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
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.
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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
February 2025
Nuclear Technology
January 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Westinghouse’s lunar microreactor concept gets a contract for continued R&D
Westinghouse Electric Company announced last week that NASA and the Department of Energy have awarded the company a contract to continue developing a lunar microreactor concept for the Fission Surface Power (FSP) project.
A. Kavetskiy, G. Yakubova, S. M. Yousaf, K. Bower
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 168 | Number 2 | June 2011 | Pages 172-179
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE10-49
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A tritium battery with solid dielectric has been built utilizing a tritium beta source, an electron collector, and a separating layer of dielectric much thicker than the range of tritium beta particles. Electric current between the electrodes is due to an electric field that is created by direct charge accumulation of beta particles in the dielectric. A macroscopic model describing the behavior of current and voltage is proposed. Based on this model and experimental results with 37 GBq (1000 mCi) tritium sources, the electrical characteristics of a device with 37 TBq (1000 Ci) tritium are extrapolated. It is predicted that this battery will have open circuit voltage over 6 kV, short circuit current more than 1 A, and 1 mW of electric power on an optimal load with overall efficiency near 9%.