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Fusion Energy
This division promotes the development and timely introduction of fusion energy as a sustainable energy source with favorable economic, environmental, and safety attributes. The division cooperates with other organizations on common issues of multidisciplinary fusion science and technology, conducts professional meetings, and disseminates technical information in support of these goals. Members focus on the assessment and resolution of critical developmental issues for practical fusion energy applications.
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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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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
Don O. Coffin
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 14 | Number 2 | September 1988 | Pages 893-898
Containment, Control, and Maintenance of Tritium System | doi.org/10.13182/FST88-A25248
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Tritium Systems Test Assembly (TSTA) has been operating for 4 years with tritium inventories of up to a million Ci and a cumulative (circulated) throughput of over 10 billion Ci to date. During the operational life of the facility 40,000 Ci of HTO waste have been intercepted by the tritium waste treatment system. Stack releases for the 4-year period have totaled < 40 Ci, and exposure to operating personnel has been < 3 mREM/person/yr. This excellect record is due in large part to high priorities placed on tritium-safe design concepts, but real-time computer diagnostics have been equally important in enabling us to anticipate and prevent potential releases of tritium.This work is supported by the US Department of Energy, Office of Fusion Energy.
