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Nuclear Criticality Safety
NCSD provides communication among nuclear criticality safety professionals through the development of standards, the evolution of training methods and materials, the presentation of technical data and procedures, and the creation of specialty publications. In these ways, the division furthers the exchange of technical information on nuclear criticality safety with the ultimate goal of promoting the safe handling of fissionable materials outside reactors.
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2025 ANS Annual Conference
June 15–18, 2025
Chicago, IL|Chicago Marriott Downtown
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!
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Latest News
Countering the nuclear workforce shortage narrative
James Chamberlain, director of the Nuclear, Utilities, and Energy Sector at Rullion, has declared that the nuclear industry will not have workforce challenges going forward. “It’s time to challenge the scarcity narrative,” he wrote in a recent online article. “Nuclear isn't short of talent; it’s short of imagination in how it attracts, trains, and supports the workforce of the future.”
D. D. Ebert, W. B. Terney, E. A. Williamson, Jr., N. R. Gomm
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 69 | Number 3 | March 1979 | Pages 398-410
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE79-A19958
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A method for developing maneuvering control strategies using optimal control theory is presented. A computer code, OPXENON, based on Pontryagin's Principle, has been written, tested, and applied to maneuvering control problems. It uses modified one-group diffusion theory with Doppler and moderator feedback, and is able to handle up to 20 mesh points in one dimension and 100 time steps. The neutronics have been verified by comparison with standard maneuvering codes, and the Euler-Lagrange solution has been verified by comparison to known optimization results. Convergence to the optimal or near-optimal control is obtained within a few iterations. The code is particularly useful when there are several conflicting performance criteria. It has been applied to the problem of minimizing the boron interchange during a pressurized water reactor maneuver while maintaining acceptable shapes.
