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.
Division Spotlight
Robotics & Remote Systems
The Mission of the Robotics and Remote Systems Division is to promote the development and application of immersive simulation, robotics, and remote systems for hazardous environments for the purpose of reducing hazardous exposure to individuals, reducing environmental hazards and reducing the cost of performing work.
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
Apr 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
June 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
May 2025
Latest News
Industry Update—May 2025
Here is a recap of industry happenings from the recent past:
TerraPower’s Natrium reactor advances on several fronts
TerraPower has continued making aggressive progress in several areas for its under-construction Natrium Reactor Demonstration Project since the beginning of the year. Natrium is an advanced 345-MWe reactor that has liquid sodium as a coolant, improved fuel utilization, enhanced safety features, and an integrated energy storage system, allowing for a brief power output boost to 500-MWe if needed for grid resiliency. The company broke ground for its first Natrium plant in 2024 near a retiring coal plant in Kemmerer, Wyo.
Ahmet Bayülken
Nuclear Technology | Volume 83 | Number 2 | November 1988 | Pages 212-215
Technical Paper | Economic | doi.org/10.13182/NT88-A34163
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Nuclear energy is a very important thermal energy source. As the cost of conventional sources of energy (i.e., coal, lignite, and fuel oil) increases, nuclear energy becomes the primary alternative. Many nuclear power reactors are in operation and most are built for the single purpose of producing electrical energy. According to the Rankine cycle process, ∼60% of the heat produced in a reactor core is released into the atmosphere as waste heat. Obviously, this unused energy decreases total thermal efficiency and increases the cost of generating electricity. The minimum possible investment necessary for an existing plant to utilize its waste heat is investigated.