Fusion Science and Technology -- ANS / Publications / Journals / Fusion Science and Technology

About ANS
- ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
About Nuclear
- Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Communities
- Division Spotlight
  Operations & Power
  Members focus on the dissemination of knowledge and information in the area of power reactors with particular application to the production of electric power and process heat. The division sponsors meetings on the coverage of applied nuclear science and engineering as related to power plants, non-power reactors, and other nuclear facilities. It encourages and assists with the dissemination of knowledge pertinent to the safe and efficient operation of nuclear facilities through professional staff development, information exchange, and supporting the generation of viable solutions to current issues.
Events
- Meeting Spotlight
  ANS Student Conference 2025
  April 3–5, 2025
  Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
Standards
- 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!
Publications
- Latest Magazine Issues
  Apr 2025
  Jan 2025
  Latest Journal Issues
  Nuclear Science and Engineering
  May 2025
  Nuclear Technology
  April 2025
  Fusion Science and Technology
  April 2025
- Latest News
  General Kenneth Nichols and the Manhattan Project
  Nichols
  The Oak Ridger has published the latest in a series of articles about General Kenneth D. Nichols, the Manhattan Project, and the 1954 Atomic Energy Act. The series has been produced by Nichols’ grandniece Barbara Rogers Scollin and Oak Ridge (Tenn.) city historian David Ray Smith. Gen. Nichols (1907–2000) was the district engineer for the Manhattan Engineer District during the Manhattan Project.
  As Smith and Scollin explain, Nichols “had supervision of the research and development connected with, and the design, construction, and operation of, all plants required to produce plutonium-239 and uranium-235, including the construction of the towns of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Richland, Washington. The responsibility of his position was massive as he oversaw a workforce of both military and civilian personnel of approximately 125,000; his Oak Ridge office became the center of the wartime atomic energy’s activities.”
Search

An impurity granule injector on the DIII-D tokamak (IGI) injects granules into the plasma to trigger Edge Localized Modes (ELMs). Impurities, such as lithium, carbon, and boron, are used. The IGI drops granules (0.3–1.0 mm diameter) from a four chamber segmented storage hopper into a down-tube. The downtube guides the granules into a spinning impeller, rotating at a maximum frequency of 170 hz. The granules’ collisions with the impeller propel the granules (maximum velocity 120 m/s) through a drift tube, through an open torus interface valve shield, and into the plasma. This device underwent substantial upgrades to improve its functionality, to minimize the device footprint, and to automate post injection analysis. Upgrades include: (1) a drop-tube positioner to account for impeller/granule collision trajectories; (2) a granule drop monitor using an LED and a photodetector in the drop-tube; (3) a photodiode based granule ablation monitor; (4) DC isolation from the DIII-D vacuum vessel; and (5) an electric motor impeller drive with an integrated rotational speed sensor. These modifications improved the operability and efficiency of the IGI, leading to the successful triggering of ELMs using gasless impurity injection. These recent upgrades are discussed in detail.