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.
M. Corradini, H.H. Reineke
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 102 | Number 3 | July 1989 | Pages 260-282
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE102-260
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The results from the BETA molten core/concrete interaction (MCCI) experiments conducted at Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe (KfK) and the associated analyses using computer models developed by KfK and by Sandia National Laboratories, i.e., WECHSL and CORCON, are described. Two important observations were made in the BETA steady-state tests: The first observation could be modeled by WECHSL and CORCON by modifications when interface heat transfer considered a “transition boiling” analogy model. The second observation was not modeled but is expected to be important during the high-temperature phase of the MCCI when fission product release is of concern. These results suggest that the BETA experiments provide necessary information to validate MCCI models for silicate (basaltic) concrete. For limestone (carbonatic) concrete, there are still open questions that further tests must address.