Figure 1 – The Annular Linear Induction Pump (ALIP) technology SBIR Phase III Program previously DOE funded $1.37Million in grants to support technology is led by Renowned Physicist and Carlos O. Maidana, Ph.D.

ALIP was developed by noted physicist, research engineer and project manager Carlos O. Maidana, Ph.D., who now serves as NANO Nuclear’s Principal Investigator for an SBIR Phase III program being funded by NANO Nuclear which is dedicated to advancing the development and potential commercialization of this innovative technology.  Throughout prior SBR phases, the Department of Energy has cumulatively awarded over $1.37 million in grants to date to support this technology.  In June 2024, NANO Nuclear announced that it acquired the ALIP technology from Dr. Maidana.

“It is a pleasure to see my work find a home at NANO Nuclear,” said Dr. Carlos O. Maidana, CEO and Founder at Maidana Research. “The leadership team has time and again proven their desire to innovate within the nuclear energy space and create cleaner and more sustainable energy future.  I am delighted to be a part of this effort and I’m confident that the ALIP technology will play a key role in the modernization and optimization of nuclear reactors around the world.”

The provisional patent applications announced today seek to secure formal intellectual property protection for the ALIP technology, which addresses challenges in high-efficiency thermal fluid management for clean energy and high-temperature industrial processes, offering numerous advantages over traditional pumps. These benefits make ALIP an enabling technology for NANO Nuclear’s own ‘ODIN’ microreactor in development. Additionally, NANO Nuclear anticipates that, upon commercialization, the ALIP technology will have significant potential for widespread adoption within the broader nuclear reactor marketplace, particularly as a component for liquid metal and molten salt-based reactors.

“We are very pleased with the speed at which Dr. Maidana and the NANO Nuclear team have moved towards our goal of bringing this innovative technology to market,” said Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear Energy. “The provisional patent applications will enable us to secure and protect this important intellectual property. Furthermore, we believe these applications align with our company’s ethos of maintaining transparency with both regulators and the public regarding our technology. ALIP represents a pivotal advancement for the entire nuclear industry, as well as our ‘ODIN’ microreactor, and we excited to take this next step on our path to commercialization.”

The filing of these applications also underscores NANO Nuclear’s commitment to developing advanced technologies aimed at optimizing and modernizing the nuclear energy landscape.  ALIP is based on electromagnetic pumps, offering several advantages over mechanical pumps, including the absence of moving parts, low noise and vibration levels, simplicity in flow rate regulation, and ease of maintenance.  These features make ALIP an efficient and logical choice for molten salt and liquid metal-cooled reactors. Its wide-ranging applications encompass the most advanced nuclear reactor designs, which utilize liquid metals and molten salts for cooling and heat transfer functions in both the fission and fusion energy industries.  Additionally, ALIP holds significant potential in the advanced materials sector, space exploration, marine propulsion, and high-temperature industrial processes.

“The ALIP technology has a truly vast potential to modernize the nuclear energy industry and play a key role in the development of a fleet of advanced nuclear reactors,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer and Head of Reactor Development of NANO Nuclear Energy. “The technology is applicable to many of the reactors already in operation, not to mention the reactors will which we believe must be built to meet the carbon-neutrality goals of the United States and the world.  But the technology can potentially extend beyond traditional fission reactors, and the Company has already begun looking into applications within the fusion industry to move liquid metal to sweep up neutrons and transfer heat away from their reaction zones. That is why we are so optimistic about the promise of this technology, as it could enable NANO Nuclear to be the source of innovation for two industries. For our reactors and potentially other, it permits smaller, more optimized, and higher quality reactor construction, reducing costs in the long run and removing unnecessary parts and reducing costs upfront.”