ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
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
2025 ANS Annual Conference
June 15–18, 2025
Chicago, IL|Chicago Marriott Downtown
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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May 2025
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
July 2025
Nuclear Technology
June 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
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High-temperature plumbing and advanced reactors
The use of nuclear fission power and its role in impacting climate change is hotly debated. Fission advocates argue that short-term solutions would involve the rapid deployment of Gen III+ nuclear reactors, like Vogtle-3 and -4, while long-term climate change impact would rely on the creation and implementation of Gen IV reactors, “inherently safe” reactors that use passive laws of physics and chemistry rather than active controls such as valves and pumps to operate safely. While Gen IV reactors vary in many ways, one thing unites nearly all of them: the use of exotic, high-temperature coolants. These fluids, like molten salts and liquid metals, can enable reactor engineers to design much safer nuclear reactors—ultimately because the boiling point of each fluid is extremely high. Fluids that remain liquid over large temperature ranges can provide good heat transfer through many demanding conditions, all with minimal pressurization. Although the most apparent use for these fluids is advanced fission power, they have the potential to be applied to other power generation sources such as fusion, thermal storage, solar, or high-temperature process heat.1–3
2021 ANS Annual Meeting Plenary Session Speaker
Chris Levesque, president and chief executive officer of TerraPower, has overall responsibility for operations and corporate administration. Levesque brings executive leadership to further TerraPower’s growth and pursue the development of its flagship technology, the traveling wave reactor. His proven track record in scoping, planning and implementing projects to meet the highest standards began with his service in the U.S. Nuclear Navy and features more than 25 years of experience in the nuclear power business, most recently leading major nuclear engineering, procurement and construction projects.
Prior to joining TerraPower, Levesque was a vice president at Westinghouse Electric Company and overall consortium project director for the Virgil C. Summer nuclear project, one of the first new reactor construction efforts in the U.S. in several decades. Previously, Levesque was the AREVA deputy project director at Finland’s Olkiluoto 3 nuclear project, the largest-ever industrial project in northern Europe. Before his assignment in Finland, he led the formation of AREVA’s joint venture with Newport News Shipbuilding, AREVA Newport News, for which he served as Chairman of the Board and president.
Levesque has extensive experience with the nuclear industrial base and nuclear component manufacturing. Earlier in his career, Levesque served as the manager of engineering and manufacturing at Westinghouse’s Newington, N.H., component manufacturing facility, and he has served in multiple management positions at two nuclear-capable shipyards. Levesque began his career as a nuclear submarine officer and qualified as chief engineer on the USS Boise (SSN 764).
Levesque holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a Master of Science in mechanical engineering and naval engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Last modified February 8, 2021, 9:15am EST
