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Division Spotlight
Human Factors, Instrumentation & Controls
Improving task performance, system reliability, system and personnel safety, efficiency, and effectiveness are the division's main objectives. Its major areas of interest include task design, procedures, training, instrument and control layout and placement, stress control, anthropometrics, psychological input, and motivation.
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.
J. G. Moore, R. H. Rainey
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 11 | Number 3 | November 1961 | Pages 278-284
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE61-A26004
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Laboratory experiments have demonstrated the chemical feasibility of incorporating soluble salts of the neutron poisons boron, cadmium, samarium, and gadolinium in solutions associated with the processing of Consolidated Edison reactor fuel (stainless steel-clad 96% ThO2-4% highly enriched UO2). At room temperature at least 0.3 M boron or neutron cross section equivalent is soluble in the 6 M H2SO4 decladding solution or Thorex dissolvent (13 M HNO3-0.04 M F-0.1 M Al(NO3)3. None of the poisons were volatilized to a significant extent (i.e., <6%) during evaporation for fuel adjustment. Distribution coefficients obtained in batch extraction tests indicated low extraction of these nuclear poisons from nitrate solutions by TBP in Amsco. Single-cycle countercurrent batch extractions with the acid Thorex flowsheet, which uses 30% TBP, gave decontamination factors from uranium for boron, cadmium, and rare earths of ≧1 × 104, > 1.5 × 103, and > 104, respectively. Countercurrent batch extractions with 2.5% TBP in Amsco resulted in concentrations of boron, rare earths, and cadmium in the uranium product which were at the limits of analytical detection, i.e., 2.5, <4, and <17 ppm, respectively. Two cycles of extraction should decrease the concentration of the nuclear poisons to acceptable levels for fuel recycle.