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Division Spotlight
Radiation Protection & Shielding
The Radiation Protection and Shielding Division is developing and promoting radiation protection and shielding aspects of nuclear science and technology — including interaction of nuclear radiation with materials and biological systems, instruments and techniques for the measurement of nuclear radiation fields, and radiation shield design and evaluation.
Meeting Spotlight
2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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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June 2024
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Latest News
U.S. nuclear capacity factors: Ideal for data centers?
Baseload nuclear generation doesn’t get the respect it deserves, if you ask nuclear operators. But the hyperscale data centers that process our digital lives—like the one right next to the Susquehanna plant in northeastern Pennsylvania—are pushing electricity demand up. Clean, reliable capacity now looks a lot more valuable.
G. Beausoleil, J. Zillinger, L. Hawkins, T. Yao, A. G. Weiss, X. Pu, N. Jerred, D. Kaoumi
Nuclear Technology | Volume 210 | Number 3 | March 2024 | Pages 511-531
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2023.2236796
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Previous research has shown that multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) using chromium, molybdenum, niobium, tantalum, titanium, vanadium, and zirconium can form stable body-centered-cubic (BCC) structures across a large temperature region (25°C to 1000°C). This is the same crystal structure as γ-uranium (U), which has shown desirable thermal and irradiation behavior in previous alloy fuel research. It is hypothesized then that the MPEA alloying approach can be used to produce a stable BCC uranium-bearing alloy and to retain its stability throughout anticipated operating regimes of power-producing reactors. Candidate elements were assessed using Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) analysis to determine uranium densities necessary to make the alloy an economically viable fuel compared to conventional fuel forms. Following neutronic considerations, materials property databases and empirical predictors were used to determine the compositions with a high potential to form a BCC solid solution alloy. The final four alloys were MoNbTaU2, MoNbTiU2, NbTaTiU2, and NbTaVU2, which were cast using arc melting of raw elemental foils and chunks. Characterization of the fabricated alloys included scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed a two-phase system with a U-rich matrix phase surrounding the refractory precipitates. The U phase was found to contain varying concentrations of the alloying elements and was a BCC γ-U phase. These results warrant further research to identify ideal compositions for use as an advanced alloy fuel.