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
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.
Meeting Spotlight
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2023)
February 6–9, 2023
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
Feb 2023
Jul 2022
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
February 2023
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
A review of workforce trends in the nuclear community
The nuclear community is undergoing a moment of unprecedented interest and growth not seen in decades. The passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act are providing a multitude of new funding opportunities for the nuclear community, and not just the current fleet. A mix of technologies and reactor types are being evaluated and deployed, with Vogtle Units 3 and 4 coming on line later this year, the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Projects of X-energy and TerraPower, and NuScale’s work with Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems to build a first-of-a-kind small modular reactor, making this is an exciting time to join the nuclear workforce.
M. S. Vorenkamp, A. Nagy, A. Bortolon, R. Lunsford, R. Maingi, D. K. Mansfield, A. L. Roquemore
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 72 | Number 3 | October 2017 | Pages 488-495
Technical Note | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2017.1335144
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An impurity granule injector on the DIII-D tokamak (IGI) injects granules into the plasma to trigger Edge Localized Modes (ELMs). Impurities, such as lithium, carbon, and boron, are used. The IGI drops granules (0.3–1.0 mm diameter) from a four chamber segmented storage hopper into a down-tube. The downtube guides the granules into a spinning impeller, rotating at a maximum frequency of 170 hz. The granules’ collisions with the impeller propel the granules (maximum velocity 120 m/s) through a drift tube, through an open torus interface valve shield, and into the plasma. This device underwent substantial upgrades to improve its functionality, to minimize the device footprint, and to automate post injection analysis. Upgrades include: (1) a drop-tube positioner to account for impeller/granule collision trajectories; (2) a granule drop monitor using an LED and a photodetector in the drop-tube; (3) a photodiode based granule ablation monitor; (4) DC isolation from the DIII-D vacuum vessel; and (5) an electric motor impeller drive with an integrated rotational speed sensor. These modifications improved the operability and efficiency of the IGI, leading to the successful triggering of ELMs using gasless impurity injection. These recent upgrades are discussed in detail.
