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Division Spotlight
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.
Meeting Spotlight
International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M&C 2025)
April 27–30, 2025
Denver, CO|The Westin Denver Downtown
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!
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Latest News
TerraPower begins U.K. regulatory approval process
Seattle-based TerraPower signaled its interest this week in building its Natrium small modular reactor in the United Kingdom, the company announced.
TerraPower sent a letter to the U.K.’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, formally establishing its intention to enter the U.K. generic design assessment (GDA) process. This is TerraPower’s first step in deployment of its Natrium technology—a 345-MW sodium fast reactor coupled with a molten salt energy storage unit—on the international stage.
Werner Oldekop, Hans-Dieter Berger, Wilfried Zeggel
Nuclear Technology | Volume 59 | Number 2 | November 1982 | Pages 212-227
Technical Paper | Fission Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT82-A33024
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The main feature of an advanced pressurized water reactor (APWR) with improved fuel utilization is a plutonium-enriched tight lattice core integrated in an unchanged primary system of a common pressurized water reactor (PWR) power station. Neutron physical investigations demonstrate that conversion ratios in excess of 0.9 and final burnups of ∼45 000 MWd/tHM are obtained with a reload enrichment of 7.5% fissile plutonium. The moderator-void coefficient is calculated to be negative. The high-pressure drop of an APWR core is compensated for by a slightly reduced coolant flow rate. Despite the fact that calculated safety parameters such as void coefficient, critical heat flux margin, and emergency core cooling behavior have to be proven by experiments, the homogeneous concept of a high-converting PWR appears to be feasible.