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Division Spotlight
Mathematics & Computation
Division members promote the advancement of mathematical and computational methods for solving problems arising in all disciplines encompassed by the Society. They place particular emphasis on numerical techniques for efficient computer applications to aid in the dissemination, integration, and proper use of computer codes, including preparation of computational benchmark and development of standards for computing practices, and to encourage the development on new computer codes and broaden their use.
Meeting Spotlight
2025 ANS Annual Conference
June 15–18, 2025
Chicago, IL|Chicago Marriott Downtown
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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Latest News
High-temperature plumbing and advanced reactors
The use of nuclear fission power and its role in impacting climate change is hotly debated. Fission advocates argue that short-term solutions would involve the rapid deployment of Gen III+ nuclear reactors, like Vogtle-3 and -4, while long-term climate change impact would rely on the creation and implementation of Gen IV reactors, “inherently safe” reactors that use passive laws of physics and chemistry rather than active controls such as valves and pumps to operate safely. While Gen IV reactors vary in many ways, one thing unites nearly all of them: the use of exotic, high-temperature coolants. These fluids, like molten salts and liquid metals, can enable reactor engineers to design much safer nuclear reactors—ultimately because the boiling point of each fluid is extremely high. Fluids that remain liquid over large temperature ranges can provide good heat transfer through many demanding conditions, all with minimal pressurization. Although the most apparent use for these fluids is advanced fission power, they have the potential to be applied to other power generation sources such as fusion, thermal storage, solar, or high-temperature process heat.1–3
E. Studer, D. Abdo, S. Benteboula, G. Bernard-Michel, B. Cariteau, N. Coulon, F. Dabbene, Ph. Debesse, S. Koudriakov, C. Ledier, J.-P. Magnaud, O. Norvez, J.-L. Widloecher, A. Beccantini, S. Gounand, J. Brinster
Nuclear Technology | Volume 206 | Number 9 | September 2020 | Pages 1361-1373
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2020.1731406
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The containment of a nuclear reactor is a component whose loss in an accident has serious consequences on property, persons, and environment. The Fukushima accident reminded us of this reality. For more than 30 years, the French Nuclear Energy and Alternative Energies Commission has been conducting research on the failure modes of these enclosures, particularly on their slow pressurization during a steam release and hydrogen risk. Significant progress has been made on wall condensation and its spatial distribution, the occurrence and erosion of gas stratification, and the impact of mitigation systems, such as spraying and catalytic recombiners. This knowledge has been included in numerical tools and internationally recognized expertise. These tools have also been used for the safety of the hydrogen energy industry. The emergence of new systems, particularly passive systems and new light water reactor concepts, has led us to examine new questions that will have to be addressed in the coming years. This examination is done in view of current computational fluid dynamics code capabilities and limitations.