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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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DOE on track to deliver high-burnup SNF to Idaho by 2027
The Department of Energy said it anticipated delivering a research cask of high-burnup spent nuclear fuel from Dominion Energy’s North Anna nuclear power plant in Virginia to Idaho National Laboratory by fall 2027. The planned shipment is part of the High Burnup Dry Storage Research Project being conducted by the DOE with the Electric Power Research Institute.
As preparations continue, the DOE said it is working closely with federal agencies as well as tribal and state governments along potential transportation routes to ensure safety, transparency, and readiness every step of the way.
Watch the DOE’s latest video outlining the project here.
Rahman S. Almusafir, Ahmed A. Jasim, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 197 | Number 6 | June 2023 | Pages 1001-1037
Critical Review | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2022.2146993
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Knowledge and proper safety analyses of the gas coolant and heat transport mechanism in the dynamic core of packed pebble bed nuclear reactors pose challenges to the reliable design and efficient operation of these reactors. Therefore, this paper carefully reviews most of the gas coolant mixing and heat transport studies performed for the fluid flow and heat transfer processes in packed pebble bed reactors (PBRs). It begins with a brief introduction and description of nuclear PBRs. The second section summarizes the physical characteristics of packed bed reactors in terms of the bed structure (porosity) and its radial and axial distributions. The next section examines in detail the characteristics of fluid flow in terms of flow regime identification and pressure drop measurements and correlations. The fourth section considers the investigations and quantifications of the gas dispersion and mixing phenomena of packed bed reactors. The next section deals with the current state of the heat transfer characteristics, measurements, and predictions including both empirical correlations and semiempirical model-based studies. Tables summarize the reported experimental studies along with their operating condition ranges. Comprehensive comparisons with the empirical correlations and available models are presented with significant findings. The content and findings of the present work could provide a thorough understanding and useful information and advance knowledge of the pressure drop, gas coolant mixing, and convective heat transport phenomena in packed pebble bed nuclear reactors.