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NCSD provides communication among nuclear criticality safety professionals through the development of standards, the evolution of training methods and materials, the presentation of technical data and procedures, and the creation of specialty publications. In these ways, the division furthers the exchange of technical information on nuclear criticality safety with the ultimate goal of promoting the safe handling of fissionable materials outside reactors.
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High-temperature plumbing and advanced reactors
The use of nuclear fission power and its role in impacting climate change is hotly debated. Fission advocates argue that short-term solutions would involve the rapid deployment of Gen III+ nuclear reactors, like Vogtle-3 and -4, while long-term climate change impact would rely on the creation and implementation of Gen IV reactors, “inherently safe” reactors that use passive laws of physics and chemistry rather than active controls such as valves and pumps to operate safely. While Gen IV reactors vary in many ways, one thing unites nearly all of them: the use of exotic, high-temperature coolants. These fluids, like molten salts and liquid metals, can enable reactor engineers to design much safer nuclear reactors—ultimately because the boiling point of each fluid is extremely high. Fluids that remain liquid over large temperature ranges can provide good heat transfer through many demanding conditions, all with minimal pressurization. Although the most apparent use for these fluids is advanced fission power, they have the potential to be applied to other power generation sources such as fusion, thermal storage, solar, or high-temperature process heat.1–3
Gregory C. Hahn, Elijah H. Martin, Mohamed A. Bourham
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 47 | Number 4 | May 2005 | Pages 1197-1201
Technical Paper | Fusion Energy - Inertial Fusion Technology | doi.org/10.13182/FST05-A850
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Plasma interaction with first wall and interior reactor chamber components is an influencing factor in the design of inertial fusion facilities. The concept of a liquid metal wall, in which a circulating lithium curtain would be used, has been considered in many studies. The interaction of plasmas with moving liquid metals is a complex subject due to the influence of hydrodynamics, evaporation and droplet formation, nucleation and agglomeration of condensed particulates. To gain an understanding of some of the specific details of this interaction an experimental setup of an arc-generated plasma interacting with a liquid lead pool has been designed, constructed and operated. This simulation of the plasma-liquid interaction focuses on the particle condensation of the liquid metal after plasma interaction. The experiment generates transient high-density plasma over 50 s pulse duration. Plasma characteristics are determined by various diagnostics. A set of collection substrates are arranged to collect nucleated particulates condensing from the evolving plume. Particulate size and distribution are analyzed numerically using digital images.
