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Division members promote the advancement of mathematical and computational methods for solving problems arising in all disciplines encompassed by the Society. They place particular emphasis on numerical techniques for efficient computer applications to aid in the dissemination, integration, and proper use of computer codes, including preparation of computational benchmark and development of standards for computing practices, and to encourage the development on new computer codes and broaden their use.
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ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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General Kenneth Nichols and the Manhattan Project
Nichols
The Oak Ridger has published the latest in a series of articles about General Kenneth D. Nichols, the Manhattan Project, and the 1954 Atomic Energy Act. The series has been produced by Nichols’ grandniece Barbara Rogers Scollin and Oak Ridge (Tenn.) city historian David Ray Smith. Gen. Nichols (1907–2000) was the district engineer for the Manhattan Engineer District during the Manhattan Project.
As Smith and Scollin explain, Nichols “had supervision of the research and development connected with, and the design, construction, and operation of, all plants required to produce plutonium-239 and uranium-235, including the construction of the towns of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Richland, Washington. The responsibility of his position was massive as he oversaw a workforce of both military and civilian personnel of approximately 125,000; his Oak Ridge office became the center of the wartime atomic energy’s activities.”
Weiping Deng, Yanbin Zhang, Huan Jia, Tao Wan, Weifeng Yang, Chengwen Qiang, Long Li, Fei Wang, Honglin Ge, Fei Ma, Xueying Zhang
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 196 | Number 7 | July 2022 | Pages 899-909
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2022.2027177
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A granular flow target coupled with a beam window was studied. The beam window isolates the accelerator from the target, making the system more secure and flexible. Preliminary analyses for the beam window and beam tube, including neutronics, thermal hydraulics, and structural mechanics were performed by Geant4 and ANSYS. The effects of geometry and coolant flow direction on the temperature field and the stress distribution of the beam window are studied. The results show that the maximum temperature can be reduced by 13% through optimization. Comparing the thermal deposition distribution of the beam tube with and without the beam window, we find that there is an extra peak due to the beam window. In addition, the effect of the cooling pattern on the temperature distribution of the beam tube is also studied. The results show that it is reasonable to arrange six U-shaped cooling channels. Detailed analyses show that the material temperature and the mechanical property of the beam window and beam tube meet the design standards, which confirm the possibility of granular flow target with a beam window for engineering application.
