Science - NRC Approves Gen IV Nuclear Reactor Design

targeted cures using gene splicing is somewhere around the corner, give me your tumor, I will map it, give you the drug edited to attack your tumor. i think that the tech is there, they jsut need to make it economical

 

am I wrong or is this a big deal?

Previous record was 105M degrees for 48 seconds. From 48 seconds at 105M degrees to 24 hours at 392M seems significant. the fact that they use contaminated nuclear cooling fluids seems to just be a plus

US firm sets record with plasma fusion temperature of 392 million degrees F for 24 hrs

AWashington-based firm has reportedly set a world record in nuclear fusion research during third party, peer-reviewed experiments with radioactive wastewater. Quantum Kinetics Corporation (QKC) claimed that it successfully triggered plasma fusion temperatures of 392 million degrees Fahrenheit (18 keV X-rays) for 24 hours.

The previous record was achieved in April 2024 by the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Reactor (KSTAR). The Korean reactor had achieved 105 million degrees Celsius for 48 seconds.

 

New World Record in Nuclear Fusion Research | Energy Central

 

permits approved to build the first gen IV molten salt nuclear reactor. one way to supply base load to bridge the gap to fusion?

another noticeable improvement is the timelines to get a new design approved for construction and the use of digital modeling to shorten design and testing periods for critical elements.

Big US approval for Gen IV reactor Hermes 2 to generate 20 MWe clean power

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved the construction of the first-ever molten-salt reactor that will power the grid in the US. The approval was granted to Kairos Power, which is currently building the Hermes Low-Power Demonstration Reactor at the Heritage Center Industrial Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Generation IV nuclear power is the umbrella term for nuclear fission technology, which is designed to avert the leak of radioactive material even in extreme scenarios such as earthquakes and generates energy with much higher fuel efficiency. Molten-salt reactors are one of the many different approaches that scientists are using to achieve Gen IV nuclear power. Here, the nuclear fuel is either mixed in molten salt or embedded in graphite, while the molten salt is used as a coolant, and the operation proceeds at high temperatures. Kairos Power uses the latter approach for its Hermes reactors.

In December 2023, Kairos Power received the NRC nod for building the Hermes Low-power Demonstration Reactor (Hermes 1), the first Gen IV reactor to receive construction approval in the US. This non-power reactor will be built only to demonstrate system integration and operational safety. With the recent approval, the NRC has given Kairos the go-ahead to build a power plant that will eventually supply power to the grid. Dubbed Hermes 2, the power plant will be sited next to Hermes 1 and will feature two 35-MWth reactors with a combined generation capacity of 20 MWe. Hermes 2 will replicate complete plant architecture at a reduced scale while supplying carbon-free energy to the grid.

Not only has Kairos succeeded in getting approvals from the NRC for Hermes 2, but it has also achieved this in 16 months. The company attributes this to extensive pre-application engagement with the NRC dating back to 2018. The NRC is also looking to simply its regulatory approvals for future projects. “While keeping safety at the forefront, the permitting process was quite efficient, and we issued these permits in less than 18 months,” said Christopher Hanson, NRC Chair, in a press release.

 

fusion reactor planned for 2035. these guys have new magnet tech and seem to be leading the race to an actual operating power plant. chinese group following similar path with the HTS magnets..possibly some serious tech espionage with the speed at which they caught up

Egg-shaped nuclear fusion reactor lands big backing for 880 MW power plant

“We are a world leader in two transformative technologies: the compact spherical tokamak and High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) magnets,” stated Tokamak Energy.The company has already achieved notable progress with its ST40 prototype, a smaller-scale version of the reactor.

“Tokamak Energy is the first private company to reach a fusion-threshold plasma ion temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius in a spherical tokamak, ST40,” highlighted the company.

With the newly acquired funding, Tokamak Energy plans to accelerate development and construct a pilot power plant by 2034.

A few weeks ago, the energy firm revealed the first details of its pilot plant design. According to the company, its pilot plant will be capable of generating 880 megawatts (MW) of fusion power and 85 MW of net electricity.