Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, devices, and systems for creating, controlling, conducting, and optimizing fusion activities of nuclei. The controlled fusion activities cover a spectrum of reactions from aneutronic, fusion reactions that produce essentially no neutrons, to neutronic, fusion reactions that produce substantial numbers of neutrons.

Abstract: A storage basket for radioactive materials, defining housings parallel to each other and each extending along a housing axis parallel to a longitudinal central axis of the basket, the latter including: a plurality of transverse plates, traversed by a plurality of openings; a plurality of housing tubes arranged parallel to the longitudinal central axis of the basket. The housing tubes are arranged in alternation with the transverse plates along the axis, such that the inner lateral surface of each housing is defined, successively along this axis, at least by the inner surface of a first housing tube, the inner surface of one of the openings of a first transverse plate, and the inner surface of a second housing tube.

Abstract: The invention provides a system for containing irradiated particles, the system having a housing having a closed upstream end and an open downstream end; an axially disposed tunnel extending from the downstream end to the upstream end, wherein longitudinally extending regions of the tunnel define a plurality of threaded surfaces; a sample cup positioned within the tunnel and proximal to the closed upstream end; threaded plugs matingly received by the threaded surfaces so as to provide at least one seal between the sample cup and the atmosphere external of the housing; and a plurality of deformable substrates disposed between the plugs.

Abstract: A device for confining nuclear reactor core melt comprising a melt trap and provided with a multilayer vessel containment, a filler, an upper support, and a bottom support comprising a horizontal embedded plate mounted in the concrete of a reactor pit. The plate comprises radial supports, the melt trap comprising radial supports, based on the radial support of the plate. The plate radial supports and the melt trap radial supports are connected with fasteners having holes in the form of hyperbolic surfaces. The radial supports and the clamps have oval holes. The upper support comprises turnbuckles, mounted in pairs on the upper part of the melt trap body so that the longitudinal axis of each radial support of the melt trap bottom support passes in projection at an equispaced distance from the fitting location of the paired turnbuckles and connecting the melt trap body with the reactor pit vertical wall.

Abstract: Provided is a nuclear-fuel sintered pellet based on oxide in which a plate-type fine precipitate material in a base of a sintered pellet of uranium dioxide, used as nuclear fuel in nuclear power plants, is uniformly dispersed in a matrix of uranium dioxide fuel thereof so as to form a donut-shaped precipitate cluster, and to a method of manufacturing the same. The plate-type fine precipitate material is uniformly precipitated in a tissue thereof or forms a donut-shaped precipitate cluster having a two-dimensional structure through dispersion to improve thermal and physical performance of the nuclear-fuel sintered pellet of uranium dioxide, whereby the creep deformation rate and thermal conductivity of the sintered pellet are improved. The nuclear-fuel sintered pellet based on oxide can reduce the Pellet-Clad Interaction (PCI) failure and the core temperature of nuclear fuel when an accident occurs, thereby significantly improving the safety of a nuclear reactor.

Abstract: A defective fuel bundle location system for use with a heavy water moderated nuclear fission reactor having a fueling machine, including a test tool defining an internal volume, the test tool being configured to be received within both the fueling machine and a corresponding fuel channel of the reactor, and a test container defining an internal volume, wherein the test container is configured to be received within the internal volume of the test tool and the internal volume of the test container is configured to receive primary fluid from the reactor when the test tool is disposed within the corresponding fuel channel of the reactor.

Abstract: A method and system for producing a neutral beam of spin polarized Hydrogen isotopes by photodissociating compound molecules are provided. Each compound molecule comprises a Hydrogen isotope and a second element. A molecular beam is generated by passing the compound molecules through a nozzle. The molecular beam is introduced into a photodissociation chamber. The molecular beam is photodissociated into spin polarized Hydrogen isotopes and second elements by intersecting the molecular beam with a circularly polarized photolysis laser beam. The spin polarized Hydrogen isotopes are guided, accelerated, and neutralized.

Abstract: An apparatus for decommissioning heavy-water reactor facilities includes a shielding device including a drawing-out space that is mounted on the reactivity mechanism deck and communicates with one through-hole among the plurality of through-holes, a separating device that is inserted into the inside of one of the plurality of guide tubes through the drawing-out space and the one through-hole and cuts an end portion of the one guide tube connected to the calandria, and a drawing-out device that is inserted into the inside of the one guide tube through the drawing-out space and the one through-hole and supports the end portion of the one guide tube to draw out the one guide tube into the inside of the drawing-out space through the one through-hole.

Abstract: A method of operating a nuclear fusion device. The nuclear fusion device comprises a toroidal plasma chamber and has poloidal field coils configured to form a plasma within the plasma chamber by one of merging compression and double null merging. A varying current is provided to the poloidal field coils. The varying current comprises a plurality of pulses. Each pulse comprises a plasma formation period having a rate of change of current which is opposite in sign to the current; and a merging period following the plasma formation period and having a current sufficiently low in magnitude as to allow plasmas within the chamber to merge into a single plasma. The current during the plasma formation period is varied such that the energy density of the single plasma immediately after merging is sufficient for fusion to occur.

Abstract: Fuel pellets and fuel pellet arrangements include thermally-conductive inserts within a fuel. The inserts have at least one portion of a thermally-conductive material, such as radially-extending fins. The inserts are configured to dissipate heat during use of the fuel pellets, while minimizing the amount of the total volume of the fuel pellet that is occupied by non-fissile material. The inclusion of heat-dissipating inserts enables the fuel pellets to exhibit improved thermal performance over the lifetime of the fuel, including a relatively low peak temperature and relatively low integrated average temperatures, while the minimal volume of the inserts avoids significantly decreasing the percent of enrichment achievable.

Abstract: A sparger includes a main pipe connecting inside and outside of a water tank having a storage space therein for storing cooling water, so as to define a flow path through which steam and air containing radioactive materials generated outside the water tank are discharged into the cooling water, a header part connected to one end portion of the main pipe located in the storage space, and having a storage chamber in which the steam and air transferred through the main pipe are collected, and a plurality of discharge nozzles disposed in a spacing manner, each having inlet and outlet formed on one end located in the storage chamber and another end located in the storage space, respectively, to discharge the steam and air from the storage chamber to the storage space, and at least some of the plurality of discharge nozzles protruding from the header part by different lengths.

Abstract: An elongated stylus is configured to be capacitively coupled with a sensor array providing a plurality of electrodes to indicate a position on the sensor array. The stylus includes a housing having an end in an elongated direction of the housing, a conductive tip disposed at least partially extended from the end of the housing, an electrode disposed around the conductive tip and configured to at least partially expose the conductive tip, and a signal transmit drive circuit configured to provide a signal. Control is performed to form an electrical connection between the electrode and a ground and an electrical connection between the electrode and the signal transmit drive circuit when the elongated stylus is activated for capacitive coupling with the sensor array.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for evaluating a response time of a plant protection system. The apparatus includes: a classification module classifying a design process related to a response time requirement of each channel performing a safety function into four operations of a safety analysis operation, a system design operation, a response time analysis operation, and a response time test operation; and an integrated evaluation module determining whether a response time evaluation is proper based on a time t1 derived in the safety analysis operation, a time t2 derived in the system design operation, a time t3 derived in the response time analysis operation, and a time t4 derived in the response time test operation.

Abstract: A container for holding radioactive waste has a side wall, a floor connected to a lower end of the side wall, and a cover. A set of side-wall formations is provided at an upper end of the side wall and on an inner surface of the side wall, and a set of cover-edge formations is distributed around an outer edge of the cover and fittable with the side-wall formations. Thus, as a result of the interfitting of cover-edge formations with the side-wall formations, the cover can be or is fixedly connected to the side wall without welds.

Abstract: Embodiments of a thermal divider insert for a dry storage, spent nuclear fuel cask are disclosed. The thermal divider insert enables safe storage of the hazardous nuclear material when one or more air inlets have been fully or partially blocked to an extent that insufficient air flows into the air inlets and through the cask for adequate cooling of the hazardous nuclear material. A concrete overpack contains a metal canister with the hazardous nuclear material. The overpack has an inside surface that is spaced from an outer surface of the canister to create an annular region that permits flow of air between the surfaces for cooling the canister. Air inlets near the bottom of the overpack communicate air from an outside into the annular region. Outlet vents near the top of the overpack communicate air from the annular region to the outside.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device includes a display panel including a display area where first drive areas and second drive areas are alternately disposed, and display function layers which include first display function layers and second display function layers and which are changed to a transparent state and a scattering state, and a control unit. The control unit applies a drive voltage to the first display function layers, in a first field period. The control unit applies the drive voltage to the second display function layers, in a second field period. A polarity of the drive voltage in the first field period is different from a polarity of the drive voltage in the second field period.

Abstract: Damper systems selectively reduce coolant fluid flow in nuclear reactor passive cooling systems, including related RVACS. Systems include a damper that blocks the flow in a coolant conduit and is moveable to open, closed, and intermediate positions. The damper blocks the coolant flow when closed to prevent heat loss, vibration, and development of large temperature gradients, and the damper passively opens, to allow full coolant flow, at failure and in transient scenarios. The damper may be moveable by an attachment extending into the coolant channel that holds the damper in a closed position. When a transient occurs, the resulting loss of power and/or overheat causes the attachment to stop holding the damper, which may be driven by gravity, pressure, a spring, or other passive structure into the open position for full coolant flow. A power source and temperature-dependent switch may detect and stop holding the damper closed in such scenarios.

Abstract: A nuclear power system includes a reactor vessel that includes a reactor core mounted therein. The reactor core includes nuclear fuel assemblies configured to generate a nuclear fission reaction. The reaction vessel does not include any control rod assemblies therein. The nuclear power system further includes a riser positioned above the reactor core, a primary coolant flow path, a primary coolant that circulates through the primary coolant flow path to receive heat from the nuclear fission reaction and release the received heat to generate electric power in a power generation, and a control system communicably coupled to the power generation system and configured to control a power output of the nuclear fission reaction independent of any control rod assemblies.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to an electronic device having an illuminated body that defines a virtual or dynamic trackpad. The electronic device includes a translucent layer defining a keyboard region and a dynamic input region along an external surface. A keyboard may be. positioned within the keyboard region and including a key surface and a switch element (e.g., to detect a keypress). A light control layer positioned below the translucent layer and within the dynamic input region may have a group of illuminable features. The electronic device may also include a group of light-emitting elements positioned below the optical diffuser. One or more of the light control layer or the group of light-emitting elements may be configured to illuminate the dynamic input region to display a visible boundary of an active input area. At least one of a size or a position of the visible boundary may be dynamically variable.

Abstract: A breech-loading neutron gun providing neutrons to stimulate the release of energy from nuclear materials in a containment vessel in a regulated fashion includes a chamber among a plurality of chambers located in a breech where one or more of the plurality of chambers are configured and arranged to load with a neutron source, and a mechanism for controllably moving the breech or the chamber relative to an access cavity of the containment vessel and exposing the nuclear materials to neutrons from the chamber when the chamber containing the neutron source aligns with the access cavity.