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.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Mar 2026
Jan 2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
April 2026
Nuclear Technology
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Going Nuclear: Notes from the officially unofficial book tour
I work in the analytical labs at one of Europe’s oldest and largest nuclear sites: Sellafield, in northwestern England. I spend my days at the fume hood front, pipette in one hand and radiation probe in the other (and dosimeter pinned to my chest, of course). Outside the lab, I have a second job: I moonlight as a writer and public speaker. My new popular science book—Going Nuclear: How the Atom Will Save the World—came out last summer, and it feels like my life has been running at full power ever since.
M. A. Feraday
Nuclear Technology | Volume 53 | Number 2 | May 1981 | Pages 176-185
Technical Paper | Realistic Estimates of the Consequences of Nuclear Accident / Nuclear Fuel | doi.org/10.13182/NT81-A32622
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Thorium fuels enriched with 233U must be fabricated in shielded cells because of high gamma and alpha activity. A conceptual design of a remotely operated plant to produce gamma-active pellet fuels has been made. The plant consists of eight fabrication canyons, two repair canyons, and several miscellaneous cells. Process equipment is modular, easily disconnected, and mounted on plates for easy removal. Equipment consists of a combination of robotics, hard automation, and conventional process equipment. The plant is operated from a central control room with the assistance of a sophisticated computer-based control and information system. Many of the automated process steps are preprogrammed on the control computer and executed on demand by the supervising operator. The technology to build such a plant exists today but needs to be adapted to the needs of the recycle fuel industry.