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The Mission of the Robotics and Remote Systems Division is to promote the development and application of immersive simulation, robotics, and remote systems for hazardous environments for the purpose of reducing hazardous exposure to individuals, reducing environmental hazards and reducing the cost of performing work.
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2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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The busyness of the nuclear fuel supply chain
Ken Petersenpresident@ans.org
With all that is happening in the industry these days, the nuclear fuel supply chain is still a hot topic. The Russian assault in Ukraine continues to upend the “where” and “how” of attaining nuclear fuel—and it has also motivated U.S. legislators to act.
Two years into the Russian war with Ukraine, things are different. The Inflation Reduction Act was passed in 2022, authorizing $700 million in funding to support production of high-assay low-enriched uranium in the United States. Meanwhile, the Department of Energy this January issued a $500 million request for proposals to stimulate new HALEU production. The Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024 includes $2.7 billion in funding for new uranium enrichment production. This funding was diverted from the Civil Nuclear Credits program and will only be released if there is a ban on importing Russian uranium into the United States—which could happen by the time this column is published, as legislation that bans Russian uranium has passed the House as of this writing and is headed for the Senate. Also being considered is legislation that would sanction Russian uranium. Alternatively, the Biden-Harris administration may choose to ban Russian uranium without legislation in order to obtain access to the $2.7 billion in funding.
Weidong Ding, Hongguang Yang, Qin Zhan
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 80 | Number 2 | February 2024 | Pages 205-214
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2023.2216533
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The ZrCo-based alloy is considered one of the most promising materials for hydrogen isotope storage in the conceptual design of a fusion reactor. However, there are few systematic studies on the thermodynamic and kinetic models of hydrogen absorption in the new Zr0.8Ti0.2Co alloy. The aim of this study is to computationally derive the general mathematical equations for the thermodynamics and kinetics of hydrogen absorption by Zr0.8Ti0.2Co. In order to obtain the thermodynamic and kinetic data quickly, a constant-flow hydrogen absorption test was used in this study. The thermodynamic performance test revealed that the Zr0.8Ti0.2Co hydrogen absorption transition process was switched from ZrCo to ZrCoHx (metastable phase) and then to ZrCoH3 with an enthalpy of hydrogenation (ΔH) of 66.59 kJ·mol−1 H2, which was obviously lower than that of the ZrCo-based alloy due to the metastable phase.
A mathematical model of the hydrogen absorption coupled with the kinetic equations was established by kinetic process analysis. The hydrogen absorption process was divided into two stages, and the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov (JMAK) model could fit the two stages of the Zr0.8Ti0.2Co hydrogen absorption well. In the first stage, the JMAK index was n1 = 1.04, activation energy Ea1 = 7594.6 J/mol, and rate coefficient of reaction k01 = 1.958E-4 s−1. While in the second stage, it was n2 = 1.39, Ea2 = 5221 J/mol, and k02 = 9.938E-5 s−1. Based on the range of n values, it can be inferred that both the nucleation and growth mechanisms or the diffusion mechanism were expressed as the rate-limiting steps. Combined with the simulation software, metal hydride bed performance could be better investigated and the structural design could be guided by the obtained mathematical equation of Zr0.8Ti0.2Co hydriding.
