Idaho National Laboratory research aims to add longevity to key national energy source

As demand for electricity continues to grow, U.S. companies are searching for new, reliable sources of energy and making the most of what they already have. A key part of that effort focuses on the source of more than 70 percent of the nation’s emission-free electricity.

Scientists at Idaho National Laboratory’s Center for Advanced Energy Studies https://inlportal.inl.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=281&mode=2 are researching materials that could help extend the life of the nation’s 104 nuclear power plants.

They are studying when and how different metallic alloys crack when subjected to the environment found in light water reactors. One of the first projects is being funded by the Electrical Power Research Institute, an industry cooperative that supports power-related research.

"Industry wants to know how these materials react in that environment because they are looking for ways to repair these reactors or extend their lives," said John Jackson, an INL scientist participating in this research at CAES.

by Kortny Rolston, INL Communications & Public Affairs

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