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
Aerospace Nuclear Science & Technology
Organized to promote the advancement of knowledge in the use of nuclear science and technologies in the aerospace application. Specialized nuclear-based technologies and applications are needed to advance the state-of-the-art in aerospace design, engineering and operations to explore planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond, plus enhance the safety of air travel, especially high speed air travel. Areas of interest will include but are not limited to the creation of nuclear-based power and propulsion systems, multifunctional materials to protect humans and electronic components from atmospheric, space, and nuclear power system radiation, human factor strategies for the safety and reliable operation of nuclear power and propulsion plants by non-specialized personnel and more.
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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May 2024
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
June 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Bill would eliminate public hearing requirement in nuclear licensing
A bill being considered in the U.S. Senate seeks to remove the requirement for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to hold a public hearing for every nuclear reactor application.
Current law requires public hearings to be held by the NRC toward the end the all reactor license application process, in addition to the statutorily required environmental and safety reviews that provide public engagement opportunities for stakeholders and citizens.
International Conference on Physics of Reactors 2024 Plenary SPeaker
Senior Manager
Fuel Development & Qualification
TerraPower
James Vollmer has worked the past twelve years at TerraPower in several different roles. He is currently the Senior Manager of Fuel Development & Qualification, where his group is responsible for fuel performance methods development and assessments, fuel fabrication development, and fuel testing and qualification activities to support the Natrium™ project. Prior to taking this role he has held a series of other management positions within TerraPower, including Senior Manager of Nuclear Design, Manager of Materials & Chemistry, and Manager of Fuel Development. Some key technical contributions James has made to TerraPower include 1) preparing the fuel qualification topical report for the Natrium plant, 2) preparing fuel qualification plans for the TWR-P and TWR-300 plants; 3) providing technical direction for the Molten Salt Reactor Experimental Vehicle (MSR-EV) design effort for the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR); and 4) supporting development of the advanced Type 1B (and Type 2) fuel designs including design, fabrication, and oversight of a series of irradiation tests in the Advanced Test Reactor.
Prior to joining TerraPower, Dr. Vollmer spent nine years at Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, where he applied computational methods to support fuel fabrication, design, and performance activities for the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. He received Bachelor of Science degrees in chemistry, computer science, and mathematics from the College of the Ozarks, followed by a doctorate in physical chemistry from the University of Utah.
Last modified February 20, 2024, 7:38am PST
