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
Nuclear Installations Safety
Devoted specifically to the safety of nuclear installations and the health and safety of the public, this division seeks a better understanding of the role of safety in the design, construction and operation of nuclear installation facilities. The division also promotes engineering and scientific technology advancement associated with the safety of such facilities.
Meeting Spotlight
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025)
February 3–6, 2025
Amelia Island, FL|Omni Amelia Island Resort
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
Jan 2025
Jul 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
February 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
How to talk about nuclear
In your career as a professional in the nuclear community, chances are you will, at some point, be asked (or volunteer) to talk to at least one layperson about the technology you know and love. You might even be asked to present to a whole group of nonnuclear folks, perhaps as a pitch to some company tangential to your company’s business. So, without further ado, let me give you some pointers on the best way to approach this important and surprisingly complicated task.
Marius Zamfirache, Liviu Stefan, Anisia Bornea, Ioan Stefanescu
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 67 | Number 3 | April 2015 | Pages 677-680
Proceedings of TRITIUM 2013 | doi.org/10.13182/FST14-T108
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
ICSI Rm. Valcea has developed an experimental pilot-scale installation for tritium and deuterium separation. The main objective of this pilot was to demonstrate the water detritiation technology and further to transfer this technology to CANDU nuclear power plant from CNE Cernavoda, in whose development program there is the achieving of a Tritium Removal Facility (since 2004).
The installation design was initiated in 1992, and in 1997 its construction was completed. Design and construction of this installation was performed similarly with chemical plants, specifically for hydrogen. Separation of isotopes was addressed in the first phase only regarding hydrogen and deuterium. In the next stage we started to transform it in a nuclear plant for processing tritium. Moving to tritium separation imposed the technological change of cryogenic distillation module aiming the tritium extraction at high concentrations.
Changes have been made with great efforts and consisted mainly of: redesign of the technological systems for nuclear material processing, applying specific codes and standards (ASME, Romanian nuclear specific pressure boundary prescriptions for code classification); design and implementation of new systems, classified as safety systems; redesign and implementation of command and control systems, complying with the requirements of reliability and maintenance required for the project promoted; revaluation of auxiliary systems (utilities, power supply, including UPS); introducing radiation protection systems, including secondary barriers; implementing and maintaining environment operational program specific to the new nuclear plant; developing and conducting safety analyzes; development of specific documentation to obtain the necessary permits for construction, commissioning and operation of the plant.
This paper presents the implications of moving from a chemical plant towards a nuclear installation applying codes and standards specifically to nuclear field. It is a lesson for those who approaches their research in this regard.
