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
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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
Jul 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2025
Nuclear Technology
August 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Deep Space: The new frontier of radiation controls
In commercial nuclear power, there has always been a deliberate tension between the regulator and the utility owner. The regulator fundamentally exists to protect the worker, and the utility, to make a profit. It is a win-win balance.
From the U.S. nuclear industry has emerged a brilliantly successful occupational nuclear safety record—largely the result of an ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) process that has driven exposure rates down to what only a decade ago would have been considered unthinkable. In the U.S. nuclear industry, the system has accomplished an excellent, nearly seamless process that succeeds to the benefit of both employee and utility owner.
R. W. Ostensen, W. F. Murphy, B. J. Wrona, L. W. Deitrich, J. C. Florek
Nuclear Technology | Volume 36 | Number 2 | December 1977 | Pages 200-214
Technical Paper | International Safeguard / Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT77-A31927
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In a transient-undercooling accident in a liquid-metal fast breeder reactor with a small sodium void coefficient, steel cladding melts prior to disruption of the oxide fuel pellets. If molten steel could wet the fuel and penetrate into the interior of the fuel pin through the surface cracks, steel vapor pressure could cause an early breakup and possibly a dispersal of the fuel. The wetting and capillary properties of molten steel in contact with solid oxide fuel have been examined. Based on available indirect in-pile and out-of-pile experimental results, the known surface properties of steel and UO2, the behavior of similar materials, and direct experiments on steel-UO2 wetting properties, it is concluded that in an accident situation, molten Type 316 stainless steel will not wet oxide fuel at temperatures below the point of disruption of the fuel. Steel intrusions in the fuel will have no significant impact on the accident sequence.
