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Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy
The mission of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy Division (NNPD) is to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology while simultaneously preventing the diversion and misuse of nuclear material and technology through appropriate safeguards and security, and promotion of nuclear nonproliferation policies. To achieve this mission, the objectives of the NNPD are to: Promote policy that discourages the proliferation of nuclear technology and material to inappropriate entities. Provide information to ANS members, the technical community at large, opinion leaders, and decision makers to improve their understanding of nuclear nonproliferation issues. Become a recognized technical resource on nuclear nonproliferation, safeguards, and security issues. Serve as the integration and coordination body for nuclear nonproliferation activities for the ANS. Work cooperatively with other ANS divisions to achieve these objective nonproliferation policies.
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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.
Stanley E. Turner
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 151 | Number 3 | November 2005 | Pages 344-347
Technical Note | doi.org/10.13182/NSE05-A2553
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In recent years, neutron attenuation measurements have demonstrated that neutron absorber panels with discrete boron carbide particles are less effective in neutron absorption than equivalent homogenous absorber panels. The penalty observed in these attenuation measurements with thermal neutrons has been assumed to apply to the criticality analysis of fuel storage cells, without regard to the very significant difference in the neutron spectrum involved. Furthermore, the attenuation measurements are made with a collimated beam of thermalized neutrons impinging perpendicularly on the absorber panel, whereas in fuel storage cells, the neutrons are nearly isotropic and impinge on the panel at all angles. In an effort to understand the phenomena involved and to more accurately determine the effect on criticality safety analyses, calculations were made with the MCNP code, which is capable of explicitly describing discrete B4C particles of various mean size. Results of these calculations, described herein, show that neutron attenuation measurements are only weakly related to criticality analysis and that the penalty seen in attenuation measurements does not apply and should not be directly applied in criticality analyses.