2017 NE-4 Nuclear Technologies Research and Development (NTRD) Achievements Report
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Fiscal year (FY) 2017 initiated new and reestablished presidential and departmental nuclear energy priorities for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) that will: • Support the Administration’s priorities to achieve U.S. energy dominance and economic prosperity through U.S. technology leadership • Support DOE-NE mission priorities and goals for the existing nuclear fleet, advanced reactor pipeline and national fuel cycle infrastructure • Focus on early stage research, and effective cooperation with industry, academia, and other government agencies • Propose investments to maintain and improve capabilities and infrastructure to conduct leading-edge science, research, and technology development. DOE-NE’s mission priorities will focus on the existing nuclear fleet, advanced reactor pipeline, and fuel cycle infrastructure. Therefore, the DOE Nuclear Technology Research and Development (NE-4) mission aligned to (1) support the research and development (R&D) of innovative reactor technologies that may offer improved safety, functionality, and affordability and (2) conduct research to reduce long-term technical barriers for advanced nuclear energy systems, including space fission systems. Key activities to execute this mission include: • To achieve the NE-4 mission priorities, two major programs with eight R&D campaigns are engaged in impactful research, development, demonstration, and deployment: Fuel Cycle Technologies (FCT) Program • Fuel Cycle Options Campaign evaluates complex fuel cycle options and provides performance metrics on various systems and scenarios to improve the knowledge of interdependencies between technologies and different systems. • Advanced Fuels Campaign performs science-based R&D on accident tolerant fuels in addition to advanced light-water reactor (LWR) fuel and transmutation fuel. • Joint Fuel Cycle Studies (JFCS) is a collaboration with the Republic of Korea to assess the feasibility and nonproliferation of electrochemical recycling to manage used fuel. • Material Recovery and Waste Form Development (MRWFD) Campaign researches advanced fuel cycle material recovery and waste management capabilities to improve fuel cycle performance with less processing and waste generation. • Material Protection, Control, and Accountability Technologies (MPACT) Program develops tools and capabilities to secure the next generation nuclear materials management and safeguards for nuclear fuel cycles. Advanced Reactor Technologies (ART) Program • Fast Reactors Campaign targets benefits in either resource utilization or waste management and possesses favorable features for small reactor applications and plutonium management. • Gas-Cooled Reactors Campaign seeks to raise the technological readiness of high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) and other reactor concepts utilizing coated particle fuel, graphite, or helium coolant by performing high risk, enabling research and development that commercial developers are unable or unwilling to undertake in the current energy market. • ART Energy Conversion (EC) Project provides solutions to convert heat from an advanced reactor to useful products that support commercial application of the reactor designs.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Fuel Cycle Technologies (NE-5)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC07-05ID14517
- OSTI ID:
- 1467114
- Report Number(s):
- INL/EXT-18-44372
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Language:
- English
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