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Fusion Energy
This division promotes the development and timely introduction of fusion energy as a sustainable energy source with favorable economic, environmental, and safety attributes. The division cooperates with other organizations on common issues of multidisciplinary fusion science and technology, conducts professional meetings, and disseminates technical information in support of these goals. Members focus on the assessment and resolution of critical developmental issues for practical fusion energy applications.
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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.
A. A. El-Bassioni, C. G. Poncelet
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 54 | Number 2 | June 1974 | Pages 166-176
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE74-A23404
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The theoretical minimal time modal control strategy to suppress xenon oscillations in nuclear reactors was found to be of the Bang-Bang type. Such control policy implies instantaneous variation of the control poison between two extreme values. The switching action depends on exact knowledge of the location of the reactor state in the phase plane. The state is related to the measured axial offset, and the concept of axial offset phase plane is introduced. The main features of this phase plane can be constructed using a semi-operational method. Using the Carnegie-Mellon University xenon spatial control simulator, optimal and off-optimal control policies were tested and the capability to suppress the oscillation was demonstrated. Some of the attractive features of this suggested method are the simplicity of control policies, use of reactor output data, and the ability to initiate the control action once the oscillation is detected and to predict beforehand the outcome of the control decision, thus increasing the operator capacity to modify his decision.