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Division Spotlight
Operations & Power
Members focus on the dissemination of knowledge and information in the area of power reactors with particular application to the production of electric power and process heat. The division sponsors meetings on the coverage of applied nuclear science and engineering as related to power plants, non-power reactors, and other nuclear facilities. It encourages and assists with the dissemination of knowledge pertinent to the safe and efficient operation of nuclear facilities through professional staff development, information exchange, and supporting the generation of viable solutions to current issues.
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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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.
Kuan-Jan Lin, Chaung Lin
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 130 | Number 1 | September 1998 | Pages 128-140
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE98-A1995
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A knowledge-based expert system was developed for generating a pressurized water reactor fuel reload design. First, an initial loading pattern was generated according to the fuel assembly's infinite multiplication factor, by using heuristic rules. Then, the fuel assembly was swapped or rotated, using heuristic rules, to satisfy an assumed search target. The search target was the defined nuclear enthalpy rise hot-channel factor FH at each fuel assembly location. When FH's of a trial loading pattern satisfied the search target, the pattern met the design limit at each exposure checkpoint for all control rods out and D-bank control rods half-inserted conditions, which is the design requirement. The developed program successfully generated several reload cycles for the Maanshan nuclear power plant in Taiwan.