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Division members promote the advancement of mathematical and computational methods for solving problems arising in all disciplines encompassed by the Society. They place particular emphasis on numerical techniques for efficient computer applications to aid in the dissemination, integration, and proper use of computer codes, including preparation of computational benchmark and development of standards for computing practices, and to encourage the development on new computer codes and broaden their use.
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2025 ANS Annual Conference
June 15–18, 2025
Chicago, IL|Chicago Marriott Downtown
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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
P. J. Peterson and M. M. Thorpe
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 29 | Number 3 | September 1967 | Pages 425-431
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE67-A17291
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Measurements of the rate of uranium atom emission from a fissioning surface were made on uranium and uranium oxide sources. A technique was employed in which the sources could be maintained in vacuuo at all times during the experiments. It was found that at the start of an experiment the rate of emission was high, but declined with increasing reactor exposure to a low constant value of ≈6 uranium atoms ejected per fission fragment penetrating the surface for the metal and ≈38 for the oxide. Exposure of a uranium metal source to moist helium, after a constant emission rate was achieved, led to a suddenly increased rate that tended to return to that obtaining before treatment.
