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
Reactor Physics
The division's objectives are to promote the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena characterizing nuclear reactors and other nuclear systems. The division encourages research and disseminates information through meetings and publications. Areas of technical interest include nuclear data, particle interactions and transport, reactor and nuclear systems analysis, methods, design, validation and operating experience and standards. The Wigner Award heads the awards program.
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
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
August 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
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.
Peter Yarsky
Nuclear Technology | Volume 207 | Number 5 | May 2021 | Pages 665-679
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2020.1810465
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In a companion paper, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has described analyses performed using the TRAC/RELAP Advanced Computational Engine (TRACE) code to study the transient system response of the NuScale power module to a postulated beyond-design-basis loss of alternating-current (LOAC) power transient where the module protection system completely fails to insert the control rods. The subject paper studies the sensitivity of the event progression and consequences to variation in the initial reactor coolant system (RCS) temperature. These studies were performed by varying the effective steam generator heat transfer surface area between 100% and 50% of the nominal area. The results of the NRC staff analyses show that at increased initial temperatures, it is possible for the NuScale primary side to remain critical for an extended period of time, leading to a sustained loss of primary-side inventory through pressure relief until the natural circulation flow pattern in the RCS becomes broken. After the flow loop is broken, reactor power decreases significantly, and the primary figures of merit important to safety are met with substantial margin.