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Conference Spotlight
2026 Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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
The progress so far: An update on the Reactor Pilot Program
It has been about three months since the Department of Energy named 10 companies for its new Reactor Pilot Program, which maps out how the DOE would meet the goal announced by executive order in May of having three reactors achieve criticality by July 4, 2026.
François Martin, André Bergeron, Guillaume Campioni, Yannick Gorsse, Nathan Greiner, Elsa Merle
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 199 | Number 1 | April 2025 | Pages S994-S1005
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2024.2328964
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The CEA multiphysics tool combining the deterministic neutronics code APOLLO3® and the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) platform TRUST/TrioCFD is used to model the first-ever-built molten salt nuclear reactor, the Aircraft Reactor Experiment (ARE). A neutronics model and a thermal-hydraulic model of the reactor were created and coupled. Steady-state and transient simulations were performed in order to reproduce experiments realized on the ARE. The simulation results and experimental data are compared as a way of validating the multiphysics tool. The nominal state of the ARE is reproduced first; significant discrepancies were observed regarding the liquid sodium flow. Variations of βeff with the fuel flow rate were then studied. While the simulation was in very good agreement with the experimental data for high flow rates, some discrepancies were observed at low and null flow rates. Finally, a transient simulation of a rod withdrawal was reproduced. While the beginning of the transient simulation was in good agreement with the experimental data, oscillations appeared in the second half of the simulation.