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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.
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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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Proving DRACO will deliver
The United States is now closer than it has been in over five decades to launching the first nuclear thermal rocket into space, thanks to DRACO—the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Orbit.
Neil E. Todreas
Nuclear Technology | Volume 167 | Number 1 | July 2009 | Pages 127-144
Technical Paper | NURETH-12 / Fission Reactors | doi.org/10.13182/NT09-A8857
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Thermal-hydraulic challenges in the design of the following four Generation IV fast reactor concepts are presented: sodium \[sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR)\], lead \[lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR)\], gas \[gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR)\], and liquid salt \[liquid salt-cooled fast reactor (LSFR)\]. The supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle in indirect mode is the candidate power cycle for all coolants except gas, which is direct cycle. Thermal-hydraulic considerations must be closely integrated with neutronic analysis to properly control reactivity feedbacks, particularly that of the coolant density coefficient. The thermal-hydraulic performance of all reactors is compared to the sodium concept, which has superior performance because of the inherent properties of sodium. The chemical incompatibility of sodium with water and air remains a concern, should a steam generator tube or other sodium line leak. Challenges in steady-state operation, transient performance, shutdown heat removal, and loss-of-coolant-accident design accommodation in gas reactors are reviewed.