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2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Launching into tomorrow: NRIC guides new era of research and deployment
In June 2025, the Department of Energy announced the Reactor Pilot Program, an authorization pathway that allowed reactor developers to partner with the DOE to get first-of-a-kind (FOAK) reactors built and tested. Soon after, the DOE rolled out a complementary Fuel Line Pilot Program, which aimed to fast-track fuel projects. In all, 20 projects were accepted into the new programs.
V. C. A. Vaughen, W. T. McDuffee, E. Lamb, R. A. Robinson
Nuclear Technology | Volume 6 | Number 6 | June 1969 | Pages 549-558
Technical Paper and Note | doi.org/10.13182/NT69-A28284
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
SNAP-11 is an isotope-fueled thermoelectric generator, fueled with 7.5 g of 242Cm, which was obtained from 241Am irradiated to ∼1.2 × 1021 n/cm2. The irradiated material was dissolved in hydrochloric acid 15 to 30 days after discharge from the reactor and processed through two cycles of solvent extraction to remove ionic and radioactive contaminants. The curium and americium were converted to the sesquioxide, pelletized, and encapsulated into the isotopic heat source. The heat source was installed in a thermoelectric converter package to complete the SNAP-11 system, which was then tested for 90 days in a lunar environment simulator at a pressure of 10−7 Torr and temperatures from −235 to +235°F. It successfully met all performance specifications.