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Division Spotlight
Thermal Hydraulics
The division provides a forum for focused technical dialogue on thermal hydraulic technology in the nuclear industry. Specifically, this will include heat transfer and fluid mechanics involved in the utilization of nuclear energy. It is intended to attract the highest quality of theoretical and experimental work to ANS, including research on basic phenomena and application to nuclear system design.
Meeting Spotlight
ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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
Garrish up for repeat term as DOE’s nuclear energy secretary
Theodore “Ted” Garrish—who has spent more than four decades working in nuclear—is President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as the Department of Energy’s assistant secretary for nuclear energy, or, NE-1.
The nomination was referred to the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on February 3. Garrish previously held the office from 1987 to 1989 under President Ronald Reagan. Most recently, Kathryn Huff held the NE-1 post, and Michael Goff has served as interim assistant secretary since Huff stepped down in May 2024.
Garrish’s most recent term in public office was as assistant secretary for the Office of International Affairs at the Energy Department, from 2018 to 2021, during Trump’s first term. Supporters say Garrish’s 40-plus years working in the nuclear industry and in nuclear energy oversight positions makes him more than qualified to serve in the DOE office again.
Vedant K. Mehta, Zachary A. Miller, Dasari V. Rao
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 197 | Number 8 | August 2023 | Pages 2161-2175
Technical papers from: PHYSOR 2022 | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2022.2164150
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Metal hydrides are being seriously considered for advanced nuclear reactor or microreactor applications due to their solid physical state and high hydrogen density. Using hydrides for autonomous applications poses several research and development challenges, one of which relates to neutron upscattering in the thermal energy regime. These hydrides, including zirconium hydride and yttrium hydride, result in a positive temperature coefficient of reactivity for several advanced reactor designs. In this study, we consider one such design that exhibits positive feedback from metal hydrides and thoroughly investigate the neutronic aspects of the core. Temperature reactivity coefficients for four fuels and two hydride moderator configurations are studied, and the total temperature coefficients are found to be positive for all designs, showing that this issue cannot be resolved simply by material variations. Accordingly, five epi-thermal absorbers were evaluated to demonstrate the feasibility of the excess positive feedback suppression in the core instigating from neutron energy spectrum shift. Following which, two promising burnable poison candidates are selected to investigate further throughout the core discharge. Promising results are shown for this core design, which can be extended to other hydride-moderated remote special-purpose reactor designs.