Hyderabad-based deeptech company Hylenr has completed Phase 1 of an independent validation study of Lattice Confinement Fusion (LCF) at Texas A&M University. The study evaluated the company’s lattice-based energy technology and is intended to provide external data to support further testing and development.
The validation focused on Hylenr’s BRT-NiUCS-2 reactor, a small modular system based on hydrogen-loaded nickel-palladium catalyst materials. Multiple devices and catalyst samples were prepared and tested under controlled laboratory conditions in the Nuclear Engineering Department at Texas A&M University.
The study, titled “Validation of Anomalous Heat and Nuclear Signatures in the BRT-NiUCS-2 Reactor: Phase 1 LCF Investigation”, examined thermal performance, radiation emissions, residual gas composition and changes in catalyst materials following testing. The Phase 1 research paper, co-authored by Hylenr and Texas A&M University, was presented at the 27th International Conference on Condensed Matter Nuclear Science (ICCF-27), held in Niagara Falls, Canada, from August 31 to September 4.
“Our objective has always been to move beyond internal observations and subject the technology to rigorous, independent testing. The validation study conducted at Texas A&M University provides an important external data point across thermal measurements, gas analysis, and material characterization,” said Ram Ramaseshan, Co-Founder and CEO, Hylenr. “These results provide a basis for the next phase of validation while reinforcing our focus on reproducibility, quantitative measurement, and scientific transparency,” he added.
Prof Lin Shao, Professor of Nuclear Engineering at Texas A&M University, said the Phase 1 work used multiple analytical techniques to examine the reactor. “The combination of thermal measurements, residual gas analysis, nuclear diagnostics and post-reaction materials characterization broadens the experimental basis for assessing the observed phenomena and determining priorities for further investigation,” he said.
Residual Gas Analysis (RGA) was among the principal diagnostic techniques used during the study. Testing was conducted using an SRS RGA 100 system under high-vacuum conditions. The study reported elevated helium, argon and neon signals in the active reactor compared with background measurements. Helium and argon signals were reported at approximately two to three orders of magnitude above background, while no corresponding increase in nitrogen was observed.
Thermal measurements using thermocouples and calibrated infrared imaging showed the active reactor operating at higher temperatures than the calibration device under comparable input-power conditions. SEM/EDX analysis also identified morphological and compositional changes in catalyst samples after testing.
Radiation monitoring using Geiger–Müller and neutron detectors found no detectable gamma or X-ray emissions. Neutron counts remained statistically indistinguishable from background during the approximately five-day monitoring period. Hylenr will next undertake Phase 2 testing, including multiple independent reactors, quantitative calorimetry, improved loading-parameter characterisation and isotopic-ratio measurements. The company also plans to use analytical techniques such as SIMS and ICP-MS.
Hylenr develops small, modular energy systems based on hydrogen-loaded materials and lattice confinement. Its research focuses on material transformation and excess-heat phenomena under controlled conditions, with the company working to validate its findings independently and explore their potential for commercial energy applications.
