Status Archives

Development of Casting Techniques for ẟ-phase Uranium-Zirconium Alloys, Lightbridge Corp

The casting, processing, and shipping of HALEU alloys, like those being developed by Lightbridge, require the ability to experiment with higher temperatures in a facility that can perform these functions. The goal of this project was to identify an appropriate casting method (i.e., crucible and coating combination) that results in an acceptable impurity concentration in the as-cast ingot.

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Pebble Bed Large Eddy Simulations for Lower Order Methods Benchmarking and Uncertainty Quantification Development

Kairos Power is a nuclear energy technology, engineering, and manufacturing company singularly focused on the commercialization of the fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (FHR). To simulate the core thermal hydraulic behavior, researchers employ simplified empirical correlation-based porous media and heat transfer models. For different operation and accident scenario conditions, Large Eddy Simulations (LES) can produce numerical benchmark data that capture local velocity and temperature effects. This can be used to further understand the different modes of heat transfer in an FHR core. Under this GAIN voucher, Argonne National Laboratory provided Kairos Power its expertise in LES and turbulence modeling and made available its advanced computational resources.

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Independent Assessment of a Novel Heat Exchanger Concept for Open-Air Brayton Cycle

Nano will partner with Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to perform an independent evaluation of the heat exchanger design. This will include the development of a computational model of the heat exchanger to help analyze the design and confirm certain attributes that are critical to the reactor operations.

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Development of Oxygen IR Calibration Standards for High-Purity Chloride Salts

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is only one of two labs that can test the oxygen content in chloride salts. MS will partner with INL to verify alignment of test results between MS and INL regarding oxygen content of very high-purity chloride salts utilizing oxygen analyzers, identify, capture, and document best practices into a preliminary framework for a standardized test method and down-select appropriate materials and certification specifications for chloride salt reference standard(s).

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Independent Analysis of Antares R1 Core Design

Antares will partner with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to perform an independent, technical audit of Antares R1. ORNL’s Reactor Analysis Group will verify design calculations, including core neutronics and thermal hydraulics. This project will yield high confidence that hardware test campaigns predicated on neutronics data are valid, allowing Antares to move through test stages to a fueled demonstration of the system.

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Project SparkHub: Nuclear-Powered Data Center Development

To help get ANA’s Project SparkHub off to a quick start, ANA will partner with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to use the OR-SAGE tool to perform site screening and down select a number of sites that could be amenable to siting nuclear facilities. The sites will also be located in regions where there is strong incentive to build data centers. After the project, ANA will continue work and begin licensing activities to obtain an Early Site Permit on a technology-neutral basis to support development of the site.

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Thermogravimetric Analysis of IMSR Fuel Salt Simulants

Terrestrial Energy will partner with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) using their expertise in thermogravimetric analysis to analyze the IMSR fuel salt. This project will help determine what chemical species are present in the fuel salt vapor as a function of temperature and partial pressure, whether the fuel salt decomposes at elevated temperatures, and the kinetics of fuel salt vaporization. The work will support the optimization of the reactor components in the IMSR Core-unit as well as the overall design.

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Real-Time Generation Risk Assessment (GRA) Model for Commercial Nuclear Power Plant

Entergy will partner with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to implement real-time Generation Risk Assessment (GRA) modeling to address these issues. ORNL’s unique experience in implementing GRA models combined with the use of their Operational Performance Risk Assessment (OPRA) software will be used to integrate the model with real-time data. Entergy will roll out the model at one of its operating plants an if successful look to expand to other plants in their fleet.

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Test Vehicle Development to Support Oklo’s Advanced Fuels Roadmap

Oklo, Inc. (Santa Clara, CA) will partner with Idaho National Laboratory to complete pre-conceptual design work of an experimental test device that will be used in its first Aurora fast reactor to support irradiation testing of advanced fuels and materials.

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Investigation of Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) Process Development for Graphite Neutron Moderator Production

Element Factory, LLC (Cheyenne, WY) will work with Idaho National Laboratory to ensure that graphite components will meet technical and regulatory requirements for use in nuclear reactors when they are produced through their novel process that uses different carbon sources.

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