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The Radiation Protection and Shielding Division is developing and promoting radiation protection and shielding aspects of nuclear science and technology — including interaction of nuclear radiation with materials and biological systems, instruments and techniques for the measurement of nuclear radiation fields, and radiation shield design and evaluation.
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2025 ANS Annual Conference
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Chicago, IL|Chicago Marriott Downtown
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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
Maria-Konstantina Laina, M. Hadid Subki
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 61 | Number 1 | January 2012 | Pages 178-185
Fission | Proceedings of the Fifteenth International Conference on Emerging Nuclear Energy Systems | doi.org/10.13182/FST12-A13417
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
There is a growing interest in the development and deployment plan of Small and Medium Sized Reactors (SMRs) which can be seen through the numerous concepts that are under design certification and the several units that are under construction, the expanding of potential markets in developing countries, and the increasing demands from the Member States on the supports and role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The paper summarizes the status of SMRs designs that are under development globally with the aim to give a broad perspective. It presents generic technical issues and prospect of SMRs, the advantages, challenges and parameters that potential markets take into consideration with regard to the introduction of the first nuclear power plant. Some of the issues to be addressed are economics, licensability, operational performance, waste management, safety and security, proliferation resistance and financing scheme. In the post-Fukushima era, the incorporation of the preliminary lessons learned from the accident into the SMR designs is a priority. In the end, the IAEA program on the common issues and technology of SMRs are highlighted with the purpose to facilitate countries with interest in SMRs.