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Antares achieves zero-power criticality at INL
Leveraging more than $140 million in private capital fundraising, over 322,000 square feet of operational manufacturing space, and multifaceted partnerships with the Departments of Energy and Defense, reactor start-up Antares has become the first company involved in the Reactor Pilot Program to achieve zero-power fueled criticality—a full month ahead of the July 4 deadline set by President Trump’s Executive Order 14301.
This milestone, announced yesterday, was achieved with the company’s Mark-0: a sodium heat-pipe-cooled, TRISO-fueled microreactor. The Mark-0 is a forerunner to the company’s flagship design, which it calls the R1. For Antares, this development represents a key validation of its reactor physics, control systems, and supply chain.
P. A. Bagryansky et al.
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 63 | Number 1 | May 2013 | Pages 253-255
doi.org/10.13182/FST13-A16919
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The development of fusion energy will require materials resilient to harsh bombardment by energetic neutrons and plasma. The Gas Dynamic Trap (GDT) concept in Novosibirsk is proposed as a neutron and plasma source to test and validate appropriate materials. Recent results showed plasma beta of 0.6, provide a solid basis for extrapolating to a fusion relevant neutron source. Relative to previous magnetic mirror neutron sources, the GDT concept operates with simpler axisymmetric magnets and at higher efficiency. Plasma in the GDT device operating at the present time in the Budker Institute includes two ion components: 250 eV maxwellian warm ions and anisotropic hot ion population produced by 25 keV 5 MW oblique neutral beam injection.