The heartbeat of progress: Teamwork fuels first-of-a-kind reactor design test
When asked to describe her job within the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE), Kristy Spencer smiled. “Whenever the project needs anything, I’m there and ready to help because I’m kind of obsessed with it,” she said. Spencer is a nuclear spent fuel analyst at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). She isn’t the MCRE lead, but […]
U.S. Army taps INL’s nuclear expertise, capabilities to strengthen radiological response and readiness
It’s Tuesday morning in early June and the Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL) Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) control room is crawling with visitors. Men in fatigues thumb through logbooks, monitor radiation levels, and consult data and images on laptop computers. These visitors are members of the U.S. Army’s Nuclear Disablement Team (NDT), participating in a […]
MARVEL milestone: Microreactor project completes coolant system testing
In the spring of 2020, a team of engineers at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) embarked on a groundbreaking project to design a microreactor test facility that could transform the world’s energy future. At the center of it all was Carlo Parisi, who vividly recalls conceiving a critical mechanism for the cooling system of the […]
Idaho National Laboratory accelerates nuclear energy projects with Amazon Web Services cloud and AI technologies
(IDAHO FALLS, Idaho) — The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) will collaborate to use AWS’s advanced capabilities and cloud infrastructure to develop artificial intelligence (AI) tools for nuclear energy projects. INL leads the nation in adapting AI for the nuclear energy industry. The laboratory is developing a suite of technologies that […]
Idaho National Laboratory collaborates with Microsoft to streamline nuclear licensing
(IDAHO FALLS, Idaho) — The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Microsoft Corporation (Microsoft) have announced a collaboration to use Microsoft’s Azure cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to streamline the nuclear permitting and licensing application process. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy through the National Reactor Innovation Center provided funding for […]
Western states forge alliance with nation’s nuclear lab on advanced energy development
The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is the hub of collaboration among Western states to advance nuclear energy. This effort, anchored in legislative frameworks, strategic investments, collaborations and partnerships, is positioning the region as a leader in nuclear innovation. The Mountain West is particularly well-suited for advanced nuclear energy due to its growing energy needs and […]
Idaho researchers collaborate with US company to develop novel nuclear fuel to preserve, improve today’s reactors
Father and son entrepreneurs Mehul and Milan Shah have patented a new nuclear fuel design that could reduce nuclear waste, enhance safety and lower costs for today’s pressurized heavy water reactors. The Shahs — CEO and chief operating officer, respectively, of Clean Core Thorium Energy, along with chief technology officer Paul Chan — combined thorium with […]
Idaho and Trump Administration sign agreement to support US nuclear energy future
(IDAHO FALLS, Idaho) — The State of Idaho and the U.S. Department of Energy have agreed to a targeted waiver of the 1995 Settlement Agreement. The agreement established milestones to remove legacy waste at the Idaho National Laboratory site while allowing nuclear energy research and development at the lab. The waiver will enable critical research […]
Advanced Nuclear First Mover Initiative: Ready, set, grow
GAIN and NASEO help states fast-track nuclear energy development Eleven governors and their state energy offices are putting out ready-for-business signs to advanced nuclear energy developers under an initiative that taps into experts at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) […]
Real-time monitoring of advanced nuclear fuel now possible with new test bed
To meet energy demands and reestablish the nation’s energy dominance, U.S. companies are developing several types of advanced reactors. One type of advanced reactor, a molten salt reactor, uses fuels dissolved in molten salt coolants instead of the solid fuels used in traditional nuclear reactors. These reactors feature enhanced safety features and high temperatures, which […]
