Frontiers in Nuclear Engineering

Inertial electrostatic confinement fusion devices (fusors) are becoming increasingly attractive neutron sources, and are well suited for global distribution with great humanitarian benefits. However, such neutrons are agnostic to the user’s intent, so could in theory be used for malicious means. This paper discusses the feasibility of using fusors to convert fertile thorium-232 or uranium-238 int…

Deep geological repositories for radioactive waste rely on geological barriers to isolate waste and impede or limit radionuclide migration over long geological timescales or until radioactivity has decreased to natural radiation levels. This study summarises the main geological evidence and arguments for the containment-providing rock zone (CRZ), including the host rock Opalinus Clay, as effectiv…

This work reports on a pilot study for optimizing the design of a fast neutron irradiation experiment in a thermal neutron spectrum, specifically the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). A fast and robust multi-objective optimization workflow that leverages Python-based open-source tools was developed and applied to the ATR to optimize experiment design and boost fast energy neutrons at a desired irradia…

SIMULATE5-K (S5K) is the newest state-of-the-art, best-estimate, transient reactor analysis software developed by Studsvik Scandpower, Inc. (SSP). When used in conjunction with CASMO5 to generate multi-group neutronic data for steady-state and transient calculations, S5K can be used to accurately model reactor transient conditions in Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) and Boiling Water Reactors (B…

Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion (IECF) devices have garnered increased recognition for their potential as compact, portable neutron sources for use in the generation of medical isotopes and various neutron-based interrogation techniques. This study investigates the shielding requirements for a laboratory enclosure that houses a deuterium-deuterium (DD) fueled IECF device. The simulation…

Nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness and response (EPR) including decision-support systems and emergency management frameworks operate at the intersection of advanced technical modelling, organizational processes, human decision-making, and societal dynamics. This review is based on a critical synthesis of the scientific and institutional literature addressing dispersion modelling, dec…

We propose, apply, and verify a screening approach for the selection of safety-relevant radionuclides that should be tracked in models assessing the performance of geologic repositories for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive wastes. Starting with a comprehensive list of radionuclides present in the waste form, a multi-step down-selection process evaluates each isotope’s…

For all societies that rely or have relied fully or partly on nuclear energy the long-term management of radioactive waste remains a complex challenge for generations to come. Issues are the multidisciplinary scientific understanding of key processes often coupled over time and space scales, the search of appropriate and acceptable disposal sites, the development of engineering solutions and the …

Nuclear fusion, the process of combining light nuclei to form heavier nuclei, offers a promising pathway to sustainable clean energy with minimal radioactive waste. The Lawson criterion, expressed as the product of plasma density, confinement time, and temperature, establishes the conditions required for ignition and net energy gain. This study investigates the Lawson criterion for proton-boron-1…

Nuclear waste repository siting presents an unprecedented intergenerational challenge: decisions made today will affect approximately 5,000 future generations over 100,000 years. Contemporary approaches in Finland, Sweden, and France rely almost exclusively on present-generation perspectives in societal decision-making. While achieving varying degrees of local acceptance through institutional tru…

This study investigates the synthesis and characterization of metakaolin-based geopolymers for the immobilization of simulated aluminum-containing radioactive liquid waste. Two kaolin precursors with different Si/Al ratios and purities were calcined between 700 °C and 900 °C. Geopolymers were prepared using a sodium silicate–NaOH activating solution (10 M NaOH) with and without sand, and cured at…

The verification, validation, and uncertainty quantification (VVUQ) of high-fidelity, high-resolution multi-physics modeling and simulation in nuclear engineering applications are essential for assessing the predictive credibility of developed models. Appropriate practices and methods are required to address ongoing challenges. Some key examples include the large dimensionality of the input and o…

The competing requirements of fusion breeder blankets and the high dimensionality of their design space necessitate a systematic treatment to map the variations in performance against given objective metrics and to understand the operational envelope. In this endeavour, a digital engineering pipeline for design evaluation and optimisation has been developed. The tools involved are Hypnos for para…

This study presents a multiphysics computational simulation framework for analyzing pebble dynamics and thermal-fluid behavior in High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Pebble Bed Reactors (HTG-PBR). The pebble circulation and intermixing effects are predicted using Discrete Element Method (DEM) implemented in LIGGGHTS, while the thermal-fluid behavior is simulated with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in…

Geopolymers, aluminosilicate materials formed by alkali activation, have drawn interest because of their unique mechanical, chemical, and thermal characteristics. They are interesting for adsorption applications due to their similar chemical structure to zeolite. This study investigates the synthesis and characterization of hybrid geopolymer/zeolite composites to remove lead ions (Pb(II)) and bri…

Fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) is essential for maintaining safety and preventing hazardous situations in industrial process control. Effective fault diagnosis allows for the timely detection and correction of anomalies, preventing potential disruptions and maintaining optimal performance. In the paper, we present a unified framework for fault detection and diagnosis by combining the real-ti…

The release of radionuclides initially encapsulated in a slowly degrading solid waste form and contained in an eventually corroding canister defines the source term for numerical simulations for the assessment of a geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste. While the details of waste degradation, canister corrosion, and dissolution and mobilization of the radionuclides in pore water in…

Inertial electrostatic confinement fusion has developed into a widespread academic field since its inception in the 1950s and 1960s. This paper provides an overview of the different research groups (universities and research institutes) and companies involved in the field of IECF and their scientific publications. A list of over 970 publications from 56 universities, 20 research institutes, and 2…

The global acceptance of additive manufacturing has evolved with time and has proven to provide promising solutions to varied critical requirements of the nuclear industry. The components of a nuclear reactor, when built using additive manufacturing techniques, offer high microstructural control, making them versatile for a range of properties. These properties can be made easily achievable and t…

In this work, we present validation test results of fully coupled neutronics and thermal-hydraulics models of the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) against experimental data of the zero power pump transients and the natural circulation tests at low power. To capture the strong coupling between neutronics and thermal-hydraulics due to fuel circulation, and to account for the delayed neutron pr…