Foundational Science to Accelerate Nuclear Energy Innovation [Brochure]

Technical Report · Thu Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 2022

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1899346· OSTI ID:1899346

The foundational science gaps inhibiting the advancement of nuclear energy technologies are identified and tackled in five priority research opportunities. These opportunities pave the way to accelerate the development and ultimately the adoption of new nuclear energy systems. They include the fundamental aspects of ion-electron interactions; novel properties of next-generation coolants and solvents; interfacial dynamics, not only in solids, but in other aspects of nuclear reactors; novel operando and in-situ monitoring and sensing; and artificial intelligence to accelerate condensed phases discovery. Building on the foundation established by previous BES workshops, these opportunities encompass recent advances in fundamental knowledge and focus on the experimental and computational methods needed to resolve major technical challenges for nuclear energy technologies. Through developing fundamental scientific insight as well as pushing the frontiers of modeling complex systems and probing the operation of materials and chemical systems in extreme environments, research motivated by the priorities identified here will further develop the promise, potential, and utilization of nuclear energy for a clean energy future. The PROs are as follows: (1) Master complex electronic structures to tailor thermochemical reactivity, transport, and microstructural evolution; (2) Interrogate and direct the physics and chemistry underpinning next-generation coolants and solvents; (3) Elucidate and control the underlying physics and chemistry of interfaces in complex nuclear environments; (4) Bridge multi-fidelity multi-resolution experiments, computational modeling, and data science to control dynamic behavior; and (5) Harness artificial intelligence to design inherently resilient condensed phases.

• Research Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
• OSTI ID: 1899346
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS