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Division Spotlight
Nuclear Criticality Safety
NCSD provides communication among nuclear criticality safety professionals through the development of standards, the evolution of training methods and materials, the presentation of technical data and procedures, and the creation of specialty publications. In these ways, the division furthers the exchange of technical information on nuclear criticality safety with the ultimate goal of promoting the safe handling of fissionable materials outside reactors.
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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Aug 2024
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
August 2024
Latest News
Nuclear new build procurement considerations
It may seem counterintuitive, but the best time to enhance the ability to support operations and maintenance for a new plant is before construction starts. This is one of many lessons learned by the currently operating nuclear fleet. As construction and startup of many nuclear facilities was completed, it quickly became evident that the ability to efficiently support operations and maintenance was limited. Most of the information necessary to establish and manage procurement of spare and replacement items, maintenance, and configuration of the facilities was unavailable and had to be gathered on a case-by-case, “on-demand” basis. Absence of necessary information and the associated challenges resulted in the need for staff augmentation and multiyear-long projects to develop equipment bills of material and maintenance programs and to perform technical evaluations for the huge quantities of spare and replacement items being requested.
Technical Session|Panel|Sponsored by ETWDD
Wednesday, June 19, 2024|8:00–9:45AM PDT|Banyan C
Session Chair:
Todd Allen (Univ. Michigan)
Session Organizer:
Alternate Chair:
Kuhika Gupta (Univ. Oklahoma)
In the past, siting used nuclear fuel facilities has been challenging in the US. A common thread in previous efforts relates to the role of potential host communities (PHCs) to engage during the siting process. Traditionally, siting programs have not enabled community members to meaningfully shape what it is that they are being asked to host. The facility design is typically predetermined, shaped by program goals and regulatory requirements. Therefore, when consent is sought, community representatives have not been meaningfully engaged in conversations about the ways in which variations in design can - while meeting or exceeding regulatory requirements - better match community identity and aspirations. We posit that siting programs need to integrate more robust engagement with communities about the program and facility so that they are truly consent-based. This project is exploring a qualitatively different approach to engaging with PHCs about siting interim storage facilities (ISFs). This new approach engages with PHCs to participate in collaborative design ("co-design") of a prospective facility with project engineers and explore the implications of this new approach for potential decision-making and project outcomes. The panel will discuss ways in which the co-design approach has been developed and implemented in the project so far. Members of the core research team will utilize a roundtable discussion format to reflect on the prospective strengths of co-design for consent-based siting, and potential weaknesses. The discussion will also highlight strategies for deep collaborative research, spanning multiple disciplines. Finally, the panel will present some key results from surveys and workshops conducted and steps for future research.
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