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Division Spotlight
Reactor Physics
The division's objectives are to promote the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena characterizing nuclear reactors and other nuclear systems. The division encourages research and disseminates information through meetings and publications. Areas of technical interest include nuclear data, particle interactions and transport, reactor and nuclear systems analysis, methods, design, validation and operating experience and standards. The Wigner Award heads the awards program.
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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
Siting of Canadian repository gets support of tribal nation
Canada’s Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) announced that Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation has indicated its willingness to support moving forward to the next phase of the site selection process to host a deep geological repository for Canada’s spent nuclear fuel.
Florent Heidet, Ehud Greenspan
Nuclear Technology | Volume 181 | Number 3 | March 2013 | Pages 381-407
Technical Papers | Fission Reactors | doi.org/10.13182/NT13-A15800
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A sodium-cooled fast reactor breed-and-burn (B&B) core and fuel cycle concept are proposed to achieve uranium utilization in the vicinity of 50% without separation of most of the fission products from the actinides. This core is to be fueled with depleted uranium (DU) with the exception of the initial core loading that uses fissile fuel to achieve initial criticality. When the cladding reaches its radiation damage limit, the melt-refining process is used to recondition the fuel, and then the fuel is reloaded into the core. This fuel reconditioning continues until the fuel reaches the neutronically maximum attainable burnup. When a fuel assembly is discharged at its maximum attainable burnup, it is replaced with a fresh DU assembly.The maximum burnup attainable in a large 3000-MW(thermal) B&B core is found to be 57% fissions per initial metal atoms (FIMA). The discharged fuel characteristics such as the inventory of actinides, radiotoxicity, and decay heat are one order of magnitude smaller, per unit of energy generated, than those of a light water reactor operating with the once-through fuel cycle.It is also found that the minimum burnup required for sustaining the B&B mode of operation is 19.4% FIMA. The fuel discharged at this burnup has sufficient excess reactivity for establishing initial criticality in a new large B&B core. The theoretical minimum doubling time for new core spawning is estimated to be [approximately]10 effective full-power years; there is no need for any external fissile material supply beyond that required for the initial "mother" reactor.Successful development and deployment of the B&B core along with fuel reconditioning could possibly provide up to 3000 yr worth of the current global nuclear electricity generation by using the DU stockpiles already accumulated worldwide. However, a number of important feasibility issues are yet to be resolved.