MobileNuclear and PTT announce collaboration

Tuesday, 6 August 2024

Virginia-based MNE's mission is to develop and deploy the first truly mobile, safe, sustainable, and affordable nuclear microreactor to provide the military and other government agencies with responsive, durable, and modular energy generation capability. MN-1 is a nuclear microreactor intentionally designed for mobility. Its compact reactor core and design features are optimised for small size, light weight, efficient energy production, affordability and safety. The MN-1 is a modular system, transportable by air, land or sea, and can optionally be integrated to operate in transit to provide power for propulsion systems, directed energy weapons, or other high-power "on the move" applications.

MNE and PTT's Nuclear Energy System subsidiary (PTT NES) plan to collaborate on the integration of PTT NES' patented supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) energy conversion systems, thermally compliant heat exchanger technologies, and high temperature helium blower and magnetic torque coupling with MNE's MN-1.

PTT NES's sCO2 system is essentially a closed loop heat engine and is fuel agnostic, meaning that it can operate on any high-grade heat source such as nuclear and concentrated solar, as well as on all air combustible fuels including sustainable biomass, biogas, refuse-derived fuels and natural gas.

The core power module - which would generate 1 MWt and 350 kWe - is equivalent in size to a standard 20-foot (6-metre) shipping container, populated with the microreactor and PTT's sCO2 turbine-generator as baseline capability. Add-on modules can seamlessly integrate with the power module to provide atmospheric water generation, hydrogen-based fuel production, heating and cooling, and other mission-tailored capabilities.

PTT's energy conversion system - successfully developed and demonstrated in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories' Brayton Laboratory - is tailored for advanced nuclear reactors. It offers enhanced efficiency compared with traditional steam systems and air Brayton conversion systems, with a significantly reduced footprint. PTT says its systems have 1.5 times the efficiency of steam with less than one-third of the footprint, and over three times the efficiency of air Brayton conversion systems.

"MobileNuclear is excited to partner with PTT NES to integrate their sCO2 systems with our mobile microreactor," said MNE CEO Chris Pehrson. "It's a perfect marriage that will deliver the energy capacity that our customers need while maintaining the mobility that defines our microreactor system."

PTT NES CEO and Chief Technology Officer David Stapp added: "Advanced nuclear married to advanced sCO2 power conversion technology is a game-changer for large, distributed energy markets, both commercial and military. Peregrine's technology is right-sized to match with MobileNuclear's advanced reactor technology. The combination delivers breakthrough performance and capability that is unmatched. We are excited to team with this capable company."

PTT, based in Wiscasset, Maine, was formed in April 2012 and is focused on the development and deployment of advanced sCO2 turbine power generation, energy storage and propulsion systems.

In July last year, the company announced it had established a new subsidiary, PTT Nuclear Energy Systems, after it had "identified significant potential and opportunity for its breakthrough energy conversion technologies in the accelerating VSMR (very small modular reactor) and MMR (micro modular reactor) programmes (350 kW- 10 MW), and a clear intermediate-term opportunity in the SMR (small modular reactor) 30 MW to 100 MW class range". At the time, PTT said it was "working to field a family of its proprietary modular sCO2 energy conversions systems with initial capabilities ranging from 350 kW to 10 MW".

In April this year, Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation announced it is to collaborate with PTT to integrate its Pylon microreactor with PTT's sCO2 energy conversion system and advanced heat exchanger technologies.