ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Division Spotlight
Decommissioning & Environmental Sciences
The mission of the Decommissioning and Environmental Sciences (DES) Division is to promote the development and use of those skills and technologies associated with the use of nuclear energy and the optimal management and stewardship of the environment, sustainable development, decommissioning, remediation, reutilization, and long-term surveillance and maintenance of nuclear-related installations, and sites. The target audience for this effort is the membership of the Division, the Society, and the public at large.
Meeting Spotlight
2024 ANS Winter Conference and Expo
November 17–21, 2024
Orlando, FL|Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
Sep 2024
Jul 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
November 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
October 2024
Latest News
From the pages of Nuclear News: Industry update September 2024
Here is a recap of industry happenings from the recent past:
BWXT advanced nuclear reactor agreement signed
Burns & McDonnell, a family of construction and design companies, has entered into an agreement with BWX Technologies to further advance the design and development of the BWXT BANR microreactor, which has a “passively safe design” for powering remote facilities while providing a carbon-free source of heat and electricity. The two companies completed the first phase of their collaboration in early 2024 and intend to complete the second phase by the third quarter of 2025. Burns & McDonnell is helping BWXT develop the balance-of-plant systems for the BANR, generate the power plant layout, and perform preconstruction planning. Its scope of work also includes developing power cycle architecture, identifying critical components, integrating site design, and supporting steam and power distribution infrastructure and reactor building structures. The Wyoming Energy Authority is currently evaluating the feasibility of using the BANR in a state nuclear market for baseload heat and power deployed for remote industrial users, such as mining operations.
H. Boniface, S. Suppiah, K. Krishnaswamy, L. Rodrigo, J. Robinson, P. Kwon
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 60 | Number 4 | November 2011 | Pages 1347-1350
Detritiation and Isotope Separation | Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Tritium Science and Technology (Part 2) | doi.org/10.13182/FST11-A12679
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
AECL has been actively involved in exploring advanced electrolysis technologies for its Combined Electrolysis and Catalytic Exchange (CECE) technology for water detritiation. A small-scale CECE system (mini-CECE) has been built and operated at AECL to explore its operation as a closed-cycle system with a proton-exchange membrane (PEM) type electrolysis cell. A similar mini-CECE system suitable for service with tritium concentrations up to 1000 Ci/kg(water) has been assembled, in collaboration with Tyne Engineering, for installation in a glovebox in AECL's Tritium Facility. These systems were developed as test-beds for membranes that had been selected for their expected tritium resistance. The systems allowed the measurement of membrane performance over long periods at very high tritium concentrations, as well as the ability to monitor any effects of membrane degradation products on the performance of exchange and recombiner catalysts.Preliminary work has been done with Nafion-112 membrane samples by exposing them to gamma and beta radiation to determine their suitability for use in tritiated CECE system. Doses of up to 1250 kGy of gamma or 200 kGy of beta were applied. Visual observations showed that gamma irradiation at doses below 400 kGy produced severe damage to the membrane. No significant physical damage was observed for samples exposed to 200 kGy from tritiated water. However this level of exposure to either gamma or beta radiation was sufficient to significantly decrease membrane performance in fuel cell tests.