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
Thermal Hydraulics
The division provides a forum for focused technical dialogue on thermal hydraulic technology in the nuclear industry. Specifically, this will include heat transfer and fluid mechanics involved in the utilization of nuclear energy. It is intended to attract the highest quality of theoretical and experimental work to ANS, including research on basic phenomena and application to nuclear system design.
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
May 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
July 2025
Nuclear Technology
June 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
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
Tuesday, May 10, 2022|10:30AM–12:30PM EDT|Vanda
Session Chairs:
Michelle Rucker (NASA)
Laura Burke (NASA)
Session Organizers:
Alternate Chair:
Michael Chappell (NASA)
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1.9MWe Nuclear Electric Propulsion-Chemical Propulsion Piloted Mars Opposition Vehicle
Steven Oleson (NASA Glenn Research Center), Elizabeth Turnbull (NASA Glenn Research Center), Laura Burke (NASA Glenn Research Center), Thomas Packard (HX5), Lee Mason (NASA Glenn Research Center), James Fittje (Science Applications International Corp.), Anthony Colozza (HX5), Paul Schmitz (Power Computing Solutions), Steven McCarty (NASA Glenn Research Center), John Yim (NASA Glenn Research Center), Brandon Klefman (NASA Glenn Research Center), John Gyekenyesi (HX5), Brent Faller (NASA Glenn Research Center), David Smith (HX5), Lucia Tian (NASA Glenn Research Center), Caroline Austin (NASA Glenn Research Center), W. Peter Simon (NASA Glenn Research Center), Christopher Heldman (NASA Glenn Research Center), Onoufrios Theofylaktos (NASA Glenn Research Center), Christine Schmid (NASA Glenn Research Center), Thomas Parkey (NASA Glenn Research Center), Natalie Weckesser (NASA Glenn Research Center)
Paper
Subscale NTP Engines for Human Mars Missions
Christopher B. Reynolds (Aerojet Rocketdyne), C. Russell Joyner II (Aerojet Rocketdyne), Timothy Kokan (Aerojet Rocketdyne), Daniel J.H. Levack (Aerojet Rocketdyne)
Combined Nuclear Electric and Chemical Propulsion for Crewed Mars Opposition Missions
Laura Burke (NASA Glenn Research Center), Steven Oleson (NASA Glenn Research Center), David Smith (HX5)
A Dynamic Radioisotope Power System for a Pressurized Lunar/Mars Rover
Steve Oleson (NASA Glenn Research Center), Paul Schmitz (Power Computing Solutions), Michael B. Smith (ORNL), Tony Colozza (HX5), Lucia Tian (NASA Glenn Research Center), Brandon Klefman (NASA Glenn Research Center), Steven Korn (NASA Glenn Research Center), Max Chaiken (NASA Glenn Research Center), Tom Packard (HX5), Jim Fittje (Science Applications International Corp.), John Gyekenyesi (HX5), Elizabeth Turnbull (NASA Glenn Research Center)
Mass Modeling of NEP Power Conversion Concepts for Human Mars Exploration
William Machemer (Analytical Mechanics Assoc.), Matthew Duchek (Analytical Mechanics Assoc.), Christopher Harnack (Analytical Mechanics Assoc.), Emanuel Grella (Analytical Mechanics Assoc.), Dennis Nikitaev (Analytical Mechanics Assoc.), Corey D. Smith (Analytical Mechanics Assoc.)
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