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2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Front-end nuclear fuel supply cooperation: Turning allied interdependence into strategic advantage
The global nuclear revival, which is fueled by unprecedented demand for firm, affordable, dispatchable power for artificial intelligence and data center build-out, energy security imperatives, and climate commitments, has exposed a structural reality of the Western fuel cycle: No single allied nation currently possesses the full suite of front-end capabilities. From mining through conversion, enrichment, fabrication, and the emerging deconversion and metallization steps required for reactor fuels, capability is distributed across Canada, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States (collectively, the “Sapporo Five”), as well as a small group of close partners.
R. C. Howard
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 10 | Number 2 | June 1961 | Pages 173-182
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE61-A25956
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Thermionic cell development is progressing at such a rapid rate that some of the data required for incorporation of thermionic converters into reactor systems is already becoming available. Although such information is not yet sufficient for detailed design and performance evaluation of nuclear-thermionic systems, it is adequate for preliminary analysis. As more experimental information is obtained, these preliminary analyses will have to be reviewed and the concepts reevaluated. However, they have already shown the interesting potential of—and the severe problems to be overcome in—applying nuclear-thermionic systems in space, marine, and central-station power plants. In this article, the possible concepts for utilizing thermionic cells with nuclear reactors are reviewed and the feasibility of their applications is discussed.