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.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
Latest Magazine Issues
Jun 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
July 2026
Nuclear Technology
June 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
May 2026
Latest News
DOE approves Xcimer’s laser fusion power plant design
The Department of Energy has approved Xcimer Energy's Athena fusion power plant preconceptual technical design. With this milestone achieved, the Denver, Colo.-based company is now moving forward with its plans to develop economical laser inertial confinement fusion using two beamlines, gas laser technology, and a molten salt fusion chamber.
The National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory demonstrated net energy gain from inertial confinement fusion in 2022 using solid-state glass lasers and 192 beamlines.
D. Rozzia, G. Bonny, S. Billiet, B. Boer, M. Verwerft
Nuclear Technology | Volume 210 | Number 2 | February 2024 | Pages 324-353
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2023.2229186
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This paper presents the fuel performance simulation of two past experiments that are concerned with partial fuel melting. The activity is conducted in the framework of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development/Nuclear Energy Agency Power to Melt and Maneuverability (P2M) – Second Framework for Irradiation Experiments (FIDES-II) Joint ExpErimental Programme (JEEP). The xM3 transient experiment involved uranium oxide (UO2) fuel with a ZIRconium Low Oxidation alloy (ZIRLO) cladding base irradiated up to 27 MWd/kg U, followed a ramp test up to 70 kW/m leading to inception of melting. The High Burnup Chemistry Experiment 4 (HBC4) transient was performed according to a rapid power ramp, on a UO2 fuel with a Zircaloy-4 cladding base irradiated up to 47 MWd/kg U. The linear heat generation rate reached 66.3 kW/m at the end of the transient leading to inception of melting and rodlet failure. Three main cases per each of the two transients were modeled with the TRANSURANUS code version 2015 in agreement with the benchmark specifications to consider uncertainty on the power during the ramping phases. The paper presents and discusses the analysis of these tests and provides an in-depth sensitivity analysis to assess the capabilities of the code as well as the effect of user choices in simulating the base irradiation and the inception of melting in light water reactor fuel rods.