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
Aerospace Nuclear Science & Technology
Organized to promote the advancement of knowledge in the use of nuclear science and technologies in the aerospace application. Specialized nuclear-based technologies and applications are needed to advance the state-of-the-art in aerospace design, engineering and operations to explore planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond, plus enhance the safety of air travel, especially high speed air travel. Areas of interest will include but are not limited to the creation of nuclear-based power and propulsion systems, multifunctional materials to protect humans and electronic components from atmospheric, space, and nuclear power system radiation, human factor strategies for the safety and reliable operation of nuclear power and propulsion plants by non-specialized personnel and more.
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!
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August 2024
Nuclear Technology
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Latest News
ARPA-E announces $40 million to develop transmutation technologies for UNF
The Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) announced $40 million in funding to develop cutting-edge technologies to enable the transmutation of used nuclear fuel into less-radioactive substances. According to ARPA-E, the new initiative addresses one of the agency’s core goals as outlined by Congress: to provide transformative solutions to improve the management, cleanup, and disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel.
Stefano Passerini, Richard B. Vilim
Nuclear Technology | Volume 191 | Number 3 | September 2015 | Pages 254-267
Technical Paper | Nuclear Plant Operations and Control | doi.org/10.13182/NT14-99
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Simulation results are presented for a design strategy that seeks to achieve inherent control and passive safety for liquid-metal advanced small modular reactors. The approach places an increased reliance on passive feedbacks to regulate plant operation. A reference liquid-metal reactor design is defined to serve as a baseline against which innovative design concepts can be compared with respect to operational performance. The definition assigns values to key plant parameters related to materials type, component data, system configuration (loop versus pool type), fuel cycle (burner versus breakeven versus breeder), and balance of plant. The reference design represents the state of the art of conventional fast reactor technology in terms of economics of electricity production, use of active control systems, and standard operation (e.g., refueling every 2 to 3 years). Innovative design features and associated control strategies are then investigated for reducing the size of upset imitators and for improving also the safety of the inherent response to the initiator. Initiators include failures of active systems and operator errors. At the same time the ability of the modified plant to meet normal grid demands subject to constraints on temperature rates of change is assessed. Results presented indicate that operational performance can be maintained while active system initiator size is reduced resulting in improved safety. Essentially, the innovations introduce inherent feedback mechanisms that serve to reduce the magnitude of the control action of the active control systems.