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Robotics & Remote Systems
The Mission of the Robotics and Remote Systems Division is to promote the development and application of immersive simulation, robotics, and remote systems for hazardous environments for the purpose of reducing hazardous exposure to individuals, reducing environmental hazards and reducing the cost of performing work.
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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.
John A. Bernard, Allan F. Henry, David D. Lanning
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 98 | Number 2 | February 1988 | Pages 87-96
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE88-A28488
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The “reactivity constraint approach” is described and demonstrated to be an effective and reliable means for the automatic control of power in nuclear reactors. This approach functions by restricting the effect of the delayed neutron populations to that which can be balanced by an induced change in the prompt population. This is done by limiting the net reactivity to the amount that can be offset by reversing the direction of motion of the automated control mechanism. The necessary reactivity constraints are obtained from the dynamic period equation, which gives the instantaneous reactor period as a function of the reactivity and the rate of change of reactivity. The derivation of this equation is described with emphasis on the recently obtained “alternate” formulation. Following a discussion of the behavior of each term of this alternate equation as a function of reactivity, its use in the design and operation of a nonlinear, closed-loop, digital controller for reactor power is described. Details of the initial experimental trials of the resulting controller are given.