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.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Feb 2026
Jul 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
March 2026
Nuclear Technology
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
January 2026
Latest News
Fusion energy: Progress, partnerships, and the path to deployment
Over the past decade, fusion energy has moved decisively from scientific aspiration toward a credible pathway to a new energy technology. Thanks to long-term federal support, we have significantly advanced our fundamental understanding of plasma physics—the behavior of the superheated gases at the heart of fusion devices. This knowledge will enable the creation and control of fusion fuel under conditions required for future power plants. Our progress is exemplified by breakthroughs at the National Ignition Facility and the Joint European Torus.
A. Jerry Scott, Daniel E. Wessol, Jerry L. Judd
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 3 | Number 1 | January 1983 | Pages 129-136
Technical Paper | Blanket Engineering | doi.org/10.13182/FST83-A20823
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The neutronic feasibility of testing fusing firstwall/blanket systems in a fission reactor is investigated. Heating rates resulting from a 14-MeV fusion source are calculated with one-dimensional transport theory for two tokamak blanket designs and compared with heating rates computed for the same blankets in the Engineering Test Reactor (ETR). The designs studied are a gas-cooled, liquid-lithium blanket with no neutron multiplier and a water-cooled, solid lithium-aluminate blanket with a beryllium multiplier. Based on these preliminary results, it is concluded that bulk heating rate profiles expected in tokamak reactor blankets can be simulated quite well in large (65- × 76- × 91-cm) blanket experiment modules placed on one side of the ETR core. Heating rates corresponding to tokamak wall loadings of 1 MW/m2 can be achieved, and the level varied to simulate the cyclic operation typical of tokamaks.