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Division Spotlight
Young Members Group
The Young Members Group works to encourage and enable all young professional members to be actively involved in the efforts and endeavors of the Society at all levels (Professional Divisions, ANS Governance, Local Sections, etc.) as they transition from the role of a student to the role of a professional. It sponsors non-technical workshops and meetings that provide professional development and networking opportunities for young professionals, collaborates with other Divisions and Groups in developing technical and non-technical content for topical and national meetings, encourages its members to participate in the activities of the Groups and Divisions that are closely related to their professional interests as well as in their local sections, introduces young members to the rules and governance structure of the Society, and nominates young professionals for awards and leadership opportunities available to members.
Meeting Spotlight
2023 ANS Annual Meeting
June 11–14, 2023
Indianapolis, IN|Marriott Indianapolis 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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
June 2023
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Latest News
Vogtle-3 achieves full power output
The Vogtle expansion project’s Unit 3 reactor has attained 100 percent energy output—the first time it has reached its maximum expected output of approximately 1,100 MWe, Georgia Power announced yesterday.
Hangbok Choi, Robert W. Schleicher
Nuclear Technology | Volume 200 | Number 2 | November 2017 | Pages 106-124
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2017.1364064
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Energy Multiplier Module (EM2) is a helium-cooled fast reactor with a core outlet temperature of 850°C. It is designed as a modular, grid-capable power source with a net unit output of 265 MWe. The reactor employs a convert-and-burn core design that converts fertile isotopes to fissile and burns them in situ over a 30-year core life. The reactor is sited in a below-grade sealed containment. It uses passive safety methods for heat removal and reactivity control to protect the integrity of the fuel, reactor vessel, and containment. The plant also incorporates a below-grade, passively cooled spent fuel storage facility with capacity for 60 years of full-power operation. EM2 employs a direct closed-cycle gas turbine power conversion unit (PCU) with an organic Rankine bottoming cycle for 53% net power conversion efficiency assuming evaporative cooling. The high-power conversion efficiency and long-burn fuel cycle reduce the electricity cost by 35% when compared with the conventional light water reactor.
The conceptual design has been conducted for the EM2 plant with focus on the reactor, fuel, and safety system designs. A detailed model of the passive direct reactor auxiliary cooling system was created to demonstrate functionality for selected design-basis accidents. The bench-scale fuel development campaign demonstrated high-quality uranium carbide pellet fabrication as well as β-SiC composite cladding and SiC-joining technologies. Irradiation tests of reactor materials are also being conducted. The PCU variable-speed generator mechanical design was validated with operational testing of its novel rotor at speeds >13 000 rpm. The design of the turbo-compressor with active magnetic bearings continues. A large cost database and financial model have been constructed for use as a key driver for the design to be economically competitive with competing generating technologies after 2030.