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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.
Meeting Spotlight
International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M&C 2025)
April 27–30, 2025
Denver, CO|The Westin Denver Downtown
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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Sam Altman steps down as Oklo board chair
Advanced nuclear company Oklo Inc. has new leadership for its board of directors as billionaire Sam Altman is stepping down from the position he has held since 2015. The move is meant to open new partnership opportunities with OpenAI, where Altman is CEO, and other artificial intelligence companies.
Tyler Guin, Kori McDonald, James Folkert, Chris Verst, Jay Gaillard, Timothy A. DeVol, Valery N. Bliznyuk, George Larsen
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 80 | Number 6 | August 2024 | Pages 781-791
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2023.2232981
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Vacuum pumps are the heart of the fusion fuel cycle, but most currently proposed pumping technologies are not capable of handling the required flow rates and vacuum pressures. Oil-containing vacuum pumps can readily meet the flow requirements, but vacuum fluids will degrade in fusion-relevant environments due to contact with tritium and exposure to high-energy radiation. Here, we describe a methodology to screen vacuum fluid candidates and purify these candidate fluids post oxidation, post exposure to deuterium, and post exposure to gamma radiation (<7.5 MGy) to simulate a process in which vacuum fluids can be recovered and regenerated during the fusion fuel cycle. A series of oils, including a highly purified mineral oil, phenyl silicone oil, and a polyphenyl ether, are shown to be suitable candidates for vacuum pumping. Additionally, we describe a simple purification methodology to remove oxidized functionalities and the associated isotopologues induced by contact with deuterium from the candidate vacuum fluids This purification methodology can also be applied to radiological damage with moderate effect. Finally, we demonstrate that the sorbents can be regenerated through electromagnetic microwave digestion.