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Division Spotlight
Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy
The mission of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy Division (NNPD) is to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology while simultaneously preventing the diversion and misuse of nuclear material and technology through appropriate safeguards and security, and promotion of nuclear nonproliferation policies. To achieve this mission, the objectives of the NNPD are to: Promote policy that discourages the proliferation of nuclear technology and material to inappropriate entities. Provide information to ANS members, the technical community at large, opinion leaders, and decision makers to improve their understanding of nuclear nonproliferation issues. Become a recognized technical resource on nuclear nonproliferation, safeguards, and security issues. Serve as the integration and coordination body for nuclear nonproliferation activities for the ANS. Work cooperatively with other ANS divisions to achieve these objective nonproliferation policies.
Meeting Spotlight
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025)
February 3–6, 2025
Amelia Island, FL|Omni Amelia Island Resort
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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January 2025
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Christmas Night
Twas the night before Christmas when all through the houseNo electrons were flowing through even my mouse.
All devices were plugged in by the chimney with careWith the hope that St. Nikola Tesla would share.
Mariano Tarantino, Pierdomenico Lorusso, Alessio Pesetti, Ivan Di Piazza, Daniele Martelli
Nuclear Technology | Volume 210 | Number 4 | April 2024 | Pages 725-739
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2023.2226525
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Since the 2000s, the development of Generation-IV fast reactors cooled by heavy liquid metals (HLMs) has been pursued by several research activities and projects, many of which are co-funded by the European Commission. One of the key points of HLMs regards their good neutronic and thermophysical properties, allowing for the of design cores with a high pitch-to-diameter ratio. In terms of passive safety, with a properly designed configuration, it is possible to increase the system capability to remove the decay power in a natural circulation regime, reducing active safety systems involvement. Such a safety-related aspect has been experimentally investigated at the ENEA Brasimone Research Center within the European Union co-funded Euratom H2020 SESAME project.
An experimental campaign reproducing protected loss-of-flow accident (PLOFA) scenarios has been executed on CIRCE, a lead-bismuth eutectic-cooled pool-type facility reproducing in relevant scale the main components of HLM-cooled fast reactors. A test section named HERO has been installed in the CIRCE main vessel, hosting a double-wall bayonet tube steam generator scaled 1:1 in length with respect to the one envisioned for the ALFRED reactor. The tests reproduce the loss of primary coolant flow, while the power supplied by the heating source decreases according to a characteristic decay heat curve. The feedwater in the secondary system is regulated to operate the main steam generator as a decay heat removal (DHR) system.
This paper presents the PLOFA transient reproducing the worst case, where the steam generator feedwater is suddenly stopped, simulating the full loss of the heat sink (no DHR). The main phenomena occurring during the transition from forced to natural circulation are presented and discussed. The experiment shows that, despite the loss of the forced circulation regime in the primary loop and the full loss of the heat sink, the entire system is still capable of operating safely, assuring an effective long-term cooling, as long as the thermal heat losses from the main vessel balance the decay power supplied by the heating source.
