/** * Render paywall */ public function renderPaywall($content) { // Skip if in Elementor editor if ($this->isElementorEditor()) { return $content; } // Check if we should show full paywall or teaser+paywall $showFullPaywall = apply_filters('en_paywall_show_full', false); if ($showFullPaywall) { // Show only the paywall CTA, no content at all return $this->getCTA(); } // Configuration - Montrer les 2 premières LIGNES $teaserLines = apply_filters('en_paywall_teaser_lines', 2); // Split content into lines while preserving HTML $teaser = ''; $remaining = $content; // Method 1: Try to split by sentences first $sentences = preg_split('/(?<=[.!?])\s+/', strip_tags($content), -1, PREG_SPLIT_NO_EMPTY); if (count($sentences) >= $teaserLines) { // Take first X sentences as "lines" $teaserText = implode(' ', array_slice($sentences, 0, $teaserLines)); // Find where this text ends in the original HTML content $plainContent = strip_tags($content); $cutPosition = strpos($plainContent, substr($teaserText, -20)); // Find last 20 chars if ($cutPosition !== false) { // Try to find the corresponding position in HTML $tempContent = $content; $htmlPosition = 0; $textPosition = 0; while ($textPosition < $cutPosition && $htmlPosition < strlen($content)) { if ($content[$htmlPosition] === '<') { // Skip HTML tag $closeTag = strpos($content, '>', $htmlPosition); $htmlPosition = $closeTag + 1; } else { $textPosition++; $htmlPosition++; } } // Cut at paragraph boundary if possible $nextP = strpos($content, '

', $htmlPosition); if ($nextP !== false && $nextP - $htmlPosition < 200) { $teaser = substr($content, 0, $nextP + 4); $remaining = substr($content, $nextP + 4); } else { // Fallback: just add the text in a paragraph $teaser = '

' . $teaserText . '...

'; } }Europe accelerates the conversion of research reactors to low-enriched fuel - energynews
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Europe accelerates the conversion of research reactors to low-enriched fuel

The European project EU-CONVERSION aims to develop new fuels to convert research reactors that currently use highly enriched uranium. This initiative, supported by scientific institutions and industry players, represents a key issue for nuclear safety and non-proliferation.

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The European Union has launched the EU-CONVERSION project, a €12.8 million initiative funded by the Horizon 2020 program. Its objective is to accelerate the conversion of high-performance research reactors to fuels using low-enriched uranium (LEU). This transition is deemed necessary to limit the risks associated with the proliferation of highly enriched uranium (HEU), which is still used in some facilities.

Research reactors under scrutiny

The project targets two strategic reactors in Europe: FRM-II in Germany and the Jules Horowitz Reactor (JHR) in France, which is expected to begin operations in the 2030s. The FRM-II reactor, operated by the Technical University of Munich (TUM), currently runs on fuel enriched to more than 95% uranium-235. However, its operating license, granted in 2003, stipulates that it must transition to a lower-enriched fuel as soon as a viable alternative becomes available.

Fissile materials under testing

Two types of fuel are currently under study in this program: one based on uranium-molybdenum (U-Mo) and another using uranium silicide (U2Si3). These materials will be subjected to extreme irradiation conditions at the BR2 research reactor of the Belgian Nuclear Research Center (SCK-CEN). The tests, which include exposure to thermal fluxes exceeding 500 W/cm², will be conducted over multiple cycles lasting 55 to 75 days between 2027 and 2028.

A strategic European collaboration

EU-CONVERSION relies on the expertise of a consortium of academic and industrial players, including TUM, Framatome, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), the Laue-Langevin Institute, and several other partners based in France, Belgium, and the Czech Republic. The irradiation tests and subsequent analyses will extend until 2030, assessing the feasibility of adopting these new fuels.

A technical and economic challenge

While the conversion of research reactors presents a challenge due to their specific technical requirements, the stakeholders involved believe that the results obtained with the BR2 reactor will validate the safety and performance of the new fuels. According to Jared Wight, program manager at SCK-CEN, increasing thermal constraints during testing will be critical to ensuring reliability equivalent to that of current fuels.

Gradual adoption of new solutions

The EU-CONVERSION initiative is part of a global effort to reduce HEU use in civilian reactors. Several facilities have already transitioned, but some research reactors still require technological advancements due to their specific needs. Markus Blume, Bavaria’s Minister of Science, reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to maintaining high scientific performance while adopting safer fuels.

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