Lithium-7-Powered Nuclear Fission Subcritical Reactor: Safe Nuclear Power

Background:

Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and geothermal, have still failed to replace coal, oil, natural gas, and other fossil fuels, despite decades of technology development and (in many cases) strong governmental support for these alternatives. As a result, energy production remains a major contributor to global environmental damage and climate change. Another potential environmental and safety issue is the current reliance on lithium batteries in a wide variety of devices. An effective infrastructure for recycling lithium batteries on a large scale has yet to be developed, As a result, lithium batteries generally end up in landfills, creating potential hazards due to their explosive flammability.

Technology Overview:

This technology is a nuclear reactor that uses lithium-7 as the fissionable fuel in place of uranium, plutonium, or other radioactive elements. The reactor is sub-critical, driven by a radioactive source that, when removed, does not allow for a runaway reaction. This is very different from "normal" nuclear fission which requires (epi-)thermal neutrons, such as in U235. The resulting reactor is safer while delivering a high yield. And lithium is already widely used in batteries, ensuring a ready supply of fuel. In addition, the use of spent lithium batteries as source fuel prevents them from ending up in landfills.

Advantages:

•    Provides clean (zero-carbon-footprint) energy.
•    Safer than other fission-based energy production methods.
•    Less expensive.
•    Relies on a readily available source of fuel (discarded lithium batteries).

Applications:

This primary application for this technology is clean electricity generation.

Intellectual Property Summary:

Patent Pending (63/439,406)

Stage of Development:

TRL 3 - Experimental proof of concept

Licensing Status:

This technology is available for licensing.

Licensing Potential:

This technology would be of interest to anyone involved in electricity generation and/or research into this topic, including:
•    Power utilities.
•    Military.
•    Government.
•    Research institutions.