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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.
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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
Japanese researchers test detection devices at West Valley
Two research scientists from Japan’s Kyoto University and Kochi University of Technology visited the West Valley Demonstration Project in western New York state earlier this fall to test their novel radiation detectors, the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management announced on November 19.
Stephen N. Gilliam, Jamie B. Coble, Steven E. Skutnik
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 195 | Number 9 | September 2021 | Pages 965-976
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2021.1883399
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In this paper, we investigate the possibility of plutonium quantification within the electrorefiner vessel of an electrochemical separation facility via the use of the (α,n) neutron signature from dissolved actinides. As a potential alternative means to traditional spontaneous fission tracking, such an analysis may provide a more reliable tracking capability of plutonium within systems that produce a mixed matrix sample that yields a large (α,n) source term relative to that of spontaneous fission. This assessment includes an evaluation and breakdown of nuclides within the refining unit to differentiate the source of neutrons and then the ratio between (α,n) emissions to total neutron emissions given a range of fuel parameters. Next, we provide an assessment of the origin of (α,n) neutrons in relation to multiple isotopes of plutonium to determine the potential of a direct tracking method. Preliminary results indicate that the (α,n) contribution for electrochemical systems is much higher than in its aqueous counterpart and rivals spontaneous fission yield in terms of magnitude. Furthermore, 238Pu is shown to be a main contributor to the (α,n) yield for the fuel examined in this study.