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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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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.
David D. Clark, Carol G. Ouellet, J. Scott Berg
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 110 | Number 4 | April 1992 | Pages 445-454
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE92-A23917
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Two major parts of the design study for a cold source for the cold neutron beam facility under construction at the Cornell University 500-kW TRIG A reactor are presented. The reasons are discussed for choosing mesitylene as the cold moderator and for choosing conduction through copper rods between the source and a cryogenic refrigerator as the cooling method, the basic criteria for these choices being safety and simplicity of operation. Measurements of the neutron fluxes and nuclear heating rates at the proposed source location are reported. A description is provided of studies to optimize the size and shape of the cold source within the restrictions imposed by the limited available volume, the measured radiation levels, and the chosen materials using Monte Carlo simulation with a personal computer. It is concluded that mesitylene cooled by conduction through copper can provide a very satisfactory, safe, and simple cold source for an intermediate-power research reactor.