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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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Can hydrogen be the transportation fuel in an otherwise nuclear economy?
Let’s face it: The global economy should be powered primarily by nuclear power. And it probably will by the end of this century, with a still-significant assist from renewables and hydro. Once nuclear systems are dominant, the costs come down to where gas is now; and when carbon emissions are reduced to a small portion of their present state, it will become obvious that most other sources are only good in niche settings. I mean, why use small modular reactors to load-follow when they can just produce that power instead of buffering it?
E. M. Giraldez, M. L. Hoppe Jr., D. E. Hoover, A. Q. L. Nguyen, N. G. Rice, A. M. Garcia, H. Huang, M. P. Mauldin, M. P. Farrell, A. Nikroo, V. Smalyuk
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 70 | Number 2 | August-September 2016 | Pages 258-264
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/FST15-234
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Hydrodynamic instability growth and its effects on capsule implosion performance are being studied at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Experimental results have shown that low-mode instabilities are the primary culprit for yield degradation. Ignition-type capsules with machined two-dimensional (2-D) sinusoidal defects were used to measure low-mode hydrodynamic instability growth in the acceleration phase of the capsule implosion. The capsules were imploded using ignition-relevant laser pulses and the ablation-front modulation growth was measured using X-ray radiography. The experimentally measured growth was in good agreement with simulations.
Fabrication of the preimposed 2-D sinusoidal defects of different wavelengths and amplitudes on the surfaces of ignition-type capsules was accomplished by General Atomics leading up to and during the Hydro-Growth Radiography campaign for the hydrodynamic instability growth experiments conducted at NIF between 2013 and 2014. The 2-D sinusoidal defects were imposed on ignition-type capsules by machining the surface of the capsule. The fabrication trials showed that there are six parameters that can affect the ripple form, wall thickness, and the extent of the pattern about the equator of the capsule: (1) knowing accurately the outer diameter of the capsule, (2) the roundness of the capsule (modal content), (3) the cutting tool alignment with respect to the surface of the capsule, (4) the radius and form of the cutting tool, (5) tool touch-off, and (6) the runout of the capsule center with respect to the axis of rotation of the lathe’s spindle. In this paper, we will describe the importance of these parameters on the machining of uniform 2-D sinusoidal defects.