Scientific American 201905

May 2019, ScientificAmerican.com 73

Advanced fuels could improve

the safety and economics

of nuclear power plants

By Rod McCullum

RE AC TOR

ENERGY

Rod McCullum

is senior director

of decommissioning

and used fuel at the

Nuclear Energy Insti-

tute in Washington,

D.C. He has worked

at the Stone & Web-

ster engineering firm,

the U.S. Department

of Energy and three

nuclear power plants.

IN BRIEF

Fuel for nuclear

reactors has

remained virtually

the same worldwide

for decades.

Four new designs

could make reactor

cores safer and

more efficient.

Companies are

testing novel mate-

rials, and regulators

are considering

rules for use.

REDO

© 2019 Scientific American

© 2019

Scientific American