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Division Spotlight
Thermal Hydraulics
The division provides a forum for focused technical dialogue on thermal hydraulic technology in the nuclear industry. Specifically, this will include heat transfer and fluid mechanics involved in the utilization of nuclear energy. It is intended to attract the highest quality of theoretical and experimental work to ANS, including research on basic phenomena and application to nuclear system design.
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
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
PPPL study points to better fusion plasma control
The combination of two previously known methods for managing plasma conditions can result in enhanced control of plasma in a fusion reactor, according to a simulation performed by researchers at the Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.
A. J. Palmer, R. S. Skifton, D. C. Haggard, W. D. Swank, M. Scervini, G. L. Hawkes, C. B. T. Pham, T. L. Checketts
Nuclear Technology | Volume 209 | Number 3 | March 2023 | Pages 448-470
Technical Paper—Instrumentation and Controls | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2022.2065873
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
High-temperature gas reactor irradiation experiments create unique challenges for thermocouple-based temperature measurements. High-temperature industrial thermocouples suffer rapid decalibration due to transmutation of the thermoelements from neutron absorption. For lower-temperature applications, Type K and Type N thermocouples are affected by neutron irradiation only to a limited extent. But until recently, the use of these nickel-based thermocouples was limited when the temperature exceeded 1050°C due to drift related to phenomena other than nuclear irradiation. Certain portions of the AGR-5/6/7 experiment experienced temperatures higher than any of the previous AGR tests, up to 1500°C. Recognizing the limitations of existing thermometry to measure such high temperatures, the sponsor of the AGR-5/6/7 test supported a development and testing program for thermocouples capable of low-drift operation at temperatures above 1100°C. This program included additional development of high-temperature irradiation-resistant thermocouples based on molybdenum/niobium thermoelements, which have been studied at Idaho National Laboratory since circa 2004. A step change in accuracy and long-term stability of this thermocouple type was achieved as part of the AGR-5/6/7 thermometry development program. Additionally, long-term testing (7000+ h) at 1250°C of Type N thermocouples utilizing a customized sheath developed at the University of Cambridge has been completed with excellent low-drift results. The results of this testing as well as testing of the improved high-temperature irradiation-resistant design are reported herein. Both the improved high-temperature irradiation-resistant and the Cambridge Type N thermocouple types were incorporated into the AGR-5/6/7 test, which began irradiation in February 2018 and was completed in July 2020. A summary of the performance of the thermocouples incorporated into the AGR-5/6/7 test is included herein.