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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
2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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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Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Bipartisan Fusion Energy Act pushes for regulatory clarity
Padilla
Sen. Alex Padilla (D., Calif.) introduced the Fusion Energy Act (S. 4151) last month with a bipartisan group of cosponsors—John Cornyn (R., Texas), Cory Booker (D., N.J.), Todd Young (R., Ind.), and Patty Murray (D., Wash.). The legislation would codify the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s regulatory authority over commercial fusion energy systems to streamline the creation of clear federal regulations that will support the development of commercial fusion power plants—and would require a report within one year on a study of risk- and performance-based, design-specific licensing frameworks for “mass-manufactured fusion machines.
“Congress must do everything in its power to ensure continued U.S. leadership in developing commercial fusion energy facilities,” said Padilla as he introduced the bill. “The Fusion Energy Act would provide regulatory certainty for investors as the NRC develops and streamlines frameworks for such facilities.”
Jason J. Song, Paul K. Chan, Hugues W. Bonin, Stéphane Paquette
Nuclear Technology | Volume 195 | Number 3 | September 2016 | Pages 310-328
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NT16-1
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Trace amounts of burnable neutron absorbers (BNAs) were used to tailor the reactivity of the 37-element, natural uranium (NU) fuel bundle used in CANDU reactors. The BNAs of interest included Gd2O3 and Eu2O3, which were added to the fuel in variable quantities and combinations. The fuel lattice was modeled using the WIMS–AECL 3.1 code, and core simulations were conducted using the Reactor Fuelling Simulation Program (RFSP). The fuel model assumes an equivalent and uniform distribution of BNAs in the CANLUB layer of each fuel element.
The incorporation of BNAs is designed to improve CANDU reactor operating margins during on-power refueling by eliminating the fueling transient (FT) and reducing the magnitude of the plutonium peak (PP) that is characteristic of NU fuels. By adding an optimal combination of “fast-burning” and “slow-burning” BNAs, the FT and PP can be selectively reduced, and a significantly flatter trend in the burnup-dependent evolution of fuel reactivity can be achieved.
The results of the study indicate that by adding ~150 mg [~8 parts per million (ppm)] of Gd2O3 and ~300 mg (~15 ppm) of Eu2O3 per fuel bundle, the best gain in the operating margins of a 2650-MW(thermal) (480-channel) model CANDU reactor can be achieved. Based on the simulation of refueling events, it was shown that the magnitude of average postrefueling channel power ripples can be reduced by an average of 100 kW and a maximum of 220 kW for powers observed immediately after refueling. This reduction in postrefueling powers was also shown to allow the average liquid zone controller level to decrease from ~48% to 10%. This decrease implies a potential relief on overpower protection (an operating margin).