CASL Names Bennett Johnston to Board of Directors

Former United States Senator J. Bennett Johnston has been named to the Board of Directors of the US Department of Energy’s first energy innovation hub—Modeling and Simulation for Nuclear Reactors—the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL).

The consortium brings together a capable team that will apply existing modeling and simulation capabilities and develop advanced capabilities to create a usable environment for predictive simulation of light water reactors. The first task will be to develop computer models that simulate nuclear power plant operations, forming a “virtual reactor” for the predictive simulation of light water reactors. The second task will be to use computer models to reduce capital and operating costs per unit of energy, extend the lifetime of the existing US reactor fleet, and reduce nuclear waste volume generated by enabling higher fuel burnups. 

The CASL virtual reactor will also be used to accelerate the deployment of next-generation reactor designs, particularly advanced nuclear fuel technologies and structural materials within the reactor core. The new technologies will be used to strengthen the American nuclear industry.