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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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Securing the advanced reactor fleet
Physical protection accounts for a significant portion of a nuclear power plant’s operational costs. As the U.S. moves toward smaller and safer advanced reactors, similar protection strategies could prove cost prohibitive. For tomorrow’s small modular reactors and microreactors, security costs must remain appropriate to the size of the reactor for economical operation.
Luis E. Herranz, C. L. del Prá, A. Dehbi
Nuclear Technology | Volume 158 | Number 1 | April 2007 | Pages 83-93
Technical Paper | Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT07-A3827
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Postulated accident sequences of a pressurized water reactor, consisting of steam generator tube ruptures (SGTRs) in combination with a melting core, have been demonstrated to represent a dominant contribution to the overall public risk. However, it should be expected that even in the absence of any water in the secondary side of the steam generator ("dry" SGTR scenario), some radioactivity retention takes place as a result of the interaction of the carrier gas with internal structures. The region near the tube breach becomes a key region because it behaves as a sink for the radioactive particles entering the secondary side, and consequently, it changes size distribution of aerosols flowing toward upper structures.This paper identifies major issues that should be addressed to accurately estimate aerosol retention in the field near a tube breach during dry SGTR scenarios. By developing a simple Lagrangian model based on the filter-concept approach (ARISG-I), the specific aspects of fluid dynamics and aerosol physics involved have been explored and the major knowledge gaps highlighted.Inertial impaction and turbulent deposition have been demonstrated to be major particle removal mechanisms. Their respective collection efficiencies have been derived by gathering and correlating separate effect data on particle deposition on cylinders in a crossflow configuration. Comparisons of model predictions to experimental data taken in a mock-up facility of the break stage under similar conditions to those anticipated in dry SGTR scenarios have been set. The substantial discrepancies found and their analysis have provided insights into the significance of drawbacks of model fundamentals, the inaccuracy of specific equations of deposition mechanisms, and most importantly, the lack of consideration of key phenomena that hinder aerosol retention.According to this analysis the main areas where research is needed are: gas jet behavior across the tube bank; particle resuspension, erosion, and/or bouncing; and particle inertial impaction and turbulent deposition under foreseen conditions.