I tried to melt down a real-life nuclear reactor
I pulled a control rod out of an active nuclear reactor. (Thank you to Fifty Years Fund for sponsoring this episode!)
The experiment was Matt Loszak's idea — he cofounded Aalo Atomics to build a nuclear reactor safe enough for your backyard, a bold idea... and one worthy of an experiment like this one.
Our hypothesis was that we would survive this experiment thanks to Uranium Zirconium Hydride (UZrH), the fuel used by both the test reactor at UT Austin and Aalo's future reactors.
Matt said this fuel wouldn't melt down given to its strong "negative temperature coefficient of reactivity." If you don't know what that means... neither did I. But it may be the key to unlocking abundant, safe, clean energy.
That's why I flew down to the University of Texas to make this video, and ran an experiment on UZrH fuel using a real nuclear reactor.
I think you're going to love it.
HD version at the link in my bio.
Chapters
00:00 — What if nuclear power didn't have to be dangerous?
01:09 — Introducing Aalo Atomics
02:20 — UT Austin TRIGA reactor tour & overview
04:26 — Nuclear energy 101
05:27 — The experiment: control rod ejection
06:57 — Experimental results: power, energy, temperature
08:22 — "Negative Temperature Coefficient of Reactivity"
09:41 — Why isn't everyone using this?
10:32 — Aalo's bet: adapting UZrH for power production
11:40 — The future of nuclear power
Thank you to Wil Stewart (co-editor) and Matthew Knipfer (camera) for their help making this video.
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