Why is next-generation nuclear reactor technology that boasts twice the power generation efficiency as before being open sourced?

by geralt

Reactors that require meticulous care in controlling nuclear reactions are state-of-the-art crystals, and are related to the “ fourth generation reactors ” that go beyond the already used second to third generation reactors. It is even more so when it comes to Under these circumstances, nuclear ventures that have attracted attention as 'consuming used nuclear fuel and boasting 75 times the power generation efficiency of conventional reactors' open source the design data of the reactor.

Open Source-Transatomic
http://www.transatomicpower.com/open-source/

Xconomy: Transatomic Power Leader Talks Startup's Demise, Political Headwinds
https://xconomy.com/boston/2018/10/12/transatomic-power-leader-talks-startups-demise-political-headwinds/

Transatomic Power is a venture company founded in April 2011 by two young engineers Leslie Dewan and Mark Massy who graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Initially, the company's “ Waste Melt Type Molten Salt Reactor (WAMSR),” which was launched as a concept, is capable of generating electricity by consuming spent nuclear fuel and boasts 75 times the power generation efficiency of conventional light water reactors. It was said that it had attracted great attention and a large amount of money .

The movie below shows Dewan giving a WAMSR presentation in 2014.

Solve for X-Leslie Dewan-Power from Nuclear Waste-YouTube


However, as a result of reviewing the design after that, Transatomic Power withdrew the insistence that 'the power can be generated with spent nuclear fuel' and announced that the power generation efficiency was 'a double error instead of 75 times' (PDF file) . As this made it difficult to raise funds and develop demonstration reactors, in September 2018, 'There is no prospect of expanding the company to be able to construct a reactor within a reasonable period.' I clarified it.

However, even if there is a significant downward correction in terms of efficiency, the molten salt reactor (MSR) redesigned by Transatomic Power has twice as much power generation efficiency as conventional nuclear power generation, and the fuel is already liquid. It is characterized by the fact that meltdown does not occur, and the company still holds various patents.

Therefore, it is the reason for open sourcing that it has decided to make intellectual property public in order to have the technology and research accumulated by Transatomic Power take over seven years since its establishment.

In the post to his company blog, founder Dewan said, 'We hope that our achievements will contribute to the development of the clean energy field that protects the nuclear field, and thus the earth,' a later engineer They expressed their hope for taking over their work.