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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
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2023)
February 6–9, 2023
Amelia Island, FL|Omni Amelia Island Resort
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
Jan 2023
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
February 2023
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
January 2023
Latest News
Nuclear energy: enabling production of food, fiber, hydrocarbon biofuels, and negative carbon emissions
In the 1960s, Alvin Weinberg at Oak Ridge National Laboratory initiated a series of studies on nuclear agro-industrial complexes1 to address the needs of the world’s growing population. Agriculture was a central component of these studies, as it must be. Much of the emphasis was on desalination of seawater to provide fresh water for irrigation of crops. Remarkable advances have lowered the cost of desalination to make that option viable in countries like Israel. Later studies2 asked the question, are there sufficient minerals (potassium, phosphorous, copper, nickel, etc.) to enable a prosperous global society assuming sufficient nuclear energy? The answer was a qualified “yes,” with the caveat that mineral resources will limit some technological options. These studies were defined by the characteristic of looking across agricultural and industrial sectors to address multiple challenges using nuclear energy.
Shigeki Shiba, Tomohiro Sakai
Nuclear Technology | Volume 208 | Number 2 | February 2022 | Pages 371-383
Technical Note | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2021.1913032
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Purdue Advanced Reactor Core Simulator (PARCS) three-dimensional neutron kinetics code and the TRACE nuclear systems analysis code were interfaced. This provides a best-estimate coupled code system for performing transient plant calculations with reactivity feedback from a detailed core model, significantly contributing to nuclear power plant safety analyses. This study performed steady-state and transient simulations of Peach Bottom 2 Turbine Trip Test 2 (PB2 TT2) using the CASMO5/TRACE/PARCS coupled code. Consequently, CASMO5/TRACE/PARCS simulates the rapid positive reactivity addition caused by the sudden closure of the turbine stop valve. Specifically, the discrepancy in the maximum total power during the transient condition was within 3% compared with the PB2 TT2 experimental data. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the thermal-hydraulic channel (CHAN) component modeling in the coupled CASMO5/TRACE/PARCS code revealed that the number of CHAN components influenced the assembly radial power peaking factor in the PB2 TT2 transient calculation.
