A. Griffith
Battelle Memorial Institute, Ohio, United States
Keywords: Radioisotope Power Systems; resilient nuclear energy; strontium-90
Meeting the defense energy needs of the future will require new approaches with innovative solutions. Transportable and installation microreactor technology employing Generation IV reactor designs with megawatt capacity holds great potential but will require substantial development over the next five or more years. In the meantime, there is another dependable and resilient nuclear energy technology that can deliver 10s to 100s watts-electric (or kilowatts-electric when combined with energy storage technology) that holds near-term promise for a variety of smaller or distributed power demand applications. Building on historical radioisotope power system (RPS) experience using plutonium-238, Battelle in collaboration with Zeno Power is adapting the technology with innovations that include the use of strontium-90, a more readily available commercial heat source, to convert radioisotope decay heat into electricity in a compact, microwave-sized lighter weight design, and potentially coupling the power unit with storage technology to meet intermittent peak demands. Demonstrations supporting U.S. Space Force and U.S. Navy applications are planned for early 2026. Zeno Power’s technology combined with Battelle’s applied science & technology capabilities could deliver a dependable energy system with significant impact.