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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
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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.
T. W. Kerlin
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 27 | Number 1 | January 1967 | Pages 120-130
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE67-A18048
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A systematic procedure is presented for calculating the least stable condition in a reactor system that can occur within the uncertainty range on system parameters. This uncertainty range is due to the impossibility of perfectly predicting design parameters and the effect of aging of the system on these parameters. The method uses the linear approximation to the system dynamics equations and a steepest ascent extremum-seeking procedure. The procedure can also be reversed to determine design changes needed to give greater system stability. The applicability of the method for solving practical reactor problems has been demonstrated in an analysis of the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment using a computer program developed to implement the method. In this paper, the method is illustrated with a small sample problem.