Abstract There are no standard prioritization criteria for evaluating thermal energy storage (TES) options for use in integrated energy systems. A framework for proposing, analyzing, and presenting energy storage integration with power producers and users is presented along with a specific figure-of-merit (FOM) study based in this framework. This basis for evaluating storage technologies can provide

Abstract This study presents a method that can be used to gain information relevant to determining the corrosion risk for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) canisters during extended dry storage. Currently, it is known that stainless steel canisters are susceptible to chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking (CISCC). However, the rate of CISCC degradation and the likelihood that it could lead to a through-wall

Abstract The Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE), which operated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory from 1965 to 1969, was an experimental reactor that used UF4 fuel dissolved in molten fluoride salt. Criticality was achieved when the fuel salt mixture passed through the graphite-moderated core region. Therefore, because the fuel and fission products flowed through the system, delayed neutron precursors

Abstract This study sheds new light on nuclear risk governance from a sociological perspective by analyzing cases of post-Fukushima controversies on nuclear safety and nuclear emergency preparedness in Japan. By critically analyzing how the three risk-related concepts and methodologies, namely, probabilistic risk assessment, safety goals, and the System for Prediction of Environmental Emergency Dose

Abstract Nuclear power plants have a very large catalog of regularly manipulated manual valves. To achieve the desired performance and operating margins, skilled technical staff use these valves to control, start, stop, regulate, and throttle the flow of various fluids through plant systems. Wireless valve position indication (VPI) sensor system technology would enable online monitoring of manual valve

(2021). The MOOSE Multiphysics Computational Framework for Nuclear Power Applications: A Special Issue of Nuclear Technology. Nuclear Technology: Vol. 207, Special issue on the MOOSE Multiphysics Computational Framework, pp. iii-viii.

Abstract A myriad of nuclear reactor designs are currently being considered for next-generation power production. These designs utilize unique geometries and materials and can rely on multiphysics effects for safety and operation. This work develops a neutron transport tool, MOCkingbird, capable of three-dimensional (3D), full-core reactor simulation for previously intractable geometries. The solver

Abstract Nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) provides a consistent source of thrust for long space missions. However, fuel development for NTP reactors is a major technological hurdle. Existing modeling and simulation tools developed by the U.S. Nuclear Engineering Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program for power reactors can be leveraged to help accelerate the fuel development. This work is

Abstract DireWolf is a multiphysics software driver application designed to simulate heat pipe–cooled nuclear microreactors. Developed under the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program, the DireWolf software application’s objective is to provide the nuclear community with a design and safety analysis simulation capability.

Abstract Energy plays an increasingly vital role in society where questions around technologies, economics, quality of life, and policies are debated. The link of nuclear energy with the social sciences allows for a fuller examination of human-environment decision making. This paper comes out of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) International

Abstract A control rod alloy composed of silver (Ag), indium (In), and cadmium (Cd) was heated in argon or oxygen at 1073 to 1673 K for 60 to 3600 s. Then, the release behaviors of the elements were analyzed. The elemental release was quite limited below the liquefaction temperature. In argon, almost the entire Cd content was released within 3600 s at >1173 K and within 60 s at >1573 K while the released

Abstract Critical heat flux (CHF) is an important heat transfer deterioration phenomenon during boiling heat transfer. It has been extensively studied, especially in the field of nuclear energy. Previous research has found that downward-facing heat transfer is worse than upward-facing and should be paid more attention. In this paper, the boiling heat transfer process under different flow rates and

Abstract A subchannel void sensor (SCVS) acquires the two-phase flow in a rod bundle as the time-series data of cross-sectional distributions. Herein, the temperature and pressure ranges of an SCVS were extended to include the rated conditions of boiling water reactors. The improved SCVSs were installed in a 5 × 5 heated rod bundle at eight height levels. In a boiling experiment using the rod bundle

Abstract When total volume control is applied to toxicity in nuclear waste management it becomes a limiting factor for the permittable total operating capacity of nuclear reactors. An alternative conceptual scenario is proposed, aimed at toxicity reduction through partitioning and transmutation. Specifically, the electricity generation capacity could be increased by transmutation of 90Sr and 137Cs

Abstract A method to determine the absolute activity of 137Cs in irradiated nuclear fuel is presented. Using a well-known point-like calibration source in combination with measurements of the gamma-ray intensity from the nuclear fuel and Monte Carlo calculations based on the nominal measurement geometry, the activity content can be determined without prior knowledge of the intrinsic detection efficiency

Abstract Artificial intelligence is becoming a larger part of operations for many industries. One industry where this is occurring rapidly is the nuclear industry. Researchers from around the world are looking to implement this technology in various areas of the nuclear industry. This paper explores the use of machine learning to diagnose problems. This project makes use of synthetic data collected

Abstract The Purdue Advanced Reactor Core Simulator (PARCS) three-dimensional neutron kinetics code and the TRACE nuclear systems analysis code were interfaced. This provides a best-estimate coupled code system for performing transient plant calculations with reactivity feedback from a detailed core model, significantly contributing to nuclear power plant safety analyses. This study performed steady-state

Abstract In the framework of sodium fast reactors, the management of tritium contamination in the sodium secondary circuit and the control of its release into the atmosphere is fundamental. In order to capture and recover tritium by coprecipitation worth hydrogen in cold traps, it is necessary to maintain a certain amount of hydrogen dissolved in the liquid sodium stream. Hydrogen injection by permeation

Abstract The nuclear sector finds itself at a critical juncture, in part because recent large nuclear power plant projects in Europe and the United States have suffered from what some scholars have called megaproject “pathologies,” that is, the chronic failure of large, complex infrastructure projects to fulfill the “iron triangle” criteria of project performance: cost, timetable, and predefined project

Abstract Making new nuclear investments is a challenging task. Their “value” is neither given nor stable: It is constantly being reformulated through processes of evaluation and, therefore, of valuation. The paper follows the specific uses of a standard method, the levelized cost of electricity, by different centers of calculations during a period marked by the intense scrutiny of nuclear energy policy

Abstract Scintillator screens consisting of a dysprosium neutron converter and various scintillator materials were tested in the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum Forschungsreaktor München II (FRM II) ANTARES cold neutron beam with the goal of finding a suitable screen for digital transfer method neutron radiography. This work explores the cold neutron response of 16 scintillator screens, 7 of which were

Abstract This study addressed the problem of measuring the total mass of molten salt in a nuclear system such as a nuclear fuel electrorefiner or a molten salt reactor. In theory, soluble tracers can be added to an unknown amount of salt. Measurement of the tracer concentration after allowing time to homogenize the salt and elemental analysis can be used to calculate the total mass of salt in the system

Abstract The Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission and Orano have developed a modeling tool named the Simulation Tool Of RAdiolysis Gas Emission (STORAGE) for assessing gas generation of intermediate-level waste. The first version of this model was designed to estimate gas (more specifically hydrogen) generation by radiolysis of organic materials contained in waste packages. To verify the

(2021). Foreword: Selected papers from the 2020 Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space Topical Meeting (NETS 2020) Nuclear Technology: Vol. 207, Selected papers from the 2020 Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space Topical Meeting (NETS 2020), pp. iii-iv.

Abstract Radioisotope power systems (RPSs) have transformed our ability to explore the solar system. RPSs have been in existence for almost seven decades. Most missions have utilized 238Pu as the radioisotope of choice to generate electrical power and to produce heat for the operation and thermal management of spacecraft systems. In Europe, for the past decade 241Am has been selected for RPS research

Abstract The development and qualification of nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) fuel element technologies would be aided by an in-depth model of material response and failure modes at operating conditions. Integrated computational materials engineering techniques have the potential to provide such a model, as demonstrated here through three case studies focused on a tungsten–uranium mononitride (UN)

Abstract Whether to use highly enriched uranium (HEU) or low-enriched uranium (LEU) in space reactors is a highly debated topic. Most analyses focus on performance as the principal determinant of use, where HEU has inherent advantages. This paper identifies seven dimensions along which rigorous comparisons must be made to evaluate whether HEU or LEU is an appropriate enrichment level for space nuclear

Abstract USNC-Technologies (USNC-Tech) is an advanced nuclear company focused on developing space nuclear power and propulsion systems to enable high-impact science missions and the growth of a self-sustaining in-space economy. As a subsidiary of Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC), USNC-Tech has leveraged the technologies and experience gains from the design, licensing, and deployment of terrestrial

Abstract As future U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) missions aim for destinations farther out into the solar system, space nuclear propulsion (SNP), and in particular nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP), is the only feasible near-term technology able to provide specific impulses of 900 s or greater and thrust in the range of tens of thousands of pounds. To maximize the success

Abstract In these days, Monte Carlo (MC) simulation is a method that can calculate the radiation dose that occurs in an environment in the most accurate way. The correct measurement of the dose occurring on the patient’s surface is of great importance to estimate the reactions that may occur on the patient’s skin. This importance encouraged us to do this study. The aim of this study is to determine

Abstract This paper describes the influence of the transients and corrective additives on the distribution of loosely bonded forms of solid-phase corrosion products between the equipment surfaces and the primary coolant of a naval reactor plant. It is shown that the concentration of loosely bonded corrosion products increa ses by tenfold during the transient, and the feeding of corrective additives

Abstract Radioactive corrosion product materials collected from the control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) housing in a pressurized water reactor (PWR, HANBIT-1 KNPP) were analyzed using an electron probe micro analyzer (EPMA). It is challenging to analyze the composition of radioactive corrosion products using an EPMA due to the rough surface shape and size, and even more so when the products are stacked

Abstract Production of high specific activity (HSA) 60Co has recently resumed at the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at the Idaho National Laboratory. The technical steps of performing in-canal assay of HSA 60Co targets at the ATR are described herein. The HSA targets are assayed on a regular basis, between cycles at the ATR, in order to assess the progress of activation. The targets are also assayed at

Abstract In this study, lattice physics calculations were carried out to evaluate the reactor physics characteristics of different advanced fuel lattices cooled with 7LiOH/NaOH or FLiBe and moderated externally by graphite and various types of metal hydroxides, such as 7LiOH, 7LiOD, Mg(OD)2, and ZrE(OD)4. The lithium in these compounds is enriched to 99.995 at. % 7Li/Li. Such lattice fuel concepts

Abstract Post Fukushima the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued an Order on Spent Fuel Instrumentation (EA-12-051) requiring all U.S. nuclear plants to install spent fuel pool (SFP) water level monitoring instrumentation and ensure the instrument would remain functional following a safe shutdown earthquake (SSE). The structural integrity analysis requires an assessment of the hydrodynamic loads

Abstract Natural circulation, mixing, and stratification are important phenomena for the design and safety analysis of many advanced reactor designs with passive safety features as well as large open regions, such as pool reactor designs, spent fuel pools, and containments. Various modeling methods ranging from zero-dimensional (0-D) lumped volumes (or perfect mixing) to full three-dimensional (3-D)

Abstract How does naming an object affect the way it is or could be managed? This paper examines and compares classification systems for radioactive waste applied by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and in France, Canada, and Belgium. I analyze how the relevant actors classify radioactive objects, and in so doing, prescribe their management. By comparing and describing four established

Abstract In the prototype fast breeder reactor Monju, fixed absorber worth was measured as the difference of core reactivity measured by control rod worth between cores with and without a single fixed absorber or three fixed absorbers. In this paper, the measurements are evaluated in detail, and their reliability and usefulness as validation data are investigated through a comparison with calculations

(2021). Correction. Nuclear Technology: Vol. 207, No. 5, pp. 771-771.

Abstract This analytical study focuses on loading standardized transportation, aging, and disposal canisters (STADs) at commercial reactor sites and subsequent transportation, e.g., to a consolidated interim storage facility (CISF). Specifically, the amount of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) available to load into STADs with varying deployment dates is explored, and the scenarios are compared with a scenario

Abstract A one-dimensional (1-D) thermal stratification (TS) model was recently developed in our research group to predict the TS phenomenon in pool-type sodium-cooled fast reactors. This paper performs uncertainty quantification (UQ) of the 1-D TS model to evaluate its performance by considering the aleatoric uncertainties that existed in the model parameters and to identify the plausible sources

Abstract The Middle East Technical University Defocusing Beamline (METU-DBL) is being constructed in order to perform single event effects tests for the electronic components in accordance with the European Space Agency (ESA) European Space Components Coordination (ESCC) No. 25100 standard. The aim of this beamline is to provide a suitable test area at the end of the beamline using the beam elements

Abstract Zirconium silicide (Zr3Si2) is a heavy reflector material particularly effective for application to a Gas-cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) such as the General Atomics Energy Multiplier Module (EM2) and Fast Modular Reactor (FMR). In this work, the manufacturability of a high-density Zr3Si2 compound, in the Zr3Si2 phase, was investigated using hot-pressing and spark-plasma-sintering methods. The microstructure

Abstract Molten eutectic LiCl-KCl salt is a widely used electrolyte for electrorefining uranium from spent nuclear fuel. Due to the hygroscopic nature of this salt, such operations must be performed under controlled atmospheric conditions, and waste salts require careful storage to avoid deliquescence and corrosion of container materials. This study investigated a potential processing path for reducing

Abstract Nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) demonstrated a reported technology readiness level of 5 during the work performed in the 1950s–1970s under the Rover program. This level of capability was achieved through the design, construction, and use of 22 experimental ground tests. These experiments served as testbeds for designs, materials, and instrumentation at prototypical NTP conditions. To continue

Abstract Very few papers exist in the field of social sciences that follow and study nuclear infrastructure design projects from the inside. Such a perspective would make it possible to understand the mechanisms of their successes or difficulties at their very origin. At a time when high hopes are placed on civil nuclear energy to solve the climate issue, but when simultaneously, nuclear industry actors

Abstract Exposure to air can cause amine solutions in CANada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) reactor secondary coolant circuit feed tanks to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2). Likewise, carbon dioxide can be absorbed directly into the amine-containing secondary coolant by air ingress during shutdown, lay-up, and startup. Sampling operations, including transferring the sample to the laboratory and subsequent analyses

Abstract The operating environment of nuclear reactors imposes extreme challenges on the materials from which the structures within and surrounding the reactor are constructed. Understanding the effects of exposure to this environment is critical for ensuring the safe long-term operation of these reactors. The Grizzly and BlackBear codes are being developed to model the progression of aging mechanisms

Abstract Advanced reactor concepts span the spectrum from heat pipe–cooled microreactors, through thermal and fast molten-salt reactors, to gas- and salt-cooled pebble bed reactors. The modeling and simulation of each of these reactor types comes with their own geometrical complexities and multiphysics challenges. However, the common theme for all nuclear reactors is the necessity to be able to accurately

Abstract Solid waste samples consisting of shredded cellulose, coated with either mesoparticles of metallic salts or dried metal nitrate (lutetium, ytterbium, or depleted uranium) solutions, were generated to mimic solid nuclear waste. After burning these samples, the masses of the aerosolized metal cations were quantified by leaching them from air filters and analyzing the leachate with inductively

Abstract Drawing on 32 months of interview-based ethnographic fieldwork, this paper examines Finland’s “mankala” nuclear energy companies through the lens of anthropological theories of corporate form. Mankalas are limited liability companies run like zero-profit cooperatives that bring together consortia of Finnish corporations and municipal energy providers to purchase, finance, and share the output

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to show that the responsibility of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TEPCO) was “economized” in the wake of the accident. It is argued that responsibility for the nuclear accident was mainly linked to economic responsibility, and that social and moral responsibility were consequently obscured by the financial accounting that followed the accident. This

Abstract The aging of electrical cables has been the subject of substantial research and development (R&D) projects performed by national and international laboratories, universities, and private organizations for many years. This R&D was conducted to develop guidance, equipment, and techniques to support aging management of in-service cables in industrial facilities such as nuclear power plants, research

Abstract In the early days of nuclear energy in Brazil, a reactor named Argonaut, designed at Argonne National Laboratory, reached criticality at the Institute of Nuclear Engineering (IEN). The presence of a nuclear research facility at the campus of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro is still a cause of concern with regard to the radiological safety of the surrounding community, even though this

Abstract This paper describes the parametric analysis of an optical fiber–based gamma thermometer (OFBGT) that is intended to be used to infer the power distribution in the Ohio State University Research Reactor (OSURR). The OFBGT measures the radial temperature difference ΔT between an optical fiber that is within the thermal mass and an optical fiber that is within the capillary tube that is attached

Abstract The security of nuclear power plants becomes an ever more important issue after the tragedy of the World Trade Center of New York City on September 11, 2000. Utilities around the world have significantly increased the resources used to enhance the security of nuclear power plants. In this study, a mathematical model based on Monte Carlo simulations is developed to calculate the probability

Abstract Many initiatives intended to improve safety in nuclear facilities have used the concept of “safety culture,” which focuses on human and organizational factors and emphasizes the importance of the perceptions, interpretations, and behaviors of the individuals and groups within organizations. Particularly when it comes to risk management, it is widely believed that safety culture can be a used

Abstract Remote visual inspection is a common approach to understanding the health of key components and substructures within nuclear power plants, particularly in difficult to access and high dosage areas. Interpretation of inspection footage is a manually intensive procedure and challenges arise in localizing and dimensioning defects directly from a video feed, which may be subject to uncertainty

Abstract The small modular reactor (SMR) is considered one of the important energy sources for the realization of the de-carbonated society, especially SMR types that have 10 MW or less thermal power, called a microreactor or very small modular reactor (vSMR). Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions has initiated the development of a multipurpose vSMR as a distributed energy source since 2017 called MoveluXTM

Abstract Sockeye is a heat pipe analysis application based on the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) finite element framework. The primary purpose of Sockeye is to provide a transient heat pipe simulation tool to be used in the analysis of nuclear microreactor designs. Sockeye provides the capability to perform one-dimensional, two-phase, compressible flow simulation of a heat