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Division Spotlight
Fusion Energy
This division promotes the development and timely introduction of fusion energy as a sustainable energy source with favorable economic, environmental, and safety attributes. The division cooperates with other organizations on common issues of multidisciplinary fusion science and technology, conducts professional meetings, and disseminates technical information in support of these goals. Members focus on the assessment and resolution of critical developmental issues for practical fusion energy applications.
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!
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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.
Gary R. Smolen, Raymond C. Lloyd, Tadakuni Matsumoto
Nuclear Technology | Volume 107 | Number 3 | September 1994 | Pages 340-355
Technical Paper | Nuclear Criticality Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT94-A35012
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Critical experiments were performed at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory’s Critical Mass Laboratory in 1987 and 1988 with a heterogeneous array of mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel pins immersed in mixed plutoniumuranium nitrate solutions. The 996 fuel pins, on a 1.40-cm-square pitch, were configured in a cylindrical array. The solution heavy metal concentrations ranged from 4 to 468 g/ℓ and had a Pu/Pu+U ratio of 0.2. Critical experiments were also performed with gadolinium added to the fissile solution. These experiments were designed to simulate conditions in a MOX fuel dissolver, where fuel lumps are moderated by aqueous solutions containing fissile nuclides, with and without a soluble neutron poison. For the experimental conditions examined, it was determined that the critical size of the system increased as the heavy metal concentration increased. The criticality data were used to validate two versions of the SCALE computer code system and the 27-energy-group cross-section library, derived from the Evaluated Nuclear Data File B Version IV. The calculational results indicate that SCALE-2 has some difficulty in modeling these systems. Modifications in SCALE-4 have led to more accurate keff results.