Advances in machine learning for nuclear power operations spell a brighter future for carbon-free energy

Researchers at Argonne are harnessing the power of machine learning to enhance the safety and efficiency of next-generation nuclear reactors. Using a specialized model, researchers may be able to detect anomalies in reactor operations even when they are masked by other noises, ensuring a safer energy future.

Argonne event helps Hispanic students explore their dreams of STEM careers

Forty eighth grade students — many originally from Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela and elsewhere — learned firsthand how scientists of Hispanic/Latino heritage contribute to science during the 18th annual Hispanic/Latino Education Outreach Day at Argonne.

Teletrix licenses methods for ionizing radiation training using augmented reality

A method using augmented reality to create accurate visual representations of ionizing radiation, developed at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been licensed by Teletrix, a firm that creates advanced simulation tools to train the nation’s radiation control workforce.

Argonne to work with nuclear companies in 3 projects funded by the Department of Energy

Argonne National Laboratory will be partnering with three companies as part of a voucher program provided by the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear program of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy.

Argonne awarded $6 million to develop technologies for recycling nuclear fuel

Recycling used nuclear fuel makes the most of nuclear power’s carbon-free energy potential. Argonne has received major funding to develop technologies that may result in a sustainable fuel stock and a reduction in U.S. dependency on fossil fuels.

5 big strides from Argonne towards nuclear energy’s future

Nuclear energy is an exciting carbon-free energy source. Recent work at Argonne National Laboratory shows how nuclear energy can improve and why it is such an enticing resource in the fight against climate change.

Libby Johnson: On the frontier for nuclear safety

Oak Ridge National Laboratory physicist Elizabeth “Libby” Johnson (1921-1996), one of the world’s first nuclear reactor operators, standardized the field of criticality safety with peers from ORNL and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Her work came on the heels of two incidents involving nuclear materials that took the lives of two government researchers at the end of the Manhattan Project.

Extending nuclear power accident code for advanced reactor designs

A number of new nuclear reactor designs, such as small modular reactors and non-light water reactors, have been developed over the past 10 to 15 years. In order to help the Nuclear Regulatory Commission evaluate the safety of the next generation of reactors, fuel cycle facilities and fuel technologies, researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have been expanding their severe accident modeling computer code, called Melcor, to work with different reactor geometries, fuel types and coolant systems.