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Division Spotlight
Education, Training & Workforce Development
The Education, Training & Workforce Development Division provides communication among the academic, industrial, and governmental communities through the exchange of views and information on matters related to education, training and workforce development in nuclear and radiological science, engineering, and technology. Industry leaders, education and training professionals, and interested students work together through Society-sponsored meetings and publications, to enrich their professional development, to educate the general public, and to advance nuclear and radiological science and engineering.
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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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.
Richard M. Bidwell, William E. Ferguson, Calvin C. Burwell, R. Philip Hammond, Keith V. Davidson, Walter R. Wykoff, Robert W. Anderson
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 14 | Number 2 | October 1962 | Pages 109-122
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE62-A28110
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
By combining arc casting and electron beam melting, spectroscopically pure tantalum and alloys were produced, suitable for containment of molten Pu-Fe alloys. The 0.1% W alloy was used for the first LAMPRE loading. The effects of a large number of additives on the corrosion resistance of tantalum were tested. Additions of up to 10% tungsten gave increasing endurance. Specimens of tantalum irradiated with neutrons to give 3% conversion to tungsten were still satisfactory in mechanical properties for reactor use. Either tungsten addition or traces of yttrium raise the one-hour recrystallization temperature of tantalum by 400°C. Effects of internal strain, critical strain, and precipitation hardening in tantalum alloys were studied. High-temperature annealed tantalum had superior corrosion resistance to the fuel, while impact extruded and ironed material was better than deep-drawn metal. Mechanical tests on tantalum with added interstitial elements showed that their presence to the extent expected in LAMPRE would be unlikely to weaken the tantalum. While small amounts of hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbon in the tantalum had no effect on corrosion, oxygen was found to promote plutonium attack on the metal.