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
Human Factors, Instrumentation & Controls
Improving task performance, system reliability, system and personnel safety, efficiency, and effectiveness are the division's main objectives. Its major areas of interest include task design, procedures, training, instrument and control layout and placement, stress control, anthropometrics, psychological input, and motivation.
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
August 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Vogtle-3 shuts down for valve issue
One of the new Vogtle units in Georgia was shut down unexpectedly on Monday last week for a valve issue that has since been investigated and repaired. According to multiple local news outlets, Georgia Power reported on July 17 that Unit 3 was back in service.
Southern Company spokesperson Jacob Hawkins confirmed that Vogtle-3 went off line at 9:25 p.m. local time on July 8 “due to lowering water levels in the steam generators caused by a valve issue on one of the three main feedwater pumps.”
Ronald D. Stambaugh, Vincent S. Chan, Robert L. Miller, Michael J. Schaffer
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 33 | Number 1 | January 1998 | Pages 1-21
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/FST33-1
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The low-aspect-ratio tokamak or spherical torus (ST) approach offers the two key elements needed to enable magnetic confinement fusion to make the transition from a government-funded research program to the commercial marketplace: a low-cost, low-power, small-size market entry vehicle and a strong economy of scale in larger devices. Within the ST concept, a very small device (A = 1.4, major radius ~1 m, similar size to the DIII-D tokamak) could be built that would produce ~800 MW(thermal), 200 MW(net electric) and would have a gain, defined as QPLANT = (gross electric power/recirculating power), of ~2. Such a device would have all the operating systems and features of a power plant and would therefore be acceptable as a pilot plant, even though the cost of electricity would not be competitive. The ratio of fusion power to copper toroidal field (TF) coil dissipation rises quickly with device size (like R3 to R4, depending on what is held constant) and can lead to 4-GW(thermal) power plants with QPLANT = 4 to 5 but which remain a factor of 3 smaller than superconducting tokamak power plants. Large ST power plants might be able to burn the advanced fuel D-He3 if the copper TF coil is replaced by a superconducting TF coil and suitable shield. These elements of a commercialization strategy are of particular importance to the U.S. fusion program in which any initial nongovernment financial participation demands a low-cost entry vehicle.The ability to pursue this line of fusion development requires certain advances and demonstrations that are probable. Stability calculations support a specific advantage of low aspect ratio in high beta that would allow simultaneously T ~ 60% and 90% bootstrap current fraction (Ip ~ 15 MA, = 3). Steady-state current drive requirements are then manageable. The high beta capability means the fusion power density can be so high that neutron wall loading at the blanket, rather than plasma physics, becomes the critical design restriction.