ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
August 2026
Nuclear Technology
July 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
The deadline arrives: Checking in on the Reactor Pilot Program
On May 23, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14301, “Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the DOE,” which instructed the Department of Energy to create a Reactor Pilot Program (RPP)—a new system in which companies could pursue DOE authorization to build and test their first-of-a-kind nuclear technologies. EO 14301 set an ambitious goal for that program: three reactors achieving criticality by July 4, 2026.
T. S. Krolikowski, L. Leibowitz, R. E. Wilson, J. C. Cassulo, S. K. Stynes
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 38 | Number 2 | November 1969 | Pages 156-160
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE69-A19520
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Molten sodium (623 to 69°K) was injected by a pneumatic, piston spray-injector into a closed reaction chamber containing dry air or dry air-nitrogen mixtures. The rate of the pressure rise resulting from the sodium-air burning reaction was measured during the spraying interval. The pressure-rise rate was a measure of the reaction rate. The spray particle size had the most pronounced effect on the reaction rate, which increased as the particle size decreased. Increasing the spray velocity resulted in a modest increase in the reaction rate. The reaction rate decreased slowly as the oxygen content of the atmosphere was lowered until, at an oxygen concentration of 4 mol%, there was no visible burning.