Kairos Power automates fuel pebble inspection, targets 70,000
Each pebble gets three data matrix codes etched half a millimeter deep by infrared laser, linking it to a record of its dimensions and density.
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Key facts
- System measures diameter, geometry and density in real time before pebbles are packed
- Facility at Albuquerque Manufacturing Development Campus produces graphite moderator and annular surrogate fuel pebbles
- KP-FHR uses molten fluoride salt coolant with TRISO fuel pebbles
- Development path covers three non-nuclear engineering test units, Hermes 1 and Hermes 2
- Kairos broke ground on Hermes 2 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in April
A new facility at Kairos Power's Manufacturing Development Campus in Albuquerque, New Mexico, verifies each fuel pebble against manufacturing specifications and engraves it with a unique code so it can be traced through testing and operation, the company said.
The automated system measures every pebble in real time for diameter, physical geometry and density, then scans the exterior surface with high-precision lasers to the micron level to check structural integrity. An infrared laser etches three unique data matrix codes into the graphite surfaces, half a millimeter deep, without compromising the graphite shell. Each code links the pebble to a record logging its dimensions, density measurements, batch and inspection status. The checks run before pebbles are packed for transport or loaded into testing platforms, and the data feeds downstream handling systems.
Kairos is producing solid graphite moderator pebbles and annular surrogate fuel pebbles at the campus for its fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (KP-FHR), which uses molten fluoride salt coolant with TRISO pebbles.
The system is processing pebbles for upcoming hardware demonstrations, with a near-term target of 70,000 inspected pebbles for testing platforms including the company's second engineering test unit, Kairos said. The same capability will support Hermes 2, the power-producing unit for which Kairos broke ground in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in April.