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INL reports findings on unusual quantum behavior of plutonium
Scientists at Idaho National Laboratory have discovered that plutonium hexaboride (PuB6) displays a type of unusual quantum property called a topological Kondo insulating state. Materials with this property are neither typical electricity conductors nor regular insulators. Rather, they have exterior surfaces that strongly conduct electricity and interiors that block electricity.
Borut Mavko, Stojan Petelin, Oton Gortnar
Nuclear Technology | Volume 101 | Number 2 | February 1993 | Pages 181-192
Technical Paper | Nuclear Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT93-A34779
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The steam generator is one of the most important components of a pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear power plant. Thus, the ability to model and predict the steam generator steady-state and transient thermal-hydraulic behavior is a prerequisite for performing safety analyses of PWR systems. A RELAP5 model of the Westinghouse D4 steam generator with a 70/30 split feedwater system has been developed, and it is tested by simulating five secondary-side-initiated transients. This study of primary-to-secondary heat transfer and the secondary coolant vaporization process has enabled the primary coolant cooldown to be maximized, as required for performing a conservative steamline break analysis. These tests were realized using the RELAP5/MOD2.36.05 and RELAP5/MOD3.5M5 computer codes.