INL awards Versatile Test Reactor subcontract to GE Hitachi Nuclear

An artist's rendition of what the PRISM reactor might look like.

Idaho National Laboratory has awarded a subcontract to GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy to support the conceptual design, cost/schedule estimate and safety framework activities for a proposed fast spectrum Versatile Test Reactor (VTR), critical for the development of innovative nuclear fuels, materials, instrumentation and sensors.

The subcontract is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy’s Versatile Test Reactor program, which is investigating what it would take to establish a reactor-based fast-spectrum neutron irradiation capability in the United States by 2026.

Within the INL-led VTR team, engineers from GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy will adapt the company’s (http://gehitachiprism.com/) sodium-cooled nuclear reactor design to the needs of a test reactor for state-of-the art research and development purposes.

“To meet our aggressive schedule for establishing this much-needed capability in the United States, it is necessary to leverage an existing and mature sodium-cooled fast reactor design that can be modified to meet the needs of a versatile test reactor,” said INL’s Kemal Pasamehmetoglu, the executive director of VTR. “Having a timely and detailed conceptual design is critical to generating an accurate cost and schedule estimate, which will then be key to DOE’s decision on whether to move forward in 2020.”

Establishing a fast spectrum test reactor ensures continued U.S. technology leadership in nuclear energy innovation. Currently, only a few capabilities are available for testing fast neutron reactor technology in the world and none in the U.S.

DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy established the VTR program earlier this year in response to reports outlining the need for a fast spectrum test reactor, including one issued by the agency’s Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee (NEAC) in 2017. In that report, NEAC recommended “that DOE-NE proceed immediately with pre-conceptual design planning activities to support a new test reactor (including cost and schedule estimates).”

The recommendation, in part, was based on responses from U.S. companies developing advanced reactors, many of which require different testing facilities than the commercial nuclear power technology in use today.

Also recently, Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act (S.97) highlighted the need for a reactor-based fast neutron source authorizing DOE to proceed with the relevant activities.

“The VTR is a vital and strategic project for the U.S. and its promising advanced reactor industry, and we applaud the administration and Congress for making this technology a priority,” said Jay Wileman, GEH President and CEO. “Our VTR project team combines GEH’s strength as a nuclear plant vendor, service provider and nuclear fuel fabricator with Bechtel’s strength in nuclear project management, engineering, procurement and construction. The mature PRISM technology is ideally suited to meet the VTR mission needs.”

“The U.S. currently has no capability to test these fuels and materials,” said Peggy McCullough, a Bechtel senior vice president and general manager of Bechtel’s Nuclear, Security, and Operations business line. “Advanced reactors hold great promise but their components need the proper testing before they can be licensed and used in energy-producing reactors. That’s what the Versatile Test Reactor will provide. It’s extremely important for the science community, industry, regulators, and the future of nuclear energy research.”

Building on the proven principles of the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II, an integral sodium-cooled fast reactor prototype that was operated successfully for more than 30 years by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) in Idaho, PRISM is the only sodium-cooled reactor to have successfully completed the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) pre-application review process. The PRISM Probabilistic Risk Assessment, developed with ANL in 2016, provided a validation of the advanced reactor’s safety.

Now at what is called the INL Materials & Fuels Complex, Experimental Breeder Reactor-II was operated by Argonne National Laboratory west of Idaho Falls from 1961 to 1994. 

For those of you who might be interested, here are a few more links about VTR:

A Versatile Way to Grow Advanced Nuclear Power (Clearpath.org)
Should The U.S. Build A Fast Nuclear Test Reactor Or Continue To Be Beholden To Russia? (Forbes.com)

Rexburg Motorsports hosting "Stuff the Side-by-Side" food drive for EICAP

Rexburg Motorsports is looking to give back to families in need in their community with its Stuff the Side-by-Side Food Drive. The event runs from 2 until 4 p.m. Saturday, November 17, outside Broulim's in Rexburg. To support the Eastern Idaho Community Action Partnership (EICAP) Rexburg Outreach Office, Rexburg Motorsports is looking for donations of new and unopened food and household items to stuff a Honda Pioneer Side x Side with a half ton of food.

The Rexburg Outreach Office is seeking donations for the following unexpired items: canned chicken, canned fruit, cereals, soups, laundry soap, dishwasher soap, cleaning supplies, and various hygiene items.

The Honda Pioneer is equipped to hold up to 1,000 pounds of donations in the seats, bed, and storage compartments. Rexburg Motorsports is hoping the vehicle's capacity will be exceeded before the event concludes.

To donate, simply stop by the Broulim’s in Rexburg between 2 and 4 p.m. and place your donations in the side-by-side parked outside the store. All donations received will be housed in the food bank in Rexburg and be distributed to families in need in the Madison County area. “We're always looking for ways to help out the community,” said Mike Vickers, Owner of Rexburg Motorsports. "This seemed like a fun way to accomplish that, and to encourage others to get involved."

For further questions or information regarding the food drive or Rexburg Motorsports in general, contact, Matt Dyer, at 208-356-4000 or via email at mdyer@gearhead.com.

INL employees selected for competitive DOE Project Leadership Institute

Two Idaho National Laboratory employees have been selected for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Project Leadership Institute (PLI) 2019 cohort. Sadie Butler and Brad Cole, INL project managers, were selected for the highly competitive program, designed to develop a future generation of successful DOE project managers.

Only accepting 20 to 25 new students each year, PLI focuses on four main learning objectives: strategic thinking and analysis, organization and general management skills, team building, and communications.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our project managers,” said Juan Alvarez, deputy laboratory director for Management and Operations and chief operating officer. “It gives them a chance to learn from best of the best while also getting to network across DOE’s vast network of project managers and leaders.”

Over the course of a year, participants will attend five in-person sessions in various locations, complete an online course during the summer, and produce a capstone project. The content is intended as both a leadership development and skill development course, with subject matter tailored to the DOE environment.

This isn’t the first time INL employees have been accepted to PLI. In fact, INL has had an employee in every cohort in PLI’s three-year history. Brady Orchard was one of those previous attendees and found the experience valuable. “PLI helped me to better understand my leadership qualities and how to improve my personal performance,” Orchard said. “I was able to immediately apply what I learned at PLI into my work at INL.” Matthew Hammond is a member of the second cohort and will complete his PLI coursework in December.

The 2019 cohort will begin work in January and finish the program in December.

Firehouse Subs files for Idaho Falls building permit

The Hook and Ladder, Firehouse Subs' top-selling sandwich

Firehouse Subs has filed for a permit with the city of Idaho Falls Building Department for an 1,875-square-foot project at 435 South Utah Ave., in the Railway Crossings center. The franchisee is listed Chris Morris of Idaho Falls, and the owner is listed on the permit as MCMM Utah LLC.

This would be the fifth Firehouse Subs in Idaho. Other locations listed on its website are in Boise, Meridian, Couer d’Alene and Pocatello.

The chain dates back to 1994, when brother Chris and Robin Sorensen, both firefighters, opened their first restaurant in Jacksonville, Fla. Since then, Firehouse Subs has opened more than 1,135 restaurants across 44 states and Puerto Rico, and internationally in Canada. Current plans for expansion are focused on entering new states in the Northeast, Pacific Northwest and on the West Coast, as well as growth in nontraditional locations, like airports and college campuses.

The menu features hot specialty subs, salads, and other seasonal items, and takes inspiration from the firehouse with names like Hook & Ladder (the No. 1 selling item), Engineer, and Firehouse Hero. The subs are prepared with steam-heated meats and cheeses, on a toasted sub roll, and served with vegetables and condiments. The Sorensens remain in charge of the menu, working in tandem with Firehouse Subs' Director of Product Development, Jay Miller, who joined the team in 2017.

The business magazine Forbes recognized Firehouse Subs as a winner in its article America's Best and Worst Franchises to Buy 2018.

US Bank Foundation makes $5k donation to CEI scholarships

The U.S. Bank Foundation has donated $5,000.00 to the College of Eastern Idaho Foundation and its scholarship program for the 2019-2020 academic year. This represents an increase in U.S. Bank Foundation's level of support, said Natalie Hebard, CEI Foundation executive director.

“Our scholarship program is supported by donations from individual, corporate, civic organizations, endowment contributions, fund-raisers and grants," she said. "The people who established the foundation had one goal in mind: to remove the financial barriers for students to achieve academic success. We are fortunate to have businesses such as U.S. Bank and their foundation recognize the importance of scholarships to CEI students.”

If you or someone you know is interested in attending CEI and would like to apply for scholarship
support, the next deadline to apply is Feb. 8, 2019. Award notifications will be made by the end of March and funds will be available for fall 2019 and spring 2020. Applications
can be picked up in person at CEI in the foundation office, 1600 S. 2500 East, Building 3, or found online at www.ceigiving.org.

To learn more about College of Eastern Idaho Foundation, please visit www.ceigiving.org or e-mail
scholarships@cei.edu.