ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
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Division Spotlight
Operations & Power
Members focus on the dissemination of knowledge and information in the area of power reactors with particular application to the production of electric power and process heat. The division sponsors meetings on the coverage of applied nuclear science and engineering as related to power plants, non-power reactors, and other nuclear facilities. It encourages and assists with the dissemination of knowledge pertinent to the safe and efficient operation of nuclear facilities through professional staff development, information exchange, and supporting the generation of viable solutions to current issues.
Meeting Spotlight
2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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
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.
Dale B. Lancaster, Robert L. Marsh, Daniel B. Bullen, Holger Pfeifer, C. Steve Erwin, Alan E. Levin+
Nuclear Technology | Volume 97 | Number 1 | January 1992 | Pages 16-26
Technical Paper | Fission Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT92-A34622
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Uranium metal alloys were previously suggested for use in advanced pressurized water reactors; a method is proposed to select an appropriate fuel rod diameter for a uranium alloy—fueled reactor. The method attempts to isolate effects caused only by the change in pin diameter; therefore, the thermal margin is maintained by holding a constant departure from nucleate boiling ratio for designs. Neutronic optimization is also maintained by holding the hydrogento-uranium ratio constant. Operational aspects are conserved by assuming the same cycle length. Burnup uncertainty is removed by using the same discharge burnup. These assumptions allow a rapid determination of an appropriate fuel pin diameter. The procedure considers all cost changes expected, including pump power and capital cost, vessel and containment size changes, and fuel cycle cost changes. The analysis shows that under these constraints, a 10% Zirconium alloy fuel should have a pin diameter similar to but smaller than that of oxide fuel with a similar pitch. The costs appear to be about the same as for oxide-fueled cores. Large advantages, however, may be possible in safety or burnup.