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Division Spotlight
Materials Science & Technology
The objectives of MSTD are: promote the advancement of materials science in Nuclear Science Technology; support the multidisciplines which constitute it; encourage research by providing a forum for the presentation, exchange, and documentation of relevant information; promote the interaction and communication among its members; and recognize and reward its members for significant contributions to the field of materials science in nuclear technology.
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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Latest News
Proving DRACO will deliver
The United States is now closer than it has been in over five decades to launching the first nuclear thermal rocket into space, thanks to DRACO—the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Orbit.
Jennifer A. Lyons, Wade R. Marcum, Sean Morrell, Mark DeHart
Nuclear Technology | Volume 189 | Number 2 | February 2015 | Pages 202-217
Technical Note | Fission Reactors | doi.org/10.13182/NT14-33
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) is conducting scoping studies for the conversion of its fuel from a highly enriched uranium (HEU) composition to a low-enriched uranium (LEU) composition, through the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors Program, within the Global Threat Reduction Initiative. These studies have considered a wide variety of LEU plate-type fuels to replace the current HEU fuel. Continuing to investigate potential alternatives to the present HEU fuel form, this study presents a preliminary reactor physics scoping and feasibility analysis of TRIGA fuel within the current ATR fuel element envelope and compares it to the functional requirements delineated by the Naval Reactors Program, which includes >4.8×1014 fissions/s·g−1 of 235U in test positions, a fast–to–thermal neutron flux ratio that has a <5% deviation from its current value, a desired steady cycle power within the corner lobes, and an operational cycle length of 56 days at 120 MW. Other design parameters outside those put forth by the Naval Reactors Program that are investigated herein include axial and radial power profiles, effective delayed neutron fraction, and mean neutron generation time. The result of this study demonstrates potential promise for implementation of TRIGA fuel in the ATR from a reactor physics perspective; discussion of observations and limitations are provided herein.