Since the 1970s, the commercial nuclear industry has been attempting to address the issue of excess spent nuclear fuel (SNF) storage and disposal. With industry focused on deployment of advanced small modular reactors (SMR) over the course of the next ten years, a viable solution is needed to handle SNF coming out of these reactors….
As experts in corrosion evaluation and extended dry storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF), scientists at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) are poised to address a unique problem facing our nation. The U.S. possesses an inventory of spent nuclear fuel from nuclear research reactors that is susceptible to corrosion and requires safe processing and storage…
In December, Johney Green Jr. was selected by Battelle Savannah River Alliance, LLC., to serve as the Laboratory Director at Savannah River National Laboratory. Green began his tenure at SRNL Jan. 6, 2025. Prior to joining SRNL, Green served as the Associate Laboratory Director for mechanical and thermal engineering sciences at the National Renewable Energy…
Savannah River National Laboratory established a new joint appointment with University of Florida professor Nathalie A Wall. Wall is director of University of Florida’s Nuclear Engineering Program, and her research interests include radiochemistry, nuclear wastes, nuclear forensics, the nuclear fuel cycle, and the environmental behavior of radionuclides. Wall will collaborate with SRNL on projects related…
The efforts of the collaborative plant-based contaminant monitoring project between Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers resulted in the development of a series of charts that analyze the data collected from the hyperspectral camera images. The graphs below are an early proof of concept of the machine learning component…
Savannah River National Laboratory established its first joint appointment with University of Notre Dame and Associate Professor Amy Hixon. Hixon’s research focuses on understanding and quantifying the behavior of actinide elements in natural and engineering systems in three key areas: 1) environmental radiochemistry; 2) chemical and physical properties of nuclear materials; and 3) synthesis and…
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began utilizing Bahia grass, a drought and heat tolerant plant, for environmental remediation in March of 2023. After an introduction from the Department of Energy Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) became a collaborator on the project, providing expertise in machine learning for…
Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) has successfully leveraged in situ well sensors for long-term contaminant monitoring across multiple Department of Energy sites and internationally. The Advanced Long-Term Environmental Monitoring Systems (ALTEMIS) approach uses sensors installed in groundwater wells to track and monitor contaminant movements to identify anomalies within groundwater plumes. This in turn enables forecasting…
A new HPE Apollo 6500 Gen 10 Plus System, dubbed “Raptor,” has a new home at the Savannah River National Laboratory. The technology is equipped with premier graphics processing units (GPUs) that will provide a significant upgrade to the scientific computing capabilities at SRNL. “When I came [to the lab], we had a 2006 GPU…
Savannah River National Laboratory Staff Scientist Robert Pierce is the recipient of the 2024 Donald A. Orth Lifetime Award of Merit for demonstrating technical excellence and leadership in his service to SRNL, the Savannah River Site, and the U.S. Department of Energy. The Donald A. Orth Lifetime Award of Merit for technical excellence and leadership…
Savannah River National Laboratory recently named Christine Langton a laboratory fellow. Langton has contributed to lab success in various capacities for the duration of her career. She leveraged her expertise in materials science, engineering and geochemistry to design several processes in environmental management, waste treatment, nuclear facility decommissioning and site closures. Langton served as a…
For several years, Savannah River National Laboratory has trained faculty, graduate and undergraduate students through innovative Department of Energy Office of Science programs. Working alongside researchers at SRNL and other DOE national labs, Workforce Development for Teachers and Students programs are designed to transform STEM learning into STEM careers. Similarly, the Office of Science Graduate…