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Operations & Power
Members focus on the dissemination of knowledge and information in the area of power reactors with particular application to the production of electric power and process heat. The division sponsors meetings on the coverage of applied nuclear science and engineering as related to power plants, non-power reactors, and other nuclear facilities. It encourages and assists with the dissemination of knowledge pertinent to the safe and efficient operation of nuclear facilities through professional staff development, information exchange, and supporting the generation of viable solutions to current issues.
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ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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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General Kenneth Nichols and the Manhattan Project
Nichols
The Oak Ridger has published the latest in a series of articles about General Kenneth D. Nichols, the Manhattan Project, and the 1954 Atomic Energy Act. The series has been produced by Nichols’ grandniece Barbara Rogers Scollin and Oak Ridge (Tenn.) city historian David Ray Smith. Gen. Nichols (1907–2000) was the district engineer for the Manhattan Engineer District during the Manhattan Project.
As Smith and Scollin explain, Nichols “had supervision of the research and development connected with, and the design, construction, and operation of, all plants required to produce plutonium-239 and uranium-235, including the construction of the towns of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Richland, Washington. The responsibility of his position was massive as he oversaw a workforce of both military and civilian personnel of approximately 125,000; his Oak Ridge office became the center of the wartime atomic energy’s activities.”
Yuan Gao, Huai-En Hsieh, Huifang Miao, Zhe Zhou, Zhibo Zhang
Nuclear Technology | Volume 208 | Number 2 | February 2022 | Pages 222-231
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2021.1899552
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Critical heat flux (CHF) is an important heat transfer deterioration phenomenon during boiling heat transfer. It has been extensively studied, especially in the field of nuclear energy. Previous research has found that downward-facing heat transfer is worse than upward-facing and should be paid more attention. In this paper, the boiling heat transfer process under different flow rates and inlet distances is investigated. Seven experimental cases were made including a pool boiling case. The experiment studied the effect of inlet distances under small flow rates, which is not covered by previous research. Analysis of the CHF mechanism included surface temperature curves, boiling curves, bubble behaviors, and heat transfer coefficient. The fluctuation of the surface temperature of forced convention cases was observed due to the bubbles sliding along the heating surface. The phenomenon of vapor film fragmentation could also be found. The results show that even at small flow rates, CHF occurring time is postponed and the CHF value increases. Reducing inlet distance or increasing flow rate can both promote boiling heat transfer, thereby enhancing CHF.