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Division Spotlight
Accelerator Applications
The division was organized to promote the advancement of knowledge of the use of particle accelerator technologies for nuclear and other applications. It focuses on production of neutrons and other particles, utilization of these particles for scientific or industrial purposes, such as the production or destruction of radionuclides significant to energy, medicine, defense or other endeavors, as well as imaging and diagnostics.
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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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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.
Harry J. Reilly, John D. Hansell, George L. Heath
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 38 | Number 2 | November 1969 | Pages 135-142
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE69-A19518
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A method of performing probability calculations for nuclear-reactor surface temperatures has been devised. The method gives consideration to the fact that some uncertainties may vary systematically over all the reactor or over some parts of it. The method does not depend on assumption of any particular form of the probability distributions. The method was used to do an example calculation for an MTR-type test reactor with plate-type fuel elements. It was shown that the calculated probability of failure, that is, that surface temperature exceeds coolant saturation temperature, lies closer to values obtained from the Deterministic Method than to values from the Statistical Method. The calculated probability value was identified as the probability of success at the instant of reactor startup. It was observed that the probability of success for continued operation might not be the same as the value for startup. The method gives an improved representation of the probability problem for reactor surface temperatures. However, there is still much to be learned about the various important distribution functions. In the present situation of inadequate knowledge of behavior and distributions of uncertainty factors, all such probability calculations must be regarded as providing only a rough approximation to the true probability of success for a reactor.