American Radiant Industries plans to build a 1-megawatt containerized nuclear power plant. According to its developers, the structure will be able to supply electricity to 1,000 homes even in hard-to-reach places.

In 2019, Doug Bernauer founded Radiant Industries, a company that produces “meltproof” portable nuclear generators. These are structures that can be installed in known shipping containers and then moved to where they are needed.

The engineer joined SpaceX in 2007 – when the Falcon rocket had never landed – and then worked at Hyperloop and the Boring Company. In short, it’s like Elon Musk has stepped out from behind his mantle.

And the specialist turned to nuclear energy after interest in nuclear power plants increased again due to global warming in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. As is Interesting geometry Reminder: 24 such facilities are currently being built in China alone, which can soon become a world leader in the amount of electricity produced in this way.

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While China builds conventional nuclear power plants, Radiant Industries will build smaller nuclear reactors that can be deployed in the most remote places on the planet and can meet energy needs, whether for military or civilian use.





According to Radiant’s plans, the 1-megawatt reactor will be able to produce enough power to power nearly 1,000 homes. The technology is based on TRISO particles (Triple Structure Isotropic Spheres), which are reactor fuel. Composed of uranium, oxygen and carbon, these fuels are hardly larger than a poppy seed. Depending on the reactor design, particles can be produced in the form of large spheres or cylinders.

During the tests so far, the particles have been heated to 1,648 degrees Celsius, but no damage has been done to the reactor. This is a higher temperature than any nuclear power plant has been able to reach so far. For this reason, the company says the reactor it has developed is resistant to melting.

The portable nuclear reactor is ready, and NASA has already tested it

The four-week expedition began to simulate the conditions of Mars in a remote desert in southern Oman, so that, as previous simulations continue, the researchers will continue to investigate the technical difficulties that await the astronauts who reach Mars and the robotic scouts who assist them in their work. .

It will use helium for cooling, which can also work well if the reactor is shut down for some reason. The mini nuclear power plant only needs to be replenished with new fuel every five years, which makes its operation very reliable even in hard-to-reach areas.

At the moment, the company is only working on the design of the reactor, so it is not known when it will come out with the final version.

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