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Division Spotlight
Thermal Hydraulics
The division provides a forum for focused technical dialogue on thermal hydraulic technology in the nuclear industry. Specifically, this will include heat transfer and fluid mechanics involved in the utilization of nuclear energy. It is intended to attract the highest quality of theoretical and experimental work to ANS, including research on basic phenomena and application to nuclear system design.
Meeting Spotlight
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025)
February 3–6, 2025
Amelia Island, FL|Omni Amelia Island Resort
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!
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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Fermilab center renamed after late particle physicist Helen Edwards
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory’s Integrated Engineering Research Center, which officially opened in January 2024, is now known as the Helen Edwards Engineering Center. The name was changed to honor the late particle physicist who led the design, construction, commissioning, and operation of the lab’s Tevatron accelerator and was part of the Water Resources Development Act signed by President Biden in December 2024, according to a Fermilab press release.
S. Sandri, A. Coniglio, A. Daniele, M. D'Arienzo, L. Di Pace, M. Pillon
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 60 | Number 2 | August 2011 | Pages 776-780
Safety & Environment | Proceedings of the Nineteenth Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy (TOFE) (Part 2) | doi.org/10.13182/FST11-A12479
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
PRIMA consists of two experiments which will test at the same time the main components of the final system and the whole system. The facilities are named respectively SPIDER (Source for Production of Ion of Deuterium Extracted from RF Plasma - ion source only) and MITICA (Megavolt ITER Injector Concept Advanced - the main system). Both injectors accelerate negative deuterium ions with a maximum energy of 1 MeV for MITICA and 100 keV for SPIDER, and a maximum beam current of 40 A for both experiments.Following D-D and D-T reactions on the calorimeter panels, important neutron and photon fields are generated around the injectors; such secondary radiation fields represent a relevant issue from the radiological safety point of view. Major radiation protection issues are the activation of materials and components around the injectors, among which the vessel itself and the corrosion products formed in the cooling loops (by the chemical reaction between metal and water). Both these radiation sources may contribute to personnel dose during maintenance operation.In addition, radioactive tritium is produced inside the vessel (mainly in the MITICA facility) which is likely to be poured in the environment during operation phases thus representing a possible contamination pathway for workers and for the population living in the area surrounding the facility.Finally, important penetrations for the ventilation, the power supply and the auxiliary systems were arranged inside the facilities. Tunnels in the underground region, with relatively large dimensions, were needed for both MITICA and SPIDER bunkers in order to allow personnel access for inspection and maintenance of cables and ducts. Each of these shielding weaknesses may provide important dose contribution to radiation workers thus requiring specific safety analyses.In the present paper all major safety issues and relevant radiological concerns are analyzed with a detailed assessment of dose contribution to personnel working inside the facility. Specific dose evaluations were performed through Monte Carlo simulations.Radiation shielding and radiation protection criteria were realized in order to meet the Italian regulatory limit for non radiation workers, ie. below 1 mSv/yr. Our analysis and project evaluations confirm that this constraint is never exceeded during operating phases of the injectors.