US Teenager Taylor Wilson Designs Compact Nuclear Reactor

An American teenager has designed a compact nuclear reactor, and he believes he is taking fission into the 21st century.

Teen Believes His Compact Nuclear Reactor Could Power Space Colonies

Taylor Wilson said his design might one day be able to burn waste from old atomic weapons and this could then be used to provide power to such as homes, factories or even space colonies of the future.

This is not the first time the teenager has been behind the design of something amazing. Four years ago he designed a fusion reactor that he wanted to build in the garage of his parents. The youngster was sharing his designs at the TED Conference held in Southern California. Talking about his design he said, "I think this has huge potential to change the world."

Barrels containing high level radioactive nuclear waste.

The Reactor Could Power 100,000 Homes

Wilson planned out and designed a reactor that is not only small but is capable of generating 50 to 100 megawatts of electricity. This amount of electricity would be enough to provide power to around 100,000 homes. His reactor could be made on an assembly line with the device taking its power from a molten radioactive material which could be gathered from older nuclear weapons.

Wilson said that the modular reactor could be a size that could be shipped sealed, packed with fuel that would continue to run it for 30 years.

"You can plop them down anywhere in the world and they work, buried under the ground for security reasons. In the Cold War we built up this huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and we don't need them anymore. It would be great if we could eat them up, and this reactor loves this stuff."

Taylor Wilson's compact nuclear reactor.

The Reactor Uses Gas Instead of Steam Operating At Low Temperatures

The reactor that Wilson designed spins turbines by way of gas as opposed to steam allowing them to operate at a lower temperature than the typical nuclear reactor along with it not sending anything out if there happened to be a breach. The fuel for the reactor is in the form of a molten salt; along with this, his design does not need to have pressure behind it.

Wilson pointed out:

"In the event of an accident, you can just drain the core into a tank under the reactor with neutron absorbers and the reaction stops. There is no inclination for the fission products to leave this reactor. In an accident, the reactor may be toast, which is sorry for the power company, but there is no problem."

The Teenager Put Off University to Start a Company Making Reactors

The youngster should be heading to university after graduating from grade school. However, this has been put off as he wants to focus on a company created by him that will make Modular Fission Reactors. The teen is not put off by the competition, which is nations including China, along with having to meet along with overcoming any and all roadblocks. Wilson stated that he hopes to have a prototype in just two years, while he hopes to be able to bring a product to the market in less than five years.

"Not only does it combat climate change, but it can also bring power to the developing world. Imagine having a compact reactor in a rocket designed by those planning to habitat other planets. Not only would you have power for propulsion, but power once you get there."