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Division Spotlight
Operations & Power
Members focus on the dissemination of knowledge and information in the area of power reactors with particular application to the production of electric power and process heat. The division sponsors meetings on the coverage of applied nuclear science and engineering as related to power plants, non-power reactors, and other nuclear facilities. It encourages and assists with the dissemination of knowledge pertinent to the safe and efficient operation of nuclear facilities through professional staff development, information exchange, and supporting the generation of viable solutions to current issues.
Meeting Spotlight
2025 ANS Annual Conference
June 15–18, 2025
Chicago, IL|Chicago Marriott 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
Zaporizhzhia ‘extremely fragile’ relying on single off-site power line, IAEA warns
Europe’s largest nuclear power plant has just one remaining power line for essential nuclear safety and security functions, compared with its original 10 functional lines before the military conflict with Russia, warned Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Jean Tommasi, Marc Delpech, Jean-Paul Grouiller, Alain Zaetta
Nuclear Technology | Volume 111 | Number 1 | July 1995 | Pages 133-148
Technical Paper | Enrichment and Reprocessing System | doi.org/10.13182/NT111-133
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Recycling minor actinides brings about several adverse effects. In response to the effects on cycle operations (fabrication, reprocessing, transportation) due to decay heat and to alpha, beta, gamma, and neutron activities, neptunium brings no significant ill effect, while americium calls for enhanced protection; the large amount of curium activity makes any recycling of this element extremely difficult. In so-called homogeneous recycling (minor actinides mixed with the fuel), the worsening of safety parameters such as coolant void or Doppler effect sets stringent limitations on the minor actinide content: ≈1% in pressurized water reactors and ≈2.5% in large fast reactors. The heterogeneous recycling, i.e., placing the minor actinides in a few special subassemblies at core periphery, brings about lesser penalties and allows higher contents. In any case, fast reactors are better suited to minor actinide transmutation than light water reactors. Fission products are very difficult to transmute efficiently, even in fast reactors. Such fission products should require the use of hybrid systems for their elimination. Finally, a nuclear park is built up in which the plutonium + minor actinide production of light water reactors is consumed in advanced fast reactors. The amount of electrical power generated by these fast reactors is ≈20%. The radiotoxicity reduction achievable can be of a factor 50 with a 1% loss of minor actinides during reprocessing.