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Division Spotlight
Decommissioning & Environmental Sciences
The mission of the Decommissioning and Environmental Sciences (DES) Division is to promote the development and use of those skills and technologies associated with the use of nuclear energy and the optimal management and stewardship of the environment, sustainable development, decommissioning, remediation, reutilization, and long-term surveillance and maintenance of nuclear-related installations, and sites. The target audience for this effort is the membership of the Division, the Society, and the public at large.
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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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.
E. A. Mason, J. A. Larrimore
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 9 | Number 3 | March 1961 | Pages 332-340
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE61-A25884
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In reactors fueled with thorium, increasing specific power leads to reduction of fuel reactivity lifetime and conversion ratio because of the appreciable decay time and neutron absorption cross section of Pa233. A generalized study of these effects in thorium-U233 fueled reactors has been carried out using a simplified reactor model. It was found that the most important specific power effect on fuel reactivity is the holdup of Pa233, rather than its burnout to U234. Using conventional cost bases, the effect of specific power on the fuel costs for thorium fueled reactors has been shown to be small in the range of practical specific powers.
