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Conference Spotlight
2025 ANS Winter Conference & Expo
November 9–12, 2025
Washington, DC|Washington Hilton
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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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NNSA awards BWXT $1.5B defense fuels contract
The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration has awarded BWX Technologies a contract valued at $1.5 billion to build a Domestic Uranium Enrichment Centrifuge Experiment (DUECE) pilot plant in Tennessee in support of the administration’s efforts to build out a domestic supply of unobligated enriched uranium for defense-related nuclear fuel.
Warren C. Lyon, Thomas S. Bustard, Adoniram C. Hiebert
Nuclear Technology | Volume 4 | Number 2 | February 1968 | Pages 79-87
Technical Paper and Note | doi.org/10.13182/NT68-A26333
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Use of a radioisotope power source coupled to a thermoelectric converter represents one attractive technique for filling the need for a long-life reliable electrical power supply in the range from 100 to 1000 mW. Reliable supplies that require no maintenance for 5 years are available. Existing systems weigh 400 to 850 lb and cost $12 000 to $15 000/W(e). Systems weighing <10 lb and costing $20 000 to $27 000 can be built using existing designs and technology. The radioisotope power supply is attractive for underwater power and other specialized applications where reliability, long life, low weight, or compactness is more important than cost. Radioisotope thermoelectric generators in this size range provide power from ≈$0.27 to $0.70/(Wh), depending upon the design. The design characteristics of five typical generators are described. They include 1-Wdesigns for oceanographic applications and a 300-mW design for an ordnance application. One generator is commercially available, while others are concepts. Characteristics of several other available generators are summarized.