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Division Spotlight
Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy
The mission of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy Division (NNPD) is to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology while simultaneously preventing the diversion and misuse of nuclear material and technology through appropriate safeguards and security, and promotion of nuclear nonproliferation policies. To achieve this mission, the objectives of the NNPD are to: Promote policy that discourages the proliferation of nuclear technology and material to inappropriate entities. Provide information to ANS members, the technical community at large, opinion leaders, and decision makers to improve their understanding of nuclear nonproliferation issues. Become a recognized technical resource on nuclear nonproliferation, safeguards, and security issues. Serve as the integration and coordination body for nuclear nonproliferation activities for the ANS. Work cooperatively with other ANS divisions to achieve these objective nonproliferation policies.
Meeting Spotlight
Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo (UWC 2024)
August 4–7, 2024
Marco Island, FL|JW Marriott Marco Island
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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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Taking shape: Fusion energy ecosystems built with public-private partnerships
It’s possible to describe fusion in simple terms: heat and squeeze small atoms to get abundant clean energy. But there’s nothing simple about getting fusion ready for the grid.
Private developers, national lab and university researchers, suppliers, and end users working toward that goal are developing a range of complex technologies to reach fusion temperatures and pressures, confounded by science and technology gaps linked to plasma behavior; materials, diagnostics, and electronics for extreme environments; fuel cycle sustainability; and economics.
Technical Session|Panel
Thursday, November 11, 2021|12:40–2:40PM EST
Session Chair:
Michelle Bensi (Univ Maryland)
Session Organizer:
Alternate Chair:
Carol S. Smidts (OSU)
Session Producer:
Zach Berkow
Our fundamental understanding of both external hazards and nuclear power plant (NPP) responses to those hazards has increased in recent years as a result of the expanded use of external hazard probabilistic risk assessment (XHPRA). In parallel, recent operating experience has led to an increased understanding of and appreciation for the ways that external hazard events can affect NPP structures, systems, and components (SSCs) as well as the factors influencing human performance during hazard events. While XHPRA knowledge and experience continue to grow, it remains challenging to represent the spatially and temporally dynamic nature of certain external hazard events within existing PRA modeling tools. Moreover, there is notable variability between hazard groups (e.g., flooding, seismic, and high wind hazards) with respect to the conventions of practice in XHPRA. These differences arise due to the differing XHPRA experience bases across hazard groups as well as fundamental differences in the nature of hazard events and the strategies plants use to respond. As a result, broad uncertainties associated with XHPRA remain. These include uncertainties related to: (1) characterization of the severity and frequency of hazard events; (2) the physical impacts of hazard events on NPP SSCs; (3) event progressions; and (4) the impacts of external hazards on human performance (including FLEX strategies). Further, external hazards can create unique challenges related to site access, evacuation/sheltering, and concurrent/secondary/induced hazards. In existing XHPRA practice, the aforementioned uncertainties and knowledge gaps have typically been addressed via conservative assessments, expert judgment, or simplified models and assumptions. Improvements in model realism can yield important risk insights through the enhancement of plant response procedures. They can also help to expand the utility of XHPRA to assist in evaluating alternative response strategies. There is a need for a risk-informed strategy to identify, characterize, and prioritize drivers of hazard uncertainty. To address this challenge, this panel session will bring together experts in multiple aspects of XHPRA to discuss: • These drivers of uncertainty in XHPRA • Differences in practice (and origins of those differences) among hazard groups • Future directions and potential benefits of efforts to improve model realism and reduce uncertainties
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