The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) vouchers to three companies in the second round of GAIN vouchers awarded for fiscal year 2025. The first round was awarded in January.
The vouchers provide companies access to extensive research facilities and expertise across DOE’s national laboratory complex to advance promising projects that can provide more reliable, secure, and affordable nuclear energy. GAIN voucher recipients do not receive direct financial awards. Vouchers provide funding to DOE laboratories to help businesses overcome critical technological and commercialisation challenges. All awardees are responsible for a minimum 20% cost share, which could be an in-kind contribution.
The three companies are AiMiLight Sensors & Intelligent Systems (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania); Hayward Tyler, (Colchester, Vermont); and Standard Nuclear (Oak Ridge, Tennessee).
AiMiLight will work with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to test a prototype of the company’s new “smart” cable. The fibre-embedded electric cable is designed to track temperature and radiation exposure in real-time. The cable could assist nuclear power plants in transitioning to condition-based maintenance of electrical cables in harsh environments.
Hayward Tyler will collaborate with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) to test several new materials for use in sodium-cooled fast reactor pumps to find cost-effective alternatives for cobalt alloys. The findings could help reduce US dependence on China-sourced cobalt and strengthen US supply chains.
Standard Nuclear will partner with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to calibrate their alternative approach to assess the carbon and oxygen content in ceramic-coated TRISO fuel kernels to reduce the cost and inefficiencies associated with current destructive testing methods.
