The successes and significant contributions of past GAIN NE voucher recipients have real-world impacts on our energy future. GAIN is proud to provide these nuclear innovators with a single point of access to the broad range of capabilities — people, facilities, materials, and data — across the Department of Energy’s complex and its National Lab capabilities.
Past Voucher Recipients
Independent Analysis of Antares R1 Core Design, Antares Nuclear
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.
Project SparkHub: Nuclear-Powered Data Center Development, Advanced Nuclear Advisors
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.
Thermogravimetric Analysis of IMSR Fuel Salt Simulants, Terrestrial Energy
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.
Real-Time Generation Risk Assessment (GRA) Model for Commercial Nuclear Power Plant, Entergy Operations
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.
Test Vehicle Development to Support Oklo’s Advanced Fuels Roadmap, Oklo
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.
Investigation of Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) Process Development for Graphite Neutron Moderator Production, Element Factory
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.
Thermal Energy Storage with sCO2 Power Conversion for Low-Cost Micro Modular Reactors – Heat Transfer and sCO2 Power Cycle Assessment, Kanata America
Kanata America, Inc. (Cheyenne, WY) will collaborate with Sandia National Laboratories to improve the efficiency of their thermal energy storage and power conversion systems for future use in microreactors.
Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMC) Irradiation Testing, Westinghouse Electric
Westinghouse will partner with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to perform an irradiation test and associated Post-Irradiation Examination (PIE) on a specific CMC to ensure it is a viable option for the eVinci microreactor prior to performing a larger irradiation campaign. The work will utilize the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at ORNL.
Safeguards Technologies and Assessments to Support Efficient UNF Recycling in the U.S., SHINE Technologies
SHINE will work with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) to help integrate sensors into the MC&A requirements for SHINE’s flowsheets and perform modeling to define sensor placement and requirements.
Confirm Product Quality Achieved by Using Electroreduction Technology to Convert GNF Provided Uranium Oxides to Metal, Global Nuclear Fuels
GNF will partner with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) to perform to perform electroreduction tests on various uranium oxide samples to understand product quality and impurities such that GNF can determine if it’s feasible to adopt into metallic fuel manufacturing.