First megawatt-class helium turbine for nuclear microreactors successfully tested in China

CNNC Huaxing in China has completed a successful power-generation test using a turbine driven by pure helium.

The test advances closed-loop Brayton cycle technology needed to commercialize small gas-cooled nuclear reactors.

Engineers had to solve high-precision sealing and alignment challenges to handle helium’s small atoms, high pressure, and high-speed operation.

The result supports off-grid reactor designs that do not rely on nearby water sources and has broader global relevance for compact reactors.