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Meeting Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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
August 2025
Nuclear Technology
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July 2025
Latest News
The U.S. Million Person Study of Low-Dose-Rate Health Effects
There is a critical knowledge gap regarding the health consequences of exposure to radiation received gradually over time. While there is a plethora of studies on the risks of adverse outcomes from both acute and high-dose exposures, including the landmark study of atomic bomb survivors, these are not characteristic of the chronic exposure to low-dose radiation encountered in occupational and public settings. In addition, smaller cohorts have limited numbers leading to reduced statistical power.
Sinem Uzun
Nuclear Technology | Volume 211 | Number 4 | April 2025 | Pages 755-767
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2024.2356331
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
When nanofluids are used as reactor coolants, they provide more effective heat transfer with their increase in thermal conduction properties. This plays an important role in energy production by increasing the efficiency of nuclear reactors. The present study delves into the thermal-hydraulic ramifications of utilizing nanofluids as coolants in the VVER-1000 nuclear reactor. Specifically, the thermal-hydraulic characteristics, encompassing parameters such as coolant temperature and departure from nucleate boiling ratio, were scrutinized in light of the incorporation of magnesium oxide (MgO) and zinc oxide nanoparticles. While performing these analyses, not only uranium but also thorium was used in the core as reactor fuel. Considering the emergence of thorium as a potential fuel material in nuclear technology, its inclusion in the fuel composition contributed to the originality of the research. With the addition of 0.2% MgO nanoparticles to a VVER nuclear reactor using 5% thorium dioxide (ThO2) fuel, the coolant temperature as a result of the channel flow was determined as 617.4 K (while 613.7 K for the light water). When employing thorium fuel (with an equivalent nanoparticle concentration), the maximum temperature exhibited an approximate increase of 3 deg compared to uranium fuel. With the addition of 0.2% MgO nanoparticles, the enthalpy value at the end of the channel was 1303.6 kJ/kg when using 5% ThO2 fuel, while the enthalpy value was determined as 1295 kJ/kg in 3.7% enriched UO2 fuel. As one of the most important results of the analysis, it was observed that the temperature value of the coolant increased when nanoparticles were used.