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Division Spotlight
Operations & Power
Members focus on the dissemination of knowledge and information in the area of power reactors with particular application to the production of electric power and process heat. The division sponsors meetings on the coverage of applied nuclear science and engineering as related to power plants, non-power reactors, and other nuclear facilities. It encourages and assists with the dissemination of knowledge pertinent to the safe and efficient operation of nuclear facilities through professional staff development, information exchange, and supporting the generation of viable solutions to current issues.
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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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.
I. N. Sviatoslavsky, M. E. Sawan, R. R. Peterson, G. L. Kulcinski, J. J. MacFarlane, L. J. Wittenberg, H. Y. Khater, E. A. Mogahed, S. C. Rutledge, Sunil Ghose, Robert Bourque
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 21 | Number 3 | May 1992 | Pages 1470-1474
Inertial Fusion Reactor Studies | doi.org/10.13182/FST92-A29928
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The SOMBRERO inertial fusion reactor conceptual design study is of a 1000 MWe KrF laser driven near symmetric illumination system which utilizes a Li2O solid breeder moving bed in a blanket made entirely of low activation carbon/carbon composite material. The Li2O particles flow through the various parts of the blanket under gravity, then are transported through an intermediate heat exchanger and around the loop in a fluidized state by helium gas at 0.2 MPa. Liquid lead is used in the intermediate loop, going to a steam generator and a double reheat steam power cycle. There are 60 beams in the near symmetric illumination configuration. The laser energy is 3.4 MJ, the target gain 118 and the rep-rate 6.7 Hz. At the mid-plane, the blanket thickness is 1 m giving a tritium breeding ratio of 1.25 and an overall energy multiplication of 1.08. The first wall is at 6.5 m radius and is protected from x-rays and ions by 0.5 torr of Xe gas. Grazing incidence metallic mirrors are located at a distance of 30 m and dielectric final focusing mirrors at 50 m from the target Source neutrons are directed into neutron traps located in line with the grazing incidence mirrors. The final focusing mirrors which are out of line of sight of source neutron are subjected to low energy scattered neutrons only and can survive the 30 full power year reactor lifetime. The Li2O particles enter the chamber at 550°C and exit at an average temperature of 740°C, giving a power cycle efficiency of 47%. The gross power output is 1360 MW and for a 7% laser efficiency, the driver power is 325 MWe, with the remaining 35 MWe used for auxiliary equipment. The chamber and shield qualify for near surface burial as Class A waste while the Li2O breeder, as Class C waste.
