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Decommissioning & Environmental Sciences
The mission of the Decommissioning and Environmental Sciences (DES) Division is to promote the development and use of those skills and technologies associated with the use of nuclear energy and the optimal management and stewardship of the environment, sustainable development, decommissioning, remediation, reutilization, and long-term surveillance and maintenance of nuclear-related installations, and sites. The target audience for this effort is the membership of the Division, the Society, and the public at large.
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2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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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
Securing the advanced reactor fleet
Physical protection accounts for a significant portion of a nuclear power plant’s operational costs. As the U.S. moves toward smaller and safer advanced reactors, similar protection strategies could prove cost prohibitive. For tomorrow’s small modular reactors and microreactors, security costs must remain appropriate to the size of the reactor for economical operation.
S. Pillon, F. Sudreau, G. Gaillard-Groléas
Nuclear Technology | Volume 153 | Number 3 | March 2006 | Pages 264-273
Technical Paper | Sodium Technology - Radioactive Waste Management and Disposal | doi.org/10.13182/NT06-A3706
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Studies focusing on different long-lived radioactive waste transmutation scenarios illustrate the relevance of fast breeder reactors (FBRs) vis-à-vis the incineration of minor actinides (MAs) and certain long-lived fission products.This research program evaluates fuels and targets for transmutation, relying mainly on irradiation data from Phénix to experimentally validate and demonstrate the technical feasibility of the envisaged concepts.As regards the homogeneous transmutation of MAs in fast reactors, Phénix clearly demonstrates the good behavior of MA-bearing oxide fuel, at least up to 6.4 at.% of burnup. Similar results on metallic MA-bearing fuels as well as technetium targets will be available very soon. Important knowledge on innovative composite fuels developed for the transmutation of MAs in fast reactors or in accelerator-driven reactors (accelerator-driven systems) is also gained. Inert matrices resistant to neutron and fission product damage have been selected. The role of the microstructure and irradiation conditions on the composite behavior under irradiation is explained.This program also highlights the possibilities of designing and fabricating transmutation targets, obtaining authorization to irradiate these targets in a power reactor - a series of stages to be accomplished in order to demonstrate the technical feasibility of incinerating MAs and technetium in FBRs.