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.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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
Dec 2025
Jul 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
December 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
November 2025
Latest News
INL makes first fuel for Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment
Idaho National Laboratory has announced the creation of the first batch of enriched uranium chloride fuel salt for the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE). INL said that its fuel production team delivered the first fuel salt batch at the end of September, and it intends to produce four additional batches by March 2026. MCRE will require a total of 72–75 batches of fuel salt for the reactor to go critical.
A. R. Raffray, M. A. Abdou, P. Chou, Z. Gorbis, M. Tillack, Y. Watanabe, A. Ying
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 15 | Number 2 | March 1989 | Pages 858-863
ITER Nuclear Design | doi.org/10.13182/FST89-A39801
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This paper summarizes the latest results of a design study of a helium-cooled solid breeder blanket for ITER. Attractive features of this design include the following : 1) There is a significant design margin since only part of the allowable solid breeder temperature window needs to be used. 2) There is an expanding data base available from solid breeder experiments carried out internationally. 3) The solid breeder can be designed to operate at high reactor-relevant temperature, while the helium is kept at moderate temperature and pressure for safety and reliability. In addition, since helium is a gas, it can be run so as to optimize the structure temperature and accommodate long term power variation without incurring any substantial pressure penalty. 4) The use of helium, an inert gas minimizing any chemical reaction and corrosion, in combination with a low activation solid breeder, is a safety advantage. An extensive list of the blanket operating parameters is provided and key factors are discussed.