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
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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
Jul 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
August 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
July 2025
Latest News
DOE issues new NEPA rule and procedures—and accelerates DOME reactor testing
Meeting a deadline set in President Trump’s May 23 executive order “Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the Department of Energy,” the DOE on June 30 updated information on its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) rulemaking and implementation procedures and published on its website an interim final rule that rescinds existing regulations alongside new implementing procedures.
S. Segantin, R. Testoni, Z. Hartwig, D. Whyte, M. Zucchetti
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 76 | Number 1 | January 2020 | Pages 45-52
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2019.1629252
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Progress in technological fields such as high-temperature superconductors, additive manufacturing, and innovative materials has led to new scenarios and to a second generation of fusion reactor designs. The new Affordable Robust Compact (ARC) fusion reactor, which compared to other designs meets its goal to achieve fusion energy in a less expensive, smaller but even more powerful, faster way, has been designed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In order to define ARC’s role in future electricity grids, a feasibility investigation of the load-following concept has been carried out, starting on ARC’s vacuum vessel (VV), which is the component closest to the plasma. Finite element analysis models have been designed, and thermomechanical analyses have been conducted. In this framework thermal fatigue and creep remain the main issues. This study identifies and verifies a suitable temperature range for the VV coolant. Indeed, it is found to satisfy both requirements for the lifetime of the structural material and thermodynamic efficiency optimization.