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Isotopes & Radiation
Members are devoted to applying nuclear science and engineering technologies involving isotopes, radiation applications, and associated equipment in scientific research, development, and industrial processes. Their interests lie primarily in education, industrial uses, biology, medicine, and health physics. Division committees include Analytical Applications of Isotopes and Radiation, Biology and Medicine, Radiation Applications, Radiation Sources and Detection, and Thermal Power Sources.
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2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Glass strategy: Hanford’s enhanced waste glass program
The mission of the Department of Energy’s Office of River Protection (ORP) is to complete the safe cleanup of waste resulting from decades of nuclear weapons development. One of the most technologically challenging responsibilities is the safe disposition of approximately 56 million gallons of radioactive waste historically stored in 177 tanks at the Hanford Site in Washington state.
ORP has a clear incentive to reduce the overall mission duration and cost. One pathway is to develop and deploy innovative technical solutions that can advance baseline flow sheets toward higher efficiency operations while reducing identified risks without compromising safety. Vitrification is the baseline process that will convert both high-level and low-level radioactive waste at Hanford into a stable glass waste form for long-term storage and disposal.
Although vitrification is a mature technology, there are key areas where technology can further reduce operational risks, advance baseline processes to maximize waste throughput, and provide the underpinning to enhance operational flexibility; all steps in reducing mission duration and cost.
A. R. Raffray, F. Escourbiac, F. J. Fuentes, L. Giancarli, B. Macklin, A. Martin, M. Merola, R. Mitteau, J. Palmer
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 68 | Number 3 | October 2015 | Pages 465-476
Technical Paper | Proceedings of TOFE-2014 | doi.org/10.13182/FST14-945
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The overall programmatic objective of ITER is to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion energy for peaceful purposes. The physics part of this objective (including burning plasma, Q of at least 10 and stationary conditions) seems to be well appreciated by the scientific community internationally. However, there seems to be less of an emphasis on the fusion technology part of the objective, which includes demonstrating the availability and integration of technologies essential for a fusion reactor and testing components including tritium breeding blanket modules for a future reactor. In fact important technology information will be obtained from the design, fabrication and operation of the vacuum vessel and out-of-vessel systems such as magnets, tritium system, cryogenic systems, cooling water systems, and associated safety aspects. In addition, DEMO-relevant information will be obtained from the operation of breeding blanket test modules in ITER. Moreover valuable information applicable to DEMO and beyond will also be obtained in a number of areas linked to in-vessel components. This paper summarizes the DEMO-relevant fusion technology information that will be obtained from ITER with a major focus on the areas linked to in-vessel components.