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.
M. Z. Youssef, M. A. Abdou
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 9 | Number 2 | March 1986 | Pages 286-307
Technical Paper | Tritium System | doi.org/10.13182/FST86-A24716
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Estimates of the uncertainty ΔD in predicting the achievable tritium breeding ratio (TBR) due to the uncertainties in nuclear data base are presented for several fusion blanket concepts. Specifically, the impact of the current uncertainties in measuring basic nuclear data on the calculated TBR is analyzed and discussed for four leading blanket designs that utilize different breeding materials, namely, Li2O, 17Li-83Pb, LiAlO2, and Flibe. The impact on the TBR values of various evaluations for beryllium, which is employed as a multiplier in the latter two blankets, has been studied. Estimates for ΔD in other blanket concepts have also been assessed. Moreover, estimates have been made, based on previous studies, for the contribution to ΔD introduced by using neutron cross-section libraries that have different group structure and weighting spectra. Based on statistically incorporating the present cross-section uncertainties and their correlation in the analysis, the range of the uncertainty in TBR was found to be between 2 and 6% in all the concepts considered. The nonstatistical treatment for cross-section errors tends to give larger values for ΔD. The uncertainty in TBR introduced by misrepresenting the secondary energy-angle distribution of the 9Be(n,2n′) cross section ranges from ∼4% in the Flibe to ∼2% in the LiAlO2 blanket. Uncertainty up to ∼15% can be encountered in the TBR evaluation in thin blankets with natural 6Li enrichment if broad-group cross-section libraries are used. However, this uncertainty can be reduced upon using an appropriate weighting spectrum representative of the one found in these blankets type.