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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
2027 ANS Winter Conference and Expo
October 31–November 4, 2027
Washington, DC|The Westin Washington, DC 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
Supreme Court rules against Texas in interim storage case
The Supreme Court voted 6–3 against Texas and a group of landowners today in a case involving the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s licensing of a consolidated interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel, reversing a decision by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to grant the state and landowners Fasken Land and Minerals (Fasken) standing to challenge the license.
George Tessler, Ben R. Beaudoin, William J. Beggs, Louis B. Freeman, Albert C. Kahler, William C. Schick, Jr.
Nuclear Technology | Volume 82 | Number 3 | September 1988 | Pages 275-289
Technical Paper | Nuclear Fuel | doi.org/10.13182/NT88-A34129
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The light water breeder reactor (LWBR) was developed by the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory under the technical direction of the Office of Naval Reactors, U.S. Department of Energy. The LWBR operated successfully in the Shippingport Atomic Power Station from 1977 to 1982, producing more than 29 000 equivalent full-power hours. Because of the small breeding gain (1.35%) predicted for this selfsustaining breeder, proof of breeding required accurate nondestructive assay of expended fuel from the LWBR. The fact that breeding has been proven in the LWBR means that this reactor provides a vast alternative energy resource using plentiful thorium fuel. A gauge, called the production irradiated fuel assay gauge (PIFAG), was developed to nondestructively assay whole irradiated fuel rods from the LWBR. The gauge uses the method of active interrogation with 252Cf source neutrons and delayed neutron counting. It is remotely operated inside a hot cell and has the capability to interrogate fuel rods with two different neutron energy spectra, one with primarily low-energy (<0.625-eV) neutrons and the second with the lowenergy neutrons removed. In addition to delayed neutron counting, the PIFAG has provision for counting 252Cf source neutrons close to the surface of a fuel rod during interrogation, and for gamma scanning the fuel rod. These data are used to calculate a selfshielding correction to the delayed neutron data. A description is given of the PIFAG, its calibration, and its application to the assay of irradiated LWBR fuel rods. A comparison of the PIFAG results with destructive assay results for 17 irradiated LWBR fuel rods shows that the two methods are in excellent agreement, differing by 0.069 and 0.162% for the lowand high-energy PIFAG interrogation spectra, respectively.
