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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
Standards Program
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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TerraPower begins U.K. regulatory approval process
Seattle-based TerraPower signaled its interest this week in building its Natrium small modular reactor in the United Kingdom, the company announced.
TerraPower sent a letter to the U.K.’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, formally establishing its intention to enter the U.K. generic design assessment (GDA) process. This is TerraPower’s first step in deployment of its Natrium technology—a 345-MW sodium fast reactor coupled with a molten salt energy storage unit—on the international stage.
J. T. A. Roberts, E. Smith, N. Fuhrman, D. Cubicciotti
Nuclear Technology | Volume 35 | Number 1 | August 1977 | Pages 131-144
Technical Paper | Fuel | doi.org/10.13182/NT77-A31856
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Results of three related projects undertaken to elucidate the mechanism of Zircaloy cladding fracture caused by pellet-cladding interaction (PCI) in water reactor fuel rods are described. A detailed microscopic examination of incipient i.d. cladding defects in some Maine Yankee Core I fuel rods determined that these defects and clad penetrations in related rods were caused by a PCI mechanism that was promoted by chemical species, i.e., stress corrosion cracking (SCC). A consideration of the internal fuel rod chemistry and fission product distribution indicates that one potential agent for SCC of Zircaloy cladding is iodine released from Csl deposited on the i.d. surface and another is cadmium metal. A simple analytical model of crack propagation in Zircaloy cladding based on linear elastic fracture mechanics indicates two possible rate-controlling events, depending on the value of the stress intensification KISCC. If KISCC for irradiated Zircaloy is very low, i.e., on the order of 2.2 to 3.3 MN/m3/2 (2 to 3 ksi ), crack growth is relatively easy, and hence the rate-limiting step must be the nucleation of sharp cracks in the cladding i.d. surface. However, if KISCC for irradiated Zircaloy is relatively large, i.e., ≥11 MN/m3/2 (10 ksi ), a high interfacial friction coefficient, for example, caused by fuel-clad bonding, would be required to propagate the i.d. defect.
