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Division Spotlight
Reactor Physics
The division's objectives are to promote the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena characterizing nuclear reactors and other nuclear systems. The division encourages research and disseminates information through meetings and publications. Areas of technical interest include nuclear data, particle interactions and transport, reactor and nuclear systems analysis, methods, design, validation and operating experience and standards. The Wigner Award heads the awards program.
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2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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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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From South Korea to Belgium: Testing a high-density research reactor fuel
The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has developed a high-density uranium silicide fuel designed to replace high-enriched uranium in research reactors. Recent irradiation tests appear to be successful, KAERI reports, which means the fuel could be commercialized to continue a key global nuclear nonproliferation effort—converting research reactors to run on low-enriched uranium fuel.
Katsuyuki Kawashima, Kotaro Inoue, Kunikazu Kaneto, Tatsutoshi Inagaki
Nuclear Technology | Volume 70 | Number 2 | August 1985 | Pages 180-188
Technical Paper | Fission Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT85-A33642
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An axially heterogeneous core (AHC) concept is applied to a 1000-MW(electric)-class tank-type liquidmetal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR). This AHC is characterized by a disk-shaped internal blanket with a radial thickness adjustment at the core midplane. The nuclear characteristics connected with control rod worth of the AHC are analyzed and compared with those of a homogeneous core (HOC) of the same power rating. The neutronics analysis shows that the reactivity insertion due to the vertical displacement of control rods relative to the core, which is an important safety characteristic of a tank-type LMFBR core, is significantly decreased in the AHC because of the reduced control worth requirement and smaller peakto-average differential worth in the primary control system. This allows the AHC to have a vertical displacement 50% greater than that of the HOC and may offer less rigid design conditions for roof slab stiffness and core support systems in a tank-type LMFBR. A reduction in the number of primary control rods is also possible because of a smaller control worth requirement and a better power peaking factor. The work was sponsored by a federation of Japanese electric power companies and performed under the guidance of the fast breeder reactor project office.