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Division Spotlight
Operations & Power
Members focus on the dissemination of knowledge and information in the area of power reactors with particular application to the production of electric power and process heat. The division sponsors meetings on the coverage of applied nuclear science and engineering as related to power plants, non-power reactors, and other nuclear facilities. It encourages and assists with the dissemination of knowledge pertinent to the safe and efficient operation of nuclear facilities through professional staff development, information exchange, and supporting the generation of viable solutions to current issues.
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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
April 2024
Nuclear Technology
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February 2024
Latest News
Can hydrogen be the transportation fuel in an otherwise nuclear economy?
Let’s face it: The global economy should be powered primarily by nuclear power. And it probably will by the end of this century, with a still-significant assist from renewables and hydro. Once nuclear systems are dominant, the costs come down to where gas is now; and when carbon emissions are reduced to a small portion of their present state, it will become obvious that most other sources are only good in niche settings. I mean, why use small modular reactors to load-follow when they can just produce that power instead of buffering it?
Lawrence E. Wiles, Thomas L. George
Nuclear Technology | Volume 142 | Number 1 | April 2003 | Pages 77-91
Technical Paper | RETRAN | doi.org/10.13182/NT03-A3375
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
GOTHIC version 7.0 was used to model five tests that were conducted in the Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation facility in Japan. The tests involved steam and helium injection into a preheated, spray-moderated, 1/4-scale model of a pressurized water reactor dry containment. Comparison of GOTHIC predictions to measured data for pressure, vapor temperatures, structure surface temperatures, and helium concentrations provided the opportunity to evaluate methods for modeling gas dispersion, drop heat and mass transfer, and surface heat transfer.The test facility includes three floors. The lower two floors are partitioned into a variety of rooms that simulate the lower regions of the modeled containment. On the upper floor, rooms that simulate the steam generator enclosures and the pressurizer enclosure extend into the dome, which represents about two-thirds of the total volume of the containment.The GOTHIC model was defined with 30 control volumes using a mix of lumped parameter volumes and subdivided volumes that employ a three-dimensional mesh. Each volume included several thermal conductors to model the various structures. More than 100 flow paths were used to model the hydraulic connections.Comparison of predictions to data showed that enhanced grid resolution in the vicinity of the steam-helium release point served to limit dispersion of the steam-helium plume. The data comparisons also suggested that spray effectiveness was reduced by drop impact with the containment wall and by the high drop concentration. The data comparisons further suggested that the presence of condensation, sprays, splashing, and other wetting mechanisms should be considered to obtain a reasonable estimate of the effect of liquid films on the structure surfaces.