Advancing nuclear today, tomorrow, and always.
The Nuclear Energy and Fuel Cycle Division is the heart of ORNL’s nuclear energy research capacity—and a haven for big thinkers, international expertise, and technical prowess.
Nuclear at ORNL
Nuclear energy found a home at ORNL 80 years ago and never left.
For decades, we’ve spearheaded nuclear innovation, from basic science to regulatory licensing to industry adoption. Today, we represent nearly 250 researchers and scientists from across the globe, focused on delivering nuclear science and technology breakthroughs.
We recognize our role in bridging today’s insights with tomorrow’s nuclear future. As we refine concepts and components to extend the life of current nuclear plants, we’re pioneering advanced reactor concepts and exploring novel energy conversion methods. Our approach incorporates all aspects of the fuel cycle, from fuel development and transportation to reprocessing, waste reduction, and secure fuel storage.
Tomorrow’s Nuclear Future
ORNL’s leadership shaped the nuclear sector as we know it. Now, we’re paving the way for more efficient nuclear systems to power today, tomorrow, and another 80 years into the future.
Groups
Advanced Reactor Systems
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Fuel Cladding and Core Internals
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Energy Systems Development
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Irradiation Engineering
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Energy Systems Integration and Modeling
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Nuclear Fuel Element Performance
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Modern Nuclear Instrumentation and Controlsiation Engineering
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Nuclear and Extreme Environment Measurements
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Multiphysics CFD Applications
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Particle Fuel Forms
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Nuclear Construction and Operation
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Criticality Safety Analysis & Research
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Fuel Cycle Chemistry Technology
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Nuclear Code Systems and Methods
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Nuclear Materials Packaging, Transportation and Systems Analysis
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Nuclear Data
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Used Fuel and Nuclear Material Disposition
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Radiation Transport & HPC Methods
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Advanced Fuel Fabrication
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Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Cycle Analysis
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Featured Projects
Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (MPEX)
MPEX will support the study of the way plasma will interact long term with materials within future fusion reactors.
INFUSE
INFUSE is focused on driving cost-effective fusion energy technologies through private-public research partnerships.
Other Big Project
This is a yet to be determined project that will showcase the groundbreaking research of FFESD.