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
Robotics & Remote Systems
The Mission of the Robotics and Remote Systems Division is to promote the development and application of immersive simulation, robotics, and remote systems for hazardous environments for the purpose of reducing hazardous exposure to individuals, reducing environmental hazards and reducing the cost of performing work.
Meeting Spotlight
2025 ANS Annual Conference
June 15–18, 2025
Chicago, IL|Chicago Marriott 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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May 2025
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
July 2025
Nuclear Technology
June 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
High-temperature plumbing and advanced reactors
The use of nuclear fission power and its role in impacting climate change is hotly debated. Fission advocates argue that short-term solutions would involve the rapid deployment of Gen III+ nuclear reactors, like Vogtle-3 and -4, while long-term climate change impact would rely on the creation and implementation of Gen IV reactors, “inherently safe” reactors that use passive laws of physics and chemistry rather than active controls such as valves and pumps to operate safely. While Gen IV reactors vary in many ways, one thing unites nearly all of them: the use of exotic, high-temperature coolants. These fluids, like molten salts and liquid metals, can enable reactor engineers to design much safer nuclear reactors—ultimately because the boiling point of each fluid is extremely high. Fluids that remain liquid over large temperature ranges can provide good heat transfer through many demanding conditions, all with minimal pressurization. Although the most apparent use for these fluids is advanced fission power, they have the potential to be applied to other power generation sources such as fusion, thermal storage, solar, or high-temperature process heat.1–3
Byung Ha Park, Chan Soo Kim, Sung Hoon Choi, Sung Nam Lee
Nuclear Technology | Volume 211 | Number 1 | April 2025 | Pages S1-S11
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2023.2289750
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Sustainable energy is crucial for long-term space missions. Fission surface power is a leading option due to its ability to provide consistent electricity and heat irrespective of the sun’s position or distance. A heat pipe is the primary cooling solution for space fission power systems. It operates without the need for additional electricity or gravity. It offers the advantage of streamlining the reactor design by eliminating components such as pumps and piping. This paper presents the advancements in the Korean space heat pipe reactor development program over the past 4 years. The primary objectives of this program include the development of codes for space heat pipe reactors, the innovative design of a hybrid wick structure, and the evaluation of the thermal performance of liquid-metal heat pipes.
