Composite Metal Foam for Microreactors

In this program, the proposing firm will study the application of its proprietary materials within the structure of microreactors to improve reliability, safety, and protection against fire, impact, blast, ballistic, shock, and radiation. Microreactors are a branch of factory fabricated, transportable, and self-adjusting small-scale nuclear reactors perfectly suited for transportation into remote commercial/residential regions or military bases to provide electricity for backup power generation, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, etc. The mobile nature of these reactors exposes them to changing environments and dangerous locales. These reactors must be protected from various threats, both man-made and natural, leading to system weight increases, further leading to reduced ease of transportation and efficiency. Using the proposing firm’s novel class of high-performance and lightweight metallic materials, new components will be created to enhance modern microreactors, increasing performance, efficiency, and safety concurrently. Using resources owned and operated by the proposing firm along with industry knowledge possessed by this program’s consultant from the Idaho National Lab, engineering efforts will be executed to improve microreactor protections to the greatest extent possible. Along with our consultants, we will identify microreactor specific use cases for the proposed material and optimize and refine it for these cases. This program will leverage past testing data and microreactor properties to advance the introduction of our lightweight, high-performance, and inexpensive proprietary technology for use in this growing field. In Phase I, we will (1) establish relationships with industry leaders in microreactor commercialization, (2) identify prime applications within the microreactor systems, (3) identify operating parameters/requirements, (4) define optimal material makeup, and (5) produce ten 12” x 12” material panels with optimum parameters (composition, thickness, etc.) to be used for testing and evaluation for application in microreactors. The proposed material is often touted as the “state-of-the-art” in the material science world and stands to revolutionize the metals industry as a lightweight, high-performance, low-cost, and environmentally friendly metallic substance that will have widespread applications far outreaching the original scope of this program. The proposed material can absorb over 100 times more impact energy, withstand fire and extreme heat for over 7 times longer, shield against radiation, absorb shock, sound, and vibrations, and withstand millions of high load cycles, all while weighing 70% less than the metals used today. In Phase I, the material will be optimized for microreactor applications before it is incorporated into microreactor systems in Phase II. Throughout this program, substantial research efforts will be completed that advance the proposed material in the nuclear industry, allowing the proposing firm to further refine the material for use in other nuclear systems such as in large nuclear reactors, mobile power generators, radioactive material storage, and more. In addition, the efforts completed during this program and the following Phase II program, should it be awarded, will further entice industries outside of the nuclear industry to adopt this high-performance material into their products. The high-performance and lightweight will inflate product abilities, efficiency, and safety while the materials low mass production cost will ensure cost savings. Overall, this program has the potential to enhance not just nuclear industry related products, but all metallic products across the United States, should it be awarded.