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
Education, Training & Workforce Development
The Education, Training & Workforce Development Division provides communication among the academic, industrial, and governmental communities through the exchange of views and information on matters related to education, training and workforce development in nuclear and radiological science, engineering, and technology. Industry leaders, education and training professionals, and interested students work together through Society-sponsored meetings and publications, to enrich their professional development, to educate the general public, and to advance nuclear and radiological science and engineering.
Meeting Spotlight
Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo (UWC 2024)
August 4–7, 2024
Marco Island, FL|JW Marriott Marco Island
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2024
Jan 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
August 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Vogtle-3 shuts down for valve issue
One of the new Vogtle units in Georgia was shut down unexpectedly on Monday last week for a valve issue that has been investigated and repaired. According to multiple local news outlets, Georgia Power reported on July 17 that unit 3 was back in service.
Southern Company spokesperson Jacob Hawkins confirmed that Vogtle-3 went off line at 9:25 p.m. on July 8 “due to lowering water levels in the steam generators caused by a valve issue on one of the three main feedwater pumps.”
Shadi Z. Ghrayeb, Kostadin N. Ivanov, Samuel H. Levine, Eric P. Loewen
Nuclear Technology | Volume 176 | Number 2 | November 2011 | Pages 188-194
Technical Paper | Fission Reactors | doi.org/10.13182/NT11-A13295
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Thorium-based fuels are investigated to improve fast reactor fuel burnup. Such new sources of fuel will have to ensure that the projected expansion of nuclear power is achieved in conjunction with a reduced risk of nuclear weapons proliferation. Thorium fuel cycles have many incentives such as reduction of plutonium generation and consumption of light water reactor actinides, high-performance burnup, and conservation of 235U resources. This study provides the insight needed to judge the limitations of the thorium fuel system. This work examines burnup reactivity loss and depletion analysis of thorium- versus uranium-based metal fuels. When compared, the thorium-based metallic fuel outperformed uranium-based fuel with respect to higher actinide burnup and higher depletion rate of plutonium isotopes. The results of this paper help ascertain the limitations based on the long-term performance and behavior of the fuel under core operating conditions. Additionally, the resulting knowledge gained and techniques developed during this project support reestablishing the domestic infrastructure in the U.S. fast reactor development program. The thorium cycle offers an alternative, innovative concept for fast reactor fuels to better burn transuranics, and this study provides test cases for comparisons between options.