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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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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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NC State celebrates 70 years of nuclear engineering education
An early picture of the research reactor building on the North Carolina State University campus. The Department of Nuclear Engineering is celebrating the 70th anniversary of its nuclear engineering curriculum in 2020–2021. Photo: North Carolina State University
The Department of Nuclear Engineering at North Carolina State University has spent the 2020–2021 academic year celebrating the 70th anniversary of its becoming the first U.S. university to establish a nuclear engineering curriculum. It started in 1950, when Clifford Beck, then of Oak Ridge, Tenn., obtained support from NC State’s dean of engineering, Harold Lampe, to build the nation’s first university nuclear reactor and, in conjunction, establish an educational curriculum dedicated to nuclear engineering.
The department, host to the 2021 ANS Virtual Student Conference, scheduled for April 8–10, now features 23 tenure/tenure-track faculty and three research faculty members. “What a journey for the first nuclear engineering curriculum in the nation,” said Kostadin Ivanov, professor and department head.
Robert C. Moore, Milton E. Vernon, Edward J. Parma, Paul S. Pickard, Gary E. Rochau
Nuclear Technology | Volume 178 | Number 1 | April 2012 | Pages 111-118
Technical Paper | Safety and Technology of Nuclear Hydrogen Production, Control, and Management / Nuclear Hydrogen Production | dx.doi.org/10.13182/NT12-A13551
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In this work, we describe a novel design for a H2SO4 decomposer. The decomposition of H2SO4 to produce SO2 is a common processing operation in the sulfur-based thermochemical cycles for hydrogen production where acid decomposition takes place at 850°C in the presence of a catalyst. The combination of a high temperature and sulfuric acid creates a very corrosive environment that presents significant design challenges. The new decomposer design is based on a bayonet-type heat exchanger tube with the annular space packed with a catalyst. The unit is constructed of silicon carbide and other highly corrosion-resistant materials. The new design integrates acid boiling, superheating, decomposition, and heat recuperation into a single process and eliminates problems of corrosion and failure of high-temperature seals encountered in previous testing using metallic construction materials. The unit was tested by varying the acid feed rate and decomposition temperature and pressure.
