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Division Spotlight
Operations & Power
Members focus on the dissemination of knowledge and information in the area of power reactors with particular application to the production of electric power and process heat. The division sponsors meetings on the coverage of applied nuclear science and engineering as related to power plants, non-power reactors, and other nuclear facilities. It encourages and assists with the dissemination of knowledge pertinent to the safe and efficient operation of nuclear facilities through professional staff development, information exchange, and supporting the generation of viable solutions to current issues.
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.
E. Z. Müller
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 109 | Number 2 | October 1991 | Pages 200-214
Technical Note | doi.org/10.13182/NSE91-A28518
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A one-dimensional method based on a combination of the “nodal equivalence theory” and response matrix homogenization methods was previously described for determining environment-insensitive equivalent few-group diffusion theory parameters for homogenized radial reflector nodes of a pressurized water reactor. This reflector model, called the NGET-RM model, yields equivalent nodal parameters that do not account for the two-dimensional structure of the baffle at core corners; this can lead to significant errors in computed two-dimensional core power distributions. A semi-empirical correction procedure is proposed for reducing the two-dimensional effects associated with this particular one-dimensional reflector model. Numerical two-group experiments are performed for a given reflector configuration (and soluble boron concentration) to determine optimal values for the two empirical factors defined by this model. It is shown that the resultant factors are rather insensitive to core configuration or core conditions and that their application yields improved two-group NGET-RM reflector parameters with which accurate nodal power distributions can be obtained. The results are also compared with those obtained with another one-dimensional environment-insensitive model that has an extra degree of freedom utilized here to reduce two-dimensional effects. Some practical aspects related to the application of the proposed correction procedure are briefly discussed.