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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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Latest News
NRC issues Palisades’ final environmental assessment of no significant findings
The Palisades nulear power plant received a final “clean bill” of environmental assessment impact from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission today.
The NRC’s staff EA and conclusion of no significant environmental impact for the Covert, Mich., plant, which plans to restart after operations were halted three years ago this month due to economic hardships in the energy market.
W. M. Stagey, B. L. Pilger, J. A. Mowrey, D. G. Norris, M. Dietsghe, E. A. Hoffman, B. A. Abighedid, A. W. Anthony, M. S. Ayres, T. P. Belflower, J. D. Bohner, S. F. Gaputlu, H. M. Goward, H. M. Diller, J. A. Favorite, P. T. Feir, J. S. Gustafson, N. L. Jenkins, T. L. Johnston, J. L. Martin, C. H. Nahass, D. M. Nichter, D. F. Parker, R. A. Sidwell, A. L. Turner, J. D. Wartell
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 27 | Number 3 | May 1995 | Pages 326-347
Technical Paper | Fusion Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/FST95-A30394
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
It is suggested that weapons-grade plutonium could be processed through a transmutation facility to build up sufficient actinide and fission product inventories to serve as a deterrent to diversion or theft during subsequent storage, pending eventual use as fuel in commercial nuclear reactors. A transmutation facility consisting of a tokamak fusion neutron source surrounded by fuel assemblies containing the weapons-grade plutonium in the form of PuO2 pebbles in a lithium slurry is investigated. A design concept/operation scenario is developed for a facility that would be able to transmute the world's estimated surplus inventory of weapons-grade plutonium to 11% 240Pu concentration in ∼25 yr. The fusion neutron source would be based on plasma physics and plasma support technology being qualified in ongoing research and development (R&D) programs, and the plutonium fuel would be based on existing technology. A new R&D program would be required to qualify a refractory metal alloy structural material that would be needed to handle the high heat fluxes; otherwise, extensions of existing technologies and acceleration of existing R&D programs would seem to be adequate to qualify all required technologies. Such a facility might feasibly be deployed in 20 to 30 yr, or sooner with a crash program.