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Division members promote the advancement of mathematical and computational methods for solving problems arising in all disciplines encompassed by the Society. They place particular emphasis on numerical techniques for efficient computer applications to aid in the dissemination, integration, and proper use of computer codes, including preparation of computational benchmark and development of standards for computing practices, and to encourage the development on new computer codes and broaden their use.
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ANS Student Conference 2025
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General Kenneth Nichols and the Manhattan Project
Nichols
The Oak Ridger has published the latest in a series of articles about General Kenneth D. Nichols, the Manhattan Project, and the 1954 Atomic Energy Act. The series has been produced by Nichols’ grandniece Barbara Rogers Scollin and Oak Ridge (Tenn.) city historian David Ray Smith. Gen. Nichols (1907–2000) was the district engineer for the Manhattan Engineer District during the Manhattan Project.
As Smith and Scollin explain, Nichols “had supervision of the research and development connected with, and the design, construction, and operation of, all plants required to produce plutonium-239 and uranium-235, including the construction of the towns of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Richland, Washington. The responsibility of his position was massive as he oversaw a workforce of both military and civilian personnel of approximately 125,000; his Oak Ridge office became the center of the wartime atomic energy’s activities.”
John C. Wagner, Alireza Haghighat, Bojan G. Petrovic
Nuclear Technology | Volume 114 | Number 3 | June 1996 | Pages 373-398
Technical Paper | Radiation Protection | doi.org/10.13182/NT96-A35241
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The application of Monte Carlo methods for reactor pressure vessel (RPV) neutron fluence calculations is examined. As many commercial nuclear light water reactors approach the end of their design lifetime, it is of great consequence that reactor operators and regulators be able to characterize the structural integrity of the RPV accurately for financial reasons, as well as safety reasons, due to the possibility of plant life extensions. The Monte Carlo method, which offers explicit three-dimensional geometric representation and continuous energy and angular simulation, is well suited for this task. A model of the Three Mile Island unit 1 reactor is presented for determination of RPV fluence; Monte Carlo (MCNP) and deterministic (DORT) results are compared for this application; and numerous issues related to performing these calculations are examined. Synthesized three-dimensional deterministic models are observed to produce results that are comparable to those of Monte Carlo methods, provided the two methods utilize the same cross-section libraries. Continuous energy Monte Carlo methods are shown to predict more (15 to 20%) high-energy neutrons in the RPV than deterministic methods.
