Nuclear

X-energy

Small modular reactors and fuel for them. The reactors are a high-temp gas cooled design. Helium is used as the cooling gas. The TRISO fuel pellets (see this reference) are “no larger than” a billiard ball and contain 18,000 particles of (assuming enriched) uranium wrapped in several layers of graphite. More than 200,000 of these …

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NuScale (SMR)

Small Modular Reactor using traditional light water reactor technology and solid fuel rods of less than 5% enriched uranium. This traditional approach should help them from the regulatory perspective, but carries forward all the traditional risks and waste products of a pressurized water reactor using low enriched uranium. From their website: The Carbon Free Power …

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TerraPower

Molten Chloride Fast Reactor combined with molten salt energy storage. Also working on a Traveling Wave Reactor that could burn natural U-238. From TerraPower’s website: The Natrium technology, co-developed by TerraPower and GE Hitachi Nuclear, offers the best way to deploy advanced nuclear power and meet the demands of the clean energy transition. The sodium …

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