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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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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.
P. Benoist, M. Carta, G. Palmiotti, M. Salvatores, J. Tullett
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 103 | Number 3 | November 1989 | Pages 254-264
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE89-A23676
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A simple method to calculate the effectiveness of the control assembly in a fast neutron reactor is proposed. For each type of heterogeneous assembly (control or follower), a polar parameter, taking into account the assembly absorption and the axial leakage of neutrons inside the assembly, is defined. In a similar way, a bipolar parameter, taking into account the reaction of the assembly to a transverse flux gradient, is also defined. These two parameters, deduced from transport theory, are used to determine the absorption cross section and the diffusion coefficient of an equivalent homogeneous control or follower assembly. These new parameters are introduced in a one-group diffusion code, calculating the reactor as a whole with any number of control and follower assemblies. An approximate generalization to multigroup theory is proposed. Numerical comparisons show that this equivalent diffusion method gives results that are much closer to transport results than those obtained by the classical diffusion theory.