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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.
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2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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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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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Proving DRACO will deliver
The United States is now closer than it has been in over five decades to launching the first nuclear thermal rocket into space, thanks to DRACO—the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Orbit.
George Larsen, Simona E. Hunyadi Murph, Kaitlin Coopersmith, Lucas Mitchell
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 76 | Number 1 | January 2020 | Pages 13-20
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2019.1598205
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Reduction-oxidation cycles of metals can be harnessed to create a reusable tritiated water processing system. The concept is straightforward; a tritium-contaminated steam passes over a hot metal bed converting the metal to a metal oxide and liberating hydrogen isotopes for further processing and isotope separation. The bed is regenerated by converting the metal oxide back to a bare metal using protium gas, creating a clean water stream. Free oxygen is not produced during the cyclical process, making it safe for use in a hydrogen processing facility, and the only by-product is detritiated water. Porous zero valent iron (p-ZVI) has been identified as an ideal candidate material for this process due to its low cost, unique morphology, and favorable thermodynamics. Therefore, investigations of p-ZVI were conducted to better understand how a bed composed of such material would behave in a tritium processing facility. The thermal and physical properties were assessed, along with cycling and isotope effects. The results indicate that p-ZVI beds could serve as a low-cost, reusable system for the treatment of water in tritium processing facilities.