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
Reactor Physics
The division's objectives are to promote the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena characterizing nuclear reactors and other nuclear systems. The division encourages research and disseminates information through meetings and publications. Areas of technical interest include nuclear data, particle interactions and transport, reactor and nuclear systems analysis, methods, design, validation and operating experience and standards. The Wigner Award heads the awards program.
Meeting Spotlight
Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo (UWC 2024)
August 4–7, 2024
Marco Island, FL|JW Marriott Marco Island
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
Jul 2024
Jan 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2024
Nuclear Technology
August 2024
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Construction begins on Kairos’s fluoride salt–cooled test reactor
Earlier today, on a site in Oak Ridge, Tenn., that was formerly home to the K-33 Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Kairos Power marked the start of construction on its low-power demonstration reactor. Named Hermes, the 35-MWt test reactor claims status as the first Gen IV reactor to be approved for construction by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the first non–light water reactor to be permitted in the United States in more than 50 years.
Andrea Bucalossi, Alessandro Petruzzi, Marian Kristof, Francesco D'Auria
Nuclear Technology | Volume 172 | Number 1 | October 2010 | Pages 29-47
Technical Paper | Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT172-29
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Computational reactor safety analysis is trending to replace conservative evaluation model calculations with best-estimate analysis complemented by uncertainty evaluation of the code results. In such cases, the evaluation of the margin to acceptance criteria (e.g., the maximum fuel rod clad temperature) is based on the upper limit of the calculated uncertainty range. Uncertainty analysis is compulsory if relevant conclusions are to be obtained from best-estimate thermal-hydraulic code calculations in order to avoid presenting single values of unknown accuracy for comparison with regulatory acceptance limits.This paper, after a thorough introduction of conservative and best-estimate methods and characterization of the main sources of uncertainties affecting best-estimate system codes, applies a best-estimate-plus-uncertainty (BEPU) method to three cases having as reference different nuclear power plants and different types of transients. Finally, the results from the BEPU approach is compared with a conservative approach and a combined approach.