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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
2025 ANS Annual Conference
June 15–18, 2025
Chicago, IL|Chicago Marriott Downtown
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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Jun 2025
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
July 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Smarter waste strategies: Helping deliver on the promise of advanced nuclear
At COP28, held in Dubai in 2023, a clear consensus emerged: Nuclear energy must be a cornerstone of the global clean energy transition. With electricity demand projected to soar as we decarbonize not just power but also industry, transport, and heat, the case for new nuclear is compelling. More than 20 countries committed to tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050. In the United States alone, the Department of Energy forecasts that the country’s current nuclear capacity could more than triple, adding 200 GW of new nuclear to the existing 95 GW by mid-century.
S. H. Baxamusa, S. D. Bhandarkar, J. L. Reynolds, B. Maranville, J. Horner, D. C. Mason, C. L. Heinbockel, N. A. Antipa, A. D. Conder
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 63 | Number 2 | March-April 2013 | Pages 169-176
Technical Paper | Selected papers from 20th Target Fabrication Meeting, May 20-24, 2012, Santa Fe, NM, Guest Editor: Robert C. Cook | doi.org/10.13182/FST13-TFM20-27
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Because isolated contaminants on an inertial confinement fusion (ICF) ablator capsule can lead to undesirable instabilities during implosion, it is critical to remove particles from the surface of plastic capsules prior to target assembly. Current National Ignition Facility (NIF) specifications require that the capsule surface contain no particles larger than 30 m3 . We have developed a solvent-based cleaning process in which a combination of wetting and hydrodynamic forces is used to dislodge, entrain, and remove particles from the surface of plastic NIF ICF ablators. The process was conceptualized by considering the adhesive force acting between particles and a surface, the hydrodynamic force acting on particles near a surface, and the effect of solvent on these forces. We also performed experiments that showed that, in addition to utilizing the appropriate solvent and hydrodynamic force, the dwell time and surface coverage of the impinging solvent stream govern particle removal efficiency. The results from this combined approach allowed us to develop the engineering and design parameters for a prototype automated cleaning station for NIF capsules. This station can remove particles at efficiencies high enough to meet ignition cleanliness requirements.
