b'INLs High-Temperature Irradiation-Resistant Thermocouples (HTIR-TC) can directly read temperatures from a fuel centerline or the protective cladding. Such precise information gives nuclear reactor vendors confidence as they work to validate new designs for the NRC. HTIR-TC can operate reliably in the harshest conditions for months, even years, earning it a 2019 R&D 100 Award.Testing TerraPowers Fuel TerraPower, the advanced reactor company founded by Bill Gates, reached an important milestone in 2019. Since 2013 the company has been working with INL to design and fabricate an acceptable nuclear test fuel. This year, INLs Advanced Test Reactor began bombarding the fuel pins with neutrons. The 300-day test will reveal how the new fuel for the companys advanced Traveling Wave Reactor stacks up to proven fuels. 17'