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.
Division Spotlight
Education, Training & Workforce Development
The Education, Training & Workforce Development Division provides communication among the academic, industrial, and governmental communities through the exchange of views and information on matters related to education, training and workforce development in nuclear and radiological science, engineering, and technology. Industry leaders, education and training professionals, and interested students work together through Society-sponsored meetings and publications, to enrich their professional development, to educate the general public, and to advance nuclear and radiological science and engineering.
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
Apr 2024
Jan 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
May 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Geological work begins on Poland’s first nuclear plant
Project management firm Bechtel started site geological surveys for Poland’s first nuclear power plant project, the company announced on Wednesday.
Bechtel will conduct in-depth geological surveys at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in the Pomeranian municipality of Choczewo, in northern Poland. This is a key milestone for the country’s entry into nuclear power production, as the surveys will inform the suitability of the planned site.
Gregory A. Johnson
Nuclear Technology | Volume 175 | Number 2 | August 2011 | Pages 371-387
Technical Paper | Fission Reactors | doi.org/10.13182/NT11-A12310
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A study was performed to examine power conversion system (PCS) options for the next generation nuclear plant, a very high temperature gas-cooled reactor. The purpose of the study was to provide insight into which PCS should be used and how should it be coupled to the reactor: direct or indirect. Seven PCSs were examined: direct helium Brayton, indirect helium Brayton, supercritical CO2 (SCCO2), cascaded SCCO2, combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT), subcritical steam-Rankine, and supercritical steam-Rankine with double reheat. The results of the study show that the SCCO2 cycles are very promising and warrant further development, but the relative immaturity precludes it as a short-term option. Further, the results show a relative unattractiveness of the Brayton cycles when compared to the SCCO2 cycles. The best short-term options were the steam-Rankine cycles. The supercritical steam-Rankine cycle gave the best performance of the two. The CCGT was the most costly and provided little performance advantage over the supercritical steam-Rankine cycle. Issues associated with closed-loop operation, high-temperature compressor inlet temperature, and potential nitriding from the He/N2 working fluid cast uncertainty on the maturity of this cycle.