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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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
October 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
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.
M. A. Abdou, Robert W. Conn
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 55 | Number 3 | November 1974 | Pages 256-266
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE74-A23452
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A study of the nuclear performance of several recently reported fusion reactor blanket designs is presented. In particular, the nuclear heating, the tritium breeding ratio, and the charged-particle production rates in the various systems are reported. It is found that the total nuclear heating can be overestimated by as much as 30%, that ∼20 MeV per fusion is a typical value for the energy production capability of most blankets, and that 22.4 MeV per fusion is a more maximum than nominal value for blankets without fissile materials. The tritium breeding ratio in lithium blankets is high, and uncertainties in nuclear data are unlikely to prevent such systems from breeding. Flibe blankets are marginal in this regard, and uncertainties can prevent breeding in these systems. Hydrogen and helium production rates are fairly large in all systems; they are highest in sintered aluminum product and in the PE-16 alloy, and lowest in niobium, with stainless steel in between. However, much of the required nuclear data on charged-particle-producing reactions is unavailable, and the need for cross-section measurements in this area is discussed.