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
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.
Meeting Spotlight
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025)
February 3–6, 2025
Amelia Island, FL|Omni Amelia Island Resort
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
Jan 2025
Jul 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
February 2025
Nuclear Technology
January 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Reboot: Nuclear needs a success . . . anywhere
The media have gleefully resurrected the language of a past nuclear renaissance. Beyond the hype and PR, many people in the nuclear community are taking a more measured view of conditions that could lead to new construction: data center demand, the proliferation of new reactor designs and start-ups, and the sudden ascendance of nuclear energy as the power source everyone wants—or wants to talk about.
Once built, large nuclear reactors can provide clean power for at least 80 years—outlasting 10 to 20 presidential administrations. Smaller reactors can provide heat and power outputs tailored to an end user’s needs. With all the new attention, are we any closer to getting past persistent supply chain and workforce issues and building these new plants? And what will the election of Donald Trump to a second term as president mean for nuclear?
As usual, there are more questions than answers, and most come down to money. Several developers are engaging with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or have already applied for a license, certification, or permit. But designs without paying customers won’t get built. So where are the customers, and what will it take for them to commit?
R. N. Duncan, W. H. Arlt, H. E. Williamson, C. J. Baroch, J. P. Hoffmann, T. J. Pashos
Nuclear Technology | Volume 1 | Number 5 | October 1965 | Pages 413-418
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NT65-A20551
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Experience with stainless-steel-clad fuel rods irradiated in the Vallecitos Boiling Water Reactor (VBWR) has shown that Type-304 stainless steel is susceptible to stress-assisted intergranular corrosion attack. Failure of over 40 fuel rods clad with this material occurred during irradiation of 950 fuel rods of several different types. The failures occurred at the peak surface heat flux region of the fuel rods and ranged from microscopic penetrations to multiple large cracks that were invariably intergranular. No precipitates could be observed in the austenitic grain boundaries of failed cladding samples using both optical and electron microscopy. A statistical analysis of the failure-rate data indicates that the failure rate for Type-304 stainless-steel cladding which was initially annealed was not different from the failure rate for initially cold-worked cladding. The failure rate of collapsed cladding was significantly higher than for free-standing cladding. The operating stress level of the cladding appears to be a major factor in susceptibility to failure. Evidence of localized plastic deformation of the cladding at UO2 pellet interfaces was obtained and may contribute to the nucleation or propagation of the stress-assisted corrosion attack of the Type-304 stainless-steel cladding.