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U.S. Department of Energy Lab Studies Radiation Effects on Advanced Nuclear Fuel

U.S. Department of Energy Lab Studies Radiation Effects on Advanced Nuclear Fuel

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have conducted a study measuring the mechanical properties of irradiated HALEU-TRISO fuel particles. This research provides new data on how the tiny protective layers of advanced nuclear fuel change after exposure to radiation. The study specifically focused on individual layers within TRISO particles, including silicon carbide and inner and outer pyrolytic carbon. Using ORNL's instrumented indentation system for irradiated materials and nuclear fuels, the team tested particles from the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification Program. The findings indicate changes in hardness and stiffness after irradiation, with the silicon carbide layer showing reduced modulus and hardness, and the pyrolytic carbon layers also exhibiting altered mechanical properties.

Westinghouse Notifies NRC of Defective Springs in Nuclear Plant Breakers Affecting 13 U.S. Facilities

Westinghouse Notifies NRC of Defective Springs in Nuclear Plant Breakers Affecting 13 U.S. Facilities

Westinghouse has issued a Part 21 report to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regarding a defect in motor cutoff switches used in safety-related circuit breakers at 13 U.S. nuclear power plants. The issue stems from springs inside these switches being colored with acrylic paint instead of the specified dye. This acrylic paint has the potential to flake off and generate foreign material, which could accumulate between the switch's moving and stationary contacts. If enough paint particles build up, the electrical resistance could increase, preventing the switch from making proper electrical contact. While the defect does not affect the breakers' ability to open on demand, it could cause them to fail to close. These motor cutoff switches are crucial components that tell the charging motor when to wind up the large spring responsible for closing the breaker. The affected plants span from New Hampshire to Arizona, including Braidwood, Byron, Clinton, Callaway, Catawba, Columbia, Comanche Peak, South Texas...

University of Illinois Researchers Develop Novel Semiconductor Laser with Quasi-Periodic Design

University of Illinois Researchers Develop Novel Semiconductor Laser with Quasi-Periodic Design

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) have successfully demonstrated a new type of semiconductor laser that utilizes a quasi-periodic photonic-crystal structure instead of the conventional repeating patterns. This innovative design allows for precise control over light emission, a characteristic typically associated with more rigid, periodic designs. The device, a quasi-periodic photonic-crystal surface-emitting laser (QPCSEL), was photopumped and achieved single-mode lasing at room temperature with an emission wavelength of 1.5 micrometers. This breakthrough challenges the long-held assumption that perfectly repeating patterns are necessary for producing clean laser beams. The UIUC team previously developed a buried-dielectric platform, where silicon dioxide layers are patterned and then covered with epitaxial semiconductor, to preserve the shape of tiny structures during fabrication. This method was extended to create the non-periodic, topologically protected patterns for the ...

China Unveils Five-Year Strategy to Dominate Quantum Metrology Amid U.S. Semiconductor Restrictions

China Unveils Five-Year Strategy to Dominate Quantum Metrology Amid U.S. Semiconductor Restrictions

China has launched an ambitious five-year strategy aimed at establishing itself as the global leader in quantum measurement technologies. This initiative, spearheaded by China’s State Administration for Market Regulation, seeks to achieve technological sovereignty by setting international standards in quantum metrology. Quantum metrology, a science utilizing quantum physics for ultra-precise measurements, is critical for advanced technologies such as semiconductors, smartphones, satellites, and medical devices. The strategy includes goals to drive basic research through to mass production and promote China's own technical standards, aiming to reduce reliance on Western norms. This move comes as the U.S. has imposed restrictions on the export of advanced semiconductors to China, intensifying the technological rivalry between the two nations.

Harvard Researchers Develop Shape-Shifting Smart Fabrics Using Standard Knitting Machines

Harvard Researchers Develop Shape-Shifting Smart Fabrics Using Standard Knitting Machines

Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have successfully developed innovative shape-shifting smart fabrics. Led by recent Ph.D. graduate Kausalya Mahadevan, the team utilized standard industrial knitting machines, specifically weft knitting, to create textiles capable of switching between multiple stable configurations, a property known as multistability. This breakthrough allows fabrics to 'snap' from one shape to another and remain stable, similar to a light switch. The research, published in Advanced Functional Materials, involved selecting highly elastic yarns and employing a plating technique, which places different yarns on opposite faces of the textile. This method produces dense, thick fabrics that naturally curl into three-dimensional forms. The team also integrated thin conductive yarns into these knitted structures, transforming them into soft, stretchable electrical switches that change their electrical state as the fabric shifts configurati...

Quantum X Labs Develops Novel Quantum Method for Nuclear Reactor Simulation

Quantum X Labs Develops Novel Quantum Method for Nuclear Reactor Simulation

Quantum X Labs' Nuclear Quantum division has created a new algorithm that significantly advances the simulation of nuclear reactors and radiation shields using quantum computers. Traditionally, modeling the movement of particles like neutrons and photons through the complex, irregular structures within a nuclear reactor has been computationally overwhelming for standard computers. The new method addresses this by directly translating intricate physical shapes into quantum data, mathematically embedding boundaries and material densities into quantum states. This approach avoids the need to break down objects into billions of tiny digital cubes, which can lead to errors in quantum hardware during lengthy operations. David Shnaiderov, Head of Nuclear Quantum at Quantum X Labs, emphasized that efficient geometric encoding is crucial for making quantum transport algorithms relevant to real-world physical systems. This breakthrough tackles a key computational bottleneck in the field, establishing a foundation fo...

LLNL and Ampera Launch THUNDER Project to Develop Thorium-Based TRISO Nuclear Fuel

LLNL and Ampera Launch THUNDER Project to Develop Thorium-Based TRISO Nuclear Fuel

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and nuclear fuel startup Ampera have partnered to develop a new thorium-based TRISO nuclear fuel under the project name THUNDER (Thorium Unimodal Droplet Ejection for Reactors). This collaboration aims to replace the conventional uranium kernels in TRISO fuel with thorium-232 kernels. The project focuses on using liquid metal–jetting technology to produce highly consistent, spherical, and precisely sized thorium-232 kernels, which are crucial for the fuel's performance and safety. Ampera contributes its proprietary fuel concept, while LLNL provides research infrastructure and scientific expertise to evaluate, refine, and validate the manufacturing process. The goal is to move thorium-based TRISO fuel from concept to a scalable, demonstrable product, ensuring it meets the strict geometric standards required for TRISO fuel and can be integrated into advanced reactor designs.

Tennessee Issues Commercial Fusion License to Type One Energy for Bull Run Site

Tennessee Issues Commercial Fusion License to Type One Energy for Bull Run Site

The state of Tennessee has issued a commercial fusion license to Type One Energy, a Knoxville-based company, for its Project Infinity at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Bull Run Energy Complex near Oak Ridge. This license, announced at the annual meeting of the Organization of Agreement States (OAS) in Nashville, allows Type One Energy to begin construction on its Infinity One stellarator prototype. Following this, the company plans to build its 400-MW Infinity Two pilot fusion power plant, with full operation anticipated by 2034. This development follows the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) decision in April 2023 to regulate fusion energy systems as byproduct material facilities, enabling Agreement States like Tennessee to establish their own fusion regulations. Tennessee implemented its regulatory framework for nuclear fusion machines in early June.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta Opposes Trump Administration's Nuclear Safety Regulation Changes

California Attorney General Rob Bonta Opposes Trump Administration's Nuclear Safety Regulation Changes

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined attorneys general from 11 other states in signing letters to oppose proposed changes to nuclear safety regulations by the Trump administration. These changes are part of an executive order issued by President Trump in May, aimed at reforming nuclear regulations to expand the use of nuclear energy across the U.S. The administration argues that current regulations are inefficient and lack scientific basis. One specific proposal involves dropping a standard that requires facilities using radioactive material to keep worker radiation exposures as low as reasonably possible. Attorney General Bonta stated in a press release that the Trump administration appears to be "more concerned with corporate interests than the health and safety of the American people." The anti-nuclear advocacy group Mothers for Peace has strongly criticized the proposed rule changes, calling them "callous beyond belief" and emphasizing the need for less, not more, exposure to radiation.

DOE Selects Four Companies for Nuclear Energy Launch Pad Program to Advance Diverse Nuclear Technologies

DOE Selects Four Companies for Nuclear Energy Launch Pad Program to Advance Diverse Nuclear Technologies

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy and the National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) have announced the first four companies selected for the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad program. These companies are Deployable Energy, General Matter, NuCube Energy, and Radiant Industries. The selections were made from an initial pool of applicants to the Reactor Pilot Program and Fuel Line Pilot Program, which served as precursors to the current initiative. The Nuclear Energy Launch Pad aims to broaden the scope of supported nuclear technologies beyond just reactor and fuel development, encompassing a wider range of applications. NRIC Director Brad Tomer stated that the program is designed to create more pathways, flexibility, and opportunities for promising nuclear technologies to move from development to deployment. Inclusion in this program grants these companies access to enhanced technical, regulatory, and deployment support from NRIC.

Tennessee Issues First Commercial Nuclear Fusion License, Advancing Project Infinity

Tennessee Issues First Commercial Nuclear Fusion License, Advancing Project Infinity

The state of Tennessee has issued the first license for a commercial nuclear fusion project in the U.S. under a new regulatory framework designed to accelerate the technology's development. Knoxville-based Type One Energy plans to commence construction this year on 'Project Infinity,' a prototype fusion reactor. This facility will be located at the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) former Bull Run coal-fired power plant in Anderson County. Unlike traditional nuclear fission, which splits uranium atoms, Type One Energy's reactor will generate energy by fusing hydrogen isotopes at extremely high temperatures. The company's ultimate goal is to establish the world's first commercial nuclear fusion power plant, with a target of fully activating its initial reactor by 2034. This initiative is supported by a $4.5 million grant from Tennessee's nuclear fund, established by Governor Bill Lee and authorized by the General Assembly, which has since grown to $95 million.

NANO Nuclear Energy and Howden Advance KRONOS MMR™ Reactor Component to Detailed Design Phase

NANO Nuclear Energy and Howden Advance KRONOS MMR™ Reactor Component to Detailed Design Phase

NANO Nuclear Energy and Howden Advance KRONOS MMR™ Reactor Component to Detailed Design Phase