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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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International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M&C 2025)
April 27–30, 2025
Denver, CO|The Westin Denver Downtown
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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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Argonne’s METL gears up to test more sodium fast reactor components
Argonne National Laboratory has successfully swapped out an aging cold trap in the sodium test loop called METL (Mechanisms Engineering Test Loop), the Department of Energy announced April 23. The upgrade is the first of its kind in the United States in more than 30 years, according to the DOE, and will help test components and operations for the sodium-cooled fast reactors being developed now.
E. E. Bloom, F. W. Wiffen, P. J. Maziasz, J. O. Stiegler
Nuclear Technology | Volume 31 | Number 1 | October 1976 | Pages 115-122
Technical Paper | Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT76-A31703
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Results of a series of neutron irradiation experiments conducted on annealed and 20% cold-worked Type 316 stainless steel in a high-flux mixed-spectrum fission reactor to simulate a controlled thermonuclear reactor (CTR) first wall displacement per atom (dpa) and helium production are reviewed. Using previously suggested criteria of a maximum of 10% volume increase and a minimum of 0.5% uniform strain in a uniaxial tensile test, estimates of temperature and fluence limits for this alloy are made. The large amounts of helium produced by irradiation in the mixed-spectrum fission reactor caused significantly more swelling than occurred in fast reactor irradiations (low helium-generation rates). Cold working effectively suppressed swelling up to 550 to 600°C. Using a criterion of 10% swelling and limited data on the fluence dependence of swelling, a first wall life of 16.5 (MW yr)/m2 (at 530°C) for 20% cold-worked Type 316 stainless steel is estimated. Embrittlement may be the property that limits first wall life. At 350°C acceptable ductility was retained in the cold-worked steel to very high damage levels (49 dpa, 3320 appm helium), and it appears that the 0.5% uniform strain criterion will not be limiting. At higher temperatures, however, this is not the situation. At 650°C the uniform and total plastic strain were zero in samples irradiated to 61 dpa and 4140 appm helium. At 575°C, 0.5% uniform strain was retained in the cold-worked material to relatively high damage levels; however, the fractures were intergranular. The creep-rupture life at 550 and 45 000 psi was reduced by 5 × 104 compared to the unirradiated property. Generally greater embrittlement in the solution-annealed material suggest that cold-worked material would be preferred for CTR first wall structures. The marked reduction in ductility and rupture life and intergranular tensile fractures suggest that stress will have to be maintained at very low levels to prevent fracture. The loss of ductility indicates reductions in fatigue life that must be investigated.
