In this episode we discuss...

• Mark Lewis’ career trajectory in finance and energy as Head of Global Business Development at General Electric and Chief Business Officer at Tri Alpha Energy
• Mark Lewis’ work acquiring Amersham, Silex, and Hitachi Nuclear Energy for General Electric
• How Tri Alpha Energy radiation-free fuel path uses hydrogen and boron for nuclear fusion
• Nuclear fusion efforts to provide a large firm load of carbon-free and radiation-free energy
• Driven by natural disasters, the focus on micro grids and the need for grid resiliency and lower carbon energy
• Tri Alpha Energy’s use of plasma physics and accelerator physics to stabilize plasma in nuclear fusion
• How terrestrial fusion and plasma physics can be used to provide carbon-free energy
• How to finance a lower carbon economy with wind, solar, and nuclear power

In this episode we discuss...

• Bob’s background in fusion and personal journey in the nuclear industry
• Bob’s day-to-day as Chief Executive Officer at Commonwealth Fusion Systems
• Bob’s graduate work at MIT researching new technologies to solve fundamental challenges with fusion
• Superconductors, their applications, and how Bob has significantly contributed to their productization
• The mechanisms that enable superconductors to operate at very high temperatures
• Why only 3 of over 100,000 superconductors have been commercialized
• How collaboration between academics and industrialists is helping to drive fusion technology into the marketplace
• Bob’s mission to expedite superconductivity commercialization so that it can be deployed globally

In this episode we discuss...

• Dennis’ background and personal journey in the nuclear industry
• A deep dive into tokamaks and their innerworkings
• The definition of a plasma
• Why heat and density are crucial to successful fusion and the material challenges involved
• How tritium is extracted from lithium
• Requirements to prevent coolant itself from becoming radioactive
• Design challenges surrounding fusion systems including pumps and their inability to distinguish between helium and unburned fuel
• The physics of magnetism
• Dennis’ mission to change the global nuclear industry through his work at MIT to make fusion economically viable

In this episode we discuss...

• Jacopo’s background in techno-economic analysis and personal journey in the nuclear industry
• Jacopo’s work at the Idaho National Laboratory before he returned to his alma mater MIT as a professor of nuclear science and engineering
• Lead-bismuth reactors and the processes within
• Jacopo’s contributions to MIT Energy Initiative’s recent report, “The Future of Nuclear Energy in a Carbon-Constrained World”
• Why Jacopo believes when it comes to reducing cost we should focus on improving construction methods rather than changing coolant or fuel
• A breakdown of the costs involved in building a new plant
• Inaccuracies in cost prediction surrounding AP-1000 and EPR and ways in which we can improve cost prediction
• The benefits of assembling several microreactors to take advantage of economies of multiple versus economics of scale of size
• Shipyard building and how Jacopo’s research at MIT works to reduce construction costs

In this episode we discuss...

• Mark’s background in biology and personal journey in the nuclear industry
• A behind the scenes look at the Canada Nuclear Laboratory team and how each department coordinates with the others
• The lifecycle of nuclear plants and Mark’s evolution from repairing to decommissioning plants
• The decommissioning of Rocky Flats Plant, a nuclear weapons production facility that now serves as a model for other decommissioning projects
• The cleanup processes involved in decommissioning
• Mark’s work with British Nuclear Fuels Limited and then later as Chief Nuclear Officer for Magnox South
• Chalk River Laboratories and its important place in nuclear history
• Challenges with media and public perception surrounding nuclear energy and weapons
• A deep dive into CANDU (Canada Deuterium Uranium) reactors
• The benefits of SMRs and Canada Nuclear Lab’s mission to facilitate global implementation

In this episode we discuss...

• Rosaura’s interest in nuclear from a young age and her journey through the industry
• Rosaura’s PhD in material science at McMaster University where she focused on ceramics processing
• A deep dive into the importance of ceramics processing in regards to creating nuclear fuel
• Magnetic shape memory alloys
• Challenges associated with fuel processing and manufacturing and how Canada Nuclear Labs is working to overcome them
• What drives requirements for creating new fuel from spent fuel and the economics involved
• Canada Nuclear Lab’s research regarding new fuels and their increased safety
• The ratio of plutonium-239 and plutonium-240 and how it changes over fuel’s lifespan within a reactor
• The importance of waste management technology to nuclear success

In this episode we discuss...

• Metin’s background in mechanical engineering and personal journey in the nuclear industry
• A deep dive into CANDU (Canada Deuterium Uranium) reactors
• The inner mechanisms that cause steam reactor tubes to fail and how we’ve overcome this issue
• Metin’s work in thermal performance and degradation studies
• The neutronics and safety systems in PWRs and BDWs versus those in light water reactors
• A breakdown of supercritical water
• How technologies and designs within supercritical coal plants could potentially be recycled to create supercritical nuclear plants
• Lessons learned from light and heavy water reactors and how Canada Nuclear Labs is applying those lessons to new technologies
• The Pan-Canadian SMR Initiative and its mission to facilitate global implementation

In this episode we discuss...

• Corey’s background in nuclear engineering and personal journey from Los Alamos to Canada Nuclear Labs
• The history of US nuclear including the Nuclear Renaissance and the Energy Policy Act of 2005
• Corey’s contributions to nuclear startup NuScale Power
• Challenges in nuclear across India and Asia including infrastructure, training, and corruption
• Corey’s work for an electrical supplier of cabling and the safety systems involved
• International issues with CFSI (Counterfeit Fraudulent Suspect Items) and their toll on public trust
• Canada Nuclear Lab’s world class hot cells
• The future of Canada Nuclear Lab and its work surrounding light water reactors and sustainability
• A deep dive into fuel qualification
• Canada’s new build market and the significant role it plays in the global industry

In this episode we discuss...

• Kathryn’s background in nuclear engineering and personal journey in the nuclear industry
• The evolution of fusion and a deep dive into liquid metal magnetohydrodynamics
• Kathryn’s work with liquid metal magnetohydrodynamics in the Soviet Union
• A deep dive into volatilization
• The Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative aka The Fuel Cycle R&D Program and Kathryn’s work optimizing the backend of the fuel cycle
• Low level waste repositories and the political challenges surrounding new repository sites
• Canada Nuclear Lab’s mission to promote SMR’s (small modular reactors)
• How a healthy dynamic between national laboratories and the industry can spur implementation
• Canada Nuclear Lab’s work in the hydrogen space
• Canada versus US regulation timelines and alternative paths to expedite licensing
• Canada Nuclear Lab’s research surrounding radiation and targeted alpha therapy and their potential impact on the industry at large