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Conference Spotlight
2025 ANS Winter Conference & Expo
November 9–12, 2025
Washington, DC|Washington Hilton
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Latest News
The journey of the U.S. fuel cycle
Craig Piercycpiercy@ans.org
While most big journeys begin with a clear objective, they rarely start with an exact knowledge of the route. When commissioning the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1803, President Thomas Jefferson didn’t provide specific “turn right at the big mountain” directions to the Corps of Discovery. He gave goal-oriented instructions: explore the Missouri River, find its source, search for a transcontinental water route to the Pacific, and build scientific and cultural knowledge along the way.
Jefferson left it up to Lewis and Clark to turn his broad, geopolitically motivated guidance into gritty reality.
Similarly, U.S. nuclear policy has begun a journey toward closing the U.S. nuclear fuel cycle. There is a clear signal of support for recycling from the Trump administration, along with growing bipartisan excitement in Congress. Yet the precise path remains unclear.
M. E. Sawan, A. M. Ibrahim, P. P. H. Wilson, E. P. Marriott, R. D. Stambaugh, C. P. C. Wong
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 60 | Number 2 | August 2011 | Pages 671-675
Nuclear Analysis & Experiments | Proceedings of the Nineteenth Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy (TOFE) (Part 2) | doi.org/10.13182/FST11-A12461
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
3-D neutronics analysis was performed for the baseline design of FDF. Two blanket concepts were considered; Dual Coolant Lead Lithium (DCLL), and Helium Cooled Ceramic Breeder (HCCB). A peak outboard neutron wall loading of 2 MW/m2 and a fluence of 6 MW-yr/m2 can be achieved with 240 MW fusion power. The tritium breeding ratio is adequate for both blankets. Modest magnet damage parameters were obtained. However, it is recommended that the PF coil in the divertor region be moved vertically farther from the mid-plane to allow adding ~15 cm of shield to reduce the peak organic insulator dose to an acceptable level.