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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
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.
Hangbok Choi, Robert W. Schleicher, John Bolin
Nuclear Technology | Volume 206 | Number 7 | July 2020 | Pages 993-1009
Regular Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2019.1698936
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Fuel performance analysis was conducted for the silicon carbide (SiC) composite clad uranium carbide (UC) fuel of a 500-MW(thermal) gas-cooled fast reactor, specifically the energy multiplier module (EM2) under normal operation. The analysis consists of two parts: Part I (this paper) includes a description of design bases and criteria, fuel element design specifications, and material properties and models, while Part II includes the fuel modeling approach, computer code, and fuel design evaluation. In Part I, the design bases and criteria describe the maximum allowed material temperature, cladding stress limit for structural integrity, and cladding strain limit for hermeticity. The material properties and models have been collected from open literature and recent measurements for the UC and SiC composites, respectively. As a result of reviewing legacy UC properties and models, it is recommended to measure the as-fabricated EM2 fuel properties with high priority to the thermal conductivity, swelling rate, and mechanical strength. For the SiC composite cladding, it is recommended to refine the creep rate for its temperature and time dependence. The stress-strain model also needs to be refined for its strain rate, irradiation, and temperature dependence.