This thermophotovoltaic cell is tuned to operate with radiant energy from a body heated to between 1900 and 2400 degrees Celsius. That is much hotter than any current reactor core. It wouldn't work with a traditional nuclear plant; it would require (at a minimum) developing reactors that operate at a much higher temperature. The most common power reactor design, the pressurized light water reactor, heats water to around 315 degrees Celsius:
Most semiconductors don't like ionizing radiation. In addition, the bottom-end of the operating range for this (1900C) is well above what google suggests is the typical coolant temperature (300C).
philipkglass|3 years ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pressurized_water_reactor#Cool...
runeks|3 years ago
Can’t it just heat something else than water? E.g. something that’s liquid at 2000C?
worldsayshi|3 years ago
aidenn0|3 years ago