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Thermal Hydraulics
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.
Lih-Yih Liao
Nuclear Technology | Volume 97 | Number 3 | March 1992 | Pages 282-293
Technical Paper | Nuclear Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT92-A34636
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Cracks have been observed in the welds of the shroud support access hole cover plates at Peach Bottom Unit 3 as well as at the Chinshan nuclear power plant. The cracks could potentially result in complete weld failure and, as a consequence, a coreflow bypass. Analysis of the postulated complete weld failure of the Chinshan nuclear power plant shroud support access hole cover plate is performed with RETRAN-02/MOD3. The results show that some confusing phenomena could be observed. The reactor operator should be aware of the phenomena to avoid the likelihood of misoperation. Also, a special procedure needs to be established to deal with this event.
