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Young Members Group
The Young Members Group works to encourage and enable all young professional members to be actively involved in the efforts and endeavors of the Society at all levels (Professional Divisions, ANS Governance, Local Sections, etc.) as they transition from the role of a student to the role of a professional. It sponsors non-technical workshops and meetings that provide professional development and networking opportunities for young professionals, collaborates with other Divisions and Groups in developing technical and non-technical content for topical and national meetings, encourages its members to participate in the activities of the Groups and Divisions that are closely related to their professional interests as well as in their local sections, introduces young members to the rules and governance structure of the Society, and nominates young professionals for awards and leadership opportunities available to members.
Meeting Spotlight
ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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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General Kenneth Nichols and the Manhattan Project
Nichols
The Oak Ridger has published the latest in a series of articles about General Kenneth D. Nichols, the Manhattan Project, and the 1954 Atomic Energy Act. The series has been produced by Nichols’ grandniece Barbara Rogers Scollin and Oak Ridge (Tenn.) city historian David Ray Smith. Gen. Nichols (1907–2000) was the district engineer for the Manhattan Engineer District during the Manhattan Project.
As Smith and Scollin explain, Nichols “had supervision of the research and development connected with, and the design, construction, and operation of, all plants required to produce plutonium-239 and uranium-235, including the construction of the towns of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Richland, Washington. The responsibility of his position was massive as he oversaw a workforce of both military and civilian personnel of approximately 125,000; his Oak Ridge office became the center of the wartime atomic energy’s activities.”
Robert Gregg, Andrew Worrall
Nuclear Technology | Volume 151 | Number 2 | August 2005 | Pages 126-132
Technical Paper | Advances in Nuclear Fuel Management - Increased Enrichment/High Burnup and Light Water Reactor Fuel Cycle Optimization | doi.org/10.13182/NT05-A3638
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A study of high-burnup pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel management schemes extending to 100 GWd/tonne is presented. The Studsvik Scandpower code suite was used to model a Westinghouse three-loop PWR core, and realistic loading patterns were derived. The loading patterns were optimized for minimum power peaking and maximum cycle length using engineering judgment and automated binary shuffles. Gadolinia was found to control power peaking to within current FH design limits up to 70 GWd/tonne, with only a slight deterioration thereafter. The moderator temperature coefficient, boron coefficient, and control rod worth were calculated and shown to fall within existing design limits.An economic analysis was carried out to determine the most economic discharge burnup based on fuel cycle costs only. It was found that the lowest fuel cycle costs were obtained with average discharge burnups between 70 to 75 GWd/tonne (initial enrichments between 6 to 7 wt%).The energy generated per tonne of uranium ore used was calculated and shown to peak between 40 to 60 GWd/tonne. Also, the radiotoxicity generated per GWyr(electric) was calculated for each fuel management scheme and found to reduce considerably with burnup between 100 and 100 000 yr.