INL RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Science

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Engineering Technology

Providing Critical

Technical Support

DOE’s environmental

management programs at

the INL and across the

complex are experiencing

increased pressure to meet

enforceable cleanup

milestones within available

budgets. This division

helps bridge funding and

technology gaps by

developing superior

solutions to everyday

problems that delay and

stall environmental

operations. It achieves

science and technology

advances by engaging its

science and engineering

capabilities to resolve

dilemmas for waste

management, spent nuclear

fuel, decontamination and

decommissioning, and high

level waste programs.

Capabilities

This multi-disciplinary research

and development group applies

science and engineering to

develop, demonstrate and

deploy operational practices

and new technologies to

address environmental challenges associated with DOE

legacy waste cleanup activities

and newly generated wasteand environmental concerns

associated with advanced

nuclear and non-nuclear energy

systems. It conducts activities

in support of DOE Environmental Management, DOE

Office of Science, DOE Office

of Civilian and Radioactive

Waste Management and other

federal and non federal

customers. The division

consists of five departments

whose functions include

developing environmental

remediation and waste management technologies, supporting

development of the high level

repository, disposing of and

transporting spent nuclear fuel,

and conducting bench and

engineering scale studies in

support of disposing high level

wastes.

Applied Mechanics and

Sustainable Design

This department is known for

specialized applied mechanics

capabilities in structures,

materials and fluids – and for

its technological advances in

sustainable building design. Its

applied mechanics capabilities

include nonlinear structural

analysis, blast and impact

evaluation, piping and pressure

vessel analysis, seismic soilstructure interaction, and

material aging. These capabilities are used to model and test

the structural, thermal and fluid

challenges associated with

producing nuclear power,

operating experimental

reactors, simulating accidents

or natural hazards, and confining hazardous substances

during transport. The department also researches and

promotes “green” sustainable

building design, construction,

operation and disposition –

including environmental siting,

energy and water conservation

– and other indoor environmental considerations.

As a multi-discipline research and development organization, this division

applies engineering know-how to scientific discoveries using test bed

platforms to develop, demonstrate and deploy low-risk operational

practices and new technologies for DOE’s environmental

management, energy and national defense missions.

Delivering science-based engineered solutions to meet

energy and environmental challenges
INL RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

05-GA50193-72

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For more information

Mike Connolly, Ph.D.

(208) 526-0238

Michael.Connolly@inl.gov

www.inl.gov

INL is a U.S. Department of Energy

national laboratory operated by

Battelle Energy Alliance

Environmental

Engineering

This department provides

technical leadership in management, processing, and disposition of the nation’s most

challenging waste streams and

radiological materials, including resolution of associated

regulatory compliance issues.

Through management of

several national technology

development programs for

DOE, this department has

developed extensive knowledge

of DOE and commercial

characterization, offgas

monitoring and control, and

radioactive waste processing

and stabilization technologies,

with a comprehensive understanding of their applications

and limitations. As a result,

unique expertise and testbed

capabilities in various thermal

processing technologies have

been developed.. Likewise,

extensive expertise in management, handling, and disposition

of excess radiological materials

has been developed. These

areas of expertise have been,

and continue to be, successfuly

applied at the INL, as well as

other DOE and commercial

facilities, in accomplishing

environmental cleanup missions.

Nuclear Materials Disposition and Engineering

This department provides

technical services related to

spent nuclear fuel handling and

disposition needs and transportation of radiological materials.

The department has developed

spent nuclear fuel packages,

and made inroads into new

welding and non-destructive

evaluation processes. It has

developed and is testing an

advanced neutron absorber,

provided performance assessment and criticality analyses on

DOE spent nuclear fuel and is

actively engaged in writing a

waste repository licensing

strategy. Technical services are

provided to resolve spent fuel

issues related to packaging,

interim and long-term storage,

characterization, and repository

compliance analysis.

Process Engineering

A variety of capabilities exist

within this department,

including the development of

methodologies for analysis and

treatment of complex waste

streams and effluents that result

from various INL and DOE

missions. The department also

has specialized expertise in the

development and operation of

pilot plants and radioactive

remote operations.

The R&D Lab’s core competencies are applied engineering

of chemical processes, advanced aqueous separations

technologies and process offgas

monitoring and control.

Significant R&D work has

contributed to the development

of numerous other chemical

flow sheets, studies, and

laboratory demonstrations to

support proposed waste

processing technologies for

DOE.

Systems Engineering

Using a systematic approach to

manage challenges, this

department focuses on understanding a customer’s requirements throughout a given

system’s lifecycle. The department clarifies and manages

system complexities by

applying systems engineering

principles and practices and

integrating other engineering

resources. It assists customers

in making logical, traceable,

and defensible decisions by

integrating people and methods

using successful decisionmaking principles. The

department uses a proven

systems approach to management when planning, organizing, directing, controlling, and

integrating company resources

to ensure project success within

cost and schedule requirements.

Through research and development of systems sciences, it

produces new and innovative

tools, techniques, and expertise

to help government and private

industry customers develop

solutions for their respective

complex challenges.

Accomplishments

This division claims many

accomplishments including

contributions to the Lab’s

ability to meet enforceable

milestones related to spent

nuclear fuel, high level waste

and the preparation of Transuranic waste for disposal at the

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. It’s

also responsible for the

deployment of nearly 200

environmental technologies. It

shares the Lab’s innovative

technologies and practices with

Ohio closure sites; applies

remote engineering and spent

nuclear fuel handling expertise

with the Yucca Mountain

Project; has conducted DOE’s

National Vadose Zone Science

and Technology Roadmap

efforts; and has sponsored

national and regional conferences regarding actinide

separations. The division also

forms and works with international collaborative efforts,

including work with Atomic

Energy Canada, Limited;

United Kingdom Atomic

Energy Authority; Central

Research Institute of Electric

Power Industry of Japan; and,

the Australian Nuclear Science

and Technology organization.