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 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
August 2026
Nuclear Technology
July 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
The deadline arrives: Checking in on the Reactor Pilot Program
On May 23, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14301, “Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the DOE,” which instructed the Department of Energy to create a Reactor Pilot Program (RPP)—a new system in which companies could pursue DOE authorization to build and test their first-of-a-kind nuclear technologies. EO 14301 set an ambitious goal for that program: three reactors achieving criticality by July 4, 2026.
E. S. Bettis, W. B. Cottrell, E. R. Mann, J. L. Meem, G. D. Whitman
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 2 | Number 6 | November 1957 | Pages 841-853
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE57-A35497
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The ARE was operated successfully in November, 1954, at various power levels up to 2.5 Mw. The maximum steady-state fuel temperature was 1580°F, and there was a differential temperature between the inlet and outlet in the NaF-ZrF4-UF4 fuel of 355°F. The fuel system was in operation for 241 hr before the reactor first became critical and the nuclear operation extended over a period of 221 hr. The final 74 hr of operation were in the megawatt range and resulted in the production of 96-Mwhr of nuclear energy. Effects of various transient conditions on reactor operation were determined.