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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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August 2025
Latest News
Powering the future: How the DOE is fueling nuclear fuel cycle research and development
As global interest in nuclear energy surges, the United States must remain at the forefront of research and development to ensure national energy security, advance nuclear technologies, and promote international cooperation on safety and nonproliferation. A crucial step in achieving this is analyzing how funding and resources are allocated to better understand how to direct future research and development. The Department of Energy has spearheaded this effort by funding hundreds of research projects across the country through the Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP). This initiative has empowered dozens of universities to collaborate toward a nuclear-friendly future.
Yung-An Chao, Chuan-Wen Hu, Chang-An Suo
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 93 | Number 1 | May 1986 | Pages 78-87
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE83-A17419
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Diffusion equations are generally solved forwardly, namely, for a given core loading condition one solves for the flux and power distribution. For fuel management applications, a theory of backward diffusion calculation is developed which for a given power distribution solves the diffusion equation backwardly for the core reactivity distribution. Loading pattern searches can be facilitated by matching the available fuel assemblies to the reactivity distribution predicted backwardly from the desired power distribution. Optimization of fuel utilization can also be performed by determining the optimum power shape, under imposed constraints, that gives a reactivity distribution requiring the least fuel loading.