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IAEA looks at nuclear techniques for crop resilience
The International Atomic Energy Agency has launched a five-year coordinated research project (CRP) to strengthen plant health preparedness using nuclear and related technologies.
Wheat blast, potato late blight, potato bacterial wilt, and cassava witches broom disease can spread quickly across large areas of land, leading to severe yield losses in key crops for food security. Global trade and climate change have increased the likelihood of rapid, transboundary spread.
John F. Geldard, Adolph L. Beyerlein, Houn-Lin Chiu
Nuclear Technology | Volume 78 | Number 2 | August 1987 | Pages 151-156
Technical Paper | Chemical Processing | doi.org/10.13182/NT87-A33993
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The mathematical basis for a computer code PUNE (Plutonium-Uranium-Non-Equilibrium) is described. The code simulates the steady-state concentration profiles of solvent extraction contactors used in the Purex process under conditions where material transfer between phases deviates from the equilibrium limit. The deviation is accounted for by a mass transfer area characteristic of the operating conditions of a contactor, and a mass transfer coefficient for the chemical species of interest. In the limit of infinite mass transfer rate, PUNE gives the same results as other codes that calculate equilibrium profiles. For 1A and IE contactors, the computational times are reduced between two- and fivefold over times required by other codes that generate the steady-state profiles via transient state conditions. For 1B or partitioning contactors, the reduction in time can be more than 20-fold. Since there is no loss of accuracy in these calculations, PUNE represents an important advance in the determination of steady-state profiles, especially for 1B contactors because it is with these that the greatest computational difficulties are encountered.