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Division Spotlight
Fuel Cycle & Waste Management
Devoted to all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle including waste management, worldwide. Division specific areas of interest and involvement include uranium conversion and enrichment; fuel fabrication, management (in-core and ex-core) and recycle; transportation; safeguards; high-level, low-level and mixed waste management and disposal; public policy and program management; decontamination and decommissioning environmental restoration; and excess weapons materials disposition.
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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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
Technical Session|Panel|Sponsored by HFICD
Tuesday, June 14, 2022|3:15–5:00PM PDT|El Capitan B
Session Chair:
Ronald L. Boring
Session Organizer:
Alternate Chair:
Jonghyun Kim
A failure to address the human element of reactor design early will lead to missed opportunities. The quickest development process is the replication of existing concepts of operations at legacy plants, even when such systems were long ago surpassed by better human-machine technologies outside the nuclear industry. Conversely, attempting to undertake novel concepts of operations late in the design life cycle of a plant could result in protracted development efforts and delays in licensing and deployment. This does not have to happen, but it is imperative that human factors be considered now, early in the design of new reactors. The purpose of this panel session is to address the need for human factors to inform the design of new reactors. The panel will represent diverse perspectives to address research and development needs for advanced concepts of operations. The panel will consist of human factors researchers, vendors, utilities, and regulators to discuss the key challenges and solutions for ensuring human factors is adequately addressed with the nascence of new reactor technology. Topics may include: • Key emerging technologies that should be considered for control systems at plants. • Human factors benefits for efficiency, safety, and licensing. • Automation and the shift from concept of operations to concept of monitoring. • Regulatory considerations for the human factors of emerging technology. • Lessons learned from domestic and international experience with new control technologies. • Cybersecurity implications of digital, highly automated plants. • Human factors and control room design on a budget.
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Presentation Video (Visible to Attendees) — Panel Recording - Lou Martinez
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