Nuclear energy
Mission
In general
Considerations
The programs carried out under paragraph (1) shall take into consideration the following objectives:
Providing research infrastructure to promote scientific progress and enable users from academia, the National Laboratories, and the private sector to make scientific discoveries relevant for nuclear, chemical, and materials science engineering.
Maintaining nuclear energy research and development programs at the National Laboratories and institutions of higher education, including infrastructure at the National Laboratories and institutions of higher education.
Providing the technical means to reduce the likelihood of nuclear proliferation.
Increasing confidence margins for public safety of nuclear energy systems.
Reducing the environmental impact of activities relating to nuclear energy.
Supporting technology transfer from the National Laboratories to the private sector.
Enabling the private sector to partner with the National Laboratories to demonstrate novel reactor concepts for the purpose of resolving technical uncertainty associated with the objectives described in subparagraphs (A) through (F).
Definitions
In this part:
Advanced nuclear reactor
The term “advanced nuclear reactor” means—
a nuclear fission reactor with significant improvements over the most recent generation of nuclear fission reactors, which may include—
inherent safety features;
lower waste yields;
greater fuel utilization;
superior reliability;
resistance to proliferation;
increased thermal efficiency; and
the ability to integrate into electric and nonelectric applications; or
a nuclear fusion reactor.
Commission
Fast neutron
National Laboratory
In general
Limitation
Neutron flux
Neutron source
The term “neutron source” means a research machine that provides neutron irradiation services for—
research on materials sciences and nuclear physics; and
testing of advanced materials, nuclear fuels, and other related components for reactor systems.