Kairos Power Automates Fuel Pebble Inspection and Tracking System

Highlights

• Kairos Power commissioned a fuel pebble inspection and laser engraving system at its Manufacturing Development Campus in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
• The custom-built system automates inspection and marks each pebble with a unique tracking code.
• The capability strengthens material accountability and pebble tracking for upcoming hardware testing and the Hermes 2 plant.

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Watch our automated quality control and tracking system in action

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Kairos Power commissioned an automated fuel pebble quality control and tracking system at our Manufacturing Development Campus in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The new system verifies manufacturing specifications and assigns a unique marking code to individually trace thousands of pebbles through testing and operation.  

The automated line supports Kairos Power’s iterative approach to fuel development by streamlining throughput, strengthening material accountability, and generating data that can inform future pebble manufacturing and handling systems for our fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor technology.

Automated Quality Control

The automated system performs a series of comprehensive quality checks before pebbles are packed for transport or loaded into testing platforms.  

Each pebble is measured in real time for diameter, physical geometry, and density to verify compliance with strict manufacturing specifications. High-precision lasers then scan the exterior surface down to the micron level to ensure the pebble’s structural integrity.

Individualized Pebble Tracking

Once inspected, the pebble moves directly to an infrared laser engraving station where three redundant and unique data matrix codes (similar to QR codes) are etched into the graphite surfaces without compromising the shell.  

The code links each pebble to an individualized record that logs the pebble’s exact dimensions, density measurements, batch, and inspection status. Special markings around the code allow optical systems to identify different pebble types in the event that the data matrix is damaged.

This data feeds into downstream handling systems to help engineers track pebbles through testing and operation. Over time,  the markings will help identify different pebble types, provide more accurate fuel-consumption measurements, and enable material accountability during operations.

"By automating our quality control and laser-engraving processes in-house, we are building the foundational capabilities and traceability required to support our iterative approach to fuel development,” said Kirby Boone, a senior engineer on Kairos Power’s fuel team. “The fuel inspection and tracking system streamlines throughput and generates critical data to inform future manufacturing and handling systems for our reactors, from Hermes 2 to the commercial fleet."

Advancing Toward ETU and Hermes Milestones

The automated system is currently processing pebbles to support upcoming hardware demonstrations, with a near-term target of 70,000 inspected pebbles for testing platforms that include our second Engineering Test Unit.  

The same capability will support the future deployment of the Hermes 2 plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

By developing automated inspection infrastructure in-house, Kairos Power can learn from each production campaign to improve manufacturing processes and build the foundational capabilities required for commercial-scale fuel production.