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Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy
The mission of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy Division (NNPD) is to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology while simultaneously preventing the diversion and misuse of nuclear material and technology through appropriate safeguards and security, and promotion of nuclear nonproliferation policies. To achieve this mission, the objectives of the NNPD are to: Promote policy that discourages the proliferation of nuclear technology and material to inappropriate entities. Provide information to ANS members, the technical community at large, opinion leaders, and decision makers to improve their understanding of nuclear nonproliferation issues. Become a recognized technical resource on nuclear nonproliferation, safeguards, and security issues. Serve as the integration and coordination body for nuclear nonproliferation activities for the ANS. Work cooperatively with other ANS divisions to achieve these objective nonproliferation policies.
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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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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.
Yoshitaka Chikazawa, Yasushi Okano, Mamoru Konomura, Naoki Sawa, Yoshio Shimakawa, Toshihiko Tanaka
Nuclear Technology | Volume 157 | Number 2 | February 2007 | Pages 120-131
Technical Paper | Fission Reactors | doi.org/10.13182/NT07-A3807
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A small reactor has the potential to be utilized as a power source to meet diverse social needs and reduce capital risks. In remote areas, populations tend to be small, and an economic power grid may not be available. In such situations, a small power source with a capacity of less than 50 MW(electric) without refueling is attractive since the costs for fuel transfer to such a site are expensive. In the present study, a metal fuel core with a lifetime of 30 yr and a simple reactor plant design has been proposed. The local burnup reactivity change in every core region is minimized by adjusting the zirconium content and the smear density of the three-core region to achieve a 550°C core outlet temperature. At the end of the cycle, the burnup reactivity is evaluated to be 1.1% of (dk/kk'), achieving a 30-yr core life. The reactor vessel is dramatically simplified by eliminating a fuel-handling system. The number of main cooling loops is reduced to one by installing dual electromagnetic pumps in the primary sodium circuit. The nuclear steam supply system mass, at 309 tonnes, shows that the present loop-type concept can more dramatically reduce material mass than that of the previous pool-type concept of 484 tonnes. The rough estimation of the electricity cost shows that this concept will be competitive for remote sites. Transient analyses show that a self-actuated shutdown system enhances the passive safety features, thus ensuring reactor integrity in anticipated transient without scram events.