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
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
Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo (UWC 2024)
August 4–7, 2024
Marco Island, FL|JW Marriott Marco Island
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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Jul 2024
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2024
Nuclear Technology
August 2024
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Taking shape: Fusion energy ecosystems built with public-private partnerships
It’s possible to describe fusion in simple terms: heat and squeeze small atoms to get abundant clean energy. But there’s nothing simple about getting fusion ready for the grid.
Private developers, national lab and university researchers, suppliers, and end users working toward that goal are developing a range of complex technologies to reach fusion temperatures and pressures, confounded by science and technology gaps linked to plasma behavior; materials, diagnostics, and electronics for extreme environments; fuel cycle sustainability; and economics.
Baofu Lu, Eric Williams, Jerry Mauck, Michael Howard, Richard Wood, Edward L. Quinn
Nuclear Technology | Volume 202 | Number 2 | May-June 2018 | Pages 101-105
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2017.1416878
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the development and assessment of the Diversity and Defense-in-Depth (D3) strategy for the TerraPower Traveling Wave Reactor-Prototype (TWR-P) advanced nuclear power plant. The TWR-P digital control system (DCS) is currently being designed by TerraPower. The instrumentation and control (I&C) design and configuration were based on standard digital control products. The control systems making up the DCS were selected because of their applicability to the functions required by TerraPower and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The installation of a digital-based plant protection system and other systems throughout the TWR-P enhances safety in many areas when compared to the previous generation of analog-based instrumentation systems.
Nuclear facilities have increased their use and reliance on digital technology in systems and equipment (e.g., I&C, electrical systems, and fluid systems). In addition to I&C, examples of safety-related equipment that may use digital technology include emergency diesel generators, pumps, valve actuators, motor control centers, breakers, priority logic modules, time-delay relays, and uninterruptible power sources.
In the United States and around the world, engineering and licensing activities in standards and guidance have been, and are being, developed to address this important consideration in protecting safety-related systems. This paper addresses the latest in standards and guidance development as well as a review of the application of this guidance in the specific case cited.