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The division provides a forum for focused technical dialogue on thermal hydraulic technology in the nuclear industry. Specifically, this will include heat transfer and fluid mechanics involved in the utilization of nuclear energy. It is intended to attract the highest quality of theoretical and experimental work to ANS, including research on basic phenomena and application to nuclear system design.
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ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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Colin Judge: Testing structural materials in Idaho’s newest hot cell facility
Idaho National Laboratory’s newest facility—the Sample Preparation Laboratory (SPL)—sits across the road from the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF), which started operating in 1975. SPL will host the first new hot cells at INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) in 50 years, giving INL researchers and partners new flexibility to test the structural properties of irradiated materials fresh from the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) or from a partner’s facility.
Materials meant to withstand extreme conditions in fission or fusion power plants must be tested under similar conditions and pushed past their breaking points so performance and limitations can be understood and improved. Once irradiated, materials samples can be cut down to size in SPL and packaged for testing in other facilities at INL or other national laboratories, commercial labs, or universities. But they can also be subjected to extreme thermal or corrosive conditions and mechanical testing right in SPL, explains Colin Judge, who, as INL’s division director for nuclear materials performance, oversees SPL and other facilities at the MFC.
SPL won’t go “hot” until January 2026, but Judge spoke with NN staff writer Susan Gallier about its capabilities as his team was moving instruments into the new facility.
K. Sathyanarayana, S. V. Kulkarni, Amit Patel, Pujita Bhatt, Alpesh Vala, Hiren Mewada, Keyur Mahant
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 75 | Number 3 | April 2019 | Pages 234-243
Technical Note | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2018.1557984
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The impact of geometric tolerances of the mode converters on the microwave performance of the respective mode converters is studied. It is used as a guiding principle for stipulating the fabrication tolerances on various high-power microwave components. To carry out the simulation studies, Microwave Studio- Computer Simulation Technology software has been used. All the mode converters and transmission line components have been designed and benchmarked using simulation studies. The TE-03 to TE-02 (TE-mn where m and n are radial and azimuthal variation of fields) mode converter is taken as an example. The predicted microwave performance with estimated geometric tolerances is elucidated. Details of the same are available in the various microwave performance plots. Similar simulation studies have been carried out on the other mode converters. The results of the same are highlighted and summarized. Further, the microwave performance of these high-power components with respect to the fabrication tolerances on the internal diameter is also explored and highlighted. It has been found that by and large the cumulative mechanical tolerances on the total length, structural profile inside the mode converter, radius of the mode converter, and other mechanical dimensions are stringent. Based on the simulation studies, cumulative mechanical tolerances beyond approximately ±100 µm during fabrication are not preferred. The aim to obtain the finished product based on the guidelines from simulation studies has been the main theme of the exercise.