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Division members promote the advancement of mathematical and computational methods for solving problems arising in all disciplines encompassed by the Society. They place particular emphasis on numerical techniques for efficient computer applications to aid in the dissemination, integration, and proper use of computer codes, including preparation of computational benchmark and development of standards for computing practices, and to encourage the development on new computer codes and broaden their use.
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2024 ANS Winter Conference and Expo
November 17–21, 2024
Orlando, FL|Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld
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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.
Tsung-Kuang Yeh, Mei-Ya Wang
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 173 | Number 2 | February 2013 | Pages 163-171
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE11-85
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The coolant in a boiling water reactor (BWR) during a cold shutdown usually contains a relatively high level of dissolved oxygen from intrusion of atmospheric air. Accordingly, the structural materials in the primary coolant circuit (PCC) of a BWR could be exposed to a strongly oxidizing environment for a short period of time during a subsequent startup operation. Because there are limited measurable water chemistry data, a well-developed computer code DEMACE was used in the current study to investigate the variations in redox species concentration and in electrochemical corrosion potential (ECP) of components in the PCC of a domestic BWR during startup operations. Our analyses indicated that the dissolved hydrogen level in the reactor coolant at a low power level without steam generation in the core was lower than that at a power level with a minor amount of steam generated in the core. The dissolved oxygen concentrations in the reactor coolant were relatively high and were >500 ppb during startup operations at power levels >2.5%. In the meantime, the concentrations of hydrogen peroxide could be >500 ppb at the core outlet region during startup operations, which renders a strongly oxidizing coolant environment in the entire PCC. The ECPs of structural components in the PCC of the analyzed BWR generally followed the concentration trend of hydrogen peroxide. It was predicted that the coolant environment in a BWR during a plant startup could be highly oxidizing, and the structural components would therefore suffer from a more serious corrosion problem than under operations at the rated power level.