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 ANS Winter Conference & Expo
November 15–18, 2026
Phoenix, AZ|Arizona Grand Resort & Spa
Latest Magazine Issues
Aug 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
October 2026
Nuclear Technology
September 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
August 2026
Latest News
LLNL, Ampera partner to develop thorium-based TRISO fuel
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has formed a strategic partnership with Ampera to develop the company’s nuclear fuel concept through a project named THUNDER, for Thorium Unimodal Droplet Ejection for Reactors.
The focus of THUNDER is fabricating TRISO made with kernels of thorium rather than the usual uranium. LLNL and Ampera will evaluate and optimize liquid metal–jetting technology to produce highly uniform, spherical kernels of thorium-232 for later processing into TRISO fuel.
Craig E. Peterson, V. K. (Bindi) Chexal, William H. Layman, Richard D. Hentzen, Garry C. Gose
Nuclear Technology | Volume 70 | Number 1 | July 1985 | Pages 74-83
Technical Paper | Third International Retran Meeting / Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow | doi.org/10.13182/NT85-A33665
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Under certain anticipated transient without scram (ATWS) sequences for a boiling water reactor, it would be desirable to reduce system power, particularly where the primary system has been isolated by closure of all main steam isolation valves and is discharging steam through its safety /relief valve system to the suppression pool. Reducing reactor power increases the time available to shut down the reactor by minimizing the heat dumped to the suppression pool and by helping to keep the suppression pool temperature within limits. Under proposed emergency procedure guidelines for the ATWS event, the reactor water level would be lowered to reduce reactor power. The analyses provide an assessment of the power level that would be attained, assuming the reactor operators were to reduce the downcomer level down to the top of the active fuel.