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Division Spotlight
Thermal Hydraulics
The division provides a forum for focused technical dialogue on thermal hydraulic technology in the nuclear industry. Specifically, this will include heat transfer and fluid mechanics involved in the utilization of nuclear energy. It is intended to attract the highest quality of theoretical and experimental work to ANS, including research on basic phenomena and application to nuclear system design.
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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
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Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
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.
Sunil K. Ghose, Leonard M. Goldman, Kim D. Auclair
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 21 | Number 3 | May 1992 | Pages 1501-1505
Inertial Fusion Reactor Studies | doi.org/10.13182/FST92-A29932
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Balance-of-plant design aspects of two inertial fusion energy (IFE) reactor concepts - the laser-driven SOMBRERO and the heavy ion beam (HIB) driven OSIRIS - are being evaluated at a preconceptual level. The net electrical output of both plants is selected as 1,000 MWe (reference case). The economics of higher and lower capacities are also being evaluated. The heat transport system for both the reactors utilizes an intermediate loop with liquid lead as the intermediate coolant. An intermediate loop is chosen to reduce the potential of tritium migration to the environment. Both reactors utilize a supercritical pressure steam power conversion system with double reheat to achieve high conversion efficiency; a high efficiency is critical due to the capital-intensive nature of the plants and the low efficiencies of the laser and HIB drivers. The SOMBRERO plant facility is characterized by a large reactor building dictated by the laser optics configuration requirements. The plant also includes two moderate-size laser buildings. The OSIRIS plant facility is characterized by a moderate size reactor building, whose size is dictated by the remote maintenance requirements. In addition, a five-kilometer-long HIB tunnel is a unique feature of this plant. A remote maintenance approach is proposed for each of the reactors consistent with state-of-the-art methods and tools.