Reactor Technology
Nuclear Science research supports the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in conducting research and development on technologies for extending the operating life of the existing fleet of commercial nuclear power plants; developing advanced small modular reactor concepts (SMRs); evaluating siting options for new nuclear capacity; examining advanced fuels for light water reactors, advanced reactors, and space power systems; developing advanced instrumentation and control (I&C) systems; and analyzing the safety implications of these new technologies and reactor designs. ORNL employs a broad range of expertise that includes reactor physics, modeling and simulation, thermal hydraulics including computation fluid dynamics, digital I&C, safety analysis, systems engineering, and reactor operations to address the challenging and complex issues associated with the development of these advanced reactor technologies. This expertise is coupled with the availability of engineering scale experimental facilities and access to ORNL’s 85 MW High Flux Isotope Reactor that produces the highest flux reactor-based source of neutrons for research in the U.S. to provide a world-class capability to conduct fundamental and applied research to address the important technology issues for the future in extending the life of existing reactors, addressing post-Fukushima concerns, and developing the next generation of new reactors.