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Division Spotlight
Fusion Energy
This division promotes the development and timely introduction of fusion energy as a sustainable energy source with favorable economic, environmental, and safety attributes. The division cooperates with other organizations on common issues of multidisciplinary fusion science and technology, conducts professional meetings, and disseminates technical information in support of these goals. Members focus on the assessment and resolution of critical developmental issues for practical fusion energy applications.
Meeting Spotlight
International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M&C 2025)
April 27–30, 2025
Denver, CO|The Westin Denver Downtown
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
Argonne’s METL gears up to test more sodium fast reactor components
Argonne National Laboratory has successfully swapped out an aging cold trap in the sodium test loop called METL (Mechanisms Engineering Test Loop), the Department of Energy announced April 23. The upgrade is the first of its kind in the United States in more than 30 years, according to the DOE, and will help test components and operations for the sodium-cooled fast reactors being developed now.
K. Vinjamuri, D. E. Owen
Nuclear Technology | Volume 47 | Number 1 | January 1980 | Pages 119-124
Technical Paper | Fuel | doi.org/10.13182/NT80-A32416
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Instrumented Fuel Assembly 429, an experimental assembly designed to study helium fill gas absorption and fission gas release in pressurized uranium dioxide (UO2) fuel rods used in light water reactors, is operating in the Halden Heavy Boiling Water Reactor in Halden, Norway. Preliminary assessment of results from fuel rod internal pressure measurements and from the postirradiation examination of selected fuel rods indicates that helium fill gas is absorbed into the UO2 during the first several months of operation. The fuel absorbs ∼5.7 × 10−3 cm3 He (STP)/g UO2 at the irradiation conditions of a 5.4-MPa helium pressure and a peak steady-state fuel temperature of 1500 K. The estimated effective helium diffusion coefficient is ∼1 × 10−8 cm2/s. Periodic transients with power increases of up to 50% do not drive the helium from the UO2 matrix.
