3D-printed components for the prototype reactor. Photo: Britanny Cramer/ORNL/U.S. Department of Energy
A 3D-printed nuclear reactor core prototype being developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a step toward reaching the goal of creating an advanced, full-sized, 3D-printed reactor by 2023 at the lab.
New work for old FLiBe? DOE considers reuse of molten salt reactor coolant
FLiBe—a mixture of lithium fluoride and beryllium fluoride—is not an off-the-shelf commodity. The Department of Energy suspects that researchers and reactor developers may have a use for...
Oak Ridge community roundtable explores workforce challenges
Federal and contractor officials, community leaders, and educators gathered in Knoxville, Tenn., on October 29 for a roundtable event focused on ensuring the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental...
ORNL algorithm shows promise for faster inspection of nuclear materials
A software algorithm developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has reduced the time needed to inspect 3D-printed parts for nuclear applications by 85 percent, the Department of Energy...
New uranium and fluorine detection method set to boost nuclear safeguards
By combining two techniques, analytical chemists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have for the first time simultaneously detected fluorine and different uranium isotopes in a single particle....
Atomic Canyon preps open-source nuclear search tool for release
Atomic Canyon is developing a generative AI search for the nuclear energy sector and is working with the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory to get it done. On September 26,...
Latest GAIN vouchers support data center and advanced reactor development
The Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy announced on September 24 four new GAIN vouchers. GAIN—the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear—selected four companies to...
Neutron science reveals “fascinating chemistry” of molten fuel salts
New research into the dynamics and structure of high-temperature liquid uranium trichloride (UCl3) salt—a potential fuel for molten salt reactors—has been published in the Journal of the...
WSJ highlights current workforce challenges; signs are hopeful
A new article in the Wall Street Journal focuses on the problematic confluence of three developments: a declining number of young people pursuing nuclear engineering, an aging nuclear...
Growing the future nuclear energy workforce in the Volunteer State
Tennessee is serious about nuclear energy.
The Volunteer State’s governor and representatives have made clear their intention to position Tennessee at the forefront of a nuclear energy growth surge over the next several years....
BWXT to probe options for new centrifuge pilot plant under contract with NNSA
BWX Technologies announced on August 26 that its Nuclear Fuel Services subsidiary had received a contract from the National Nuclear Security Administration for a yearlong engineering study of...
