Feedback Form
   
Add to Google
Hyperion Nuclear Batteries Hyperion Nuclear Batteries
Wednesday, December 26, 2007 - Roni Barr
Home >> News >> General Technology
  Peralink
The Los Alamos based company Hyperion Power Generation is developing a new power source called the Hyperion Hydride Reactor, a sealed fission reactor that can supply power to a small community. Although the portable nuclear reactor is the size of a hot tub, when it's hooked up to a steam turbine, the reactor can generate enough electricity to power a community of 25,000 homes for at least five years. As it is self-contained and involves no moving parts, the reactor doesn’t require a human operator and is considered "extremely safe". Some experts, however, are still questioning the logic of using even this relatively safe kind of nuclear energy. These experts are worried about the pollution created in the process of extracting the radioactive ore, and by the storage problems of the spent nuclear fuel.

Dr. Otis Peterson of Los Alamos National Laboratory who developed the Hyperion  Hydride Reactor (Credit: lanl). 
Dr. Otis Peterson of Los Alamos
National Laboratory
who developed the Hyperion
  Hydride Reactor (Credit: lanl).
One of the largest problems in the energy industry today is the transmission of power from the large power generating facilities to distant locations. The Hyperion Hydride Reactor is small and portable. According to its developers, the device provides the long-awaited solution to the need for cost-efficient, practical power sources in rural or remote locations. The module is sealed at the factory and is not opened until it needs to be “refueled” (the reactor has a uranium hydride core, surrounded by a hydrogen atmosphere). The manufacturer claims refueling should take place approximately every five years. The precautionary measures of containing the reactor and of completely burying the module at the operating site are designed to minimize the possibility of human incompetence or hostile tampering. 

As water is not used in the process, there is no danger of polluting the local water sources. The Hyperion does not produce any greenhouse gases and produces only a tiny fraction of the waste produced by other types of reactors, making it relatively “cleaner”. The energy generated by a single Hyperion Hydride Reactor is approximately 27 MW. This is more than five times the output of the strongest wind turbine in the world, which measures 120-meters (394-feet) in height and has a 61.5-meter (200 feet) long rotor blade. However, an important advantage of the Hyperion Hydride Reactor over 'green' power sources is that unlike wind turbines or solar cells, it can continue to supply electricity constantly and will not stop producing energy when the wind stops or when there is no sunshine.  

Hyperion Nuclear Batterie conceptual drawing (Credit: lanl) 
Hyperion Nuclear Batterie
conceptual drawing (Credit: lanl)
While the Hyperion looks like the perfect solution to many problems, anti-nuclear advocates are not convinced by the claims that Hyperion advertises. They state that the financial costs of mining and enriching uranium and of nuclear waste disposal are never completely factored in the calculations, and that having more nuclear materials around might lead to sabotage and theft attempts by terrorists. Despite the criticism against it, the patent for the nuclear fission reactor won the “Outstanding Technology Development” award in October 2003. Hyperion plans on opening a factory in New Mexico by late 2012, where about 4,000 of these reactors will be produced. 

In 2006, TFOT covered a new concept for developing a battery-like device with a core of (radioactive) americium 242. Scientists in Israel suggested that the device be used in the International Space Station. More recently, TFOT covered the Japanese Space Solar Power Systems Project aimed at creating the world’s first space based power generation system. 

To learn more about the Hyperion Hydride Reactor, check out the Hyperion Power Generation website.

 
Related News HP's Mobile Beauty Advisor HP's Mobile Beauty Advisor Microsensors to Measure Pollutants on Site Microsensors to Measure Pollutants on Site

Related Pictures Self Charging Electronics Self Charging Electronics Infineon's XPOSYS GPS Chip Infineon's XPOSYS GPS Chip

Related Articles 2007 In Technology 2007 In Technology CES 2008 Innovations Coverage CES 2008 Innovations Coverage



Comments & Replies (18)
Hyperion Nuclear Batteries   (01/05/08 - 13:03 - by allen)
Sure would be nice if there were a lick of information in the article.
There\'s essentially nothing about the internals of the reactor
itself. What are the fuel materials? Any notion about costs? When can
we expect to see an installation? A pilot? Anything? The Hyperion web
site doesn\'t have any more info then the this article.
Loose nuclear material??   (12/02/08 - 12:02 - by Harry Fermi)
Great. Unmanned nuclear devices lying unprotected at the side of the
road like phone switch boxes.

No way this ends badly.
Hyperion reactor and loose material   (12/24/08 - 14:20 - by Beaugrand®™©)
The fuel used is uranium hydride.
They wouldn\'t be sitting by the side of the road, they would be
completely buried.
Information   (03/20/09 - 9:01 - by Tony Oliver)
I E-Mailed your Hyperion Web site to every Ontario Member of
Parliament, asking them to evaluate the feasability of the system. I
have not received any replies from them to date . I wish to follow up
with them but need more information from you.I would like more detail
as to the MW. costs when the entire system is set up and a comparison
to other systems such as the Candu or other US and European systems.
Yours Tony Oliver
Safety   (04/23/09 - 12:46 - by Conan)
Have it buried under the helipad of a hospital, the parking lot of a
police station, or center field at your local pro staduim.
mini Hyperion reactor   (06/29/09 - 13:16 - by Robert)
Is it possible to scale down the size the HR?
nuclear energy   (07/29/09 - 20:39 - by Daniel hocheimy)
using nuclear energy is a form of selfish greed.everyone should just
invest more on the future of solar power and stop killing our planet,
because i want my kids to be able to get the scent of fresh air. so i
say that nuclear power sucks and your all going down !!!!
Lets face it...   (07/29/09 - 20:52 - by Rambo Mohammed)
Ok..i was excited as the next person when i heard about this battery.
I thought it was agodsend to end all our energy woes! No more
reliability on foreign oil made me wanna do a rain dance. But after
reading wat danny has said, i have to agree. This nuclear energy and
its creation and disposal is highly irresponsible both to our own
lives and those of future generations. And i had so much hope. Solar
is the way to go.
thanks to rambo   (07/29/09 - 21:29 - by Daniel hocheimy )
right on ! rambo
Yo   (07/29/09 - 21:44 - by Demi Dinho)
You guys sick Dawg!! Nuclear Power? I swear, if u guys cause the end
of earth, Ama make sure the big daddy send u to hell, u shizzle!?!
yo    (07/29/09 - 21:51 - by kick ass pimp )
fo shizzle broda, if the earth ends cosa u guys im gon crap ma self,
yo ma peeps a waaaitin..... fo shiizle !!!!
wtf?   (07/30/09 - 9:42 - by Snake)
I dont want to shit myself when i see half of the world blown better
not mess mother nature!!!! secreast out!! :P
nuclear energy   (07/30/09 - 13:55 - by james brown)
when i first heard of nuclear energy, i thought me beating up rihanna
was bad, but this is worse.
down with nuclear energy   (07/30/09 - 13:59 - by sami saghie )
nuclear energy is a nasty thing, millions die because of it, but how
is that good ?
nuclear energy   (07/30/09 - 14:03 - by osama .............)
there is just no need, it is not wanted to !!!!
fraud commenting   (07/30/09 - 21:19 - by FCA _TM)
We have recieved a message in our inbox about this websites certain
comments, a certain person has used a name that goes by sami (the last
name lies discreet),has been used in a form against nuclear energy in
buisness wise propoganda,and the offender is still at lookout and
will be found soon.
sincerely FCA
nuclear energy   (09/28/09 - 8:03 - by shell)
solar energy is nuclear energy only further away
just imagine a body with a sun inside as its tummy
NUCLEAR POWER   (10/12/09 - 12:16 - by JR IN MONTANA)
Its a good thing, solar is good also, but when in dark, solar isn't
worth a hoot. Most of you that oppose nuclear power don't remember
those saying about automobiles,, they won't work, they endanger the
land, scare horses. ETc. well they did all them things, but they
advanced civilation enough so that you now have the priviledge of
complaining about others trying to do the same thing. You probably
are the same ones that think returning to outhouses are better than
indoor plumbing. Come on, instead of being the problems, be part of
the solution, come up with ideas, new ways, improve upon what we have,
use your brain for something other than cell phone calls or playing
games on a computer. Remember if you hit your thumb with a hammer
because the handle is too short, instead of complaining about the
manufacturer not making the handle right, you design one yourself.
Make sense? By the way, I like solar power and use solar panels in my
travel trailer.

Add a New Comment
Your name:   0/20
Subject:  0/30
Your Comment:  0/999
Type the following letters: Visual CAPTCHA
Please keep your comments related to the above item's topic. TFOT reserves the right to delete any unrelated comment without notice.

Picture Of The Day
Floating Jelly Hat
Floating Jelly Hat

Video
Paralysed Rats Sprint
Paralysed Rats Sprint

Site Of The Week
Galaxy Zoo
Galaxy Zoo

Personal Column
Detroit’s Dream of Aircraft Production
Dr. Daniel Uziel
Detroit’s Dream of Aircraft Production
Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Advertise With Us | Site Profile
Copyright © 2007 The Future of Things. All rights reserved.