DESC0022822
Project Grant
Overview
Grant Description
Cost reduction technology for neutron absorbers in microreactor applications.
Awardee
Funding Goals
COST REDUCTION TECHNOLOGY FOR NEUTRON ABSORBERS IN MICROREACTOR APPLICATIONS
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding Agency
Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Knoxville,
Tennessee
37932-3249
United States
Geographic Scope
Single Zip Code
Related Opportunity
Analysis Notes
Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 03/26/23 to 08/27/24 and the total obligations have increased 575% from $199,886 to $1,349,727.
Millennitek was awarded
Project Grant DESC0022822
worth $1,349,727
from the Office of Science in June 2022 with work to be completed primarily in Knoxville Tennessee United States.
The grant
has a duration of 2 years 2 months and
was awarded through assistance program 81.049 Office of Science Financial Assistance Program.
The Project Grant was awarded through grant opportunity FY 2022 SBIR/STTR Phase I Release 2.
SBIR Details
Research Type
SBIR Phase I
Title
Cost Reduction Technology for Neutron Absorbers in Microreactor Applications
Abstract
Statement of the Problem that is Being Addressed Microreactor technology has the potential to supply off-grid power to a diverse base of applications including data centers, mines, remote communities, electric vehicle charging stations, and industrial plants, among many others. While several companies have made considerable progress in the technology that can make these reactor systems feasible from a technical standpoint, there is still an economic hurdle to overcome to compete with other remote off-grid power technologies such as solar, fossil energy (natural gas/diesel), wind, micro-hydro, and fuel cells. While component costs for nuclear power plants at grid-scale can seem relatively low, at the microscale some of these components play an outsized role in either the capital or operational cost of the reactor system. One specific example is the neutron absorber and shielding components that are critical to the design and operation of most fission power plants. Currently however, there is limited domestic manufacturing capability for these critical materials and the current high component price is limiting the economic competitiveness of microreactor technologies. Statement of how this Problem is being Addressed MillenniTEK is proposing to demonstrate a unique fabrication technology to produce neutron absorbing and shielding components that can support lower installed capital and operating costs that have an outsized effect on the economics of microreactors. A significant constraint is the fact that both the traditional raw materials and forming processes are prohibitively expensive and limit the economic competitiveness of microreactors. This project will explore a recently demonstrated continuous method to manufacture the raw material that is lower cost than traditional batch methods. Additionally, extreme temperature and pressure is required to fully densify the material without adding impurities that would fail to meet the specifications already accepted and imposed by the commercial nuclear power industry. To advance the state-of-the-art, we will demonstrate the use of spark plasma sintering to produce components at a fraction of the time required by traditional hot pressing, without the use of sintering aids. A goal by the end of Phase I is to demonstrate the feasibility of reducing the manufacturing costs by >25% over what is currently available for these components. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits In addition to microreactor applications, there are other significant potential areas where this innovation could be commercialized, including small modular reactors, advanced reactors for Gen IV nuclear plants, fusion power, nuclear thermal propulsion, and fission power reactors for lunar and Mars surface use.
Topic Code
C54-36n
Solicitation Number
None
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 9/18/23
Period of Performance
6/27/22
Start Date
8/27/24
End Date
Funding Split
$1.3M
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$1.3M
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Transaction History
Modifications to DESC0022822
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
DESC0022822
SAI Number
None
Award ID URI
SAI EXEMPT
Awardee Classifications
Small Business
Awarding Office
892430 SC CHICAGO SERVICE CENTER
Funding Office
892401 SCIENCE
Awardee UEI
GBD5NGRLNM83
Awardee CAGE
6A1D8
Performance District
TN-02
Senators
Marsha Blackburn
Bill Hagerty
Bill Hagerty
Budget Funding
Federal Account | Budget Subfunction | Object Class | Total | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|---|
Science, Energy Programs, Energy (089-0222) | General science and basic research | Grants, subsidies, and contributions (41.0) | $1,349,727 | 100% |
Modified: 9/18/23