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Division Spotlight
Nuclear Installations Safety
Devoted specifically to the safety of nuclear installations and the health and safety of the public, this division seeks a better understanding of the role of safety in the design, construction and operation of nuclear installation facilities. The division also promotes engineering and scientific technology advancement associated with the safety of such facilities.
Meeting Spotlight
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2023)
February 6–9, 2023
Amelia Island, FL|Omni Amelia Island Resort
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
February 2023
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
A review of workforce trends in the nuclear community
The nuclear community is undergoing a moment of unprecedented interest and growth not seen in decades. The passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act are providing a multitude of new funding opportunities for the nuclear community, and not just the current fleet. A mix of technologies and reactor types are being evaluated and deployed, with Vogtle Units 3 and 4 coming on line later this year, the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Projects of X-energy and TerraPower, and NuScale’s work with Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems to build a first-of-a-kind small modular reactor, making this is an exciting time to join the nuclear workforce.
J. R. Nicholas, P. T. Ireland, D. Hancock, D. Robertson
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 72 | Number 4 | November 2017 | Pages 566-573
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2017.1350483
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The necessity to handle heat loads in the MW/m2 range has become increasingly prevalent in a number of industries. Termed high-heat flux cooling, some of the most challenging conditions in this field occur at the first wall and divertor regions of a fusion tokamak. Steady-state heat fluxes here may reach values in excess of 10 MW/m2 in some areas for a first stage DEMO. The situation is exasperated further by the environment within the machine, which severely alters material properties with time. Even coolant choice itself can have an impact beyond thermal considerations through tritium inventory and neutron activation. Successfully addressing these issues is of critical importance to the development of commercial fusion power. A number of heat sink modules utilising jet impingement in a flat plate geometry were manufactured using diffusion bonding. Each sample produced was subject to leak and hydrostatic pressure measurements, together with further non-destructive analyses. Thermo-fluid measurements were performed on the components in a purpose built facility employing water as the coolant at pressures of up to 200 bar. To replicate the thermal boundary conditions a resistive thin-film heater technique was utilised. This allowed heat fluxes in the MW/m2 range to be applied to the modules. The results indicate that the concept may be a viable alternative heat sink candidate for first wall or divertor applications in a DEMO, but that further research is required to optimise certain aspects of the design.