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Division Spotlight
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.
Meeting Spotlight
Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo (UWC 2024)
August 4–7, 2024
Marco Island, FL|JW Marriott Marco Island
Standards Program
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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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Taking shape: Fusion energy ecosystems built with public-private partnerships
It’s possible to describe fusion in simple terms: heat and squeeze small atoms to get abundant clean energy. But there’s nothing simple about getting fusion ready for the grid.
Private developers, national lab and university researchers, suppliers, and end users working toward that goal are developing a range of complex technologies to reach fusion temperatures and pressures, confounded by science and technology gaps linked to plasma behavior; materials, diagnostics, and electronics for extreme environments; fuel cycle sustainability; and economics.
Amber L. Hames, Alena Paulenova, James L. Willit, Mark A. Williamson
Nuclear Technology | Volume 203 | Number 3 | September 2018 | Pages 272-281
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2018.1448673
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Regions of the LiCl-KCl-UCl3 phase diagram used to represent the molten salt compositions generated during the electrorefining of used nuclear fuel were evaluated by studying the LiCl-UCl3 and KCl-UCl3 binary systems and several ternary mixtures. Phase transition temperatures of several binary and ternary mixtures made with LiCl, KCl, and UCl3 were measured by using differential scanning calorimetry. Inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy was used to measure the gross compositions of the salt mixtures and X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to identify the phases formed after they were thermally cycled and had cooled to room temperature. The LiCl-UCl3 system has a eutectic transition at 763 ± 2 K for a mixture with 25 mol % UCl3. The KCl-UCl3 system has two eutectic transitions, one at 827 ± 3 K and another at 805 ± 4 K for mixtures with 19 mol % UCl3 and 57 mol % UCl3, respectively, and the congruently melting compound K2UCl5 was identified to have formed by XRD. The LiCl-UCl3 and KCl-UCl3 binary phase diagrams were developed and combined with the LiCl-KCl phase diagram to produce a portion of the LiCl-KCl-UCl3 phase diagram. The LiCl-KCl-UCl3 system includes two ternary eutectics, one occurring at 681 ± 6 K for the mixture with 33 mol % UCl3, 42.0 mol % LiCl, and 25 mol % KCl, and the other at 619 ± 1 K for the mixture with 8 mol % UCl3, 50.0 mol % LiCl, and 42 mol % KCl. The evaluation of these phase diagrams provides an improved understanding of the LiCl-KCl-UCl3 systems generated during electrorefining.