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
Nuclear Installations Safety
Devoted specifically to the safety of nuclear installations and the health and safety of the public, this division seeks a better understanding of the role of safety in the design, construction and operation of nuclear installation facilities. The division also promotes engineering and scientific technology advancement associated with the safety of such facilities.
Meeting Spotlight
Utility Working Conference Virtual Summit (UWC)
August 11, 2020
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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
July 2020
Nuclear Technology
August 2020
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Penfield and Enos: Outage planning in the COVID-19 era
Penfield
Enos
Energy Harbor’s Beaver Valley plant, located about 34 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, Pa., was one of many nuclear sites preparing for a scheduled outage as the coronavirus pandemic intensified in March. The baseline objective of any planned outage—to complete refueling on time and get back to producing power—was complicated by the need to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.
While over 200 of the plant’s 850 staff members worked from home to support the outage, about 800 contractors were brought in for jobs that could only be done on-site. Nuclear News Staff Writer Susan Gallier talked with Beaver Valley Site Vice President Rod Penfield and General Plant Manager Matt Enos about the planning and communication required.
Beaver Valley can look forward to several more outages in the future, now that plans to shut down the two Westinghouse pressurized water reactors, each rated at about 960 MWe, were reversed in March. “The deactivation announcement happened in the middle of all our planning,” Enos said. “It’s a shame we haven’t had a chance to get together as a large group and celebrate that yet.”
While the focus remains on safe pandemic operations, the site now has two causes for celebration: an outage success and a long future ahead.
The American Nuclear Society is excited to announce the addition of high school curriculum resources to Navigating Nuclear: Energizing Our World™, the nuclear science curriculum developed with Discovery Education™ and launched in 2018.
The first high school resources include lessons plans on radioactive decay and on power plant efficiency. STEM Project Starters, digital lessons, and two additional lesson plans will be launched throughout the 2019-2020 school year. The high school curriculum and an elementary curriculum to be launched in 2020 are made possible by funding from the United States Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy.
In addition, Idaho National Laboratory will be the setting for an exciting Virtual Field Trip, set to premiere in February 2020.
A fact-based nuclear science curriculum, Navigating Nuclear is designed to guide students in examining the ways nuclear energy powers our world and in exploring real-world applications of nuclear processes. The same resources available to classrooms that subscribe to the Discovery Education in-classroom platform are also available free online at navigatingnuclear.com.
ANS has put together a guidebook to introduce you to the Navigating Nuclear program. This resource will help you make the most of your outreach programs. Inside you will find ideas for contacting teachers, engaging students, and planning professional development activities for teachers.
Take an even closer look at Navigating Nuclear with these two informational webinars:
Navigating Nuclear: Energizing Our World™ is having a stellar debut in high school. Secondary school resources were added to the nuclear science and technology curriculum created by ANS and Discovery Education in October 2019. Since the first two high school lessons launched, nearly three times as many page views, visits, and visitors were recorded on the program website—navigatingnuclear.com—than in the month prior. In addition, the site saw its second-highest number of downloads with more than 1,100 downloads recorded. The most downloads recorded since launching the program was in October 2018, when the program's first Virtual Field Trip (VFT) premiered. The newest VFT offers a behind-the-scenes tour of Idaho National Laboratory. It debuts on February 18, 2020.
“Our members are involved in nuclear science and technology every day. They are the professionals actually making advances in nuclear science and technology. With Navigating Nuclear, ANS is contributing the most up-to-date information and research on nuclear science, nuclear energy, and their applications. Discovery Education turns that information into engaging curriculum resources.”
— Eric Loewen, Navigating Nuclear Subject Matter Expert Team Leader & ANS Past President (2011-12)
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Help support Navigating Nuclear and the ANS Center for Nuclear Science and Technology Information by making a contribution today.
Navigating Nuclear is an ANS Center for Nuclear Science and Technology Information program developed in conjunction with Discovery Education.
Last modified December 16, 2019, 1:32pm CST
