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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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April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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Colin Judge: Testing structural materials in Idaho’s newest hot cell facility
Idaho National Laboratory’s newest facility—the Sample Preparation Laboratory (SPL)—sits across the road from the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF), which started operating in 1975. SPL will host the first new hot cells at INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) in 50 years, giving INL researchers and partners new flexibility to test the structural properties of irradiated materials fresh from the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) or from a partner’s facility.
Materials meant to withstand extreme conditions in fission or fusion power plants must be tested under similar conditions and pushed past their breaking points so performance and limitations can be understood and improved. Once irradiated, materials samples can be cut down to size in SPL and packaged for testing in other facilities at INL or other national laboratories, commercial labs, or universities. But they can also be subjected to extreme thermal or corrosive conditions and mechanical testing right in SPL, explains Colin Judge, who, as INL’s division director for nuclear materials performance, oversees SPL and other facilities at the MFC.
SPL won’t go “hot” until January 2026, but Judge spoke with NN staff writer Susan Gallier about its capabilities as his team was moving instruments into the new facility.
Won Il Ko, Ho Dong Kim, Myung Seung Yang
Nuclear Technology | Volume 138 | Number 2 | May 2002 | Pages 123-139
Technical Paper | Fuel Cycle and Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT02-A3284
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This study compares some properties of irradiated Direct Use of Spent Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Fuel In Canada Deuterium Uranium reactor (CANDU) (DUPIC ) fuels with properties of other fuel cycles. The properties include the radiotoxicity, decay heat, activity, and actinide content embedded in various spent fuels or high-level wastes, which could be measures of the effectiveness of waste management. From radiotoxicity analysis of fuel cycles, the toxicity of the DUPIC option based on 1 GW(electric)yr is much smaller than those of other fuel cycle options such as the PWR once-through mode, mixed oxide fuel recycling mode, and CANDU once-through mode. The analysis shows that the value is just about half the order of magnitude of other fuel cycles until decayed to a level below the toxicity of initial ore. This means that the DUPIC option could have an indirect benefit on the environmental effects of long-term spent-fuel disposal. From total activity analysis of various fuel cycle options, the activity per metric ton heavy metal of spent fuel is the lowest in natural uranium CANDU fuel, but in the case of activity based on 1 GW(electric)yr, the DUPIC option has the smallest activity. In the meanwhile, from the activity analysis of 99Tc and 237Np, which are important to the long-term transport in geologic media, the DUPIC option was being contained in only about half of those other options. In conclusion, compared to other fuel cycle cases, the irradiated DUPIC fuels would have good properties from the perspective of environmental effects.