Before capital is committed, components are fabricated, or a reactor enters construction, the nuclear developers, utilities and regulators need confidence that all parts will perform as expected.
For that level of confidence, the nuclear industry turns to advanced modeling and simulation capabilities at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
With trusted software, expert analysis, experimental validation and world-class computing infrastructure, ORNL provides the technical foundation needed to move innovative reactor concepts from design to demonstration while strengthening the performance and reliability of the existing nuclear fleet.
Supporting power uprates for today's nuclear fleet
ORNL applies modeling and simulation capabilities to help evaluate power uprates in light-water reactors. Utilities, vendors and regulators routinely work with ORNL to simulate reactor conditions, evaluate component upgrades and support decisions that could enable more power production from currently operating reactors.
With support from the DOE Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation Program, ORNL is using the Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications (VERA) suite and the BISON fuel performance code to evaluate how fuel would perform over an extended amount of time at higher temperatures, as well as how it would behave during a loss of coolant accident. This analysis is integral to revisiting conservative assumptions in fuel performance and assessing how reactor would perform at higher power levels.conservative assumptions in fuel performance and assessing how reactor would perform at higher power levels.
Equipping advanced reactor developers, regulators
ORNL's modeling and simulation expertise is based in the SCALE code system , a versatile tool used for advanced reactor design, safety analysis and regulatory review. SCALE provides comprehensive modeling and simulation capabilities for reactor physics, criticality safety, radiation shielding, spent fuel characterization and transportation and storage package design.
In 2022, ORNL supported the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's review and approval of Kairos Power's construction permit application for the Hermes demonstration reactor . Using SCALE, ORNL performed reactivity, power and inventory analyses, demonstrating how the laboratory's validated tools and technical expertise can support the licensing pathway for advanced reactors.
Providing technical confidence for deployment milestones
ORNL's modeling and simulation expertise is also helping advanced reactor developers reach major milestones. Through industry collaborations, ORNL provides advanced computational tools, experimental validation data and independent technical assessment capabilities that strengthen confidence in reactor designs.
ORNL recently partnered with Antares Nuclear to conduct an independent technical assessment of the Antares R1 reactor design using the laboratory's SCALE modeling and simulation capabilities. This collaboration, supported by a Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear voucher , provided analysis to evaluate key performance and safety characteristics, supported assurance in Antares' design predictions, and helped ensure the reactor's hardware and demonstration testing are grounded in reliable data.
From uprates to first-of-a-kind demonstrations, the path to deployment depends on decisions made long before a reactor is built. ORNL's modeling and simulation capabilities help ensure the next generation of nuclear energy is grounded in rigorous analysis, trusted tools and proven expertise.
ORNL is committed to supporting U.S. energy needs by pursuing strategic research that advances a wide variety of affordable, abundant and competitive nuclear technologies, and strengthens national security. The lab's scientific expertise and world-class facilities are often the first step in advancing nuclear energy innovations.
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the DOE's Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science . -Liz McCrory
