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Division Spotlight
Thermal Hydraulics
The division provides a forum for focused technical dialogue on thermal hydraulic technology in the nuclear industry. Specifically, this will include heat transfer and fluid mechanics involved in the utilization of nuclear energy. It is intended to attract the highest quality of theoretical and experimental work to ANS, including research on basic phenomena and application to nuclear system design.
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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
July 2025
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Smarter waste strategies: Helping deliver on the promise of advanced nuclear
At COP28, held in Dubai in 2023, a clear consensus emerged: Nuclear energy must be a cornerstone of the global clean energy transition. With electricity demand projected to soar as we decarbonize not just power but also industry, transport, and heat, the case for new nuclear is compelling. More than 20 countries committed to tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050. In the United States alone, the Department of Energy forecasts that the country’s current nuclear capacity could more than triple, adding 200 GW of new nuclear to the existing 95 GW by mid-century.
Satish Kumar Dhurandhar, S. L. Sinha, Shashi Kant Verma
Nuclear Technology | Volume 210 | Number 11 | November 2024 | Pages 2050-2073
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2024.2309080
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The utilization of a grid spacer with vane is a significant component within reactor fuel channels. The presence of the vane has a notable impact on the mixing of flow and the enhancement of heat transfer within subchannels. The purpose of this work was to perform a numerical analysis of the effects of the vane deflection angle on the flow-thermal characteristics in a fuel rod assembly.
In the current analysis, a square array consisting of a 5 × 5 rod bundle was utilized. The pitch-to-rod diameter ratio was set to 1.33, while the blockage ratio of the grid spacer was determined to be 0.16. A relative study was made for flow-thermal characteristics with four different vane deflection angles, such as 21 deg, 25 deg, 29 deg, and 33 deg. Analyses were made for a fluid pressure of 15.5 MPa, an inlet temperature of 583 K, and a velocity of 4.74 m/s.
The present study investigated the Shear Stress Transport (SST) k-ω and Renormalization Group (RNG) k-ε turbulence models to analyze flow phenomena and thermal performance. The numerical results were validated through experimental data and also compared with correlations proposed by researchers. The analysis of the results was carried out using various methods, including the examination of data curves and streamlines, as well as vector and contour plots. The results indicate that a higher deflection angle leads to a greater reduction in temperature at the grid spacer. The swirl ratio was observed to be maximum close downstream to the grid spacer, and the persistence of the swirl ratio in the downstream can enhance the performance of departure of nucleate boiling. The vane on the grid spacer with a higher deflection angle enhances the coefficient of heat transfer remarkably close to the downstream grid spacer.