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Division Spotlight
Operations & Power
Members focus on the dissemination of knowledge and information in the area of power reactors with particular application to the production of electric power and process heat. The division sponsors meetings on the coverage of applied nuclear science and engineering as related to power plants, non-power reactors, and other nuclear facilities. It encourages and assists with the dissemination of knowledge pertinent to the safe and efficient operation of nuclear facilities through professional staff development, information exchange, and supporting the generation of viable solutions to current issues.
Meeting Spotlight
2023 ANS Winter Conference and Expo
November 12–15, 2023
Washington, D.C.|Washington Hilton
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
Sep 2023
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
October 2023
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Standard on fixed neutron absorbers in nuclear facilities outside reactors just issued (ANS-8.21)
ANSI/ANS-8.21-2023, Use of Fixed Neutron Absorbers in Nuclear Facilities Outside Reactors, has just been issued by the American Nuclear Society Standards Committee. The standard was approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) on June 20, 2023, as a revision and consolidation of ANS-8.21-1995 (R2019) (withdrawn) (same title) and ANS-8.5-1996 (R2022) (withdrawn), Use of Borosilicate-Glass Raschig Rings as a Neutron Absorber in Solutions of Fissile Material. ANSI/ANS-8.21-2023 provides guidance for the use of neutron absorbers, including Raschig rings, as an integral part of nuclear facilities equipment, fissile material, or fuel components outside reactors, where such absorbers are credited to provide criticality safety control.
Matt K. Michalak, Aaron N. Fancher, Gerald L. Kulcinski, John F. Santarius
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 72 | Number 3 | October 2017 | Pages 449-454
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2017.1330609
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison inertial electrostatic confinement fusion device HOMER was used to perform current scans at low and moderate pressures, 0.3 and 1.0 mTorr of deuterium, in which the cathode voltage, current, and pressure were carefully controlled. The data was taken in short intervals to avoid the degrading effect of chamber heating on the fusion rate. Low pressure operation should harden the deuterium energy spectrum, but the low pressure also reduces target density. The results showed the fusion rates for 0.3 mTorr are about half that at 1 mTorr. Also, the 6 low pressure current scans had confirmed the approximately linear neutron production rates with respect to current. All 6 of the 1 mTorr current scans showed trends of slightly above linear neutron rates. Also, a new IEC steady state D-D neutron production record of 2.5 × 108 n/s was set at 150 kV, 100 mA, and 1.0 mTorr.
