This was the best exposition on TRISO fuel that I can recall hearing. I wish Standard Nuclear much success. Hopefully some day in the not too far future we'll see some real-world designs leverage that "fuel as containment" physical property to create genuine economic advantage at smaller scales.
Great interview, but, as usual, there is no conversation on what will happen to the TRISO spent fuel. This is a major detriment. The disposition of LWR spent fuel is a huge public perception problem and the new industry is completely ignoring this issue. They also do not talk about how to get these things licensed. A great many companies can build, but none are cracking the licensing issue and there is no solution to spent fuel which is not a physical problem, but is a perception program and is as detrimental to progress as any technical problem.
Deep Isolation recently completed Project PUCK, demonstrating that its Universal Canister System (UCS) can safely store, transport, and dispose of TRISO spent nuclear fuel in deep boreholes. The project, a collaboration with Kairos Power, confirmed the compatibility of the UCS with TRISO fuel (a robust fuel type used in advanced reactors) and confirmed the method as a cost-competitive and scalable solution for managing this type of nuclear waste.
Response from Claude.AI - Curio's NuCycle technology transforms nuclear fuel recycling by recovering valuable materials from TRISO fuel while reducing waste by up to 96%. The process extracts transuranic isotopes and uranium hexafluoride without burning graphite or releasing carbon-14 emissions. Its proliferation-resistant design and resistance to radiation damage offer significant advantages over conventional reprocessing methods. When combined with Kairos Power's TRISO reactors, NuCycle creates a more sustainable nuclear fuel cycle that provides for both processing simplicity and operational reliability.
We should not be shy about producing more LWR spent fuel. Fluorinate it, and now you have a transuranic salt for starting thorium-fueled molten salt breeders (and incidentally a UF6 byproduct, which is the feedstock for LEU or CANDU fuel).
TRISO is loved by the DOE for making reprocessing difficult. Fuel forms which may never be economical to process should probably be discouraged, and both HALEU and TRISO fabrication will also remain very expensive. Unfortunately, expensive proprietary fuel is often seen as a benefit, just not for power cost.
Shawn Noyes: Deep Isolation advocating their own technology as "cost-effective and scalable solution" remains unconvincing. I do not think it would satisfy the public. In any event, no SMR company is talking about it as they tout their latest technology. That is my point. They are not mentioning it as part of their sales talk. Be careful of "studies" done by companies on their own product. You must know that they are propaganda. Also, no commercial use of deep borehole technology has yet been marketed. So, thanks for the heads-up, but it does nothing to mitigate my point that glorified SMR companies are not telling the whole story.
TRISO fuel, used in high-temperature gas reactors, boasts a multi-layered ceramic coating that withstands temperatures up to 1600°C, ensuring exceptional safety by containing fission products even under extreme conditions. Its proven design simplifies handling and enhances reliability for modular reactors. Kairos Power leverages TRISO in its advanced fluoride-salt-cooled reactors, combining it with a low-pressure molten salt coolant for efficient, safe, and cost-competitive clean energy production. Compared to liquid thorium-based fuel in molten salt reactors, which offers online refueling but struggles with corrosion and complex processing, TRISO’s durability and Kairos’ innovative approach provide a practical, scalable solution for next-gen nuclear power.
Thanks for that explanations. So are you saying that TRISO is ready for prime time but liquid thorium-based fuels still have some challenging technical hurdles to be overcome?
United States: Kairos Power's Hermes test reactor (35 MWth FHR) is under construction in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, with operations targeted for 2027. This fluoride-salt-cooled design represents a key step toward commercial deployment.
China: Leading with operational reactors - the HTR-PM at Shidaowan has been commercially operational since late 2023, making it the world's first commercial high-temperature reactor. Additionally, China achieved a milestone with their 2 MW thorium molten salt reactor (TMSR-LF1) operating in Gansu since 2023, the first thorium-based reactor outside laboratory settings.
The landscape shows China currently ahead in deployment, while the U.S. focuses on testing and demonstration phases.
Thanks. Not sure if you saw my edit, where I asked what you think about Thorcon Power. They seem to be moving ahead with real-world construction, albeit outside the US.
I fully expect us to have liquid fluoride and molten salt chloride fast reactors to be good options in the mid to late 2030s and 2040s. Kairos Power is likely to occur in the early to mid-2030s.
I realize these things take time, but I'm hoping Trump and and his energy sec Chris Wright can expedite progress. Our natural landscapes are being fouled with huge wind and solar farms, and we need to stop that ASAP.
I favor this approach - Query Nuclear-Gas Synergy: Oklo and RPower Unveil Phased Model to Address Data Center Power Demands By Sonal Patel - Island off "off grid" the data centers and put them in states such as TX, OK, PA, ND et al. Let Hyperscalers drive down cost via Nth of a kind scaling ... (e.g., Deploy Natrium style without the nuclear island)
This was the best exposition on TRISO fuel that I can recall hearing. I wish Standard Nuclear much success. Hopefully some day in the not too far future we'll see some real-world designs leverage that "fuel as containment" physical property to create genuine economic advantage at smaller scales.
Great interview, but, as usual, there is no conversation on what will happen to the TRISO spent fuel. This is a major detriment. The disposition of LWR spent fuel is a huge public perception problem and the new industry is completely ignoring this issue. They also do not talk about how to get these things licensed. A great many companies can build, but none are cracking the licensing issue and there is no solution to spent fuel which is not a physical problem, but is a perception program and is as detrimental to progress as any technical problem.
Deep Isolation recently completed Project PUCK, demonstrating that its Universal Canister System (UCS) can safely store, transport, and dispose of TRISO spent nuclear fuel in deep boreholes. The project, a collaboration with Kairos Power, confirmed the compatibility of the UCS with TRISO fuel (a robust fuel type used in advanced reactors) and confirmed the method as a cost-competitive and scalable solution for managing this type of nuclear waste.
Response from Claude.AI - Curio's NuCycle technology transforms nuclear fuel recycling by recovering valuable materials from TRISO fuel while reducing waste by up to 96%. The process extracts transuranic isotopes and uranium hexafluoride without burning graphite or releasing carbon-14 emissions. Its proliferation-resistant design and resistance to radiation damage offer significant advantages over conventional reprocessing methods. When combined with Kairos Power's TRISO reactors, NuCycle creates a more sustainable nuclear fuel cycle that provides for both processing simplicity and operational reliability.
Query Concepts for Actinide
Recovery from TRISO
Used Nuclear Fuel
February 2024 - PNNL-35678
Query Plan for Developing TRISO Fuel Processing
Technologies - PNNL-32969 - Excellent Overview of options ...
We should not be shy about producing more LWR spent fuel. Fluorinate it, and now you have a transuranic salt for starting thorium-fueled molten salt breeders (and incidentally a UF6 byproduct, which is the feedstock for LEU or CANDU fuel).
TRISO is loved by the DOE for making reprocessing difficult. Fuel forms which may never be economical to process should probably be discouraged, and both HALEU and TRISO fabrication will also remain very expensive. Unfortunately, expensive proprietary fuel is often seen as a benefit, just not for power cost.
Shawn Noyes: Deep Isolation advocating their own technology as "cost-effective and scalable solution" remains unconvincing. I do not think it would satisfy the public. In any event, no SMR company is talking about it as they tout their latest technology. That is my point. They are not mentioning it as part of their sales talk. Be careful of "studies" done by companies on their own product. You must know that they are propaganda. Also, no commercial use of deep borehole technology has yet been marketed. So, thanks for the heads-up, but it does nothing to mitigate my point that glorified SMR companies are not telling the whole story.
Interesting, but how does TRISO compare to the liquid thorium-based fuel that is being used for molten salt thorium reactors. Just wondering.
TRISO fuel, used in high-temperature gas reactors, boasts a multi-layered ceramic coating that withstands temperatures up to 1600°C, ensuring exceptional safety by containing fission products even under extreme conditions. Its proven design simplifies handling and enhances reliability for modular reactors. Kairos Power leverages TRISO in its advanced fluoride-salt-cooled reactors, combining it with a low-pressure molten salt coolant for efficient, safe, and cost-competitive clean energy production. Compared to liquid thorium-based fuel in molten salt reactors, which offers online refueling but struggles with corrosion and complex processing, TRISO’s durability and Kairos’ innovative approach provide a practical, scalable solution for next-gen nuclear power.
Thanks for that explanations. So are you saying that TRISO is ready for prime time but liquid thorium-based fuels still have some challenging technical hurdles to be overcome?
What do you think about Thorcon Power? https://thorconpower.com/
United States: Kairos Power's Hermes test reactor (35 MWth FHR) is under construction in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, with operations targeted for 2027. This fluoride-salt-cooled design represents a key step toward commercial deployment.
China: Leading with operational reactors - the HTR-PM at Shidaowan has been commercially operational since late 2023, making it the world's first commercial high-temperature reactor. Additionally, China achieved a milestone with their 2 MW thorium molten salt reactor (TMSR-LF1) operating in Gansu since 2023, the first thorium-based reactor outside laboratory settings.
The landscape shows China currently ahead in deployment, while the U.S. focuses on testing and demonstration phases.
Thanks. Not sure if you saw my edit, where I asked what you think about Thorcon Power. They seem to be moving ahead with real-world construction, albeit outside the US.
I love Thorcon power. US has funky regs. I am uncertain whether it will pass the US NRC.
I fully expect us to have liquid fluoride and molten salt chloride fast reactors to be good options in the mid to late 2030s and 2040s. Kairos Power is likely to occur in the early to mid-2030s.
I realize these things take time, but I'm hoping Trump and and his energy sec Chris Wright can expedite progress. Our natural landscapes are being fouled with huge wind and solar farms, and we need to stop that ASAP.
I favor this approach - Query Nuclear-Gas Synergy: Oklo and RPower Unveil Phased Model to Address Data Center Power Demands By Sonal Patel - Island off "off grid" the data centers and put them in states such as TX, OK, PA, ND et al. Let Hyperscalers drive down cost via Nth of a kind scaling ... (e.g., Deploy Natrium style without the nuclear island)