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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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Latest News
Nano Nuclear wins Air Force contract for Kronos MMR
New York City–based advanced nuclear technology developer Nano Nuclear Energy has been awarded a Direct-to-Phase II Small Business Innovation Research contract for its Kronos micro modular reactor (MMR) by AFWERX, the innovation and venture arm of the U.S. Air Force. The contract calls for AFWERX, with the 11th Civil Engineering Squadron, to explore the feasibility of deploying the Kronos MMR Energy System at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB) in Washington, D.C.
Odmaa Sambuu, Van Khanh Hoang, Jun Nishiyama, Toru Obara
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 196 | Number 3 | March 2022 | Pages 322-341
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2021.1980361
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Since nuclear power plants were first developed over 80 years ago, most have had thermal reactors with enriched uranium as the main fuel. As a result, huge amounts of depleted uranium must be stockpiled and stored. Fast reactors operating in breed-and-burn (B&B) conditions are one potential approach to reducing the need for storage facilities to hold spent nuclear fuel and maximize the effective use of uranium resources. Sustaining B&B operating conditions depends on the choice of core materials. Here, we perform neutron balance analyses to determine the best combination of fuel and coolant material. We identify the features of the reactor core needed to maintain B&B operating mode by the amount of neutron loss from the core and coolant heat removal capability. Finally, we demonstrate that a large or small sodium-cooled fast reactor core with metallic or enriched nitride fuel, respectively, can sustain the chain reaction and B&B operation mode.