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
Nuclear Installations Safety
Devoted specifically to the safety of nuclear installations and the health and safety of the public, this division seeks a better understanding of the role of safety in the design, construction and operation of nuclear installation facilities. The division also promotes engineering and scientific technology advancement associated with the safety of such facilities.
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
Oct 2024
Jul 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
November 2024
Nuclear Technology
December 2024
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Australian undergrads are crafting a tokamak device
Commercial nuclear power is illegal in Australia, and it has been since the 1990s. This past June, however, the country’s main opposition party announced plans to build seven commercial nuclear reactors in the 2030s and 2040s on sites presently occupied by aging coal-fired plants—should the party’s Liberal–National Coalition win power in federal elections next year. This statement has reignited a public debate regarding the potential role of nuclear energy in Australia.
C. Lepscky, G. M. Testa, H. Hougaard, K. W. Jones
Nuclear Technology | Volume 16 | Number 2 | November 1972 | Pages 367-395
Technical Paper | Fuel | doi.org/10.13182/NT72-A31203
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Two instrumented fuel assemblies, containing Zircaloy-clad UO2 fuel, namely IF A-132 (pellet, 95% TD, 10.0 wt% 235U) and IFA-133 (vibrocompacted powder, 85% TD, 10.0 wt% 235U) were irradiated in the Halden Boiling Water Reactor (HBWR) in Norway, in order to investigate the performance of fuel pins under central melting conditions; the maximum linear heat generation rate (LHGR) was about 1400 W/cm and the final burnup was 11 000 MWd/MTU. The initial molten zone covered about 35 and 65% of the fuel radius for the pelleted and vibrocompacted fuel, respectively. By means of the in-pile instrumentation, the dimensional changes vs generated power were recorded during irradiation. Furthermore through extensive postirradiation examinations the in-pile behavior of fuel and cladding was evaluated. In spite of incipient burnout condition, contact of molten or plastic fuel with the cladding, and localized overheating up to 900°C, the overall behavior gave no indication that irradiation to a higher burnup could not proceed satisfactorily. On the basis of this experiment it seems justified to assume that central fuel melting should not be considered as a primary constraint in the fuel design criteria.