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Fusion Energy
This division promotes the development and timely introduction of fusion energy as a sustainable energy source with favorable economic, environmental, and safety attributes. The division cooperates with other organizations on common issues of multidisciplinary fusion science and technology, conducts professional meetings, and disseminates technical information in support of these goals. Members focus on the assessment and resolution of critical developmental issues for practical fusion energy applications.
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ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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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.”
Hongbin Zhang (INL), Cole Blakley (Utah State Univ)
Proceedings | 2018 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2018) | Charlotte, NC, April 8-11, 2018 | Pages 252-261
An approach to uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis with coupled simulations of VERACS/ FRAPCON and VERA-CS/BISON was developed within the Multi-Physics Best Estimate Plus Uncertainty (MP-BEPU) safety analysis framework LOTUS. A single assembly model was developed for the VERA-CS simulations and FRAPCON and BISON models were developed for the hot rod in the assembly. Uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis were performed with 23 uncertain input parameters for the coupled VERA-CS/FRAPCON simulations and with 31 uncertain input parameters for the coupled VERA-CS/BISON simulations. The maximum fuel centerline temperature (MFCT) and gap conductance at peak power (GCPP) were selected as the figures of merit (FOM). Pearson and Spearman Correlation Coefficients, Sobol Indices and Moment Independent Delta Measures were considered in the sensitivity analysis.
