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.
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
International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M&C 2025)
April 27–30, 2025
Denver, CO|The Westin Denver 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
June 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
May 2025
Latest News
Argonne’s METL gears up to test more sodium fast reactor components
Argonne National Laboratory has successfully swapped out an aging cold trap in the sodium test loop called METL (Mechanisms Engineering Test Loop), the Department of Energy announced April 23. The upgrade is the first of its kind in the United States in more than 30 years, according to the DOE, and will help test components and operations for the sodium-cooled fast reactors being developed now.
P.L. Goranson
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 21 | Number 3 | May 1992 | Pages 2041-2045
Safety, Recycling, and Waste Management | doi.org/10.13182/FST92-A30021
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The consequences of H2/hydrocarbon detonations in the vacuum vessel (torus) of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) have been studied. The most likely scenario for such a detonation involves a water leak into the torus and a vent of the torus to atmosphere, permitting the formation of an explosive fuel-air mixture. The generation of fuel gases and possible sources of air or oxygen are reviewed, and the severity and effects of specific fuel-air mixture explosions are evaluated. Detonation or deflagration of an explosive mixture could result in pressures exceeding the maximum allowable torus pressure. Further studies to examine the design details and develop an event-tree study of events following a gas detonation are recommended.