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Division Spotlight
Nuclear Criticality Safety
NCSD provides communication among nuclear criticality safety professionals through the development of standards, the evolution of training methods and materials, the presentation of technical data and procedures, and the creation of specialty publications. In these ways, the division furthers the exchange of technical information on nuclear criticality safety with the ultimate goal of promoting the safe handling of fissionable materials outside reactors.
Meeting Spotlight
International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M&C 2025)
April 27–30, 2025
Denver, CO|The Westin Denver Downtown
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
TerraPower begins U.K. regulatory approval process
Seattle-based TerraPower signaled its interest this week in building its Natrium small modular reactor in the United Kingdom, the company announced.
TerraPower sent a letter to the U.K.’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, formally establishing its intention to enter the U.K. generic design assessment (GDA) process. This is TerraPower’s first step in deployment of its Natrium technology—a 345-MW sodium fast reactor coupled with a molten salt energy storage unit—on the international stage.
L. Mathieu, D. Heuer, E. Merle-Lucotte, R. Brissot, C. Le Brun, E. Liatard, J.-M. Loiseaux, O. MÃplan, A. Nuttin, D. Lecarpentier
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 161 | Number 1 | January 2009 | Pages 78-89
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE07-49
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Molten Salt Reactors based on the thorium cycle were studied in the 1950 to 1960s to lead to the Molten Salt Breeder Reactor concept, which was finally discontinued prior to any industrial development. In the past few years, this concept has once again been studied in order to generalize it and seek configurations ensuring a high intrinsic safety level, an initial inventory compatible with intensive deployment on a worldwide scale, and a not-too-demanding salt chemical reprocessing scheme.The Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (TMSR) thus defined is studied in the Th-233U cycle in various configurations obtained by modulating the amount of graphite in core to obtain a thermal, an epithermal, or a fast spectrum. In particular, configurations of a fast spectrum TMSR have been identified with outstanding safety characteristics and minimal fuel-reprocessing requirements.
