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Members are devoted to applying nuclear science and engineering technologies involving isotopes, radiation applications, and associated equipment in scientific research, development, and industrial processes. Their interests lie primarily in education, industrial uses, biology, medicine, and health physics. Division committees include Analytical Applications of Isotopes and Radiation, Biology and Medicine, Radiation Applications, Radiation Sources and Detection, and Thermal Power Sources.
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Latest News
Colin Judge: Testing structural materials in Idaho’s newest hot cell facility
Idaho National Laboratory’s newest facility—the Sample Preparation Laboratory (SPL)—sits across the road from the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF), which started operating in 1975. SPL will host the first new hot cells at INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) in 50 years, giving INL researchers and partners new flexibility to test the structural properties of irradiated materials fresh from the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) or from a partner’s facility.
Materials meant to withstand extreme conditions in fission or fusion power plants must be tested under similar conditions and pushed past their breaking points so performance and limitations can be understood and improved. Once irradiated, materials samples can be cut down to size in SPL and packaged for testing in other facilities at INL or other national laboratories, commercial labs, or universities. But they can also be subjected to extreme thermal or corrosive conditions and mechanical testing right in SPL, explains Colin Judge, who, as INL’s division director for nuclear materials performance, oversees SPL and other facilities at the MFC.
SPL won’t go “hot” until January 2026, but Judge spoke with NN staff writer Susan Gallier about its capabilities as his team was moving instruments into the new facility.
Jingping Chen, Yuhu Zhai, Russell Feder
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 72 | Number 4 | November 2017 | Pages 686-691
Technical Note | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2017.1347464
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) diagnostic port plugs perform many functions including nuclear shielding, structural support of diagnostic system, while allowing for diagnostic access to the plasma. With design advancing, the in-port diagnostic components are integrated into the port plug structure, and the diagnostic shield modules (DSM) are customized to accommodate the in-port diagnostic components. This technical note summarizes results of transient electro-magnetic analysis using Opera 3d in support of recent design activities for ITER diagnostic equatorial port plug (EPP). A complete distribution of disruption loads on each component in EPP9 is presented. Impacts of different design features, such as the locations of the electrical contact, to the EM loads are discussed, and solutions for improving the port structure design are proposed.