GAIN vouchers at INL support two dramatically different industry projects
With assistance from the Department of Energy’s Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) voucher program, Idaho National Laboratory researchers are lending their expertise to two very different companies. In one corner is Dow, the giant plastics and chemicals manufacturer, that is exploring using microreactors to reduce carbon emissions. In the other corner, Curio Solutions, […]
Landmark event initiates a cohesive approach to fundamental molten salt research
On a crisp spring morning, professionals from across the country gathered at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Meeting Center for a novel event. The topics discussed over this two-day meeting aimed to open the door to a new generation of widely applicable technologies. The key? Molten salt. John Carter, INL advanced technology of molten salts […]
A catalyst for success: A molten salt researcher’s journey at INL
Among the impressive nuclear energy scientists at Idaho National Laboratory, Bill Phillips stands out as a particularly gifted molten salt researcher. His journey from intern to staff scientist was marked by unique research findings and growing influence on the scientific community, and clearly illustrates how INL can facilitate a researcher’s development and success. Phillips’ graduate […]
A smooth ride to the future of nuclear
If you’ve ever driven to a remote area, you may have noticed that the drive time is much longer on dirt roads. But once those roads are paved, you can get where you need to go much more quickly. The path to deploying advanced nuclear reactors isn’t a straight line, but a new supercomputer named […]
Fabrication underway for the MARVEL test microreactor
There’s a 12-foot-deep pit in the floor of the Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) Facility at Idaho National Laboratory. Already home to a test reactor that puts up to 20 gigawatts of power into nuclear fuel in a short pulse to test its safety, the TREAT building is awaiting another nuclear reactor that will occupy the […]
Artificial intelligence in nuclear: How computer and data scientists are enhancing the industry
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) feature prominently in advancing technological development across many industries. Data is used to train algorithms, which are a set of digital rules, so tools can perform tasks that can imitate human behavior or enhance tasks generally performed by them: Think ChatGPT and how it can help plan a […]
From WWII bombers to desert drones: INL’s aviation history predates atomic energy
Matthew Balderree first encountered drones in 2004 as a technical sergeant in the U.S. Air Force working with an early warning and airspace management radar system in Iraq. For Balderree, that airspace included predator drones, unmanned aircrafts used in numerous military conflicts starting in 1995. In the Air Force, new technology wasn’t always user friendly, […]
GAIN helped Kentucky clear the runway for nuclear energy. Now the coal-dependent state is waiting for the plane to land
Kenya Stump, an executive with the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet for over 17 years, has seen the volatility of coal as an energy source: shrinking demand, plant closures, job losses and tougher pollution controls. Utilities have responded to that pressure by relying more on natural gas plants because they are cheaper and cleaner than […]
Idaho National Laboratory celebrates new Sample Preparation Laboratory
IDAHO FALLS – Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has completed substantial construction of a new facility that will serve as a national asset for accelerated research, development and qualification of structural nuclear materials. The Sample Preparation Laboratory (SPL) is expected to be operational in 2025. As the first new hot cell facility built at INL in […]
A cloverleaf of innovation: INL releases custom smart watch faces to commemorate 75 years of innovation
Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL) Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) stands as a lasting monument to an innovative idea born on a twilight ride home across the Snake River Plain. The word “cloverleaf” best describes ATR’s innovative core design. Early nuclear engineers built ATR to improve fuel performance in the U.S. Navy’s nuclear fleet. Fifty-seven years later, […]
