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
ACRS seeking new committee member
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) is currently seeking qualified candidates to fill an open committee member position. Applications for the position will be accepted until July 30. The ACRS is the world’s oldest organization devoted to reactor safety, and the group reports directly to the NRC’s commissioners in order to provide independent technical reviews of and advice on a wide variety of nuclear topics.
D. R. Marr, D. A. Cantley, J. C. Chandler, D. C. McCurry, R. P. Omberg
Nuclear Technology | Volume 42 | Number 2 | February 1979 | Pages 133-143
Technical Paper | Thorium Fuel Cycle in a Breeder Economy / Fuel Cycle | doi.org/10.13182/NT79-A32143
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Three studies were performed to evaluate the breeding ratio of fast breeders containing thorium. In a study of a small breeder, thorium metal and thorium oxide core designs were found to have similar breeding ratios. The slight advantage exhibited by the metal design was not considered significant, since the design was based on a limited amount of thorium metal swelling data. In a study of a 1200-MW(electric) plant, a plutonium-uranium oxide design was compared to a uranium-thorium metal design. The uranium-thorium design had a lower breeding ratio but also had a negative sodium void effect. In the third study, the effect of replacing thorium oxide radial blankets with thorium metal radial blankets was evaluated. This was found to have little effect on the breeding ratio.