Hyderabad: Deeptech startup Hylenr on Tuesday said it has completed Phase 1 of an independent validation study of its lattice confinement fusion (LCF) reactor at Texas A&M University, advancing efforts to assess the technology and move towards commercialisation.The study tested Hylenr’s BRT-NiUCS-2 reactor, a small modular system using hydrogen-loaded nickel-palladium catalyst materials, under controlled conditions in the university’s nuclear engineering department. Catalyst samples were examined for thermal performance, radiation emissions, residual gas composition and post-reaction material changes, it said.According to the Hyderabad-based startup, residual gas analysis using an SRS RGA 100 system found elevated helium, argon and neon signals in the active reactor compared with background levels.Helium and argon signals were reported two to three orders of magnitude above background, while nitrogen did not rise, which researchers said provided evidence against atmospheric leakage as the sole cause.Thermocouple and calibrated infrared measurements showed higher operating temperatures in the active reactor than in a calibration device at comparable input power. SEM/EDX analysis indicated catalyst changes.With this, the T-Hub-incubated Hylenr said it will advance to Phase 2 studies focused on reproducibility, calorimetry and commercialisation.A paper, “Validation of Anomalous Heat and Nuclear Signatures in the BRT-NiUCS-2 Reactor: Phase 1 LCF Investigation,” co-authored by Hylenr and Texas A&M researchers, was also presented at ICCF-27 in Niagara Falls, Canada, from Aug 31 to Sept 4.Hylenr co-founder and board member Ram Ramaseshan said the work moved the company beyond internal observations by subjecting its reactor to independent testing across thermal, gas and materials diagnostics.“These results provide a basis for the next phase of validation while reinforcing our focus on reproducibility, quantitative measurement, and scientific transparency,” Ramaseshan said.Texas A&M nuclear engineering professor Lin Shao said the study broadened the experimental basis for assessing observed phenomena and setting priorities for investigation.
