X-energy
X-energy is an American private nuclear reactor and fuel design engineering company. X-energy is developing a Generation IV high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactor design. In January 2016 X-energy was awarded a five-year $53M United States Department of Energy Advanced Reactor Concept Cooperative Agreement award to advance elements of their reactor development.[1][2][3] In 2019, X-energy received funding from the United States Department of Defense to develop small military reactors for use at forward bases.[4] X-energy's CEO is Clay Cell, previously Deputy Secretary of Energy of the United States Department of Energy. The company was founded in 2009 by Kam Ghaffarian.[5]
Privately held | |
Industry | Nuclear power |
Headquarters | Greenbelt, MD |
Key people | Clay Sell (CEO) Dr. Kam Ghaffarian (Chairman) |
Website | www |
Reactor design
The Xe-100 is a pebble bed high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactor design that is planned to be smaller, simpler and safer when compared to conventional nuclear designs. Pebble bed high temperature gas-cooled reactors were first proposed in 1944. Each reactor is planned to generate 200 MWt and approximately 76 MWe. The fuel for the Xe-100 is a spherical fuel element, or pebble, that utilizes the tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) particle nuclear fuel design.
References
- Fountain, Henry (2016-01-19). "U.S. Acts to Spur Development of High-Tech Reactors". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-04-02.
- Fehrenbacher, Katie (2016-02-16). "Meet a Startup Making a New Kind of Safer, Smaller Nuclear Reactor". Fortune. Retrieved 2017-11-09.
- Conca, James (2017-03-27). "X-Energy Steps Into The Ring With Its Advanced Pebble Bed Modular Nuclear Reactor". Forbes. Retrieved 2017-11-09.
- Harper, John (2020-04-27). "Safety Concerns Could Stymie Nuclear Reactor Plans". National Defense.
- "Profile | Kam Ghaffarian, President and Chief Executive, Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies - SpaceNews.com". SpaceNews.com. 2013-02-18. Retrieved 2017-04-02.