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Division Spotlight
Reactor Physics
The division's objectives are to promote the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena characterizing nuclear reactors and other nuclear systems. The division encourages research and disseminates information through meetings and publications. Areas of technical interest include nuclear data, particle interactions and transport, reactor and nuclear systems analysis, methods, design, validation and operating experience and standards. The Wigner Award heads the awards program.
Meeting Spotlight
International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M&C 2025)
April 27–30, 2025
Denver, CO|The Westin Denver Downtown
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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Apr 2025
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
May 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
TerraPower begins U.K. regulatory approval process
Seattle-based TerraPower signaled its interest this week in building its Natrium small modular reactor in the United Kingdom, the company announced.
TerraPower sent a letter to the U.K.’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, formally establishing its intention to enter the U.K. generic design assessment (GDA) process. This is TerraPower’s first step in deployment of its Natrium technology—a 345-MW sodium fast reactor coupled with a molten salt energy storage unit—on the international stage.
Sinem Uzun
Nuclear Technology | Volume 211 | Number 4 | April 2025 | Pages 755-767
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2024.2356331
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
When nanofluids are used as reactor coolants, they provide more effective heat transfer with their increase in thermal conduction properties. This plays an important role in energy production by increasing the efficiency of nuclear reactors. The present study delves into the thermal-hydraulic ramifications of utilizing nanofluids as coolants in the VVER-1000 nuclear reactor. Specifically, the thermal-hydraulic characteristics, encompassing parameters such as coolant temperature and departure from nucleate boiling ratio, were scrutinized in light of the incorporation of magnesium oxide (MgO) and zinc oxide nanoparticles. While performing these analyses, not only uranium but also thorium was used in the core as reactor fuel. Considering the emergence of thorium as a potential fuel material in nuclear technology, its inclusion in the fuel composition contributed to the originality of the research. With the addition of 0.2% MgO nanoparticles to a VVER nuclear reactor using 5% thorium dioxide (ThO2) fuel, the coolant temperature as a result of the channel flow was determined as 617.4 K (while 613.7 K for the light water). When employing thorium fuel (with an equivalent nanoparticle concentration), the maximum temperature exhibited an approximate increase of 3 deg compared to uranium fuel. With the addition of 0.2% MgO nanoparticles, the enthalpy value at the end of the channel was 1303.6 kJ/kg when using 5% ThO2 fuel, while the enthalpy value was determined as 1295 kJ/kg in 3.7% enriched UO2 fuel. As one of the most important results of the analysis, it was observed that the temperature value of the coolant increased when nanoparticles were used.