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
Isotopes & Radiation
Members are devoted to applying nuclear science and engineering technologies involving isotopes, radiation applications, and associated equipment in scientific research, development, and industrial processes. Their interests lie primarily in education, industrial uses, biology, medicine, and health physics. Division committees include Analytical Applications of Isotopes and Radiation, Biology and Medicine, Radiation Applications, Radiation Sources and Detection, and Thermal Power Sources.
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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
October 2024
Nuclear Technology
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August 2024
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.
Theodore H. Smith, Burr H. Randolph
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 4 | Number 6 | December 1958 | Pages 762-784
doi.org/10.13182/NSE58-A15497
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Many factors influence the design of a containment structure: size and shape of the reactor and other equipment to be housed, topographic and subsurface features of the site, proximity to populated areas, relative economy of construction materials, need for access during operation, and most important, pressure-volume duty. For a given duty, and for geometrically similar structures, the volume can often be varied over a broad range with little change in total cost. The upper limiting volume is reached when external forces rather than internal govern the design; the lower limit is usually the point where the membrane becomes unreasonably thick. Two or more small vessels connected together may have advantages over one large vessel, but additional design problems arise in making them act as a unit. The merits of total versus partial containment are discussed. A comparison is made of the various designs studied in selecting the containment vessel for the Dresden Nuclear Power Station. These included simple and composite structures, some above and some below ground, some designed for total and some for partial containment. A steel sphere for partial containment was selected as best suiting the needs of this project.