There are 103 operating
nuclear power generating units in the United States and 438 worldwide.
Eight plants in the US have had their licenses renewed and 15 more have filed
for relicensing. Outside the US, 32 plants are under construction.
The Yucca Mountain Project seems likely to be
approved this year. These data
from the Nuclear Energy Institute and the
International Atomic Energy Agency demonstrate that the nuclear industry is
making a significant contribution to the energy needs of the US and world and
is poised to increase its
contributions. Through its research, technology transfer, and graduate
student education, North Carolina State University’s Center for Nuclear Power
Plant Structures, Equipment and Piping is doing its part to support this vital
industry.
The Center was established in 1991. Since that time, it has become a premier university-based research and professional organization in the areas of structures, equipment and piping in nuclear power plants.
We have developed and continue to develop sophisticated engineering tools that can result in substantial savings over the lifetime of an existing plant. We believe that sophisticated engineering tools, based on sound structural, material, and computational principles in both deterministic and risk-informed environments, need not be complicated or cumbersome. Often, the more sophisticated the technology is, the simpler and more elegant the solutions are. We feel that the potential is unlimited.
| Vernon C.
Matzen Professor and Director |
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