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Accelerator Applications
The division was organized to promote the advancement of knowledge of the use of particle accelerator technologies for nuclear and other applications. It focuses on production of neutrons and other particles, utilization of these particles for scientific or industrial purposes, such as the production or destruction of radionuclides significant to energy, medicine, defense or other endeavors, as well as imaging and diagnostics.
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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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The busyness of the nuclear fuel supply chain
Ken Petersenpresident@ans.org
With all that is happening in the industry these days, the nuclear fuel supply chain is still a hot topic. The Russian assault in Ukraine continues to upend the “where” and “how” of attaining nuclear fuel—and it has also motivated U.S. legislators to act.
Two years into the Russian war with Ukraine, things are different. The Inflation Reduction Act was passed in 2022, authorizing $700 million in funding to support production of high-assay low-enriched uranium in the United States. Meanwhile, the Department of Energy this January issued a $500 million request for proposals to stimulate new HALEU production. The Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024 includes $2.7 billion in funding for new uranium enrichment production. This funding was diverted from the Civil Nuclear Credits program and will only be released if there is a ban on importing Russian uranium into the United States—which could happen by the time this column is published, as legislation that bans Russian uranium has passed the House as of this writing and is headed for the Senate. Also being considered is legislation that would sanction Russian uranium. Alternatively, the Biden-Harris administration may choose to ban Russian uranium without legislation in order to obtain access to the $2.7 billion in funding.
Alisha Kasam-Griffith, Milos Atz, Tingzhou Fei, Zhaopeng Zhong, Michael Jarrett, Florent Heidet
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 196 | Number 1 | October 2022 | Pages S38-S49
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2022.2031712
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Successful operation of the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) relies on satisfying stakeholder requirements and guaranteeing customer timelines. Although the VTR leverages proven sodium fast reactor technology, its mission as a test reactor introduces unique design and operational requirements. This paper covers the preliminary analysis and methodology development for two areas of the VTR core design related to the operational flexibility necessary for the testing mission. The first of these introduces a framework for assessing the feasibility of storing used driver fuel in the VTR shield region, which offers potential benefits to operations but may affect core reactivity and increased cooling time. A methodology to assess these impacts using neutronics and depletion calculations is demonstrated on three in-shield storage configurations. The second focus area highlights operational considerations and maximum residence time of the VTR control assemblies, which are critical to maintaining the irradiation environment necessary to deliver on the VTR mission. A preliminary methodology that assesses B-10 depletion and absorber rod swelling is demonstrated with the goal of informing future development. Together, these research activities illustrate how the early-stage VTR design is guided by anticipation of operating objectives.