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 Criticality Safety
NCSD provides communication among nuclear criticality safety professionals through the development of standards, the evolution of training methods and materials, the presentation of technical data and procedures, and the creation of specialty publications. In these ways, the division furthers the exchange of technical information on nuclear criticality safety with the ultimate goal of promoting the safe handling of fissionable materials outside reactors.
Meeting Spotlight
ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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
Feb 2025
Jul 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
March 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
February 2025
Latest News
Colin Judge: Testing structural materials in Idaho’s newest hot cell facility
Idaho National Laboratory’s newest facility—the Sample Preparation Laboratory (SPL)—sits across the road from the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF), which started operating in 1975. SPL will host the first new hot cells at INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) in 50 years, giving INL researchers and partners new flexibility to test the structural properties of irradiated materials fresh from the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) or from a partner’s facility.
Materials meant to withstand extreme conditions in fission or fusion power plants must be tested under similar conditions and pushed past their breaking points so performance and limitations can be understood and improved. Once irradiated, materials samples can be cut down to size in SPL and packaged for testing in other facilities at INL or other national laboratories, commercial labs, or universities. But they can also be subjected to extreme thermal or corrosive conditions and mechanical testing right in SPL, explains Colin Judge, who, as INL’s division director for nuclear materials performance, oversees SPL and other facilities at the MFC.
SPL won’t go “hot” until January 2026, but Judge spoke with NN staff writer Susan Gallier about its capabilities as his team was moving instruments into the new facility.
Technical Session|Sponsored by RPD
Wednesday, November 16, 2022|10:00–11:45AM MST|Sonoran 8
Session Chair:
Yasir Arafat
Alternate Chair:
Abdalla Abou-Jaoude
Session Organizer:
The purpose of the DOE MARVEL project is to develop, in an accelerated timeline, a nuclear microreactor applications test bed at INL to perform research and development on various operational features of microreactors to ultimately prove and improve the integration of microreactors to end-user applications. Through the DOE Microreactor Program, the development of this nuclear testbed provides an opportunity to establish and exercise key capabilities that support future reactor demonstrations by (1) providing an early-stage platform for potential end users of microreactor systems, (2) deploying the first small-scale R&D reactor in ~50 years to support new capability development, (3) facilitating outreach activity with stakeholders interested in novel nuclear energy applications (e.g., hydrogen production, process heating, water purifications), and (4) investigating and addressing issues relating to fabrication, assembly, rapid installation, deployment, and operation of microreactors. The panel will share details of the MARVEL Technology with the scientific community on various technical topics, including neutronics, thermal hydraulics, reactivity control, safety basis
To access paper attachments, you must be logged in and registered for the meeting.
Register NowLog In
MARVEL Test Microreactor Reference Design
10:00–10:20AM MST
Yasir Arafat (INL), Travis Lange (INL), Carlo Parisi (INL), Anthony Crawford (INL), Benjamin Baker (INL), Paul Plachinda (INL), James Parry (INL), Holly Trellue (LANL), Luke Andrew (Walsh Engineering Services), Kyle Francis (Walsh Engineering Services), Tarrin Fundeberg (Walsh Engineering Services)
Paper
MARVEL Core Design and Neutronic Characteristics
10:20–10:40AM MST
Travis Lange (INL), Adrian Wagner (INL), Carlo Parisi (INL), Yasir Arafat (INL)
Safety Design Strategy for the Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation (MARVEL) Project
10:40–11:00AM MST
Douglas Gerstner (INL), Yasir Arafat (INL), Jason Andrus (INL), James Parry (INL)
Mass Production of Microreactors: A Look at Potential Scenarios and Fabrication Facility Requirements
11:00–11:20AM MST
Chandrakanth Bolisetti (INL), Abdalla Abou-Jaoude (INL), Yasir Arafat (INL), Jason Christensen (INL), Alex Huning (ORNL), Andrew Foss (INL)
MARVEL Thermal-Hydraulics: Normal and Accidental Conditions
11:20–11:40AM MST
Carlo Parisi (INL), Y. Arafat (INL)
To join the conversation, you must be logged in and registered for the meeting.
