Accelerating the deployment of innovative, safe, and economically viable advanced reactor technologies.
Driven by a core mission grounded in national impact, innovation, and scientific leadership, ORNL’s Advanced Reactor Engineering and Development (ARED) section is delivering scientific and technological advancements that support U.S. energy security and economic competitiveness.
Driving innovation across nuclear applications
ARED’s multidisciplinary teams work across fusion and advanced nuclear reactor systems, focusing on five key R&D directions:
- AI-enabled digital twins and modeling to optimize plant reliability, operation, and maintenance in fusion and nuclear systems.
- Construction and operational improvements for reactors and their integration with evolving modern energy infrastructure.
- Innovative design and simulation tools to de-risk emerging advanced nuclear technologies.
- Securing continued nuclear safety and performance through advanced materials testing, diagnostics, and system analysis.
- Risk-informed decision-making and licensing support to reduce deployment barriers and improve public and regulatory confidence.
Impactful collaborations
Impactful collaborations
ARED’s unique capabilities are leading key partnerships spanning government, industry, and academia, including:
- Advancing fusion and fission reactor design – collaborations with Tokamak Energy, SARL, Xcimer, and others, including leadership roles in ARPA-E Vision 2024 and DOE Milestone programs, development of innovative blanket technologies and the multiphysics VERTEX code, and provision of advanced simulations for the HFIR Upgrades Project Office (HUPO).
- Driving deployment and licensing innovation – with DOE, NNSA, the Department of State, and other agencies, including contributions to the DOE Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program and Microreactors Program. These efforts streamline licensing strategies, improve safety and reliability, and integrate safeguards into reactor projects.
- Enhancing nuclear instrumentation and controls – industry utility partnerships deliver probabilistic risk analysis tools, molten salt reactor reliability databases, AI-based fault detection pipelines, and hydropower operational efficiency improvements.
- Cross-sector technology transfer – with organizations such as Capture6, BWXT, and John Deere to optimize carbon capture, improve advanced nuclear fuel manufacturing, and develop cleaner, more efficient combustion systems.
Core tools and facilities
ARED leverages ORNL’s world-class facilities and computational platforms to translate science into deployable systems. Key tools include:
- TRANSFORM Framework – a flexible, high-fidelity modeling platform for transient system simulation, from power plants to propulsion systems.
- FERMI – a digital twin platform for fusion energy reactors, integrating thermal-fluid, neutronics, and structural models.
- Facility to Alleviate Salt Technology Risks (FASTR) – The largest open research facility in the U.S. for molten chloride salt reactor R&D and validation of computational models.
- Liquid Salt Test Loop (LSTL)– a high-temperature fluoride salt facility for testing advanced materials, flow dynamics, and sensor performance.
- Two-Phase Salt Flow Visualization Lab – An optical lab for studying gas–liquid interactions in molten salts, providing insights into fission product transport.
- VIPER – a virtual/augmented reality platform combining immersive design reviews with physics-enhanced simulations.
Recent accomplishments
Code development
Released CFDVerify under an open-source license for efficient verification of CFD solutions. Modernized the legacy Fortran IV code HFIRHY into HFIRHYPY, a Python version that improves efficiency in calculating major flow paths in the High Flux Isotope Reactor. Released CaptureFOAM 1.0, enabling fast, accurate, device-scale simulations of direct air capture with advanced physical and chemical mass-transfer models for complex geometries.
Experiments
Applied temperature probes, radiography, and spectroscopy to measure the sublimation characteristics of UF₆, supporting safeguards in the fuel-enrichment cycle.
Infrastructure
Commissioned a high-speed optical laser system for ORNL’s Thermal Hydraulics Lab, expanding capabilities for experimental fluid dynamics. The system enables advanced optical flow visualization, including time-resolved velocimetry and detailed measurements of turbulent flow behavior.
Enabling a secure energy future.
The ARED Section is driving long-term scientific progress that will transform the future of nuclear energy. Through innovative research and engineering to pioneer digital twins, AI applications, and other model-based systems engineering, the group is reshaping how nuclear and fusion reactors are designed, operated, and maintained—improving reliability, reducing costs, and enabling autonomous operations, ultimately accelerating the safe, cost-effective deployment of transformative fission and fusion technologies.