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Education, Training & Workforce Development
The Education, Training & Workforce Development Division provides communication among the academic, industrial, and governmental communities through the exchange of views and information on matters related to education, training and workforce development in nuclear and radiological science, engineering, and technology. Industry leaders, education and training professionals, and interested students work together through Society-sponsored meetings and publications, to enrich their professional development, to educate the general public, and to advance nuclear and radiological science and engineering.
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Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo (UWC 2024)
August 4–7, 2024
Marco Island, FL|JW Marriott Marco Island
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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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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Vogtle-3 shuts down for valve issue
One of the new Vogtle units in Georgia was shut down unexpectedly on Monday last week for a valve issue that has since been investigated and repaired. According to multiple local news outlets, Georgia Power reported on July 17 that Unit 3 was back in service.
Southern Company spokesperson Jacob Hawkins confirmed that Vogtle-3 went off line at 9:25 p.m. local time on July 8 “due to lowering water levels in the steam generators caused by a valve issue on one of the three main feedwater pumps.”
John P. Holdren, D. H. Berwald, Robert J. Budnitz, Jimmy G. Crocker, J. G. Delene, Ron D. Endicott, Mujid S. Kazimi, R. A. Krakowski, B. Grant Logan, Kenneth R. Schultz
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 13 | Number 1 | January 1988 | Pages 7-56
Overview | doi.org/10.13182/FST88-A25084
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Senior Committee on Environmental, Safety, and Economic Aspects of Magnetic Fusion Energy (ESECOM) summarizes its recent assessment of magnetic fusion energy's (MFE's) prospects for providing energy with economic, environmental, and safety characteristics that would be attractive compared with other energy sources (mainly fission) available in the time frame of the year 2015 and beyond. Accordingly, ESECOM has given particular attention to the interaction of environmental, safety, and economic characteristics of a variety of magnetic fusion reactors, and compared those fusion cases with a variety of fission cases. Eight fusion cases, two fusion-fission hybrid cases, and four fission cases are examined, using consistent economic and safety models, to permit exploration of the environmental, safety, and economic potential of fusion concepts using a wide range of possible materials choices, power densities, power conversion schemes, and fuel cycles. The ESECOM analysis indicates that MFE systems have the potential to achieve costs of electricity comparable to those of present and future fission systems, coupled with significant safety and environmental advantages. This conclusion is based on (a) assumptions about plasma performance and engineering characteristics that are optimistic but defensible extrapolations from current experience, and (b) consistent application of an elaborate set of engineering/economic and safety/environment models to a range of fusion and fission reference cases, with the known characteristics of fission light water reactors as a benchmark. The most important advantages of fusion with respect to safety and environment are 1. high demonstrability of adequate public protection from reactor accidents, based on passive rather than on active safety systems 2. substantial amelioration of the radioactive waste problem by eliminating or greatly reducing the high-level waste category that requires deep geologic disposal 3. diminution of some important links with nuclear weaponry. These advantages are potentially large enough to make a difference in public acceptability of MFE, as compared to fission. Neither the economic competitiveness nor the environmental safety advantages of fusion will materialize automatically. Economic competitiveness depends on attaining plasma and engineering performances that are not yet assured. Achieving the potential environmental and safety advantages depends in large measure on designs specifically tailored to do so and on the use of low-activation materials whose practicality for fusion applications remains to be demonstrated. It is essential that sufficient research and development be devoted early to determining which of a variety of confinement schemes, structural materials, blanket types, and fuel cycle/energy conversion combinations can actually be made practical.