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
September 2026
Nuclear Technology
August 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
The human factor in licensing and operating the next generation of nuclear plants
As human factors specialists working at the intersection of human performance and nuclear operations, we are witnessing one of the nuclear sector’s most significant transitions in decades. The emergence of small modular reactors, microreactors, and other advanced designs is reshaping the industry’s landscape. Digital instrumentation and controls, passive safety systems, and increased automation are creating opportunities for greater safety margins and more flexible operation. These same features also fundamentally redefine what it means to “operate” a nuclear plant. Interactions among human roles, automation, and passive systems shape how people maintain awareness, exercise judgment, and intervene when necessary. These developments affect both operational realities and the regulatory foundations on which nuclear safety is built.
Tae-Sic Yoo, Steven M. Frank, Michael F. Simpson, Paula A. Hahn, Terry J. Battisti, Supathorn Phongikaroon
Nuclear Technology | Volume 171 | Number 3 | September 2010 | Pages 306-315
Technical Paper | Pyro 08 Special / Reprocessing | doi.org/10.13182/NT10-A10866
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This paper presents results of experiments and modeling for ion exchange of LiCl-KCl-based molten salts with zeolite-A. The experiments examined the equilibrium distributions of various nuclear fuel fission products between the molten salt and zeolite phases. In addition to data that were collected in previous studies, new experiments were run using ternary salts (LiCl-KCl-YCl3, LiCl-KCl-LaCl3, and LiCl-KCl-PrCl3) and quaternary salts (LiCl-KCl-CsCl-NdCl3 and LiCl-KCl-CsCl-SrCl2). All contacting experiments were conducted at 500°C with a salt-zeolite contacting period of 24 h to allow for equilibrium to be reached. The developed equilibrium model assumes that there are ion-exchange and occlusion sites, both of which are in equilibrium with the molten salt phase. A systematic approach in estimating the total occlusion capacity of the zeolite-A was developed. The parameters of the model, including the total occlusion capacity of the zeolite-A, were determined from fitting the entire set of experimental data available between previous studies and the current one. Experiments involving ternary salts were used to estimate the parameters of the model, while those involving quaternary salts were used to validate the model.