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Division Spotlight
Fusion Energy
This division promotes the development and timely introduction of fusion energy as a sustainable energy source with favorable economic, environmental, and safety attributes. The division cooperates with other organizations on common issues of multidisciplinary fusion science and technology, conducts professional meetings, and disseminates technical information in support of these goals. Members focus on the assessment and resolution of critical developmental issues for practical fusion energy applications.
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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Latest News
From South Korea to Belgium: Testing a high-density research reactor fuel
The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has developed a high-density uranium silicide fuel designed to replace high-enriched uranium in research reactors. Recent irradiation tests appear to be successful, KAERI reports, which means the fuel could be commercialized to continue a key global nuclear nonproliferation effort—converting research reactors to run on low-enriched uranium fuel.
Chiaki Kino, Yoshihiro Morita, Masao Chaki (The Inst of Applied Energy)
Proceedings | Advances in Thermal Hydraulics 2018 | Orlando, FL, November 11-15, 2018 | Pages 201-211
Reactor core isolation cooling system (RCIC) is designed to operate using saturated steam extracted from a main steam line. On the other hand, RCIC in Unit-2 of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was activated before the tsunami hit and continued to operate under two phase flow conditions during the accident. When RCIC continuously operates without control by electric power, reactor water level would reach the main steam line resulting in turbine efficiency degradation and subsequent RCIC stop. The mechanism for RCIC of Unit-2 to have continuously operated under such two phase flow conditions is still unclear. Currently, a project is progressing to understand the true operating limitations of RCIC system under beyond design basis event. The Institute of Applied Energy is developing the new RCIC system model for the SAMPSON code in the project. The present paper proposes a trial model for RCIC system under two phase flow conditions. The model takes the effect of quality and pressure on turbine efficiency into consideration. SAMPSON calculation based on the model could reproduce qualitatively RPV pressure behavior of Fukushima Daiichi Unit-2 accident. However there are many uncertainties, such as water temperature of S/P, isentropic efficiency, and so on, so the model will be improved based on experiment and CFD results planned in the project.