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2014 ANNUAL REPORT 17 soon expanded into areas as diverse as holography and heart transplants cybersecurity and environmental studies. PNNL the second N for National was added in 1995 researchers pioneered compact disc technology invented the first portable blood irradiator for leukemia treatments and were chosen to help study lunar materials retrieved during NationalAeronautics and SpaceAdministrations NASAApollo program to name just a few from a long list of scientific accomplishments.Today more than 4300 scientists engineers and nontechnical staff are responsible for a legacy that includes 2342 patents 104 of which were awarded in 2014 alone and a total of 81 Federal Labora- tory Consortium awards for technology transfer since 1984. The lab is divided into four major technical directorates Energy and Environment National Security Fundamental and Computational Sciences and the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory. Two major clients the Nuclear Regulatory Commission NRC and DOEs Office of Nuclear Energy NE of which NSUF is a part comprise the core of PNNLs work in nuclear energy while a third area nonconventional helps keep the U.S. engaged in commercial as well as international programs and gathers insight from those collaborations. We have a very broad portfolio of science and technology interests says Steve Unwin PNNLs Nuclear Market Sector Manager.Just looking within those three big blocks in nuclear power we tend to be very eclectic. For example were heavily involved in helping implement the new generation of risk- informed regulations and we were very proud to have led the environmental reviews on behalf of the NRC for the first two plants to receive construction permits in the U.S. in over 30 years in South Carolina and Georgia.Weve also been a leader in materials science and nondestructive examination a very important field given the aging fleet of reactors that must be kept vital to meet the nations energy needs. On the NE side the labs biggest effort goes toward fuel cycle research and development. In addition to a long history of expertise in spent fuel quali- fication and being involved in used fuel reprocessing research its scientists are also studying new fuels that are more accident-tolerant and more economi- cally attractive. NE is looking at the next generation of reactors Unwin saysand weve been developing technologies that will help make them safe and economically attrac- tive.Also small modular light water reactors are showing great promise as a viable solution to energy needs and we helped the NRC develop the regulatory structure to license them. Part of the value of all this expertise is the creative thinking that goes along with it and the experience accumulated through the years50 years to be exact. In 2015 PNNL celebrates its GoldenAnniversary a milestone that brings both the past and the future into sharper focus. I dont think we have fulfilled our potential in the nuclear arena yet says Unwin.Our vision is to contribute to that potential by ensuring the success of our clients missions as well as that of the nation and we want to bring all our ideas innovations and technical expertise to the table. Another area where PNNL scientists have particular depth is working towards a nuclear spent fuel repository. We have the right types of expertise to help streamline that process in areas such as waste form qualification and risk assessment Unwin says. We do a lot of work for example around ensuring the integrity of spent fuel systems from storage and transporta- tion to final disposition. Advanced reactor technology is another equally important part of the diversity of research that is a hallmark of PNNL. The beauty of some of these advanced reactor designs is that they actually generate their own fuel Unwin explainsso we can minimize both the consumption of fuel resources and the creation of waste.The data and expertise we gained from the operation of the Hanford Fast FluxTest Facility is allowing us to bring valuable insight to the new generation of reactors.All the analysis shows is that if were going to meet national energy needs it really has to be an all-of-the-above policy of which nuclear powerclean reliable and carbon-freeis a critical compo- nent.At the end of the day its going to be the commercial sector building these reactors so our work with industrial clients opens up a conduit for new technology developed by NE. Remaining at the forefront of all this cutting-edge research requires state-of- the-art equipment and that in turn requires investing heavily in the future of the nuclear industry.