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Division Spotlight
Young Members Group
The Young Members Group works to encourage and enable all young professional members to be actively involved in the efforts and endeavors of the Society at all levels (Professional Divisions, ANS Governance, Local Sections, etc.) as they transition from the role of a student to the role of a professional. It sponsors non-technical workshops and meetings that provide professional development and networking opportunities for young professionals, collaborates with other Divisions and Groups in developing technical and non-technical content for topical and national meetings, encourages its members to participate in the activities of the Groups and Divisions that are closely related to their professional interests as well as in their local sections, introduces young members to the rules and governance structure of the Society, and nominates young professionals for awards and leadership opportunities available to members.
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
IAEA calls for action following drone attacks at Ukraine nuclear plant
A recent drone attack at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant prompted an emergency meeting by the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors, during which the agency again called for the immediate removal of Russian military and personnel from the site.
Thomas R. Boyle, Robert V. Tompson, Sudarshan K. Loyalka, Tushar K. Ghosh, Michael L. Reinig, Jr.
Nuclear Technology | Volume 183 | Number 2 | August 2013 | Pages 149-159
Technical Paper | Fission Reactors/Materials for Nuclear Systems | doi.org/10.13182/NT13-A18108
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Very high temperature reactors (VHTRs) and high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) can develop extreme temperatures in excess of 900°C that make them theoretically very efficient, potentially in the range of 45% to 50%. The high temperatures, however, can also lead to a corresponding increase in fission product transport out of the fuel, which is potentially a source term-related safety issue. The aim of this work was to develop a repeatable, accurate, and cost-effective process to measure the diffusion coefficients of fission products in graphitic VHTR materials, particularly those materials used in the fabrication of TRISO [tristructural isotropic] fuel pellets. Specifically, this work has focused on the diffusion of silver in graphite. We constructed graphite cells that could be filled with a silver diffusant in the form of silver flakes, silver powder, or a preloaded, silver-laden graphite powder. The cells were hermetically sealed and heated to temperatures comparable to those that will be found in VHTRs. After being kept at various amounts of time and temperature, these cells were imaged using microtomography and electron microscopy. Concentration profiles were measured by sectioning the heat-treated cells and analyzing them using neutron activation analysis. Estimated diffusion coefficients for silver in a commercial grade of graphite are reported, but the method is easily adapted to any grade of graphite material including nuclear grades and to a variety of other fission product species.