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The supercomputer which is under construction is 50 times more powerful that existing supercomputer at the facility.

The world’s most powerful supercomputer, Aurora, is being set up in the US to help scientists at the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) simulate new nuclear reactors that are more efficient and safer than their predecessors, a press release said.

The US is already home to some of the world’s fastest supercomputers, as measured by TOP500. These supercomputers can be tasked with a variety of computational roles. Last month, Interesting Engineering reported how the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) planned to use a supercomputer to check nuclear stockpiles for the US military.

Researchers of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) announced the discovery of a promising approach to mitigate the damaging effects of runaway electrons in tokamak fusion devices in a statement.

The key to this discovery lies in harnessing a unique type of plasma wave known as Alfvén waves, named after the renowned astrophysicist Hannes Alfvén, a Nobel laureate in 1970.

Alfvén waves have long been recognized for their ability to loosen the confinement of high-energy particles within tokamak reactors— a type of fusion reactor that confines plasma in the shape of a donut using a magnetic field.

face_with_colon_three Year 2017

A paper recently published in the journal Nuclear Engineering and Technology demonstrated the feasibility of using graphene to control hydrogen isotopes, specifically tritium.

Study: Adsorption of Hydrogen Isotopes on Graphene. Image Credit: Rost9/Shutterstock.com

Continue reading “Controlling Hydrogen Isotopes with Graphene” »

O.0!!!!

DARPA is our favorite source for off-the-wall yet compelling technology. We’ve seen proposals for flying cars, handheld nuclear fusion devices, and now poop-powered nuclear reactors. It’s not as crazy at seems.

Wired explains that there would be multiple benefits to sticking portable, poop-powered reactors at military bases. The reactors could eliminate human waste (and the need to dispose of it) at the same time as they reduce the need to scrounge up pricey fuel sources. And since people never stop pooping, potential fuel is virtually limitless.

Continue reading “Coming Soon: Portable Poop-Powered Nuclear Reactors?” »

Back in 2018, a tank of the purest water, buried under kilometers of rock in Ontario, Canada, flashed as barely detectable particle slammed through its molecules.

It was the first time that water has been used to detect a particle known as an antineutrino, which originated from a nuclear reactor more than 240 kilometers (150 miles) away. This incredible breakthrough promises neutrino experiments and monitoring technology that use inexpensive, easily acquirable and safe materials.

As some of the most abundant particles in the Universe, neutrinos are odd little things with a lot of potential for revealing deeper insights into the Universe. Unfortunately they are almost massless, carry no charge, and barely interact with other particles at all. They mostly stream through space and rock alike, as though all matter was incorporeal. There’s a reason they’re known as ghost particles.

Researchers have utilized Alfvén waves to mitigate runaway electrons in tokamak fusion devices, offering significant implications for future fusion energy projects, including the ITER in France.

Scientists led by Chang Liu of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is a collaborative national laboratory for plasma physics and nuclear fusion science. Its primary mission is research into and development of fusion as an energy source for the world.

😗😁Year 2022

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They are cheaper and don’t require the large, incredibly powerful magnets used in traditional fusion experiments. Ultimately, they may also provide a quicker route to achieving commercially viable nuclear fusion, a press statement reveals.

Continue reading “A magnet-free reactor that fits in a garage could provide limitless energy” »

Bill Gates is a staunch advocate for nuclear energy, and although he no longer oversees day-to-day operations at Microsoft, its business strategy still mirrors the sentiment. According to a new job listing first spotted on Tuesday by The Verge, the tech company is currently seeking a “principal program manager” for nuclear technology tasked with “maturing and implementing a global Small Modular Reactor (SMR) and microreactor energy strategy.” Once established, the nuclear energy infrastructure overseen by the new hire will help power Microsoft’s expansive plans for both cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

Among the many, many, (many) concerns behind AI technology’s rapid proliferation is the amount of energy required to power such costly endeavors—a worry exacerbated by ongoing fears pertaining to climate collapse. Microsoft believes nuclear power is key to curtailing the massive amounts of greenhouse emissions generated by fossil fuel industries, and has made that belief extremely known in recent months.

[Related: Microsoft thinks this startup can deliver on nuclear fusion by 2028.].

Microsoft appears to be seriously considering small modular nuclear reactors to help supply the power needs for its AI program.