ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
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Division Spotlight
Accelerator Applications
The division was organized to promote the advancement of knowledge of the use of particle accelerator technologies for nuclear and other applications. It focuses on production of neutrons and other particles, utilization of these particles for scientific or industrial purposes, such as the production or destruction of radionuclides significant to energy, medicine, defense or other endeavors, as well as imaging and diagnostics.
Meeting Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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Latest News
Report: New York state adding 1 GW of nuclear to fleet
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has instructed the state’s public electric utility to add at least 1 gigawatt of new nuclear by building a large-scale nuclear plant or a collection of smaller modular reactors, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Charles Forsberg (MIT)
Proceedings | 2018 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2018) | Charlotte, NC, April 8-11, 2018 | Pages 972-980
The electricity market is changing with decreasing markets for base-load electricity. Changes in nuclear power plants are required to match changes in markets. Nuclear energy produces heat that is then converted to electricity. Heat storage is cheaper than electricity storage (batteries, pumped storage, etc.). There is the option to incorporate heat storage into the power plant design to enable variable electricity output to maximize revenue while operating the reactor at base load to minimize costs.
We examine options for heat storage coupled to reactors with sodium or salt in the secondary heat transfer loop. The three classes of storage technologies are described: bulk hot salt or sodium storage, sensible heat storage (steel or other solid), and latent heat storage with another material.
Heat storage can enable the power plant to operate as a battery or pumped hydro station. At times of low electricity prices there is the option to divert heat from the reactor to heat storage while operating the power turbine at minimum load. Keeping the turbine on line allows rapid return to full electricity output to meet demand during high prices. The low-value electricity from the plant and added low-value electricity from the grid can be used to electrically resistance heat the heat storage media. When electricity prices increase, heat from the reactor and storage goes to the turbine for peak electricity production to maximize revenue.