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
2025 ANS Winter Conference & Expo
November 9–12, 2025
Washington, DC|Washington Hilton
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
Sep 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
October 2025
Nuclear Technology
September 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
ANS and the U.K.’s NI announce reciprocal membership agreement
With President Trump on a state visit to the U.K., in part to sign a landmark new agreement on U.S.-U.K. nuclear collaboration, a flurry of transatlantic partnerships and deals bridging the countries’ nuclear sectors have been announced.
The American Nuclear Society is taking an active role in this bridge-building by forming a reciprocal membership agreement with the U.K.’s Nuclear Institute.
Alex Galperin, Yigal Ronen
Nuclear Technology | Volume 62 | Number 2 | August 1983 | Pages 238-242
Technical Note | Fuel Cycle | doi.org/10.13182/NT83-A33221
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A method for reactivity control through variation of the moderator content in the reactor core was proposed. The main idea is to adjust the amount of water in the core from a low value at beginning of cycle to a high value at end of cycle, so as to compensate for fissile material burnup and buildup of fission products. The possible implementation of this idea may be carried out by introducing a number of hollow tubes into the fuel assembly between the fuel rods. Then variation of the moderator content in the core may be managed through a change of the water level in these tubes. A preliminary neutronic and economic analysis indicated a potential savings in the fuel cycle requirements and costs. Preliminary steady-state thermal-hydraulic calculations indicate the possibility of implementing the proposed method in the existing pressurized water reactor plants. Feasibility of the proposed design may be finally established after rigorous thermal hydraulics as well as safety analysis calculations. Furthermore, there is need to elaborate the mechanical design of the pressure vessel internals together with cost benefit analysis.