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Colin Judge: Testing structural materials in Idaho’s newest hot cell facility
Idaho National Laboratory’s newest facility—the Sample Preparation Laboratory (SPL)—sits across the road from the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF), which started operating in 1975. SPL will host the first new hot cells at INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) in 50 years, giving INL researchers and partners new flexibility to test the structural properties of irradiated materials fresh from the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) or from a partner’s facility.
Materials meant to withstand extreme conditions in fission or fusion power plants must be tested under similar conditions and pushed past their breaking points so performance and limitations can be understood and improved. Once irradiated, materials samples can be cut down to size in SPL and packaged for testing in other facilities at INL or other national laboratories, commercial labs, or universities. But they can also be subjected to extreme thermal or corrosive conditions and mechanical testing right in SPL, explains Colin Judge, who, as INL’s division director for nuclear materials performance, oversees SPL and other facilities at the MFC.
SPL won’t go “hot” until January 2026, but Judge spoke with NN staff writer Susan Gallier about its capabilities as his team was moving instruments into the new facility.
B. K. Jensen, R. D. Endicott
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 4 | Number 2 | September 1983 | Pages 290-295
Fusion Systems Studies | doi.org/10.13182/FST83-A22883
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) has recently completed an assessment of the Wildcat d-d cycle and Starfire d-t cycle tokamak reactor designs. The purpose of the study was to assess the relative advantages of a d-d cycle reactor for the utility user. These potential advantages relate primarily to safety, siting, and licensing impacts. This paper will discuss the overall findings of the assessment. The assessment was performed utilizing existing regulations and judgement based on past experiences of the power generating industry, rather than on “ease of licensing” numerical formulas, since such formulas do not exist. The conclusions represent the input of a group of PSE&G people experienced in power plant siting and licensing, and are intended to provide utility feedback to the fusion engineering community. In the early part of the work the methodology to be used for making the assessment was developed. The key parts of the methodology will be described. The results of the assessment show that the siting, licensing, and safety differences between Starfire and Wildcat are more quantitative than qualitative. The specific Wildcat and Starfire design parameters impacting the siting, licensing, and safety areas, are identified with conclusions and recommendations given.