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Materials Science & Technology
The objectives of MSTD are: promote the advancement of materials science in Nuclear Science Technology; support the multidisciplines which constitute it; encourage research by providing a forum for the presentation, exchange, and documentation of relevant information; promote the interaction and communication among its members; and recognize and reward its members for significant contributions to the field of materials science in nuclear technology.
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ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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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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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.
Philip M. Daling, Jay E. Marler, Truong V. Vo, Hanh K. Phan, John R. Friley
Nuclear Technology | Volume 109 | Number 3 | March 1995 | Pages 429-436
Technical Note | Nuclear Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT95-A35090
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Pacific Northwest Laboratory, under contract to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, has conducted an assessment of the values (benefits) and impacts (costs) associated with potential resolutions to Generic Issue 143—“Availability of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Chilled Water Systems.” The key objectives of the study were to (a) identify vulnerabilities related to failures of HVAC, chilled water, and room-cooling systems, (b) develop estimates of room heatup rates and safety-related equipment vulnerabilities following losses of HVAC/room-cooler systems, (c) develop estimates of the core damage frequencies and public risks associated with failures of these systems, (d) develop proposed resolution strategies to this generic issue, and (e) perform a value/impact analysis of the proposed resolutions. Detailed probabilistic risk assessments for four representative plants form the basis for the core damage frequency and public risk calculations. Internally initiated core damage sequences as well as external events were considered. Three proposed resolution strategies were developed for this safety issue, and it was determined that all three were not cost effective. Additional evaluations were performed to develop “generic” insights on potential design-related vulnerabilities and potential high-frequency (> 10−4/reactor-yr) accident sequences that involve failures of HVAC/room-cooling functions. It was concluded that, although high-frequency accident sequences may exist at some plants, these sequences are plant-specific in nature or have been resolved through hardware and/or operational changes. The plant-specific individual plant examinations appear to be an effective vehicle for identification and resolution of these plant-specific anomalies and hardware configurations.