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 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Feb 2026
Jul 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
March 2026
Nuclear Technology
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
January 2026
Latest News
Fusion energy: Progress, partnerships, and the path to deployment
Over the past decade, fusion energy has moved decisively from scientific aspiration toward a credible pathway to a new energy technology. Thanks to long-term federal support, we have significantly advanced our fundamental understanding of plasma physics—the behavior of the superheated gases at the heart of fusion devices. This knowledge will enable the creation and control of fusion fuel under conditions required for future power plants. Our progress is exemplified by breakthroughs at the National Ignition Facility and the Joint European Torus.
B. F. Picologlou, C. B. Reed, T. Q. Hua, L. Barleon, H. Kreuzinger, J. S. Walker
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 15 | Number 2 | March 1989 | Pages 1180-1185
Blanket Liquid Metal MHD | doi.org/10.13182/FST89-A39853
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Results of experiments on the concept of flow tailoring, the use of salient features of MHD flows in strong magnetic fields to create desirable velocity profiles in the coolant ducts of the first wall and the blanket, are reported. Proof-of-principle testing of flow tailoring has been chosen as the first joint activity on liquid metal MHD between Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe (KfK) because flow tailoring offers the possibility of significant improvement in blanket design and performance. The joint tests are conducted at ANL's ALEX facility on a test article fabricated at KfK. A 3-D MHD thermal hydraulic code developed at ANL is used to demonstrate the increased thermal performance of first wall coolant channels with flow tailoring. Sample results of detailed measurements of velocity and voltage distributions are compared to theoretical predictions provided by analytical tools developed at ANL with the collaboration of the University of Illinois.