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Division Spotlight
Thermal Hydraulics
The division provides a forum for focused technical dialogue on thermal hydraulic technology in the nuclear industry. Specifically, this will include heat transfer and fluid mechanics involved in the utilization of nuclear energy. It is intended to attract the highest quality of theoretical and experimental work to ANS, including research on basic phenomena and application to nuclear system design.
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2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
X-energy receives federal tax credit for TRISO fuel facility
Advanced reactor company X-energy has been awarded $148.5 million in tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act for construction of its TRISO-X fuel fabrication facility in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
David W. James, Gregg A. Morgan
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 71 | Number 3 | April 2017 | Pages 321-325
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2017.1291245
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Various getter materials are used in the processing of hydrogen isotopes and associated impurities. SAES® ST198 is a zirconium-iron alloy that is typically used for the removal of low levels of hydrogen isotopes from a process gas stream. However, numerous impurities may be present in process gas streams and some of these impurities may have a deleterious effect on the hydrogen absorption capabilities of ST198.
A series of experiments were completed to determine the effects of various impurities on the hydrogen gettering ability of ST198 as a function of the bed operating temperature. Changes in hydrogen getter performance were tracked using the analysis of Residual Gas Analyzer data. Baseline conditions of 0.1% hydrogen within a nitrogen rich stream were evaluated at both 350°C and ambient temperature conditions (24°C). Various concentrations of impurities were also explored to determine the effects on the hydrogen gettering of ST198. It has been determined that one benefit of ST198 is that it shows no appreciable interaction with nitrogen at temperatures lower than 425°C. However, gas impurities of carbon monoxide, methane, and ammonia were shown in this work to have an effect on the hydrogen gettering abilities of ST198.
This paper presents findings relating to the evaluation of the effect of carbon monoxide, ammonia, and methane impurities on the hydrogen gettering ability of the ST198. Lower operating temperature conditions made the ST198 getter bed more susceptible to deactivation in the presence of impurities. In the event that the studied impurities exist in the process gas stream, the ST198 material could possibly become deactivated towards hydrogen isotope absorption at lower operating temperatures.