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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.
Meeting Spotlight
2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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
Commercial nuclear innovation "new space" age
In early 2006, a start-up company launched a small rocket from a tiny island in the Pacific. It exploded, showering the island with debris. A year later, a second launch attempt sent a rocket to space but failed to make orbit, burning up in the atmosphere. Another year brought a third attempt—and a third failure. The following month, in September 2008, the company used the last of its funds to launch a fourth rocket. It reached orbit, making history as the first privately funded liquid-fueled rocket to do so.
Jack D. Law, David H. Meikrantz, Troy G. Garn, Lawrence L. Macaluso
Nuclear Technology | Volume 173 | Number 2 | February 2011 | Pages 191-199
Technical Paper | High Level Waste | doi.org/10.13182/NT11-A11548
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Advanced designs of spent nuclear fuel recycling processes and radioactive waste treatment processes are expected to include more ambitious goals for aqueous-based separations, including higher separation efficiency, high-level waste minimization, and a greater focus on continuous processes to minimize cost and footprint. Therefore, annular centrifugal contactors are destined to play a more important role for such future processing schemes. Pilot-scale testing will be an integral part of development of many of these processes. An advanced design for remote maintenance of pilot-scale centrifugal contactors has been developed and a prototype module fabricated and tested for a commercially available pilot-scale centrifugal contactor (CINC V-02, 5-cm rotor diameter). Advanced design features include air-actuated clamps for holding the motor/rotor assembly in place, an integral electrical connection, upper flange O-rings, a welded bottom plate, a lifting bale, and guide pins. These design features will allow for rapid replacement of the motor/rotor assembly, which can be accomplished while maintaining process equilibrium in the operating contactors during replacement of a unit. This means that fluids in the operating contactors remain at equilibrium with respect to composition and that process solutions are ready to resume discharge when the contactor is replaced and feed solutions are restarted. Hydraulic testing of a three-stage prototype unit was also performed to verify that design changes did not impact performance of the centrifugal contactors. Details of the pilot-scale remote maintenance design, results of testing in a remote mock-up test facility, and results of hydraulic testing of the advanced design are provided.