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Fusion Energy
This division promotes the development and timely introduction of fusion energy as a sustainable energy source with favorable economic, environmental, and safety attributes. The division cooperates with other organizations on common issues of multidisciplinary fusion science and technology, conducts professional meetings, and disseminates technical information in support of these goals. Members focus on the assessment and resolution of critical developmental issues for practical fusion energy applications.
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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.
T. C. Chawla, G. M. Hauser, M. A. Grolmes, H. K. Fauske
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 58 | Number 1 | September 1975 | Pages 21-32
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE75-A26764
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A previous single-bubble model describing the coolant motion within an oxide fuel subassembly of a liquid-metal fast breeder reactor due to rapid gas release from multiple pin failure has been extended to include the description of coolant motion following the release of fission gas into the exit coolant plenum. The present model supplements the previous model in that it follows the motion of the lower gas-liquid interface by allowing for the expansion of gas in the exit plenum in the form of a spherical bubble, and by allowing it to detach and form another bubble in its place. The model assumes that the motion of the liquid surrounding the expanding bubble can be described by potential flow theory and that the motion of lower liquid slug in the subassembly can be described by one-dimensional continuity and momentum equations for incompressible flow model. The model also considers the translation of the center of the plenum bubble during its expansion. It is demonstrated that the behavior of the first bubble (i.e., when the difference between bubble pressure and the pressure of the surroundings is large) is analogous to that of the high-pressure bubble formed under large depths of water,and the behavior of those bubbles formed subsequently resembles that of the bubbles due to orifice bubbling above a gas chamber of finite volume. The sample calculations for a Fast Flux Test Facility reactor subassembly indicate that the recovery of coolant flow, even with a nearly simultaneous breach of all 217 pins in the sub-assembly, is very rapid, and the total transient time is not long enough to cause any significant overheating of the coolant and the cladding.