Newsroom

9 February 2023

GERA Seeks Patent for Breakthrough Nuclear Waste Remediation Technology

Global Energy Research Associates (GERA) has filed for a patent on a groundbreaking method of cleaning up nuclear waste from many past, present, and future nuclear reactors. The patent-pending process recovers both uranium and transuranic elements for reuse in advanced nuclear reactors, including GERA's ACE Engine. By converting long-lived radioactive material into valuable nuclear fuel, this innovation has the potential to dramatically reduce long-term nuclear waste storage challenges while advancing the future of nuclear power.

17 January 2023

GERA Secures Patent for Innovative Advanced Reactor Nuclear Fuel Technology

Global Energy Research Associates (GERA) has been awarded a patent for a revolutionary method of using nuclear fuel in nuclear internal engines. The patent introduces a new type of nuclear fuel that is inherently safe, with the ability to automatically cease energy production once predetermined conditions are satisfied. This innovation marks a significant step toward simple and safe nuclear power generation, with the potential to unlock new opportunities for advanced reactor applications worldwide.

20 September 2022

GERA Obtains Patent for Compact High-Efficiency Advanced Reactor Technology

Global Energy Research Associates (GERA) has received a patent for an advanced reactor technology that combines the nuclear safety and system thermal efficiency of a gaseous-fuel internal engine with the compact critical configuration of a solid-fuel reactor. The result is a safe, compact, and highly efficiency nuclear power system suitable for a wide range of terrestrial and extraterrestrial applications, such a providing space nuclear power and propulsion.

30 June 2022

GERA Receives Second NRIC Grant for Nuclear Waste Research

Global Energy Research Associates (GERA) has been awarded a second grant from the National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) to advance nuclear waste research in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne). This project focuses on developing chemical processes to recover actinides from light-water reactor (LWR) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) for potential use as nuclear fuel in the ACE Engine advanced reactor concept.

Argonne brings deep expertise in solvent extraction processes designed to selectively recover elements from a variety of nuclear waste forms. The project includes both the recovery of actinides from LWR SNF and the preparation of these recovered materials for use in the ACE Engine.

27 July 2021

GERA Captures Grant to Support ACE Engine Design

Global Energy Research Associates (GERA) has been awarded a grant from the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) to support ACE Engine conceptual design activities. This project will be carried out in collaboration with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), marking the first such award for LLNL under this program.

This initiative aims to advance GERA's innovative reactor design through multiphysics code verification activities. As part of this effort, ACE Engine simulations performed with GERA's Jarvis computing platform will be compared with LLNL's state-of-the-art high-performance simulation capabilities. This work will generate important data to support future design reviews and regulatory licensing applications.

8 June 2021

GERA Partners with LLNL to Advance Nuclear Power Technology

Global Energy Research Associates (GERA) and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have entered into a Strategic Partnership Project (SPP) agreement, “to develop a mature advanced power system technology that could have profound national and global impact on energy, national security, and the environment."

This partnership leverages LLNL's world-class expertise in designing, building, and testing unique nuclear technologies to help advance the commercialization of GERA's innovative nuclear power generation systems, including the ACE Engine.

17 December 2020

GERA Receives EIRP Grant to Support Innovative Nuclear R&D

Global Energy Research Associates (GERA) has been awarded a grant from the Energy Innovation Reform Project (EIRP) to support innovative nuclear technology research and development. The grant funds exploration of gaseous nuclear fuel technology and its potential to decarbonize the global energy system, economically eliminate the long-term environmental impact of commercial spent nuclear fuel, and address energy, environment, and national security challenges.