TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY: Heat Pipe Reactor Fire Mitigation and Suppression System

The Los Alamos National Laboratory is offering a technology licensing opportunity for a Heat Pipe Reactor Fire Mitigation and Suppression System. This system is designed to provide a layered, automated safeguard against fires in advanced small and microreactors. The system combines an inert gas buffer, a phase change material jacket, automated suppressant injection, and optional neutron-absorber dispersion to deliver redundant protection. The system enables advanced reactor developers to meet stringent safety expectations without redesigning the core architecture around bulky external suppression equipment. Some key features of the system include: • Multiple independent barriers between reactive alkali metals and potential ignition sources • Automated, sensor-driven response that opens valves and injects suppressant within milliseconds of fire-like conditions being detected • Dual-purpose phase change jacket that stores thermal energy during normal operation and acts as a fire retardant during an event • Coupled fire suppression and reactor shutdown through optional neutron absorber dispersion into the core • Flexible architecture compatible with both heat pipe-cooled reactor cores and auxiliary equipment • Configurable suppressant choices and threshold logic, allowing developers to tailor the response to their specific reactor design