NUCLEAR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
New and current reactor fuels can be examined at an unprecedented level of detail after samples are prepared for electron microscopes and other advanced characterization equipment within INL’s Irradiated Materials Characterization Laboratory.
Nuclear Programs
Nuclear Power Pioneers n 1949, the U.S. Atomic materials research, waste • In 1955, the Borax-III reactor Energy Commission treatment, and cleanup of provided electricity to Arco, established the National Cold War-era sites. Today, INL is I Idaho — the first time a Reactor Testing Station — now focused on meeting the nation’s nuclear reactor powered an known as Idaho National energy, nuclear technology, entire U.S. community. Laboratory — to take on science and national security the top-priority mission of • The Advanced Test Reactor, needs. harnessing the power of the one of the world’s most Sustaining the Current Fleet atom for peaceful applications. consistently updated and of Power Reactors capable materials test In the years that followed, INL researchers support the reactors, became one of the thousands of world-class Department of Energy’s Light two primary reactors in the scientists and engineers made Water Reactor Sustainability nation used to produce Idaho their home, and devoted program by developing the life-saving medical and their careers to advancing scientific basis to extend existing industrial radioisotopes. the state of the art in nuclear nuclear power plant operating research and development. • The laboratory developed life beyond the current 60-year Changing the World’s Energy Future Energy the World’s Changing The results of their labors prototype nuclear propulsion licensing period. This work are legendary. plants for Navy submarines ensures long-term reliability, and aircraft carriers. productivity, safety and security • In 1951, Experimental Breeder of the nation’s commercial Reactor-I produced the first Over the years, INL’s mission nuclear energy plants. INL usable amounts of electricity broadened into areas such as serves as the program’s from nuclear power. biotechnology, energy and NUCLEAR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
the existing nuclear fleet. GAIN provides the nuclear community with a single point of access to a broad range of capabilities — people, facilities, materials and INL’s Advanced Test Reactor is the world’s most versatile data — across the DOE complex reactor for performing and its national laboratories. irradiation testing necessary to develop new fuel and Advanced Reactor reactor designs. Technologies (ART) The Advanced Reactor Technologies (ART) Program develops new and advanced reactor designs and technologies to improve nuclear energy competitiveness and support, meeting the nation’s energy, Technical Integration Office and extraction of more useful environmental and national coordinates its research and energy from nuclear fuel. security needs. The INL ART development projects. Gateway for Accelerated Technology Development Fuel Cycle Research Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) Office leads the area of high- and Development DOE’s offices of Nuclear Energy temperature reactor R&D in Researchers at INL are pursuing (NE) and Electricity Delivery support of high-temperature, the development of fuel cycle and Energy Reliability (OE) heat-generating missions. Its technologies that will meet have established the Gateway activities include developing the need for economic and for Accelerated Innovation and qualifying tristructural sustained nuclear energy in Nuclear (GAIN). This isotropic (TRISO) fuel; source production. The systems and initiative provides the nuclear selection, development, processes under research community with access to testing, and qualification of and development should the technical, regulatory and high-temperature materials enable a significant reduction financial support necessary and nuclear grade graphites; in the amount of high-level to move new or advanced verification and validation radioactive waste requiring nuclear reactor designs toward of design methods; and geologic disposal, reduced commercialization while coupling of nuclear and accumulation of plutonium ensuring continued safe, reliable renewable energy sources to in civilian spent fuel and the and economic operation of better optimize energy use for the combined electricity, industrial manufacturing and transportation sectors. Activities within the licensing area of the ART Program are focused on overall reduction of advanced reactor technology development New equipment installed risks by addressing regulatory in INL’s Analytical issues that will facilitate future Laboratory enables thermal Nuclear Regulatory properties testing on fuel and material samples. Commission licensing. Nuclear Benefits Beyond Electricity INL is the world’s leader in applying solid oxide fuel cell technology toward nuclear- powered water splitting and NUCLEAR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
CO2 splitting for hydrogen and Isotope Production applications. The reactor is syngas production. INL’s goal Idaho National Laboratory’s currently producing HSA cobalt- is to diversify nuclear energy Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) is 60 (Co-60), which is used as a end uses beyond electricity designed primarily as a nuclear gamma ray source in medical production to economical fuel and materials test reactor radiotherapy to treat cancer. hydrogen and synfuel for the U.S. Naval Reactors The ATR is also scheduled to production via recycling water program and the DOE Office begin production of Iridium-192, and CO2, with the simultaneous of Nuclear Energy. Because of which is commonly used as a benefits of reducing greenhouse its high neutron flux and large gamma ray source in industrial gas emissions and enhancing volume of irradiation space, radiography to locate flaws electrical grid stability. the ATR lends itself to isotope in metal components and in radiotherapy as a radiation Radioisotope Power Systems production as well. source, in particular in and Space Technologies Although not a primary mission, brachytherapy. Radioisotope power systems ATR is well-suited to produce are used to provide heat and significant quantities of isotopes electricity for space exploration for industrial and medical missions and national security applications. INL assisted in providing radioisotope heat and power units for the two rovers that went to Mars in 2003, Spirit and Opportunity. INL assembled a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) INL’s Hot Fuel Examination for the New Horizons mission to Facility is equipped with one of Pluto in 2006, which completed the largest inert-atmosphere its flyby of Pluto in July 2015. hot cells in the world, hosting INL also assembled and fueled an expansive suite of post- irradiation examination a new design of RTG for NASA’s capability for samples ranging Mars Science Laboratory, which from barely visible to fuel rods launched in 2011, arrived at more than 13 feet long. the red planet in 2012, and conducted an extended mission through 2016. Preparations are underway to provide an RTG for another Mars mission planned for launch in 2020. INL is an active partner with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to re-establish domestic production of Pu-238 for the first time since the 1980s. This Direct machining of uranium isotope is key to providing the metal enables acceleration of the fuel fabrication process fuel for the RTGs for missions to and creation of new fuel types remote or hostile environments. for experiments. INL is also an active partner with DOE in planning for the use of reactor technology in space applications such as nuclear thermo propulsion. NUCLEAR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Infrastructure INL hosts an expansive array of research facility complexes spread across DOE’s 2,300 square kilometer (890-square- mile) Idaho Site and within the city of Idaho Falls. Combined with the talent of the world- class researchers at INL, these national assets make INL an international leader in nuclear energy technology research and development. The laboratory has three major facility areas focused on nuclear research & development:
• The Materials and Fuels INL restarted the Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility in 2017 Complex hosts an extensive to enable thorough testing of reactor fuels and materials under array of nuclear fuel accident scenarios. fabrication, examination and handling facilities, including The complex also features past 10 years with several the Hot Fuel Examination the Advanced Test Reactor- new facilities. The Energy Facility, Fuel Manufacturing Critical Facility, the Test Train Innovation Laboratory is the Facility, Irradiated Materials Assembly Facility, Radiation gateway to INL’s Idaho Falls Characterization Laboratory, Measurements Laboratory, campus. Other important Experimental Fuels Facility, Radiochemistry Laboratory, capabilities include the and the Space and Security and the Safety and Tritium INL Research Center, the Power Systems Facility. Applied Research Facility. Center for Advanced Energy Studies, National and • The Research and Education • The Advanced Test Reactor Homeland Security office and Campus is INL’s Idaho Falls- Complex hosts the world’s engineering facilities, and the based campus. Its landscape premier nuclear test reactor, Energy Systems Laboratory. the Advanced Test Reactor. has evolved markedly in the
For more information
Joseph Campbell 208-526-7785 [email protected] www.inl.gov
A U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory Borax-III was the first nuclear EBR-I produced the first usable amounts reactor to power an entire of electricity from nuclear power. U.S. community.
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