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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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College students help develop waste measuring device at Hanford
A partnership between Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) and Washington State University has resulted in the development of a device to measure radioactive and chemical tank waste at the Hanford Site. WRPS is the contractor at Hanford for the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management.
Paul K. Chan, Stephane Paquette, Hugues W. Bonin
Nuclear Technology | Volume 191 | Number 1 | July 2015 | Pages 1-14
Technical Paper | Fuel Cycle and Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT14-67
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A CANDU lattice cell has been modeled using the Los Alamos National Laboratory's MCNP 6 code and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited's WIMS-AECL 3.1. Models for the CANDU 37-element fuel bundle have included a CANLUB coating, as a carrier for the neutron absorbers. The objective is to improve CANDU reactor operating margins by adding small amounts (∼1 g) of neutron absorbers to each fuel element.
For CANDU natural uranium fuel bundle design, the results indicate that (a) the fueling transient (due to the xenon-free effect) could be significantly reduced using gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3), with no significant impact on fuel burnup, and (b) the reactivity peak (due to plutonium production) could be reduced using europium oxide (Eu2O3), with minimal impact on fuel burnup. An appropriate mixture of Gd2O3 and Eu2O3 that will improve operation and safety margins while having a minimal impact on fuel burnup is determined.
Reactivity and power calculations for various mixtures of Gd2O3 and Eu2O3 are reported here. It is concluded that ∼180 mg Gd2O3 and ∼1000 mg Eu2O3 (∼4.9 ×10−3 wt% per bundle) are sufficient to suppress the refueling transient and lower the axial plutonium peak, with a 0.27% burnup penalty (which is a small impact).
Fuel safety and performance are always important topics for a nuclear utility. This approach of a relatively simple application of burnable poisons to existing CANDU natural uranium fuel design offers the benefits of improving fuel utilization and safety margins.