Mechanical vibrations compromise the integrity of key components of thermal power plants. Without careful design, strong resonances during steady state operation can wear these components to the point of failure, leading to an unsafe situation that may force a plant to shut down. The purpose of this research is to...
Small modular reactors (SMRs) are a recent advancement in commercial nuclear reactor design with growing interest worldwide. New SMR concepts, such as the Multi-Application Small Light Water Reactor (MASLWR), must undergo a licensing processes established by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) prior to commercial operation. Given the lack of...
Natural circulation is actively being pursued as a cooling system for most new nuclear reactor designs and spent fuel pools. To have a better and comprehensive understanding of natural circulation, an experimental facility was constructed to conduct experiments in natural circulation. The facility, designated as the Laser-Imaged Natural Circulation (LINC)...
Currently there is a great amount of interest in the phenomena of natural circulation as a cooling mechanism for normal operation as well as emergency conditions in nuclear reactors and spent fuel pools. In order to better understand this phenomena for the specific geometry of vertical, heated rods in water,...
In 2008, the Oregon State TRIGA® Reactor (OSTR) was converted from highly-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel lifetime improvement plan (FLIP) fuel to low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. This effort was driven and supported by the Department of Energy's (DoE's) Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) program. The basis behind the...