ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
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Division Spotlight
Isotopes & Radiation
Members are devoted to applying nuclear science and engineering technologies involving isotopes, radiation applications, and associated equipment in scientific research, development, and industrial processes. Their interests lie primarily in education, industrial uses, biology, medicine, and health physics. Division committees include Analytical Applications of Isotopes and Radiation, Biology and Medicine, Radiation Applications, Radiation Sources and Detection, and Thermal Power Sources.
Meeting Spotlight
2024 ANS Winter Conference and Expo
November 17–21, 2024
Orlando, FL|Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld
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
New laws offer nuclear industry incentives for existing power plant uprates
This year, the U.S. nuclear industry received a much-needed economic boost that could help preserve operating nuclear power plants and incentivize upgrades that extend their lifespan and power output.
Signed into law in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act offers production tax credits (PTCs) for existing nuclear power plants and either PTCs or investment tax credits (ITCs) for new carbon-free generation. These credits could make power uprates—increasing the maximum power level at which a commercial plant may operate—a much more appealing option for utilities.
Hoai Nam Tran, Yasuyoshi Kato
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 159 | Number 1 | May 2008 | Pages 83-93
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE159-83
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A new 237Np burning strategy in a supercritical CO2-cooled fast reactor core has been proposed: consuming 237Np as fuel and burnable poison to attain zero burnup reactivity loss. Addition of 237Np at content of 6.5 wt% in fuel engenders nearly zero burnup reactivity loss of 0.02% k/k during 10 yr. The burning rate of 237Np in the core is ~69 kg/yr, which is equivalent to the quantity produced in a year from about 20 light water reactors of equivalent electrical output. The zero burnup reactivity loss enables reduction of the control rod number to half that of a typical sodium-cooled mixed-oxide fuel MONJU core without added 237Np and no need for rod operation with fuel burning to compensate for the burnup reactivity loss. Void reactivity is 0.72% k/kk', which is three-fourths that of a typical Na-cooled core, although 237Np is added and the active core length is elongated to 1.2 m. The power density is reduced to ~20% of that in a Na-cooled core. The hot-spot temperature of cladding is below its maximum permissible temperature of 700°C.