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Division Spotlight
Human Factors, Instrumentation & Controls
Improving task performance, system reliability, system and personnel safety, efficiency, and effectiveness are the division's main objectives. Its major areas of interest include task design, procedures, training, instrument and control layout and placement, stress control, anthropometrics, psychological input, and motivation.
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
G7 pledges support for nuclear at Italy meeting
The Group of Seven (G7) recommitted its support for nuclear energy in the countries that opt to use it at a Ministerial Meeting on Climate in Italy last month.
In a statement following the April meeting, the group committed to support multilateral efforts to strengthen the resilience of nuclear supply chains, referencing the goal set by 25 countries during last year’s COP28 climate conference in Dubai to triple global nuclear generating capacity by 2050.
George M. Jacobsen, Hangbok Choi, James A. Turso, Amanda M. Johnsen, Andrew J. Bascom, Xialu Wei, Eugene A. Olevsky
Nuclear Technology | Volume 208 | Number 1 | January 2022 | Pages 27-36
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2021.1877504
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Zirconium silicide (Zr3Si2) is a heavy reflector material particularly effective for application to a Gas-cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) such as the General Atomics Energy Multiplier Module (EM2) and Fast Modular Reactor (FMR). In this work, the manufacturability of a high-density Zr3Si2 compound, in the Zr3Si2 phase, was investigated using hot-pressing and spark-plasma-sintering methods. The microstructure, composition, and thermal properties of the resulting hot-pressed material were measured, resulting in a 96% relative density and a 96% phase pure material. The thermal properties were consistent with those necessary for use under GFR operating conditions. The structural and dimensional stability of the material was also measured before and after neutron irradiation up to 1017 n/cm2 in the research reactor, resulting in an average linear dimensional change of <0.12%. The preliminary irradiation tests also confirmed the micromechanical stability of the Zr3Si2 phase, with no evidence of microcracking after irradiation. The results of the irradiation tests verify the fabrication method of Zr3Si2 for nuclear applications, but further irradiation tests under high-temperature and high-irradiation conditions will be required to qualify the material for GFR applications.