ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
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Division Spotlight
Operations & Power
Members focus on the dissemination of knowledge and information in the area of power reactors with particular application to the production of electric power and process heat. The division sponsors meetings on the coverage of applied nuclear science and engineering as related to power plants, non-power reactors, and other nuclear facilities. It encourages and assists with the dissemination of knowledge pertinent to the safe and efficient operation of nuclear facilities through professional staff development, information exchange, and supporting the generation of viable solutions to current issues.
Meeting Spotlight
2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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
WIPP improves utility shaft safety, begins infrastructure project
Harrison Western Shaft Sinkers (HWSS), the company drilling a new utility shaft at the Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico, has retained a safety culture expert following a near-miss accident in the shaft late last year. The safety expert will conduct monthly facilitated discussions with crews working on the shaft to reinforce expectations for identifying concerns regarding unsafe circumstances, according to a recent report by the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB).
Rene Sanchez, John Bounds, David Hayes, Travis Grove, Fredrik Tovesson
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 162 | Number 3 | July 2009 | Pages 253-260
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE162-253
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The diffusion processes of neutrons in Lucite have been investigated. The mechanisms for these processes have been described as having two steps. In the first step, the fast neutrons collide with the nuclei of Lucite, losing energy until they reach thermal energies. In the second step of the diffusion process, the thermal neutrons continue to diffuse through the Lucite without any significant loss of energy until they are finally absorbed or leak out of the system. Experiments were performed to study these two processes and to estimate the absorption cross section in Lucite. The experiments yielded an average range of 6.3 ± 0.1 cm for fast neutrons slowing down to thermal energies and a thermal absorption cross section in Lucite of 0.52 ± 0.02 b.