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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.
Venceslav Kostadinov
Nuclear Technology | Volume 114 | Number 1 | April 1996 | Pages 12-22
Technical Paper | Fission Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT96-A35220
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Results are given of independent research of core thermal design limits for the Nuklearna Elektrarna Krško (NEK) nuclear power plant; procedures for two-loop pressurized water reactor plant core design safety limit calculation are used. Emphasis is placed on researching the vessel exit boiling and the hot-channel exit quality limits and their impact on the maximum available design safety operating range and thermal operating margin of the NEK reactor core. For this purpose, the LIMITS computer code is developed. Based on the modified, well-tried COBRA-IV-I computer code, the departure of nuclear boiling ratio core safety limits are calculated. The original results complement well those of the NEK Final Safety Analysis Report. The procedures and the methods for determining the reactor core design thermal limits are successfully proven despite the unavailability of proprietary data, different models, and computer codes. In addition to the acquired capability of in-house independent checking of the vendor’s results, the bases are set for further independent analyses of the limiting safety system settings for the NEK core.