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
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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
Jul 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2025
Nuclear Technology
August 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Deep Space: The new frontier of radiation controls
In commercial nuclear power, there has always been a deliberate tension between the regulator and the utility owner. The regulator fundamentally exists to protect the worker, and the utility, to make a profit. It is a win-win balance.
From the U.S. nuclear industry has emerged a brilliantly successful occupational nuclear safety record—largely the result of an ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) process that has driven exposure rates down to what only a decade ago would have been considered unthinkable. In the U.S. nuclear industry, the system has accomplished an excellent, nearly seamless process that succeeds to the benefit of both employee and utility owner.
James F. Stubbins
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 4 | Number 1 | July 1983 | Pages 102-119
Technical Paper | Icf chamber Engineering | doi.org/10.13182/FST83-A22779
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Thermionic power production is shown to be a viable technique for increasing dry-wall inertial confinement fusion (ICF) power output. Thermionic cells produce electricity directly in a topping cycle run off the high temperatures generated at the first vacuum wall by the absorption of fusion product x rays and charged particles. The high temperatures are used to heat the thermionic emitter, which is an integral part of the first wall The principal engineering consideration is the means of providing the emitter with a high steady-state operating temperature, while the reactor itself operates a pulsed mode with ICF events occurring at between 1 and 20/s. It is shown that several design variables, including materials selection, first-wall thickness, and target firing rate can be chosen to satisfy the emitter temperature requirements. Furthermore, heating requirements do not rely on neutron attenuation, so neutrons can be conserved to meet tritium breeding requirements in the blanket. Several other aspects of the thermionic system design and engineering are discussed. These are related to the current state of development of thermionic convertors, and to possible further advances in the technology.