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Division Spotlight
Fusion Energy
This division promotes the development and timely introduction of fusion energy as a sustainable energy source with favorable economic, environmental, and safety attributes. The division cooperates with other organizations on common issues of multidisciplinary fusion science and technology, conducts professional meetings, and disseminates technical information in support of these goals. Members focus on the assessment and resolution of critical developmental issues for practical fusion energy applications.
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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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.
D. Mandal, D. Sathiyamoorthy, M. Vinjamur
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 62 | Number 1 | July-August 2012 | Pages 150-156
Blanket Materials Technology | Proceedings of the Fifteenth International Conference on Fusion Reactor Materials, Part A: Fusion Technology | doi.org/10.13182/FST12-A14128
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Lithium titanate (Li2TiO3) is a potential ceramic material for generation of tritium, which is exploited as a fuel in fusion reactor. However, Li2TiO3 has poor thermal conductivity, due to which thermal management of this material during nuclear reaction is a bottleneck. If this material is used in the form of pebble packed in a column or vessel, namely Test Blanket Module (TBM), the effective thermal conductivity is further brought down due to interstitial voids in the packed bed and also due to point to point contact between spherical pebbles. It is therefore essential to develop a suitable technique to enhance heat transfer properties of a packed pebble bed of Li2TiO3. In the present studies, an attempt has been made to develop a packed fluidized bed wherein particulate Li2TiO3 will be allowed to fluidize in the interstitial void of large stationary pebbles, called packing. Experiments have been carried out on heat transfer from wall to bed in a 162.74-mm-diameter column. Stationary pebbles of Li2TiO3 of size 1 mm to 10 mm and fluidized Li2TiO3 particulate solids of size 231 m to 780 m in the interstitial voids were used. Bed wall temperature in the range of 200°C to 600°C and operating fluidizing gas velocity corresponding to 1-4 times minimum fluidization velocity of fluidized particulate solids in the voids, were used for 20 to 60 volume percent of fluidized particulate solid of Li2TiO3. It has been found that the effective thermal conductivity of packed fluidized bed increased close to the value of thermal conductivity of pure Li2TiO3 at an optimum fluidization velocity corresponding to 2-3 times minimum fluidization velocity depending on fluidized particle, size, its volume fraction and wall temperature.