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Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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The deadline arrives: Checking in on the Reactor Pilot Program
On May 23, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14301, “Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the DOE,” which instructed the Department of Energy to create a Reactor Pilot Program (RPP)—a new system in which companies could pursue DOE authorization to build and test their first-of-a-kind nuclear technologies. EO 14301 set an ambitious goal for that program: three reactors achieving criticality by July 4, 2026.
F. W. Dodge, E. W. Murbach, L. A. Hanson
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 6 | Number 6 | December 1959 | Pages 533-536
doi.org/10.13182/NSE59-A15515
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The feasibility of low decontamination of thorium-uranium alloys by drip melting under vacuum in a high-frequency induction field has been investigated experimentally. A substantial portion of the rare earths as well as the more volatile fission products were removed and no detectable vaporization of thorium or uranium was found. Fission product removal was improved by extending the heating period, i.e., by decreasing the drip rate. A satisfactory, completely remote handling system for in-cave experiments with irradiated fuel was developed. The process shows promise for reprocessing of thorium-uranium fuels if 100% decontamination is not required. The simplicity of the method makes it readily adaptable to remote handling techniques and power requirements are not excessive.