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Decommissioning & Environmental Sciences
The mission of the Decommissioning and Environmental Sciences (DES) Division is to promote the development and use of those skills and technologies associated with the use of nuclear energy and the optimal management and stewardship of the environment, sustainable development, decommissioning, remediation, reutilization, and long-term surveillance and maintenance of nuclear-related installations, and sites. The target audience for this effort is the membership of the Division, the Society, and the public at large.
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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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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.
H. M. Hashemian, Wendell C. Bean
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 169 | Number 3 | November 2011 | Pages 262-278
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE10-48
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Because fourth-generation (Generation IV) reactors will operate at coolant temperatures three or four times higher than light water reactors, up to ˜1000°C, they will require instrumentation and control sensors that have been qualified for these new and extreme environmental conditions. In the next 10 to 15 years, advances in sensors and transmitters for nuclear power plants (NPPs) are expected to include fiber-optic and wireless sensors. Three fiber-optic sensing technologies - single-point interferometry, distributed fiber Bragg grating, and optical counter and encoder techniques - most closely replace the functionality of the largest market fraction of conventional non-fiber-optic instrumentation currently installed in NPPs. The qualification of fiber-optic sensors for next-generation NPPs must address concerns over radiation darkening. Wireless sensor networks, typically built on the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) ANSI/IEEE 802.11 or ANSI/IEEE 802.15.4 standards, provide NPPs with the capability to employ distributed processing, thereby increasing overall system redundancy and the potential to reduce hands-on maintenance and to improve reliability. Qualification of wireless sensors for NPPs must address concerns over security, reliability, and electromagnetic interference and radio-frequency interference. An appropriate industry standard should resolve all these concerns.