Remote applications where line power is non-existent and/or diesel fuel delivery is expensive or dangerous become superb locations for deployment of modular units. For example, heating of tar sands or oil shale for recovery of liquid hydrocarbons provides an excellent use of the 70 MW thermal energy produced by a single module.
Ms. Blackwell recently said the company plans to make its first official submission of paperwork to the NRC this fall to prove the fuel and design. “As NRC licensing is very expensive, we are not making an official submission until we have everything totally ready to prove the design,” she said. She went on to say that, “The lab is quite confident of the design doing what it’s supposed to do, but we have to make sure our proof is absolutely flawless.”
Regarding the obvious question of security, Ms. Blackwell explained that, “Every power plant has to have security. Security for the HPM will depend on where it’s being sited – what country, what’s going on in that country, if it’s on a military base, etc. We don’t see it as any kind of obstacle.”
Since the initial enrichment exceeds commercial nuclear power plants I wondered what the burnup might reach. When asked about the enrichment and burnup Ms. Blackwell stated, “We will start with about 8% enrichment and burn down to about 3% over the course of 5 to 7 years.”
Ms. Blackwell continued on extolling the virtues of the Department of Energy’s Work for Others program at Los Alamos National Laboratory stating, “The lab has both the right mix of manpower and facilities to provide the kind of capabilities we need to bring this product into licensing and eventually production. Currently, we have 10 full time employees at HPG and the lab provides an additional 50 employees as well as lab space and equipment. We are currently anticipating building the first commercial modules ready for delivery in late 2013. We anticipate eventually ramping up to the point of producing about one module per day. “
Ms. Blackwell also said they expect customers to construct two underground concrete bunkers for each module. Operation of the original module would continue for about 5-7 years whereupon a second module would be delivered as the first module cooled for approximately 9 months before being removed to the manufacturer’s facility for refurbishment. Assuming the U.S. eventually embraces reprocessing of spent fuel like the rest of the civilized world, the resultant waste per module that would require ultimate disposal would be about the size of a NFL football.
Privately funded by the energy venture capitalist group Atira (http://www.altiragroup.com/), specialists in “building a future of efficient, sustainable energy by pioneering full-spectrum investments that will transform the energy sector,” ensures adequate resources for successful licensing and development of the modules.
As the Hyperion Power Generation website proclaims, these modules are well-suited for today’s carbon-based energy-phobic world since choice of fuel and mode of operation are unparalleled at this small scale. The next time you are faced with what appears to be an intractable energy delivery problem contact www.hyperionpowergeneration.com for a solution that, once licensed and mass-manufactured, will match your needs, your budget and your schedule.
About Randy Brich
Randy graduated from South Dakota State University in 1978 with a M.S. in Biology. After developing the State of South Dakota’s environmental radiological monitoring program, he became a Health Physicist with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, eventually transferring to the Department of Energy where he specialized in environmental monitoring, worker protection, waste cleanup and systems biology. Later in his career he published a multi-sport adventure guide book and became a regular contributor to The Entertainer Newspaper’s Great Outdoor section.
Since then he has retired from the federal government and, after taking time out to build an energy efficient house near the Missouri River, has formed Diamond B Communications LLC. Diamond B Communications LLC uses a multimedia approach to explain complex energy resource issues to technical and non-technical audiences. He also guides for Dakota Bike Tours, the Relaxed Adventure Company, offering tours of the Badlands National Park, the Black Hills and Devils Tower National Monument.
If you have questions, comments, or know of a book that you think Randy should review Email Randy Brich>> randy@nuclearstreet.com