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Reactor Physics
The division's objectives are to promote the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena characterizing nuclear reactors and other nuclear systems. The division encourages research and disseminates information through meetings and publications. Areas of technical interest include nuclear data, particle interactions and transport, reactor and nuclear systems analysis, methods, design, validation and operating experience and standards. The Wigner Award heads the awards program.
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2024 ANS Winter Conference and Expo
November 17–21, 2024
Orlando, FL|Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld
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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New laws offer nuclear industry incentives for existing power plant uprates
This year, the U.S. nuclear industry received a much-needed economic boost that could help preserve operating nuclear power plants and incentivize upgrades that extend their lifespan and power output.
Signed into law in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act offers production tax credits (PTCs) for existing nuclear power plants and either PTCs or investment tax credits (ITCs) for new carbon-free generation. These credits could make power uprates—increasing the maximum power level at which a commercial plant may operate—a much more appealing option for utilities.
C. Vaglio-Gaudard, A. Santamarina, P. Blaise, O. Litaize, A. Lyoussi, G. Noguère, J. M. Ruggieri, J. F. Vidal
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 166 | Number 2 | October 2010 | Pages 89-106
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE09-91
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Programme d'Etude du Réflecteur Lourd dans Eole (PERLE) critical experiment was recently performed in the EOLE zero-power reactor to provide representative experimental data for heavy stainless steel (SS) reflector physics. It is a UO2 regular 27 × 27 square core surrounded by a 22-cm-thick SS block. The neutron source presents the same spectrum as Gen-III pressurized water reactors (PWRs).The analysis of measurements with the TRIPOLI4 reference Monte Carlo calculations notably aims at validating 56Fe nuclear data in the JEFF3.1.1 library. Large uncertainties are still associated with 56Fe nuclear data, in particular for the inelastic cross section ([approximate]10% at 1) since considerable discrepancies have been observed between various international evaluations of the inelastic level.This paper is dedicated to the analysis of the PERLE experiment. The reactivity worth of the PERLE heavy reflector was measured and compared with the efficiency of both the water reflector and the standard PWR reflector (2-cm-SS baffle). The radial power distribution at the core/reflector interface was measured by direct gamma spectrometry on fuel pins. The TRIPOLI4 analysis gives satisfactory results. The flux attenuation with SS penetration was measured by miniature fission chambers and metallic activation foils, using the fast, intermediate, and thermal response function. Interpretation of flux attenuation measurements shows calculation/experiment discrepancies within the experimental uncertainty. These results highlight that the 56Fe cross sections in the JEFF3.1.1 library have been evaluated accurately.