Small modular nuclear reactor to reach difficulty in the first test

As long as your reactor can store the TRISO pellets, then there should be no risk of meltdown or release of the highly dangerous isotope produced from the reaction. There are also other safety concerns, as neutrons will still escape and can change some of the surrounding material into unstable isotopes. But the design of Antares surrounds TRISO with a graphite sheath, which is supposed to slow down most of the neutrons.

To minimize radiation risks, the Antares design uses sodium to transfer heat from the reactor to the heat sink. Heat is transferred to pressurized nitrogen, which drives a turbine in a closed Brayton cycle installation.

At the moment, Antares is only testing what it calls the Mark 0 reactor, which is not connected to the power module. Instead, it is being used to verify the company’s view of the state of its products and create security information that can be used for licensing purposes. Trials to run the entire system, including power generation, are expected to take place next year.

While the work was done at the Department of Energy Lab, the company is working with the Department of Defense Project Pele Mobile nuclear power generation software. The company has also received support from NASA.