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Aerospace Nuclear Science & Technology
Organized to promote the advancement of knowledge in the use of nuclear science and technologies in the aerospace application. Specialized nuclear-based technologies and applications are needed to advance the state-of-the-art in aerospace design, engineering and operations to explore planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond, plus enhance the safety of air travel, especially high speed air travel. Areas of interest will include but are not limited to the creation of nuclear-based power and propulsion systems, multifunctional materials to protect humans and electronic components from atmospheric, space, and nuclear power system radiation, human factor strategies for the safety and reliable operation of nuclear power and propulsion plants by non-specialized personnel and more.
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Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo (UWC 2024)
August 4–7, 2024
Marco Island, FL|JW Marriott Marco Island
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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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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
ARPA-E announces $40 million to develop transmutation technologies for UNF
The Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) announced $40 million in funding to develop cutting-edge technologies to enable the transmutation of used nuclear fuel into less-radioactive substances. According to ARPA-E, the new initiative addresses one of the agency’s core goals as outlined by Congress: to provide transformative solutions to improve the management, cleanup, and disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel.
G. Vayakis, E. R. Hodgson, V. Voitsenya, C. I. Walker
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 53 | Number 2 | February 2008 | Pages 699-750
Technical Paper | Plasma Diagnostics for Magnetic Fusion Research | doi.org/10.13182/FST08-A1684
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In this chapter, we consider generic issues affecting the implementation of diagnostics in a burning plasma experiment (BPX). These are, directly or indirectly, caused by the radiation environment. In the first instance, handling nuclear radiation issues becomes a dominant factor in the choice of machine and diagnostic layout, construction, and maintenance. We discuss these integration issues first as they set the background against which more specific issues must be addressed. These include nuclear radiation effects on specific types of components and assemblies such as cables, fibers, and mirrors, and also thermal and mechanical degradation issues that must be considered in all component designs. One important consequence of the maintenance challenges brought about by the radiation environment is that degradation of front-line optical components by particle bombardment, normally handled by component replacement, also becomes far more challenging and in situ mitigation techniques must be sought. For the same reason, recalibration techniques become more difficult. At the same time, BPX operation time is precious and extracting the optimum performance from the device may require the use of more sophisticated diagnostic techniques. Therefore, the requirements on reliability and data availability are more stringent and must be applied more widely than is common on present devices. An important goal of BPX operation is to enable the design of future power plants. We consider briefly the development needs for diagnostics for these and conclude with an assessment of the present state of readiness of the diagnostic community for the detailed design and construction of a full diagnostic set for a BPX.