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.
Division Spotlight
Materials Science & Technology
The objectives of MSTD are: promote the advancement of materials science in Nuclear Science Technology; support the multidisciplines which constitute it; encourage research by providing a forum for the presentation, exchange, and documentation of relevant information; promote the interaction and communication among its members; and recognize and reward its members for significant contributions to the field of materials science in nuclear technology.
Meeting Spotlight
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025)
February 3–6, 2025
Amelia Island, FL|Omni Amelia Island Resort
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
Jan 2025
Jul 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
February 2025
Nuclear Technology
January 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Article considers incorporation of AI into nuclear power plant operations
The potential application of artificial intelligence to the operation of nuclear power plants is explored in an article published in late December in the Washington Examiner. The article, written by energy and environment reporter Callie Patteson, presents the views of a number of experts, including Yavuz Arik, a strategic energy consultant.
Edward T. Dugan, Samer D. Kahook
Nuclear Technology | Volume 103 | Number 2 | August 1993 | Pages 139-156
Technical Paper | Fission Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT93-A34839
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Static and dynamic neutronic analyses have been performed on an innovative burst-mode (hundreds of megawatts output for a few thousand seconds) Ultrahigh-Temperature Vapor Core Reactor (UTVR) space nuclear power system. This novel reactor concept employs multiple neutronically coupled fissioning cores and operates on a direct closed Rankine cycle using a disk magnetohydrodynamic generator for energy conversion. The UTVR includes two types of fissioning core regions: (a) the central Ultrahigh-Temperature Vapor Core (UTVC), which contains a vapor mixture of highly enriched UF4fuel and a metal fluoride working fluid and (b) the UF4 boiler column cores located in the BeO moderator-reflector region. The gaseous nature of the fuel, the fact that the fuel is circulating, the multiple coupled fissioning cores, and the use of a two-phase fissioning fuel lead to unique static and dynamic neutronic characteristics. Static neutronic analysis was conducted using two-dimensional Sn transport theory calculations and three-dimensional Monte Carlo transport theory calculations. Circulating-fuel, coupled-core point reactor kinetics equations were used for analyzing the dynamic behavior of the UTVR. In addition to including reactivity feedback phenomena associated with the individual fissioning cores, the effects of core-to-core neutronic and mass flow coupling between the UTVC and the surrounding boiler cores were also included in the dynamic model. The dynamic analysis of the UTVR reveals the existence of some very effective inherent reactivity feedback effects that are capable of quickly stabilizing this system, within a few seconds, even when large positive reactivity insertions are imposed. If the UTVC vapor-fuel density feedback is suppressed, the UTVR is still inherently stable because of the boiler core liquid-fuel volume feedback; in contrast, suppression of the vapor-fuel density feedback in “conventional” gas core cavity reactors causes them to become inherently unstable. Because of the strength of the negative reactivity feedback in the UTVR, it is found that external reactivity insertions alone are inadequate for bringing about significant power level changes during normal reactor operations. Additional methods of reactivity control, such as variations in the gaseous fuel mass flow rate, are needed to achieve the desired power level control.