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
Aerospace Nuclear Science & Technology
Organized to promote the advancement of knowledge in the use of nuclear science and technologies in the aerospace application. Specialized nuclear-based technologies and applications are needed to advance the state-of-the-art in aerospace design, engineering and operations to explore planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond, plus enhance the safety of air travel, especially high speed air travel. Areas of interest will include but are not limited to the creation of nuclear-based power and propulsion systems, multifunctional materials to protect humans and electronic components from atmospheric, space, and nuclear power system radiation, human factor strategies for the safety and reliable operation of nuclear power and propulsion plants by non-specialized personnel and more.
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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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.
D. E. Deonigi
Nuclear Technology | Volume 18 | Number 2 | May 1973 | Pages 80-86
Technical Paper | A Review of Plutonium Utilization in Thermal Reactors / Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT73-A31279
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A generalized plutonium value equation is given which permits corrections for changes in separative work and uranium price:Pu value = AU - 0.16P
(incremental fabrication cost per kg fuel/g of fissile Pu/kg fuel). In this equation, A is the relative worth of 239Pu to 235U as fissile material, U is the cost of 93% enriched uranium, and P is the ratio of 242Pu content to fissile content. The optimum uranium enrichment to be used in plutonium-containing fuel rods is found to be equivalent to that of natural uranium. Incremental plutonium fabrication costs could go from ∼100% over the projected uranium fabrication cost of $44/kg in 1975 to a 35% increase over this figure in 1985. In considering the throwaway cycle, it is found that the reprocessing will cost $56/kg compared with $21/kg for the throwaway. This leaves the cost difference of $35 as the minimum value of plutonium and uranium in discharged fuel. The value of plutonium in 1975 is estimated to be $7.50/g fissile, increasing to $8.50/g fissile by 1985.
