US-based start-up NANO Nuclear Energy has completed the retrofitting of its multi-million-dollar nuclear demonstration and testing facility in Westchester County, New York.
The facility is now ready to support the non-nuclear mechanical and thermal test work necessary to develop its microreactors (in particular ZEUS) and commercial products, such as its Annular Linear Induction Pump (ALIP), a critical non-nuclear subsystem for liquid metal and molten salt reactor technologies. NANO plans to separately commercialise the two in the coming years. Testing at the Westchester facility is expected to begin shortly and the data generated will contribute to the final design and integration strategy for ALIP in both terrestrial and space reactor applications.
The facility retrofit was executed in collaboration with New York-based aRobotics Company, specialising in robotic systems, component inspection, and high-precision prototyping. The firm led the mechanical build-out of the facility and the fabrication of test hardware and support structures for the development of NANO products. It will also collaborate on the ongoing SBIR Phase III commercialisation programme for ALIP.
“The Westchester County demonstration facility has been completed on schedule and to specification, and we’re pleased to extend our collaboration on critical ALIP components and our broader reactor portfolio with aRobotics,” said Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear. “This multimillion‑dollar facility will be central to our R&D programme, giving us the resources to conduct essential physical testing and confirm that our non‑nuclear systems perform at their highest level.”
The newly redeveloped testing site includes:
- A Liquid-Metal and Molten-Salt Test Loop for evaluating fluid dynamics and pump efficiency.
- A magnetic field mapping system for characterising ALIP’s electromagnetic properties.
- A custom-engineered thermal chamber for assessing high-temperature material behaviour and component resilience.
“Completing the redevelopment of this dedicated test facility is a significant milestone in our ALIP roadmap,” said Dr Carlos O Maidana, Head of Thermal Hydraulics and Space Programme at NANO Nuclear. “The ability to perform real-time, high-fidelity component testing allows us to validate software models and refine system performance before moving to larger-scale assembly.”
The demonstration facility will serve as a high-fidelity mechanical testbed for subsystems critical to reactor operation. These tests will inform future licensing and support industrial partnerships. The facility now houses NANO’s Liquid‑Metal and Molten‑Salt Test Loop, along with a magnetic‑field mapping system that will support development and commercialisation activities for ALIP. In addition, a purpose‑built heat chamber has been installed at the site, designed for evaluating reactor components and subsystems,
“This facility gives us the infrastructure to simulate core pump operations in a safe, non-nuclear setting,” said NANO CEO James Walker. “It’s close proximity to our New York City corporate headquarters enhances operational coordination and will serve as a valuable hub for collaborators and stakeholders to observe the development process firsthand.”
NANO Nuclear’s reactor products in development include patented KRONOS MMR Energy System; a stationary high-temperature gas-cooled reactor that is in construction permit pre-application engagement with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in collaboration with University of Illinois Urbana; ZEUS, a solid core battery reactor; ODIN, a low-pressure coolant reactor; and the space focused, portable LOKI MMR.
