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
Isotopes & Radiation
Members are devoted to applying nuclear science and engineering technologies involving isotopes, radiation applications, and associated equipment in scientific research, development, and industrial processes. Their interests lie primarily in education, industrial uses, biology, medicine, and health physics. Division committees include Analytical Applications of Isotopes and Radiation, Biology and Medicine, Radiation Applications, Radiation Sources and Detection, and Thermal Power Sources.
Meeting Spotlight
International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M&C 2025)
April 27–30, 2025
Denver, CO|The Westin Denver Downtown
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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
May 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
TerraPower begins U.K. regulatory approval process
Seattle-based TerraPower signaled its interest this week in building its Natrium small modular reactor in the United Kingdom, the company announced.
TerraPower sent a letter to the U.K.’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, formally establishing its intention to enter the U.K. generic design assessment (GDA) process. This is TerraPower’s first step in deployment of its Natrium technology—a 345-MW sodium fast reactor coupled with a molten salt energy storage unit—on the international stage.
M. D. Freshley, E. A. Aitken, D. C. Wadekamper, R. L. Johnson, W. G. Lussie
Nuclear Technology | Volume 15 | Number 2 | August 1972 | Pages 239-248
Technical Paper | Plutonium Utilization in Commercial Power Reactors / Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT72-A31148
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Transient tests were conducted on nonirradiated oxide pellet-containing fuel pins at SPERT to investigate the possible effects of large single 550-μm diam PuO2 particles on transient behavior. Results show that the effect of the large PuO2 particles was to reduce slightly the cladding failure threshold energy from the range of 225 to 274 cal/g of fuel to the range of 200 to 213 cal/g of fuel. Clad perforation occurs by localized melting caused by the expulsion of PuO2 particles through the cladding. The presence of single 550-μm diam PuO2 particles in mixed-oxide fuels does not appear to affect significantly the cladding failure threshold energy from that of mixed-oxide fuels with the normal PuO2 particle size and distribution. Therefore, product specifications which limit the maximum PuO2 particle size to 550-μm diam in mixed-oxide fuels do not appear warranted from the standpoint of transient fuel performance considerations.
