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Division Spotlight
Decommissioning & Environmental Sciences
The mission of the Decommissioning and Environmental Sciences (DES) Division is to promote the development and use of those skills and technologies associated with the use of nuclear energy and the optimal management and stewardship of the environment, sustainable development, decommissioning, remediation, reutilization, and long-term surveillance and maintenance of nuclear-related installations, and sites. The target audience for this effort is the membership of the Division, the Society, and the public at large.
Meeting Spotlight
ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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
El Salvador: Looking to nuclear
In 2022, El Salvador’s leadership decided to expand its modest, mostly hydro- and geothermal-based electricity system, which is supported by expensive imported natural gas and diesel generation. They chose to use advanced nuclear reactors, preferably fueled by thorium-based fuels, to power their civilian efforts. The choice of thorium was made to inform the world that the reactor program was for civilian purposes only, and so they chose a fuel that was plentiful, easy to source and work with, and not a proliferation risk.
Yuan Gao, Huai-En Hsieh, Huifang Miao, Zhe Zhou, Zhibo Zhang
Nuclear Technology | Volume 208 | Number 2 | February 2022 | Pages 222-231
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2021.1899552
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Critical heat flux (CHF) is an important heat transfer deterioration phenomenon during boiling heat transfer. It has been extensively studied, especially in the field of nuclear energy. Previous research has found that downward-facing heat transfer is worse than upward-facing and should be paid more attention. In this paper, the boiling heat transfer process under different flow rates and inlet distances is investigated. Seven experimental cases were made including a pool boiling case. The experiment studied the effect of inlet distances under small flow rates, which is not covered by previous research. Analysis of the CHF mechanism included surface temperature curves, boiling curves, bubble behaviors, and heat transfer coefficient. The fluctuation of the surface temperature of forced convention cases was observed due to the bubbles sliding along the heating surface. The phenomenon of vapor film fragmentation could also be found. The results show that even at small flow rates, CHF occurring time is postponed and the CHF value increases. Reducing inlet distance or increasing flow rate can both promote boiling heat transfer, thereby enhancing CHF.