Idaho National Laboratory Research and Development to Enable Advanced Reactor Demonstrations and Deployment

Venerdì 9 maggio, alle ore 15.00, Jess Gehin (INL, USA) terrà il seminario online dal titolo "Idaho National Laboratory Research and Development to Enable Advanced Reactor Demonstrations and Deployment".

L'incontro fa parte del ciclo 2024-25 dal titolo "International Webinars in Nuclear Energy". Il ciclo è organizzato nell'ambito del progetto ENEN2plus, dell'European Nuclear Education Network.

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Abstract

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) plays a central role in accelerating the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies through the development of robust experimental infrastructure and strategic partnerships. This seminar will present an overview of the National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) and its mission to enable reactor demonstration and testing at scale. Key facilities will be discussed, including the Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME) and the Laboratory for Operation and Testing in the United States (LOTUS), both of which provide flexible platforms for early-stage reactor systems. Recent additions to INL’s experimental capabilities will be reviewed including the Molten Salt Thermophysical Examination Capability (MSTEC) and the Sample Preparation Laboratory (SPL). INL is also expanding efforts in digital engineering, including the development of nuclear reactor digital twins to support model-informed design, operation, and licensing. These capabilities illustrate INL’s integral role in bridging scientific discovery with deployment-ready nuclear energy systems.

Dr. Jess Gehin joined INL in 2018 as the chief scientist for the NS&T directorate, bringing nearly 30 years of experience in reactor core physics and technologies to the lab. He also serves as the National Technical Director of the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy’s Microreactor Program. Dr. Gehin worked at ORNL (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) from 1992 to 2018, where he held several positions, including Director of the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL). CASL is a DOE Energy Innovation Hub located at ORNL. In that role, Gehin held leadership responsibilities for reactor technology integration, nuclear energy programs, and reactor analysis. His academic experience includes previous positions as Associate Professor at the University of Tennessee and in teaching and advising students. Dr. Gehin earned a B.S. degree in nuclear engineering from Kansas State University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in nuclear engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.