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
ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
Apr 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
May 2025
Nuclear Technology
April 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
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.”
T. G. Broughton, N. G. Trikouros
Nuclear Technology | Volume 54 | Number 3 | September 1981 | Pages 342-357
First International Retran Meeting | Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow | doi.org/10.13182/NT81-A32779
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The RETRAN code was developed in recognition of the need for utilities with a small analysis staff to be able to perform best-estimate analyses of operational transients. It provided General Public Utilities with a powerful tool for independent analysis of dynamic plant performance. Previously, all such best-estimate analyses were rarely performed, and only vendors, consultants, and large utilities had the required capability. The use of RETRAN by our own staff on our in-house computer has allowed us to establish our own schedules for a variety of analysis applications. In addition, the general nature of RETRAN allowed for the analysis of many different events with only minor changes to the model and for the modeling of both pressurized water reactor and boiling water reactor plants with the same code. To date, RETRAN has been successfully used to predict plant performance for the purposes of design optimization, short-term operational support, in-house support of licensing, and operator training activities. Plant procedures and postulated transient scenarios have been verified using RETRAN. Inferences have been made regarding the behavior of unrecorded plant parameters using the recorded parameters and iteratively varying the unknowns until a consistent simulation was obtained. This approach is presently being refined with the use of RETRAN control system models to preclude the need for iterative analyses. Our activities with RETRAN have given us confidence in the ability of the code to provide accurate thermal-hydraulic simulations, including simulations that require thermal-hydraulic and control system coupling. The importance of benchmarking against actual plant data as a means of providing confidence in the code and the particular plant models cannot be overemphasized. The control system models in RETRAN have been shown to provide a great deal of flexibility in displaying results in terms familiar to operations personnel and as a general means of problem solving. We anticipate an increased usage of RETRAN for operator training and procedure development. We also plan to conduct analyses of expected plant performance during different modes of operation such as startups and load changes. It is further anticipated that RETRAN will be used to provide prepredictions of plant performance during the Three Mile Island Unit 1 startup testing program. Future applications will include analyses in support of fuel reloads and plant modifications.