ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
Dec 2025
Jul 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
December 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
November 2025
Latest News
Modernizing I&C for operations and maintenance, one phase at a time
The two reactors at Dominion Energy’s Surry plant are among the oldest in the U.S. nuclear fleet. Yet when the plant celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023, staff could raise a toast to the future. Surry was one of the first plants to file a subsequent license renewal (SLR) application, and in May 2021, it became official: the plant was licensed to operate for a full 80 years, extending its reactors’ lifespans into 2052 and 2053.
Husam Khalefih, Yunseok Jeong, Yonghee Kim
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 199 | Number 12 | December 2025 | Pages 2193-2213
Regular Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2025.2475414
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In this study, the feasibility of performing daily load-follow operation (DLFO) in a pressurized water reactor without soluble boron adjustment was investigated to mitigate issues related to reactivity control and radioactive waste generation. The APR1400 reactor’s initial cycle configuration was simulated under various burnup conditions. Results indicated that the partial strength control element assembly (PSCEA), which uses Inconel as a neutron absorber, should be modified to enhance its reactivity worth. Inconel’s weak absorption capability led to deep insertion of regulating banks during power reduction to counteract negative temperature feedback and increase in xenon concentration. Instead of altering the PSCEA’s physical design, stronger neutron absorbers such as hafnium, Ag-In-Cd (AIC), B4C, and manganese were evaluated as potential replacements. B4C demonstrated the highest total reactivity worth, whereas manganese performed the weakest. Both hafnium and AIC showed similar and successful axial shape index (ASI) control at the beginning of cycle, middle of cycle, and end of cycle. Hafnium’s superior material properties, including its higher melting point, corrosion resistance, and density, make it a more suitable replacement for Inconel in the PSCEA. By modifying the PSCEA material, DLFO without soluble boron concentration adjustment was successfully achieved in the standard APR1400 initial cycle and the Low-Enriched Uranium Plus (LEU+) loaded APR1400 core with much higher fuel burnup. The analysis was performed using the KANT in-house three-dimensional diffusion nodal code, with cross sections generated using the Serpent Monte Carlo code.