ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Winter Conference & Expo
November 15–18, 2026
Phoenix, AZ|Arizona Grand Resort & Spa
Latest Magazine Issues
Aug 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
October 2026
Nuclear Technology
September 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
August 2026
Latest News
LLNL, Ampera partner to develop thorium-based TRISO fuel
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has formed a strategic partnership with Ampera to develop the company’s nuclear fuel concept through a project named THUNDER, for Thorium Unimodal Droplet Ejection for Reactors.
The focus of THUNDER is fabricating TRISO made with kernels of thorium rather than the usual uranium. LLNL and Ampera will evaluate and optimize liquid metal–jetting technology to produce highly uniform, spherical kernels of thorium-232 for later processing into TRISO fuel.
Ronald F. Kulak
Nuclear Technology | Volume 51 | Number 3 | December 1980 | Pages 414-420
Technical Paper | Mechanics Applications to Fast Breeder Reactor Safety / Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT80-A32577
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This paper assesses the structural dynamics of the deck structure and the resulting loading on the deck supports of a pool-type liquid-metal fast breeder reactor during a hypothetical core disruptive accident. During this hypothetical accident. the sodium above the core is considered to be propelled upward until it impacts against the deck structure. This hydrodynamic loading could produce structural damage and sodium leak paths. The deck is a three-dimensional composite structure of beams, plates, and concrete fill. It is supported at its outer periphery by the surrounding concrete foundation. The deck provides top closure of the main tank and support for the intermediate heat exchangers, primary pumps, rotating plugs, and primary and secondary tanks. A finite element model is used to study the deck dynamics during slug impact. The structural stiffening effect of the concrete fill is assessed, and results are given for deck displacement and velocity histories and deck support column reaction forces.