ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2025 ANS Winter Conference & Expo
November 9–12, 2025
Washington, DC|Washington Hilton
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
Oct 2025
Jul 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
November 2025
Nuclear Technology
October 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
The current status of heat pipe R&D
Idaho National Laboratory under the Department of Energy–sponsored Microreactor Program recently conducted a comprehensive phenomena identification and ranking table (PIRT) exercise aimed at advancing heat pipe technology for microreactor applications.
Suresh V. Garimella, Richard N. Christensen
Nuclear Technology | Volume 89 | Number 3 | March 1990 | Pages 388-398
Technical Paper | Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow | doi.org/10.13182/NT90-A34377
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An experimental investigation was undertaken in which transient condensation of steam-air mixtures occurred on one face of a large aluminum block of which all the other faces were insulated. Tests were conducted in a pressure vessel at pressures of up to 650 kPa. The transients were provided by a sudden increase in the vessel pressure from a given value to a much higher value by the introduction of additional steam. Temperature measurements within the block agreed well with results from a finite difference analysis of the condensing surface and block. Visual observation of the condensing surface indicated that the mode of condensation was predominantly dropwise. The dependence of the heat transfer coefficient on time, pressure, severity of the transient, percentage of noncondensables, and the driving temperature difference was studied. The results at the much higher pressures and transient conditions used in this study agreed with observations in the literature of such trends at lower pressures. There was evidence of the occurrence of a buildup of noncondensables at the condensing surface with time.