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2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Center for Used Fuel Research: Building confidence in storage and transport
Used nuclear fuel storage and transportation have reached a critical juncture.
Dozens of utilities need reliable data on how used nuclear fuel performs in dry storage casks and canisters to extend regulatory licenses at sites across the United States. Likewise, the Department of Energy expects to take ownership of the used nuclear fuel—termed “spent nuclear fuel” in the laws and regulations governing its stewardship—and transfer it to one or more federal staging facilities for management and disposition.
Meanwhile, dozens of reactor companies are testing prototypes of advanced reactors and advanced reactor fuels. Eventually, regulators and industry must also verify the safety and security of storage methods for these advanced fuel types.
To help address these challenges, the DOE established the Center for Used Fuel Research (CUFR) in January 2026 for work related to the long-term storage and transport of used nuclear fuel.
Yue Wu, Zi-Feng He, Yong-Jin Yang, Da-Yong Zhou, Huan-Ling Liu, Zhi-Min Dai
Nuclear Technology | Volume 212 | Number 9 | September 2026 | Pages 2387-2397
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2025.2517470
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Low-energy electron beam sterilizing devices often require a compact size that is suitable for self-shielding, enabling an online disinfection and sterilization procedure on the surface of objects under pipeline conditions. The vertical size of the accelerator is reduced by a compact design, necessitating a small longitudinal size for its scanning magnet. Magnetic testing and numerical simulations are used to define the magnet’s structure and parameters, with measured data further optimizing the design.
Comparing the two scanning magnet models, the calculation results show that the final design has a shorter effective length than the alternative, while achieving a higher and more concentrated magnetic field distribution under the same conditions, thereby meeting the compact design requirements. The two models differ in the placement of the coils and their resulting magnetic field characteristics. The final design was preferred because it not only met the compact size requirement, but also provided superior magnetic field performance in the scanning region.
Furthermore, simulation results have been rigorously compared and validated against the magnetic measurement data. The error is kept within 1% across the actual excitation current range, and the overall error is primarily maintained at 5%. At an excitation current of 1 A, the central magnetic field reaches 85.88 Gs. Additionally, the magnetic field uniformity along the short-side direction of the magnet (y = ±4 mm) and the long-side direction of the magnet (x = ±10 mm) is maintained within a deviation of 1%.
The operational results of the device demonstrate that it meets the scanning requirements for electron beams with energies ranging from 50 to 200 keV, ensuring stable scanning extraction beams and irradiation surface uniformity that satisfy the design specifications