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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.
G. Petö, R. Pepelnik
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 106 | Number 2 | October 1990 | Pages 219-227
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE90-A27472
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The present status of various deuterium-tritium (D-T) neutron sources is given, including the prospects for improvements. By upgrading a Rotating Target Neutron Source II-type neutron generator, a yield of 1014 n/s can be achieved in a small volume. A yield of 1015 n/s is expected with construction of a gas-jet target. According to a proposal from Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe, a similar yield could be reached even with a volume of 500 cm3. Realistic fusion reactor conditions can only be satisfied by high-intensity D-T neutron sources. Other more economical or higher intensity accelerator-based neutron sources cannot replace them in this research field. The lack of sufficient financial support delays technically realistic projects. This difficulty might be overcome by a more intense joint international collaboration.