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Division Spotlight
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.
Meeting Spotlight
ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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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Latest News
First astatine-labeled compound shipped in the U.S.
The Department of Energy’s National Isotope Development Center (NIDC) on March 31 announced the successful long-distance shipment in the United States of a biologically active compound labeled with the medical radioisotope astatine-211 (At-211). Because previous shipments have included only the “bare” isotope, the NIDC has described the development as “unleashing medical innovation.”
G. Mignot, S. Balderama (Oregon State Univ), N. Woolstenhulme (INL), W. Marcum (Oregon State Univ)
Proceedings | Advances in Thermal Hydraulics 2018 | Orlando, FL, November 11-15, 2018 | Pages 892-903
Pulse generated in the Transient Reactor Test facility at Idaho National Laboratory can reach a minimum full width at half maximum of 100 ms. for a maximum power of 5500 MW with the current configuration. To reproduce conditions of a Reactivity Insertion Accident postulated for Light Water Reactor, the width of the pulse shall decrease down below 50 ms. to increase even more the maximum power. To reach this goal, it is intended to initiate higher power transient that could quickly be clipped to maintain the total energy deposition within the 2500 MJ limit of the reactor operation license. One of the pulse clipping options under consideration is the implementation of a fast-negative reactivity insertion system by injecting helium 3 in the core. Initial calculation shows that to ensure fast clipping of the pulse, the new system, in a form of a cartridge pre-inserted in the core, shall undergo a quick pressurization from near vacuum to minimum density of 2.2 kg/m3 in less than 5 ms. The HENRI (Helium 3 Negative Reactivity Insertion) facility has been designed and built at the Oregon State University to test the feasibility of such system, design a fast response pressurization system and test the repeatability of the process. To support this task, preliminary CFD calculations are performed. In this first stage of the project, only the gas dynamics part of the process is considered. Initial results show that the ultimate atomic density could physically be reached within the 5 ms. limit assuming an ultra-fast opening device.