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Division Spotlight
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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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.
B. D. Murphy, R. T. Primm III
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 142 | Number 3 | November 2002 | Pages 258-269
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE02-A2306
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This work examines the capabilities of simulation codes to predict the concentration of nuclides in spent reactor fuel, in particular mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel, via comparisons with destructive radiochemical analyses performed on irradiated samples. We report on three MOX samples irradiated in a pressurized water reactor (PWR) and two UO2 samples irradiated in a different PWR. Actinide and fission-product concentrations were measured and were compared with concentration values obtained from simulation studies. The actinides include isotopes of uranium, neptunium, plutonium, americium, and curium. The fission products include isotopes of cesium, neodymium, samarium, europium, and gadolinium as well as 90Sr, 95Mo, 99Tc, 101Ru, 106Ru, 103Rh, 109Ag, 125Sb, 129I, and 144Ce. For many of the actinides, the predictions are quite good when compared with the measured values; but concentrations of some tend to be overpredicted. The cesium and neodymium, and some samarium concentrations, are well predicted, but some of the other fission products show variable results. The sensitivity of some of the results to sample-burnup estimates is discussed.