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Fusion Energy
This division promotes the development and timely introduction of fusion energy as a sustainable energy source with favorable economic, environmental, and safety attributes. The division cooperates with other organizations on common issues of multidisciplinary fusion science and technology, conducts professional meetings, and disseminates technical information in support of these goals. Members focus on the assessment and resolution of critical developmental issues for practical fusion energy applications.
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ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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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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Latest News
First astatine-labeled compound shipped in the U.S.
The Department of Energy’s National Isotope Development Center (NIDC) on March 31 announced the successful long-distance shipment in the United States of a biologically active compound labeled with the medical radioisotope astatine-211 (At-211). Because previous shipments have included only the “bare” isotope, the NIDC has described the development as “unleashing medical innovation.”
Sergei Lemehov, Jinichi Nakamura, Motoe Suzuki
Nuclear Technology | Volume 133 | Number 2 | February 2001 | Pages 153-168
Technical Paper | Fuel Cycle and Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT01-A3166
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A three-group model (PLUTON) is described, which predicts the power density distribution, plutonium buildup, and burnup profiles across the fuel pellet radius as a function of in-pile time and parameters characterizing the type of reactor system with respect to fuel temperature and changes of density during the irradiation period. The PLUTON model is a part of two fuel performance codes (ASFAD and FEMAXI-V), which provide all necessary input for this model, mainly local temperatures and fuel matrix density across the radius. Comparisons between measurements and predictions of the PLUTON model are made on fuels with enrichments in the range 2.9 to 8.25% and with burnup between 21 000 and 64 000 MWd/t. It is shown that the PLUTON predictions are in good agreement with measurements as well as with predictions of the well-known TUBRNP model. The proposed model is flexibly applicable for all types of light water reactor (LWR) fuels, including mixed oxide, and for fuel tested in the Organization for Economic Corporation and Development's Halden heavy water reactor. The PLUTON three-group model is based on analytical (theoretical) consideration of neutron absorption in a resonant region of the fuel in its apparent form. It makes the model more flexible in comparison with the semi-empirical TUBRNP one-group model and allows the physically based model analysis of commercial LWR-type fuels at high burnup as well as analysis of experimental fuel rods tested in the Halden heavy water reactor, which is one of the main test reactors in the world. The differences in fuel behavior in the Halden reactor in terms of burnup distribution and plutonium buildup can be more clearly understood with the PLUTON model.
