SBIR/STTR Research Award
Passive Technology to Improve Criticality Control of NTP Reactors
Award amount
$123,521Program and phase
SBIR · Phase IAward year
2015Award details
- Awarding agency
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Branch
- Not reported
- Recipient company
- Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation
- Proposal award date
- 2015-06-17
- Contract end date
- 2015-12-17
- UEI
- VLUNV3T3X7D8
- Solicitation number
- Not reported
- Topic code
- H2.02
Research abstract
The objective of this SBIR is to investigate passive technology that will enable criticality control of a Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) reactor during a burn with little to no mechanical movement of the circumferential control drums. Specifically, this work will study passive reactor design features that mitigate and counteract the effects of 135Xe, the dominant fission product contributing to reactivity transients in a moderated NTP reactor. Examples of passive reactor design features to be studied include tuning temperature reactivity feedback mechanisms, employing burnable poisons, and suppressing the build-up of 135Xe.
By minimizing or eliminating the need for mechanical movement of the circumferential control drums during a NTP burn, the passive technology studied in this SBIR will greatly simplify controlling a NTP reactor and increase the overall performance of the NTP system.
Technology keywords
Not reported
Other awards by this recipient
Verified by the same UEI. These are other public SBIR/STTR award pages, not a merged company record.
- Affordable, Reliable, High-Performance Ceramic Components for CSP
- Novel Technologies for Efficient NTP Reactor Decay Heat Removal and Utilization
- Novel Technologies for Efficient NTP Reactor Decay Heat Removal and Utilization
- Accident Tolerant Reactor Shutdown for NTP Systems
- Accident Tolerant Reactor Shutdown for NTP Systems
Awards with the same topic code
Verified by an exact topic code match. This is not a text-similarity match.
- Joining of Tungsten Cermet Nuclear Fuel
- Passive Technology to Improve Criticality Control of NTP Reactors
- Joining of Tungsten Cermet Nuclear Fuel
- Electrolytic Method for Tungsten Coating of Uranium Oxide Spheres
Research funding history
7 SBIR/STTR records share this UEI (2015–2022). Reported award amounts total $2,809,031. Reported amounts are not federal obligations.
Phases: Phase I, Phase II
Agencies: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Energy