ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
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Division Spotlight
Nuclear Installations Safety
Devoted specifically to the safety of nuclear installations and the health and safety of the public, this division seeks a better understanding of the role of safety in the design, construction and operation of nuclear installation facilities. The division also promotes engineering and scientific technology advancement associated with the safety of such facilities.
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. H. COOBS
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 14 | Number 1 | September 1962 | Pages 53-68
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE62-A26199
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An extensive experimental program was conducted on the fuel and cladding for the EGCR fuel elements to establish the adequacy of the design. Methods of inspecting the components and manufacturing the fuel assemblies were developed or perfected. Studies were also conducted on the physical and mechanical properties of the type 304 stainless steel cladding and the UO2 fuel pellets to provide a basis for predicting the behavior of the elements in service. Data from heat treating of neutron-activated fuel showed that fission-gas release will not be a limiting factor in this design. Out-of-pile thermal-cycling studies on simulated fuel elements established that axial growth of fuel elements at a predictable rate can be expected after the cladding collapses and contacts the fuel pellets, and that characteristic cracking of the UO2 pellets occurs without displacement of fuel. Impurities in the helium coolant were observed to cause oxidation and carburization of the cladding, but the extent of these reactions can be controlled by regulating the ratios of the impurities. Creep tests at several temperatures indicate that, with the exception of hydrogen, the various impurities will have little detrimental effect on the stress-rupture strength of the cladding. Tube-burst tests in air yielded data that permit a prediction of the life of the fuel element in case of loss of coolant pressure and when compared with results of similar in-pile experiments indicate that irradiation effects reduce the stress-rupture strength of the cladding by as much as 25%.