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Reactor Physics
The division's objectives are to promote the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena characterizing nuclear reactors and other nuclear systems. The division encourages research and disseminates information through meetings and publications. Areas of technical interest include nuclear data, particle interactions and transport, reactor and nuclear systems analysis, methods, design, validation and operating experience and standards. The Wigner Award heads the awards program.
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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.
D. D. B. van Bragt, Rizwan-uddin, T. H. J. J. van der Hagen
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 131 | Number 1 | January 1999 | Pages 23-44
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE99-A2016
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A dynamic model of natural circulation boiling water reactors (BWRs) is analyzed using a bifurcation code and numerical simulations. The two fundamental bifurcation types relevant to BWRs, the supercritical and the subcritical Hopf bifurcations, are first studied in natural circulation systems without nuclear feedback. The effect of nodalization approximation in the riser on stability and bifurcation characteristics of the system is determined. The strong effect of the nuclear-thermohydraulic interaction on the nonlinear characteristics of a natural circulation BWR is then explored in a parametric study. Supercritical bifurcations become dominant in the (high-power) Type-II region for small values of the subcooling number and a strong nuclear-thermohydraulic coupling. A cascade of period-doubling pitchfork bifurcations (deep in the unstable region) is also predicted by the model under these conditions. Subcritical bifurcations in the Type-II instability region were found for larger values of the subcooling number. Both Hopf-bifurcation modes were also encountered in the Type-I instability region (low power or high power/high subcooling). Finally, the nonlinear reactor model was validated successfully compared with nonlinear power oscillations measured in a natural circulation BWR.