Commercial shipment marks big step for safer, more efficient nuclear fuels
After two decades, laboratory reopens for spent fuel testing On a chilly December evening in eastern Idaho, a semi-tractor trailer truck pulls off the desert highway and up to the gate at the Department of Energy’s Materials and Fuels Complex. The truck and the small, gray shipping container that sits on its trailer appear unremarkable. […]
Tracking radioactive source recovery: New Cesium Irradiator Replacement Project Dashboard
People often think of radiation as the basis for carbon-free nuclear power. But radiation can also save lives. That’s especially true in hospitals where professionals use nuclear medicine to make diagnoses, treat medical conditions and sterilize equipment. One such medical treatment includes radioisotopes in irradiators used to treat donated blood to prevent graft-versus-host disease. The […]
INL at 75: Early impacts on Idaho Falls community
In Idaho Falls’ 159-year history, it would be hard to dispute the importance of May 18, 1949. That’s the day the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) announced the city as the location for its National Reactor Testing Station headquarters. In type size normally reserved for events like Pearl Harbor or Kennedy’s assassination, the Post Register’s […]
Lab’s FY-23 licenses outnumber previous year
Idaho National Laboratory researchers love seeing their technologies at work in the marketplace, bolstering the nation’s economy, energy industry and communities. “It’s a win for America because these technologies provide much-needed solutions to enhance our everyday lives and keep us ahead of the global competition,” said Jason Stolworthy, INL Technology Transitions director. “That’s truly when […]
Under the sea: INL supporting effort to repurpose ocean plastics as blended biofuel feedstocks
Perhaps one of the most ubiquitous and powerful images of the ongoing pollution crisis is that of plastic floating in the ocean or littered across once-paradisiacal sandy beaches. The plastic has grown the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and microplastics found in fish lead to significant health problems and earlier deaths for impacted marine life. These […]
Miss America visits to talk STEM, nuclear engineering, self-confidence
When it comes to inspiring young American girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math – STEM – is anyone better suited to the task than … um … Miss America? Oh yeah, you’d better believe it. For her last appearance wearing the crown and sash, Miss America 2023 Grace Stanke visited Idaho […]
The proof is in the software
United States’ policymakers, auto manufacturers, energy companies and ultimately citizens are investing trillions of dollars into electrifying vehicles. The purpose is to increase new electric vehicle sales to more than 50% of total sales by 2030, helping reduce the nation’s carbon emissions. Now that the money is being spent on research and development, consumer incentives, […]
Going digital: Idaho students, engineers demonstrate first nuclear reactor digital twin
Idaho National Laboratory researchers and Idaho State University (ISU) nuclear engineering students developed the world’s first nuclear reactor digital twin — a virtual replica of ISU’s AGN-201 reactor — in a campus collaboration last August. Digital twins are virtual models of real-life assets, such as complex infrastructure, machines or buildings. By modeling nuclear reactors, digital […]
INL’s sustainable success: Cutting energy use and generating multi-million dollar savings before net-zero
On Earth Day of 2021, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) announced an ambitious plan to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2031. At INL, reaching net-zero is a monumental task. The laboratory is essentially a small city that includes roughly 900 square miles of facilities, 600 vehicles, 320 buildings and 6,000 employees. Reducing, capturing or offsetting all […]
2023 Year in Review
As 2023 comes to an end, we want to showcase many groundbreaking accomplishments carried out by our talented workforce at Idaho National Laboratory. INL is one of 17 national labs in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) complex, and home to more than 6,100 researchers and support staff focused on innovations in nuclear research, integrated […]
