ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
October 2024
Nuclear Technology
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August 2024
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.
B. Goel
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 69 | Number 1 | January 1979 | Pages 99-104
Technical Note | doi.org/10.13182/NSE79-A21291
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
It is well established that helium formed in stainless steel by various (n,α) processes has a pronounced effect on its mechanical and dimensional properties. The anomalous production of helium in nickel-based alloys is known to take place via the two-step process: 58Ni(n,γ)59Ni(n,α)56Fe. For thermal neutrons, the 59Ni(n,α)56Fe cross section used to calculate the helium production differs strongly from the value obtained by the direct measurements of this cross section. In this Note, this discrepancy is discussed, and a value of 12.5 ± 1 b based on direct measurements is recommended for future calculations. For fast neutrons, the contribution due to the two-step process has been ignored in the past. It is demonstrated that this contribution is substantial, and it gains in importance as the neutron fluence increases. It is further shown that the usual practice to relate helium production data to thermal- and fast-neutron fluence is inadequate. The details of the neutron spectrum and the cross section are necessary to reliably predict the helium production rate.
