Ur-Energy seeks to improve groundwater restoration following ISR uranium mining, a process that can take years and add significant costs to uranium production. The company is developing an apatite-based treatment method to more efficiently sequester heavy metals and radionuclides, potentially reducing restoration time, costs, and environmental impacts.
OrganiCore will partner with ORNL to leverage its Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), machine-learning-enabled molecular dynamics capabilities, and prior successful TSL validation work for reactor materials to generate and validate the required nuclear data. The project will create critical-path nuclear data needed to support the design, safety analysis, and licensing of organic-cooled small modular reactors (SMRs).
Constellation proposes to partner with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to apply high-fidelity multiphysics modeling and high-performance computing to improve predictive understanding of MCO phenomena. ORNL will utilize the Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications (VERA) and complementary computational fluid dynamics simulations to analyze historical operating cycles and identify core- and bundle-level mechanisms driving carryover.
NANO proposes to partner with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to apply the SCALE/TSUNAMI code suite to quantify the impact of nuclear data, modeling assumptions, and operational parameters on key reactor physics metrics, including reactivity, power distribution, and temperature coefficients. ORNL’s NRC-recognized analytical tools and expertise will enable development of a validated UQ framework tailored to the KRONOS design.
Nuclear AI will partner with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to utilize the capabilities for the Nondestructive Evaluation Unit of the Engineering Materials group. PNNL will use high-temperature furnace infrastructure, ultrasonic PZT sensor components, and high precision prototyping equipment to demonstrate the efficacy of a high temperature pipe wall thickness detector. The ability to perform inspections and vet structural integrity at these temperatures would support advanced reactor inspection programs for piping and vessel components.
Orbia Fluor will partner with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to produce and test Orbia produced purified graphite feedstock for use in nuclear applications. ORNL has unique capabilities for TRISO relevant graphite matrix fabrication, machining, and nuclear materials testing under qualified procedures. Under this project, Orbia will produce purified feedstock powders and graphite matrix with the support of ORNL and then ORNL will test the produced graphite to assess the viability of meeting nuclear standards. This work will help build domestic capabilities to purify graphite feedstock for nuclear energy.
NuScale will partner with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to utilize the artificial intelligence (AI) enabled nuclear design framework for the 12-reactor design challenge by strategically exploring the vast design space and reducing the computational time required for the reactor simulations. ORNL has significant expertise in AI, fuel management, and computational resources. Reduced front end and back-end fuel costs can make nuclear energy more competitive in the marketplace.
EnergyHQ will partner with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The project will use the Oak Ridge Siting Analysis for power Generation Expansion (OR-SAGE) tool to supplement EnergyHQ’s existing criteria for siting data centers. The result will be the identification of multiple sites, which are technology-agnostic, that could support site selection strategies for data centers. EnergyHQ can then work to develop those sites for nuclear and data center development.
CSU will partner with Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for techno-economic analysis with decision modeling and with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for the water availability and optimal usage analyses. The study will also assess the feasibility and application of small modular reactors (SMRs) in the CSU service territory.
Oklo will partner with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), which has demonstrated gram-scale reduction of UF6 to UF4 through an intermediary compound that significantly reduces the traditional method’s hazards. PNNL has also shown the viability of co-reducing fluorides to metal. The possibility of eliminating the intermediate UF4 production step will have the potential of increased throughput and process safety that will help accelerate deployment of a commercial fabrication facility.