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
Thermal Hydraulics
The division provides a forum for focused technical dialogue on thermal hydraulic technology in the nuclear industry. Specifically, this will include heat transfer and fluid mechanics involved in the utilization of nuclear energy. It is intended to attract the highest quality of theoretical and experimental work to ANS, including research on basic phenomena and application to nuclear system design.
Meeting Spotlight
Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo (UWC 2024)
August 4–7, 2024
Marco Island, FL|JW Marriott Marco Island
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
Jul 2024
Jan 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
August 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Vogtle-3 shuts down for valve issue
One of the new Vogtle units in Georgia was shut down unexpectedly on Monday last week for a valve issue that has since been investigated and repaired. According to multiple local news outlets, Georgia Power reported on July 17 that Unit 3 was back in service.
Southern Company spokesperson Jacob Hawkins confirmed that Vogtle-3 went off line at 9:25 p.m. local time on July 8 “due to lowering water levels in the steam generators caused by a valve issue on one of the three main feedwater pumps.”
Charles W. Forsberg, James C. Conklin
Nuclear Technology | Volume 116 | Number 1 | October 1996 | Pages 55-65
Technical Paper | Nuclear Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT96-A35311
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The temperature-initiated passive cooling system (TIPACS) is a new reactor containment cooling system that is applicable to multiple reactor types. TIPACS, which transfers heat from a hot, insulated system to a cooler, external environment, has five defining characteristics: It has efficient heat transfer, is passive (i.e., no moving mechanical components), has a thermal switch mechanism that allows heat transfer only above a preset temperature, has one-way (heat diode) heat transfer from the internal warm system to ambient, and is suitable to use with any size power reactor. TIPACS consists of two subsystems: a heat transfer system (HTS) and a temperature control system (TCS). The HTS in full operation is a single-phase, natural-circulation system that uses carbon dioxide (CO2) above its vapor-liquid critical point (T > 31°C; P > 72.85 atm) as the heat transfer fluid. The TCS is a passive device that blocks the flow of CO2 if the interior containment temperature drops below a preset temperature, which is between the vapor-liquid critical point and ∼15°C below the vapor-liquid critical temperature of CO2. The preset temperature is determined by the system hardware design. The control mechanism is driven only by the change of fluid properties near the critical point (i.e., there are no active mechanical components)