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Nuclear Engineering Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Nuclear Engineering

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy Of Zirconium Oxidation For In-Situ Nuclear Sensing Applications, Michael Andrew Reynolds May 2022

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy Of Zirconium Oxidation For In-Situ Nuclear Sensing Applications, Michael Andrew Reynolds

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

To meet the ever-growing energy demands of the modern world, alternative forms of producing power are necessary, and the field of nuclear engineering holds promise to answer this call. Nuclear fuel cladding in light water reactors (LWRs) currently draws a large amount of attention from scientists and researchers, as it provides many challenges to design around. Since the 1950s, zirconium and its protective oxide layer have been utilized as an effective material for the task, possessing good mechanical strengths, high corrosion resistance, and a low neutron absorption cross section. Despite these beneficial properties, however, fuel cladding remains vulnerable to several …


Towards Improving The Properties And Furthering Acceptance Of Advanced Technology Nuclear Fuels, Jennifer K. Watkins May 2022

Towards Improving The Properties And Furthering Acceptance Of Advanced Technology Nuclear Fuels, Jennifer K. Watkins

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

To avoid detrimental environmental impacts from climate change, the world community needs to push for the use of clean energy technologies. Development of proposed advanced technology nuclear fuels supports efforts to ensure nuclear energy is included as a non-carbon emitting source of electricity generation. Advanced technology nuclear fuels, also referred to as accident tolerant fuels (ATFs), have received renewed interest for use in the current nuclear reactor fleet as well as in advanced reactor technologies due to their high uranium loading, desirable thermophysical properties, and performance under irradiation as compared to the benchmark oxide fuel. A limiting consideration for the …


Thermoelectric Half-Heuslers: Synthesis, Processing, And Performance, Joseph Robert Croteau Aug 2016

Thermoelectric Half-Heuslers: Synthesis, Processing, And Performance, Joseph Robert Croteau

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Thermoelectric half-Heusler compounds have potential to convert the heat wasted from industrial and transportation processes to useful electricity. Among the highest performing half-Heusler compounds are nano-structured bulk materials which have been arc-melted, pulverized into a nano-powder, and sintered by DC-hot press. High performing n- and p-type half-Heusler compounds with nominal composition of Hf0.25Zr0.75NiSn0.99Sb0.01 and Nb0.75Ti0.25FeSb, respectively, have been provided to us in both dense and powder form by our collaborators at the University of Houston. We consolidate these powders by SPS, refine these powders to improve both particle size …