Gen4 Energy

According to news coverage, these reactors could be used for heat generation, production of electricity, and other purposes, including desalination.

They believed that using a liquid-metal-cooled fast reactor would speed the time to commercialization over the uranium hydride, self-moderating design that had previously been publicly discussed.

The presentation by Hyperion at the ANS 2009 conference mentions the use of the Doppler inherent negative temperature coefficient of reactivity in this reactor as a means of control.

[7] Nuclear scientist Alexander Sesonske states that nitride fuels have both received very little development (as of 1973) and seem to have a very favorable combination of physical properties – especially in fast reactors.

[6] Hyperion planned to use natural circulation of the lead-bismuth coolant through the reactor module as a means of primary cooling.

Isometric concept drawing of a power plant of this type, with the reactor module itself within a concrete vault, an intermediate coolant loop emerging from the small modular reactor connected to a pre-heater, an evaporator, and a superheater, water tanks for the tertiary loop as well as water purification and cleanup facilities therefore, as well as a water connection to the reactor vault for residual heat removal (via vault flooding), a steam turbogenerator and relevant appurtenances, electrical switchgear, and a dry cooling tower.
USNRC concept illustration of a Hyperion Power Module plant. [ 5 ]