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Division Spotlight
Radiation Protection & Shielding
The Radiation Protection and Shielding Division is developing and promoting radiation protection and shielding aspects of nuclear science and technology — including interaction of nuclear radiation with materials and biological systems, instruments and techniques for the measurement of nuclear radiation fields, and radiation shield design and evaluation.
Meeting Spotlight
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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Latest News
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.
Michael L. Corradini, James P. Blanchard, Carl J. Martin
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 168 | Number 3 | July 2011 | Pages 185-196
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE10-24
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The occurrence of a steam explosion for advanced light water reactors (LWRs), whether within or below the reactor pressure vessel in the cavity, is analyzed to determine the possible hazard to structures as a result of dynamic explosion pressures. In current LWRs, in-vessel steam explosions have been determined not to pose a risk-significant threat, while ex-vessel explosions are considered in safety analyses. In advanced LWRs, such analyses are important to demonstrate that such structures will maintain their integrity so that core debris coolability is possible. This paper presents an approach to calculate the dynamic pressures from a steam explosion using the TEXAS-V model and evaluate its effects on surrounding structures using ANSYS. Scenarios for advanced LWRs are reviewed, and a severe accident scenario is used as an example to present our methodology. Such evaluation methods should be considered in future safety studies and be verified with direct comparison to data for energetic fuel-coolant interaction, such as those provided from past KROTOS tests or with current experiments in the international SERENA project.