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Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Antares achieves zero-power criticality at INL
Leveraging more than $140 million in private capital fundraising, over 322,000 square feet of operational manufacturing space, and multifaceted partnerships with the Departments of Energy and Defense, reactor start-up Antares has become the first company involved in the Reactor Pilot Program to achieve zero-power fueled criticality—a full month ahead of the July 4 deadline set by President Trump’s Executive Order 14301.
This milestone, announced yesterday, was achieved with the company’s Mark-0: a sodium heat-pipe-cooled, TRISO-fueled microreactor. The Mark-0 is a forerunner to the company’s flagship design, which it calls the R1. For Antares, this development represents a key validation of its reactor physics, control systems, and supply chain.
Technical Session|Panel|Sponsored by NCSD
Monday, November 16, 2020|3:40–5:50PM EST
Session Chair:
David K. Hayes
Session Organizer:
Alternate Chair:
David G. Erickson
Staff Producer:
Mich Leana (American Nuclear Society)
The Criticality Safety Support Group (CSSG) was formed in response to Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) Recommendation 97-2, Continuation of Criticality Safety at Defense Nuclear Facilities in the Department of Energy (DOE) Complex. The CSSG functions as the technical support group to the DOE Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP) Manager, providing operational and technical expertise pertinent to the criticality safety needs of DOE missions. This expertise is relevant to integral experiments, nuclear data, analytical methods, training, and organizational structures supporting the development and execution of the NCSP. Additionally, the scope of CSSG activities also includes reviewing: • Activities or conditions that have the potential for serious degradation of nuclear criticality safety at DOE facilities • New nuclear facility designs where criticality is a credible hazard • New or revised DOE orders, standards and guides related to criticality safety • Contractor nuclear criticality safety programs at DOE facilities in support of DOE line management While most CSSG Taskings and Responses are openly available, they are not often discussed in an open forum. This session will include an open discussion of recent CSSG activities to help the nuclear criticality safety community better understand the work and current issues around the DOE Complex.
David Erickson
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions
Michaele Raap
ORNL
David Heinrichs
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Jerry Hicks
Kevin Kimball
Thomas McLaughlin
LANL
James Morman
Argonne National Laboratory
Edward Trumble
Amentum Technical Services
Robert Wilson
U.S. Department of Energy
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