Articles

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy awarded the first 13 Nuclear Science User Facilities Super Rapid Turnaround Experiment (Super RTE) projects. Each project supports the advancement of nuclear energy. The 2024 Super RTE awards, totaling approximately $1.8 million, were granted to seven principal investigators from universities, one principal investigator from industry and five scientists from national laboratories.The Super RTE, which opened for the first time April 1, is a user access award process that offers an avenue for researchers to perform a broader scope of irradiation effects studies (i.e., more samples and more access time at Nuclear Science User Facilities partner institutions) than the traditional RTE...

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NSUF is pleased to announce the first ever Super Rapid Turnaround Experiment (Super RTE) call for proposals coming April 1, 2024. What is a Super RTE? More fundingMore time Greater accessThe first Super RTE call for proposals will open April 1 and will close on April 30 at 4 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time. The Super RTE call will function similarly to the traditional RTE solicitations but will encourage larger award amounts allowing greater work scopes to be performed. Awards are anticipated to allow twice as many days of access to any NSUF facility or capability. The award process offers an avenue for researchers to perform irradiation effects studies of limited...

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By Alexis Starks, NSUF at Idaho National Laboratory  In a major step towards commercial, small modular reactor deployment, progress is being made in testing new materials for NuScale's small modular reactor lower containment vessel. In 2019, NuScale Power LLC received access to Idaho National Laboratory’s Advanced Test Reactor and Westinghouse Churchill Laboratory Services through the Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) as part of the Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research program. The arrangement allowed NuScale to obtain irradiation data on F6NM, a martensitic stainless steel, with the intent of using F6NM for its lower containment vessel as part of the NuScale power module design for small modular reactors. (Left to right) Idaho National Laboratory...

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By Alexis Starks, NSUF at Idaho National LaboratoryOur Nuclear Science User Facilities leadership is proud to introduce the 2024 Users Organization executive committee: Chair Maria Okuniewski from Purdue University, Vice Chair Stephen Taller from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Secretary Ramprashad Prabhakaran from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Student Representative Malachi Nelson from Idaho National Laboratory. “I am excited to work with a group of such talented and experienced NSUF users with a diverse representation from national laboratories, academia and industry,” said Chair Maria Okuniewski.” This year there was overwhelming support and interest from the community for the Users Group Executive Board. This engagement will allow for continued sustainability within the community.” As stated...

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By Alexis Starks, NSUF at Idaho National Laboratory Last year, NSUF welcomed a new addition to the nuclear materials community. The Activated Materials Laboratory (AML), a new radiological facility at Argonne National Laboratory’s Advanced Photon Source (APS), has recently been developed to assist in examining radioactive samples at the High-Energy X-ray Microscope and other APS beamlines.In November 2023, Argonne National Laboratory and NSUF hosted a workshop at the new facility to introduce upgrade capabilities and showcase applications of high-energy X-rays in nuclear materials research and other fields. The workshop also helped researchers identify suitable X-ray techniques for critical problems, such as...

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By Paul Menser, Idaho National Laboratory Communications The Research Collaboration Building at Idaho National Laboratory's Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) now offers remote operating system capabilities. This enhancement provides researchers with easier access to select instruments within the Irradiated Materials Characterization Laboratory (IMCL), a key resource for high-demand instruments such as the plasma focused ion beam and transmission electron microscopes. The Research Collaboration Building serves as a landing spot, collaborative working space, and training area for a growing number of students, visiting researchers and postdoctoral researchers engaged in work at MFC. Completed in 2019, the building features 28 offices for researchers, staff members...

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