FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WORCESTER, Mass. (July 28, 2022) – As part of a $53 million program seeking technologies to address climate change, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded Multiscale Systems a $200,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to develop additively manufactured, functionally graded bearings engineered for resilience and operation in extreme conditions.

Wind, solar, and hydro can’t meet the energy needs of our domestic decarbonization goals alone. Additional low-emission channels will be required, with Generation IV nuclear reactors showing incredible promise for supporting a clean energy future.

Sodium fast reactors (SFRs), a type of Gen IV reactor, use a liquid sodium coolant. The coolant allows the reactor to operate at near atmospheric pressure, increasing safety by avoiding the need for pressurized vessels. In addition, their relatively high operating temperature make SFRs highly efficient. But liquid sodium can be extremely damaging to conventional materials, and crucial mechanisms like bearings will need to be ruggedized to survive long term.

The team at Multiscale Systems are the leading experts in metamaterial composites, which use complex geometry to optimize mechanical performance and increase component lifespan. Like a metamaterial composite, an additively manufactured, functionally graded bearing combines geometric complexity with a mixture of exotic alloy compositions, enabling the fabrication of high-performance components at lower costs.

“Functional grading mitigates thermal expansion stress and lowers the risk of debonding, cracking, and failure in components that are subjected to high temperatures and complex chemistries,” said Art Evans, Multiscale System’s CTO and Research Director.

Multiscale Systems’ corrosion-resistant structures will be critical for addressing technology barriers to long-life fission reactors and other low-emission systems requiring high efficiency heat transfer over the course of many decades. They will enable a safer, more durable domestic low-emission power supply.

“Solving this important technical problem is a critical step to unlocking new energy resources that support the nation’s efforts to decarbonize,” said Jesse Silverberg, Multiscale System’s CEO and Research Director.

This project supports the priorities of the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy by combating the climate crisis, supporting high-quality clean energy jobs, and promoting equitable access to clean energy technologies.

Last year, Multiscale Systems was a semi-finalist in the DOE’s Geothermal Manufacturing Prize, developing an additively manufactured metamaterial casing connector for Enhanced Geothermal Systems.

Multiscale Systems is a composite R&D company specializing in metamaterial composites, thermoplastic composites, and advanced manufacturing. We apply creative ideation and intense technical validation to solve real-world advanced material problems.

For more information on this SBIR/STTR program, read the DOE press release.

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Karen Tisdell
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info@multiscalesystems.com