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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Center for Used Fuel Research: Building confidence in storage and transport
Used nuclear fuel storage and transportation have reached a critical juncture.
Dozens of utilities need reliable data on how used nuclear fuel performs in dry storage casks and canisters to extend regulatory licenses at sites across the United States. Likewise, the Department of Energy expects to take ownership of the used nuclear fuel—termed “spent nuclear fuel” in the laws and regulations governing its stewardship—and transfer it to one or more federal staging facilities for management and disposition.
Meanwhile, dozens of reactor companies are testing prototypes of advanced reactors and advanced reactor fuels. Eventually, regulators and industry must also verify the safety and security of storage methods for these advanced fuel types.
To help address these challenges, the DOE established the Center for Used Fuel Research (CUFR) in January 2026 for work related to the long-term storage and transport of used nuclear fuel.
Technical Session
Monday, May 8, 2023|1:30–3:10PM MDT|Boise Room
Session Chair:
Kurt Polzin
Session Organizer:
To access paper attachments, you must be logged in and registered for the meeting.
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ECSPLORER: A Pre-Conceptual Design of an Electronuclear System for Space
1:30–1:50PM MDT
F. Bertrand (CEA), J.B. Droin (CEA), M. Charlier (CEA), T. Daulle (CEA), Y. Gorsse (CEA), A. Entringer (CEA), P. Allegre (CEA), A. Gerschenfeld (CEA), E. Proust (CEA), P. Bultel (CNES)
Paper
Design of a 10 MWth Heat Pipe-Cooled Reactor for Nuclear Electric Propulsion Applications
1:50–2:10PM MDT
Aaron She (Ultra Safe Nuclear), Nolan MacDonald (Ultra Safe Nuclear), Doug Grieson (Ultra Safe Nuclear), Wesley Deason (Ultra Safe Nuclear), Jeffrey Diebold (Advanced Cooling Technologies), Calin Tarau (Advanced Cooling Technologies)
Attachment
Parametric Analysis of the Design Point for a Centrifugal Nuclear Thermal Rocket Fuel Element
2:10–2:30PM MDT
Joel Krakower (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center), David Austin (Drexel Univ.), Dhruv Shah (Drexel Univ.), Yanni Tsetsekos (Drexel Univ.)
Design and Performance Analysis of a Radial-Inflow Turbine for the Centrifugal Nuclear Thermal Rocket
2:30–2:50PM MDT
Joel Krakower (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center)
Nuclear Electric Propulsion Flight Demonstrator Vehicle and Mission Concept
2:50–3:10PM MDT
Timothy Kokan (Aerojet Rocketdyne), Jacob Evans (Aerojet Rocketdyne), C. Russell Joyner II (Aerojet Rocketdyne), Daniel J. H. Levack (Aerojet Rocketdyne), Brian J. Muzek (Aerojet Rocketdyne), Rodney W. Noble (Aerojet Rocketdyne), Christopher B. Reynolds (Aerojet Rocketdyne)
