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Aerospace Nuclear Science & Technology
Organized to promote the advancement of knowledge in the use of nuclear science and technologies in the aerospace application. Specialized nuclear-based technologies and applications are needed to advance the state-of-the-art in aerospace design, engineering and operations to explore planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond, plus enhance the safety of air travel, especially high speed air travel. Areas of interest will include but are not limited to the creation of nuclear-based power and propulsion systems, multifunctional materials to protect humans and electronic components from atmospheric, space, and nuclear power system radiation, human factor strategies for the safety and reliable operation of nuclear power and propulsion plants by non-specialized personnel and more.
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Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo (UWC 2024)
August 4–7, 2024
Marco Island, FL|JW Marriott Marco Island
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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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Taking shape: Fusion energy ecosystems built with public-private partnerships
It’s possible to describe fusion in simple terms: heat and squeeze small atoms to get abundant clean energy. But there’s nothing simple about getting fusion ready for the grid.
Private developers, national lab and university researchers, suppliers, and end users working toward that goal are developing a range of complex technologies to reach fusion temperatures and pressures, confounded by science and technology gaps linked to plasma behavior; materials, diagnostics, and electronics for extreme environments; fuel cycle sustainability; and economics.
Katarzyna Borowiec, Tomasz Kozlowski, Caleb S. Brooks
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 194 | Number 8 | August-September 2020 | Pages 737-747
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2020.1713671
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The work presents validation of the TRAC/RELAP Advanced Computational Engine (TRACE) code for natural circulation two-phase flow in a vertical annulus. Natural circulation experiments were recently conducted for a vertical internally heated annulus at the Multiphase Thermo-Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at the University of Illinois. The experimental matrix consists of 107 experiments with system pressure in the range of 145 to 950 kPa and heat flux up to 275 kW/m2. Void fraction, gas velocity, and interfacial area concentration were measured in five axial locations along the test section with six measurements of bulk liquid temperature and pressure. To validate the capability of the TRACE code under natural circulation flow conditions, a complete model of the experimental facility was created and validated using forced convection and single-phase natural circulation data.
Sensitivity and uncertainty quantification were performed. The sensitivity to important simulation parameters was studied using Sobol’s variance decomposition and the Morris screening method. The sensitivity of boundary conditions on void fraction measurement was investigated. The sensitivity study has shown significant differences in model sensitivity between different experimental conditions. With heat flux being the most influential parameter for high-pressure cases without flashing and pressure, temperature and heat flux have a combined strong effect in the case of low-pressure experiments when flashing occurs. Additionally, higher uncertainty in void fraction prediction was observed for experimental conditions at low pressure with flashing.