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Division Spotlight
Isotopes & Radiation
Members are devoted to applying nuclear science and engineering technologies involving isotopes, radiation applications, and associated equipment in scientific research, development, and industrial processes. Their interests lie primarily in education, industrial uses, biology, medicine, and health physics. Division committees include Analytical Applications of Isotopes and Radiation, Biology and Medicine, Radiation Applications, Radiation Sources and Detection, and Thermal Power Sources.
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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
October 2024
Nuclear Technology
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August 2024
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.
C. H. M. Broeders, G. Kessler
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 156 | Number 1 | May 2007 | Pages 1-23
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE07-A2681
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Denatured reactor plutonium with a 238Pu isotopic content of ~6% or somewhat more can be produced in a suitably adapted fuel cycle. Several such fuel cycle options are proposed. Reenriched reprocessed 235U/236U/238U, which can be blended with some low-enriched 235U/238U fuel, leads, after one burnup cycle of 50 to 60 GWd/tonne in a pressurized water reactor (PWR) core, to denatured reactor plutonium with more than 8% 238Pu isotopic content. Presently existing reactor plutonium with ~2.8% 238Pu from spent fuel with a burnup of 50 GWd/tonne can also be converted in PWRs, during one or two burnup cycles over 50 to 60 GWd/tonne into denatured reactor plutonium. This is also demonstrated by burnup calculations for different fuel cycle scenarios using, e.g., reenriched reprocessed uranium, thorium, and minor actinides. Denatured reactor plutonium with 6% or somewhat more 238Pu isotopic content can be considered as a proliferation-resistant fuel and could be treated like low-enriched (<20% 235U) uranium fuel. It can be incinerated by multiple recycling in PWRs or fast reactors. Advanced aqueous reprocessing or pyroprocessing as well as related refabrication methods, as they are being developed for transmutation scenarios of the minor actinides, would be best suited for such adapted fuel cycle options. Safeguards needs and aspects for the different proposed fuel cycle options are discussed.