Microreactor Core Design Patent Snapshot 2026
The microreactor core design patent space is extremely nascent, with only 2 patent families on record and just two applicants holding equal positions. Activity is concentrated in G21C (nuclear reactors) and spread across Europe and the United States, signalling that the field remains wide open for new entrants.
Two applicants, two families — a near-empty field
The corpus for microreactor core design contains only 2 patent families in scope, split evenly between Terminus Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento em Energia Ltda and NuScale Power LLC, each holding 1 patent family.
The top five filers account for 100% of the ranked applicants visible in this query’ combined total, which in this case reflects only two active applicants — an extreme concentration that also signals how underdeveloped formal IP activity remains in this specific design space.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Terminus Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento em Energia Ltda | 1 | |
| 2 | NuScale Power LLC | 1 |
NuScale Power’s presence confirms that established small modular reactor developers are beginning to stake claims; Terminus’s entry as a new filer from Brazil broadens the geographic diversity of early movers beyond the traditional US-European axis.
Patent publication typically lags filing by 18–24 months, so the most recent activity visible in this corpus may undercount filings made in 2024–2025; the actual state of early-stage activity could be somewhat more populated than current records indicate.
Sparse, recent filings clustered in nuclear reactor classes
The filing trend and technology composition together illustrate a field that has only just begun to generate formal IP, with activity appearing in 2023 and 2025 respectively. The technology mix is anchored in nuclear reactor classification with adjacent coverage in nuclear power plants, isotope conversion, and radiation energy use.
Annual filing trend
Filings were absent from 2017 through 2022, with the first family appearing in 2023 and a second in 2025. Given publication lag, the 2024–2025 window should be treated as potentially undercounted; no trend can be reliably extrapolated from two isolated data points.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
G21C (Nuclear reactors) is visible in with 2 patent records, while G21D (Nuclear power plants), G21G (Conversion of nuclei), and G21H (Radiation energy use) each appear once, indicating that applicants are beginning to build claims across adjacent nuclear technology branches even at this early stage.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
MODULARES KERNBATTERIESYSTEM UND BRENNSTOFFZELLE
The present invention is related to a Nuclear Battery comprising a plurality of Nuclear Cells housing a nuclear microreactor. The plurality of Nuclear Cells, or modules, combined can generate from 80 kW to 4.8 MW of thermal power and/or from 32 kW to 1.92 MW of electrical power, wherein the power generated is directly proportional to the number of modules… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Use of a Multi-Spectrum Microreactor to Produce La… | 2 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
Assignee snapshot from the current evidence set
The applicants below are visible in this query result. Because the evidence set is relatively small, read this section as a directional snapshot rather than a full competitive ranking.
Terminus Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento em Energia Ltda
Holding 1 patent family, Terminus is flagged as a new entrant with its filing appearing in the corpus for the first time in the recent window. Its technology emphasis covers G21C 1 (reactor core), G21C 15 (reactor cooling systems), and G21D 5 (nuclear power plant control), suggesting a systems-level approach to microreactor integration rather than core physics alone.
families: 1NuScale Power LLC
NuScale Power holds 1 patent family, with technology emphasis across G21C 11 (reactor core structural design), G21C 5 (reactor fuel elements), and G21G 1 (conversion of nuclei), reflecting a focus on core physics and fuel-cycle aspects. NuScale’s established profile in small modular reactors provides a credible platform for expanding microreactor-specific IP.
families: 1Frequently asked questions
The corpus contains 2 patent families in scope, filed by two applicants — Terminus Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento em Energia Ltda and NuScale Power LLC — each holding 1 patent family.
Patent records appear in two jurisdictions: Europe (EPO) and the United States, one record each. No filings are recorded in other major nuclear markets based on available evidence.
Terminus focuses on reactor core, cooling systems, and nuclear plant integration (G21C 1, G21C 15, G21D 5). NuScale Power focuses on core structural design, fuel elements, and isotope conversion (G21C 11, G21C 5, G21G 1). Both hold 1 patent family each.
G21C (Nuclear reactors) is the visible class with 2 patent records. G21D (Nuclear power plants), G21G (Conversion of nuclei), and G21H (Radiation energy use) each appear once, indicating early breadth across adjacent nuclear branches.
No co-applicant or collaborative filings appear in the corpus based on available evidence. The field has not yet generated consortium-type patents that would indicate coordinated industry or academic development programmes.
Filings were absent from 2017 through 2022. One family appeared in 2023 and one in 2025. Given the standard 18–24 month publication lag, recent filings may be undercounted. The current record reflects the very beginning of formal IP activity rather than an established growth trajectory.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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