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Division Spotlight
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.
Meeting Spotlight
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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
June 2024
Nuclear Technology
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Latest News
Securing the advanced reactor fleet
Physical protection accounts for a significant portion of a nuclear power plant’s operational costs. As the U.S. moves toward smaller and safer advanced reactors, similar protection strategies could prove cost prohibitive. For tomorrow’s small modular reactors and microreactors, security costs must remain appropriate to the size of the reactor for economical operation.
Howard Ocken
Nuclear Technology | Volume 68 | Number 1 | January 1985 | Pages 18-28
Technical Paper | Fission Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT85-A33563
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Reducing the cobalt content of materials used in nuclear power plants is one approach to controlling the radiation fields responsible for occupational radiation exposure; corrosion of steam generator tubing is the primary source in pressurized water reactors (PWRs). Wear of the cobalt-base alloys used to hard-face valves (especially feedwater regulator valves) and as pins and rollers in control blades are the primary boiling water reactor (BWR) sources. Routine valve maintenance can also be a significant source of cobalt. Wear, mechanical property, and corrosion measurements led to the selection of Nitronic-60/CFA and PH13-8 Mo/Inconel X-750 as low-cobalt alloys for use as pin/roller combinations. These alloys are currently being tested in two commercial BWRs. Measurements show that Type 440C stainless steel wears less than the cobalt-base alloys in BWR feedwater regulator valves. Sliding wear tests performed at room temperature in simulated PWR water showed that Colmonoy 74 and 84, Deloro 40, and Vertx 4776 are attractive low-cobalt hardfacing alloys if the applied loads are ≾103 MPa. The cobalt-base alloys performed best at high loads (207 MPa). Ongoing laboratory studies address the development and evaluation of cobalt-free iron-base hardfacing alloys and seek to improve the wear resistance of cobalt-base alloys by using lasers. Reducing cobalt impurity levels in core components that are periodically discharged should also help reduce radiation fields and disposal costs.