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Aerospace Nuclear Science & Technology
Organized to promote the advancement of knowledge in the use of nuclear science and technologies in the aerospace application. Specialized nuclear-based technologies and applications are needed to advance the state-of-the-art in aerospace design, engineering and operations to explore planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond, plus enhance the safety of air travel, especially high speed air travel. Areas of interest will include but are not limited to the creation of nuclear-based power and propulsion systems, multifunctional materials to protect humans and electronic components from atmospheric, space, and nuclear power system radiation, human factor strategies for the safety and reliable operation of nuclear power and propulsion plants by non-specialized personnel and more.
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International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M&C 2025)
April 27–30, 2025
Denver, CO|The Westin Denver Downtown
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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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Argonne’s METL gears up to test more sodium fast reactor components
Argonne National Laboratory has successfully swapped out an aging cold trap in the sodium test loop called METL (Mechanisms Engineering Test Loop), the Department of Energy announced April 23. The upgrade is the first of its kind in the United States in more than 30 years, according to the DOE, and will help test components and operations for the sodium-cooled fast reactors being developed now.
C. E. Sessions, S. D. Reynolds, Jr., M. A. Hebbar, J. F. Lewis, J. H. Kiefer
Nuclear Technology | Volume 55 | Number 2 | November 1981 | Pages 270-279
Technical Paper | Materials | doi.org/10.13182/NT55-270
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The progress achieved since 1977 in the important area of materials and processes development of fast reactor steam generator development is summarized. The two distinguishing features of the proposed Westinghouse-Tampa steam generator concept are the convoluted shell expansion joint (CSEJ) and the double-wall tubing with a third fluid leak detection capability. A Cr—1 Mo low alloy steel will be used for all important parts of the generator including the CSEJ and the tubes. Other areas in which progress was made include tube-to-tubesheet (TITS) welding, post-weld heat treatment (PWHT), tube expansion, and development of materials specifications for prototype and future plant materials. The tubing development work was based on the successful completion of a manufacturing feasibility program in 1974. This activity has involved manufacture of 23.47-m (77-ft)-long pre-stressed double-wall tubing (DWT) and testing of the tubing for dimensional tolerance or control interface residual stress, heat transfer, interface wear, and gas flow rates at the DWT interface. Results illustrate the capabilities of the vendors’ tube manufacturing process in achieving the important attributes of a leak detecting, prestressed, double-wall steam generator concept. The CSEJ material selection and design have evolved significantly since 1977. A materials change from Alloy 600 to Cr—1 Mo was recently made. The approach to manufacturing the CSEJ is to machine the convolutes from a large pre-forged ring of remelt Cr—1 Mo steel. Significant welding and PWHT process development progress has been achieved for both accessible and inaccessible T/TS welds. Equipment has been designed and manufactured successfully, and welding parameter development is well under way. Automatic and manual welding guns utilizing the pulsed current technique are described. The approach to PWHT involves induction heating for short times at a relatively high tempering temperature. Temperature control of the induction unit involves a preprogrammed heating cycle and feedback control using infrared sensors or thermocouples.