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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.
R. Philip Hammond, John R. Humphreys, Jr.
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 18 | Number 4 | April 1964 | Pages 421-425
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE64-A18759
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This study considers a fast-reactor concept in which the recirculating molten plutonium alloy fuel is externally cooled by direct contact with an immiscible coolant fluid. An example of one such design is given using sodium as the coolant and Pu/Co/Ce ternary as the fuel. Operational characteristics are discussed showing the self-regulating features of the system. Some fission-product-removal mechanisms are considered together with their effect on core life and system safety. The principal problem areas are fuel pumping, phase separation, and containment-materials compatability.