ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
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Division Spotlight
Operations & Power
Members focus on the dissemination of knowledge and information in the area of power reactors with particular application to the production of electric power and process heat. The division sponsors meetings on the coverage of applied nuclear science and engineering as related to power plants, non-power reactors, and other nuclear facilities. It encourages and assists with the dissemination of knowledge pertinent to the safe and efficient operation of nuclear facilities through professional staff development, information exchange, and supporting the generation of viable solutions to current issues.
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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
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Nuclear Technology
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Christmas Night
Twas the night before Christmas when all through the houseNo electrons were flowing through even my mouse.
All devices were plugged in by the chimney with careWith the hope that St. Nikola Tesla would share.
B. P. Bromley, Z. Cheng, A. Nava Dominguez, A. V. Colton
Nuclear Technology | Volume 207 | Number 10 | October 2021 | Pages 1511-1537
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2020.1827658
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This paper reports the results of subchannel thermal-hydraulic studies (using the ASSERT-PV code) of the effects of variations and uncertainties in operating/boundary conditions and geometry on the predictions of pressure drop, dryout power, and dryout location for two types of advanced, nonconventional fuels in a pressure tube heavy water reactor (PT-HWR) fuel channel with 12 fuel bundles. The fuel bundles tested include a 37-element fuel bundle made with SEUO2 (1.2 wt% 235U/U), with a central fuel element made of ThO2, and 35-element fuel bundle made with (LEU,Th)O2, using 5 wt% 235U/U low-enriched uranium (LEU), 50 wt% LEUO2, and 50 wt% ThO2. Results indicate that for a range of flow conditions, the dryout power for the thorium-based 35-element fuel bundle is 10% to 26% higher than that for the uranium-based 37-element fuel bundle. Variation/uncertainty in the pressure tube diameter has the most significant impact on the pressure drop, dryout power, and dryout location. Results from these studies may have implications for the operations of PT-HWRs with advanced fuels, and further modifications may be desirable to further enhance thermal-hydraulic margins.