Hylenr Technologies, a Hyderabad-based energy start-up, has signed a memorandum of understanding with space-tech start-up TakeMe2Space to develop and test a computing module powered by a low-energy nuclear reactor (LENR). TakeMe2Space will provide the satellite platforms and subsystems required to validate Hylenr’s LENR thermoelectric generator under real operating conditions. Hylenr’s technology has been granted a patent by the Government of India for its LENR technology.
According to the company’s website, the LENR reactors “utilize low-energy nuclear reactions to generate excess heat.” By applying a small amount of electricity to stimulate these reactions, LENR can produce significantly more heat than the input energy, making it a potentially game-changing technology for power generation. The reactors use only a few milligrams of hydrogen to generate excess heat through fusion and eliminate the need for radioactive materials like plutonium-238, drastically decreasing the risk profile for space missions. They also generate no radioactive waste.
Siddhartha Durairajan, Hylenr Founder and CEO, said, “Validating our LENR technology in space is a crucial milestone, and TakeMe2Space’s platform and expertise provide the perfect opportunity to test our system in a real operational environment.
LENR-powered computing in space
This could open new possibilities for long-duration missions and off-grid power solutions in space.
TakeMe2Space is exploring multiple energy technologies, including LENR, to assess efficient methods for heat extraction and potential reuse in its computer-focused satellites.
Ronak Kumar Samantray, Founder of TakeMe2Space, added, “We are actively exploring alternative energy solutions for our in-space computer infrastructure and are excited to take this first step with Hylenr to test their technology in space. We are particularly interested in assessing how this approach can be leveraged for efficient heat management and energy reuse in our satellites.
The input of 100 watts of electricity into Hylenr’s device produces 178 watts of equivalent heat. TakeMe2Space will assess the LENR system’s ability to power onboard computing modules while ensuring optimized thermal management.
Samantray noted that the objective is to identify innovative energy solutions tailored to the specific needs of in-space computing. If Hylenr does indeed validate its technology in space, it would be a world-changing discovery. The collaboration between Hylenr and TakeMe2Space is poised to bring a compact, long-lasting, and clean energy source to space-based computing, paving the way for significant advancements in satellite and space mission capabilities.
Image Credits: Photo by Edvin Richardson on Pexels
April Isaacs is a news contributor for DevX.com She is long-term, self-proclaimed nerd. She loves all things tech and computers and still has her first Dreamcast system. It is lovingly named Joni, after Joni Mitchell.
