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Division Spotlight
Fuel Cycle & Waste Management
Devoted to all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle including waste management, worldwide. Division specific areas of interest and involvement include uranium conversion and enrichment; fuel fabrication, management (in-core and ex-core) and recycle; transportation; safeguards; high-level, low-level and mixed waste management and disposal; public policy and program management; decontamination and decommissioning environmental restoration; and excess weapons materials disposition.
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.
D. W. Wootan, J. A. Rawlins, L. L. Carter, H. R. Brager, R. E. Schenter
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 103 | Number 2 | October 1989 | Pages 150-156
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE89-A28503
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A cobalt test assembly containing yttrium hydride pins for neutron moderation was irradiated in the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) during cycle 9A for 137.7 equivalent full-power days at a power level of 291 MW. The 36 test pins consisted of a batch of 32 pins containing cobalt metal used to produce 60Co and a set of four pins with europium oxide to produce 153Gd, a radioisotope used in detection of the bone disease osteoporosis. Postirradiation examination of the cobalt pins determined the 60Co production to be predictable to an accuracy of ∼5 %. The measured 60Co spatially distributed concentrations were within 20% of the calculated concentrations. The assembly average 60Co measured activity was 4% less than the calculated value. The europium oxide pins were gamma scanned for the europium isotopes 152Eu and 154Eu to an absolute accuracy of -10%. The measured europium radioisotope and I53Gd concentrations were within 20% of calculated values. The hydride assembly performed well and is an excellent vehicle for many FFTF isotope production applications. The results also demonstrate the accuracy of the calculational methods developed by the Westinghouse Hanford Company for predicting isotope production rates in this type of assembly.