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.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Jan 2026
Jul 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
February 2026
Nuclear Technology
January 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
November 2025
Latest News
Thompson Igunma’s UF-INL research is creating unique models for molten salt reactors
Igunma
American Nuclear Society member Thompson Odion Igunma is a doctoral candidate in materials science and engineering at the University of Florida (UF) conducting research in collaboration with the Computational Mechanics and Materials Group at Idaho National Laboratory. His work focuses on advanced modeling of the complex interplay between molten salt corrosion, irradiation, and changes in alloy microstructure.
“I see molten salt reactors as a pivotal part of the next generation of nuclear energy,” Igunma said. “Their unique combination of safety, efficiency, and fuel flexibility makes them ideally suited to complement renewables in a low-carbon energy mix.”
Technical Session|Sponsored by IRD
Monday, June 12, 2023|3:15–5:00PM EDT|Marriott 9
Session Chair:
Brenden J. Heidrich
Session Organizer:
Alternate Chair:
Lei R. Cao
The DRIFT series of experiments at Idaho National Laboratory’s TREAT transient testing facility explored pellet cracking behavior in ceramic UO2 fuel pellets at LWR-relevant conditions to create data to support modeling and simulation of fuel performance. This session will march through the irradiation testing process to highlight the steps required to turn a hypothesis into an irradiation test that can produce usable data. The DRIFT-UO2 experiment at TREAT is based on the IRP-16-10905 - Heng Ben (PITT), Mary Lou Dunzig-Gougar (ISU), “Transient Reactor (TREAT) Experiments to Validate MBM Fuel Performance Simulations” https://neup.inl.gov/SiteAssets/FY%202016%20Abstracts/IRP/IRP-16-10905_TechnicalAbstract_2016CFAAbstract10905.pdf Benjamin Spencer, et al., “Dry in-pile fracture test (DRIFT) for separate-effects validation of ceramic fuel fracture models,” Journal of Nuclear Materials, 568 (2022), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.153816
To access paper attachments, you must be logged in and registered for the meeting.
Register NowLog In
Structure and Process of Managing the UO2 Dry In-Pile Fracture Test Irradiation Experiment
3:15–3:35PM EDT
Leigh A. Astle (INL), Trevor J. Smuin (INL)
Paper
Neutronics Programmatic and Safety Evaluation of the DRIFT Experiment in TREAT
3:35–3:55PM EDT
Connie M. Hill (INL)
Research Objectives and Findings from the DRIFT Experiments
3:55–4:15PM EDT
Benjamin Spencer (INL), Nicolas E. Woolstenhulme (INL), Jason L. Schulthess (INL), Austin D. Fleming (INL)
Experiment Safety Analysis Process for the DRIFT Irradiation Experiment at TREAT
4:15–4:35PM EDT
Sterling S. Morrill (INL)
To join the conversation, you must be logged in and registered for the meeting.