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Aerospace Nuclear Science & Technology
Organized to promote the advancement of knowledge in the use of nuclear science and technologies in the aerospace application. Specialized nuclear-based technologies and applications are needed to advance the state-of-the-art in aerospace design, engineering and operations to explore planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond, plus enhance the safety of air travel, especially high speed air travel. Areas of interest will include but are not limited to the creation of nuclear-based power and propulsion systems, multifunctional materials to protect humans and electronic components from atmospheric, space, and nuclear power system radiation, human factor strategies for the safety and reliable operation of nuclear power and propulsion plants by non-specialized personnel and more.
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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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Latest News
Lightbridge announces first U-Zr fuel rod samples extruded at INL
Lightbridge Corporation announced today that it has reached “a critical milestone” in the development of its extruded solid fuel technology. Coupon samples using an alloy of zirconium and depleted uranium—not the high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) that Lightbridge plans to use to manufacture its fuel for the commercial market—were extruded at Idaho National Laboratory’s Materials and Fuels Complex.
Lane Carlson, Mark Tillack, Jeremy Stromsoe, Neil Alexander, Dan Goodin, Ronald Petzoldt
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 56 | Number 1 | July 2009 | Pages 409-416
IFE Target Design | Eighteenth Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy (Part 1) | doi.org/10.13182/FST09-A8936
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In the High Average Power Laser (HAPL) program, we have developed an integrated target tracking and engagement system designed to track an inertial fusion energy target traveling 50-100m/s in three dimensions and to steer laser driver beams so as to engage it with ±20 m accuracy from a stand off distance of ~20 meters. The system consists of separate axial and transverse detection techniques to pre-steer individual beamlet mirrors, and a final fine-correction technique using a short-pulse "glint" laser to interrogate the target's position 1-2 ms before the target reaches chamber center.We are working to demonstrate the viability of this concept by conducting a table top engagement demonstration at reduced speeds and distances. Integration of the various components has been completed and hit-on-the-fly experiments are now being conducted. Initial engagement efforts from a simulated driver beam overfilling a falling target yielded a 150-m standard deviation for targets placed ±1.5mm from chamber center. Since then, our efforts have focused on systematically defining and eliminating all sources of error in each component and subsystem. Current engagement accuracy is 42m RMS. The engagement effort and the step-wise improvements realized are reported, as well as the path toward our goal.