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Nuclear Criticality Safety
NCSD provides communication among nuclear criticality safety professionals through the development of standards, the evolution of training methods and materials, the presentation of technical data and procedures, and the creation of specialty publications. In these ways, the division furthers the exchange of technical information on nuclear criticality safety with the ultimate goal of promoting the safe handling of fissionable materials outside reactors.
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Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025)
February 3–6, 2025
Amelia Island, FL|Omni Amelia Island Resort
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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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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?
Hiroji Katsuta, Kazuo Furukawa
Nuclear Technology | Volume 31 | Number 2 | November 1976 | Pages 218-231
Technical Paper | Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT76-A31684
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Hydrogen and oxygen behaviors in a sodium test loop similar to the sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor were examined. Hydrogen partial pressure equilibrated to the sodium was measured by a membrane-permeation-type hydrogen-meter. An electrochemical oxygen-meter was used to determine the oxygen activity. The measured hydrogen pressure was converted to the hydrogen concentration through the Sieverts’ constant, and the oxygen activity was also converted to the oxygen concentration through the characteristics of the oxygen-meter cells. Hydrogen and oxygen solubilities in liquid sodium were obtained as functions of the cold-trap temperature from 115 to 208°C. Both data have a similar temperature dependence and were anomalously larger than the extrapolated values in the temperature region lower than 180°C. At 300°C, the addition of hydrogen to the liquid sodium, valved off from the purification apparatus, lowered the oxygen activity in the liquid sodium. The experimental results suggest a significant interaction between hydrogen and oxygen and the existence of (OH) species in liquid sodium. Using the solubility data of oxygen, hydrogen, and (OH) species, the free energy change of the reaction,(O)in Na + (H) in Na = (OH)in Na,was obtained and was ΔG°(kcal/mole) = −28 + 0.043 T. From the temperature dependence of the equilibrium hydrogen pressure, the apparent heat of a solution of hydrogen in liquid sodium was obtained as 1.6 kcal/mole.