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
2021 ANS Winter Meeting and Technology Expo
November 30–December 3, 2021
Washington, DC|Washington Hilton
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
Sep 2021
Jul 2021
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
October 2021
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
August 2021
Latest News
Matthew Denman: On Probabilistic Risk Assessment
Matthew Denman
Probabilistic risk assessment is a systematic methodology for evaluating risks associated with a complex engineered technology such as nuclear energy. PRA risk is defined in terms of possible detrimental outcomes of an activity or action, and as such, risk is characterized by three quantities: what can go wrong, the likelihood of the problem, and the resulting consequences of the problem.
Matthew Denman is principal engineer for reliability engineering at Kairos Power and the chair of the American Nuclear Society and American Society of Mechanical Engineers Joint Committee on Nuclear Risk Management’s Subcommittee of Standards Development. As a college student at the University of Florida, Denman took a course on PRA but didn’t enjoy it, because he did not see its connection to the nuclear power industry. Later, during his Ph.D. study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, his advisor was Neil Todreas, a well-known thermal hydraulics expert. Todreas was working on a project with George Apostolakis, who would leave MIT to become a commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The project, “Risk Informing the Design of the Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor,” was a multi-university effort funded through a Department of Energy Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (NERI) grant. Todreas and Apostolakis were joined in this project by a who’s who of nuclear academia, including Andy Kadak (MIT, ANS past president [1999–2000]), Mike Driscoll (MIT), Mike Golay (MIT), Mike Lineberry (Idaho State University, former ANS treasurer), Rich Denning (Ohio State University), and Tunc Aldemir (Ohio State University).
Navigating Nuclear Virtual Field Trips take students behind the scenes to some of the most interesting places in the world—or even in this galaxy!
Tour the largest nuclear power plant in the United States. Explore Idaho National Laboratory and meet the men and women discovering solutions to our energy challenges. Or travel into deep space to imagine how humans might live on the moon, Mars, or even farther.
Inspire students to explore the possibilities of nuclear technology on Earth before planning their own colony on the moon. Along the way, students will meet a variety of stellar special guests who share their out-of-this-world experiences. Targeted to grades 3-5, but engaging for all ages.
Set the stage for learning with standards-aligned activities in our companion guide.
Download the Educator Guide
Journey to the leading nuclear research facility in the country, Idaho National Laboratory. Step inside a nuclear reactor, explore unexpected careers in nuclear science and see what the future may hold thanks to advances in nuclear capabilities. Targeted to high school students, this VFT is also appropriate for middle school student career exploration.
Activities in our companion guide encourage students to see themselves in nuclear careers.
Join us as we go behind the scenes at the Palo Verde Generating Station, the largest power plant in the United States. See how nuclear technologies are helping to develop more environmentally-friendly electrical power! Targeted to middle school students, this VFT can also be used to learn how nuclear power plants work in all grade bands.
Prepare your students with our standards-aligned companion activities to extend the learning from the Virtual Field Trip to the classroom. Further your students' interest through in-depth conversation and hands-on activity.
Last modified August 13, 2021, 10:16am CDT
