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.
Division Spotlight
Radiation Protection & Shielding
The Radiation Protection and Shielding Division is developing and promoting radiation protection and shielding aspects of nuclear science and technology — including interaction of nuclear radiation with materials and biological systems, instruments and techniques for the measurement of nuclear radiation fields, and radiation shield design and evaluation.
Meeting Spotlight
Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo (UWC 2024)
August 4–7, 2024
Marco Island, FL|JW Marriott Marco Island
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
Jul 2024
Jan 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
August 2024
Nuclear Technology
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.”
M. Kalish, R. T. Walters, S. Raftopoulos, R. Hatcher, G. Gettelfinger, L. Dudek, D. Yager, D. R. Hyatt
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 30 | Number 3 | December 1996 | Pages 977-981
Fusion Materials | doi.org/10.13182/FST96-A11963063
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Various perfluorinated materials are used at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory in support of the Deuterium-Tritium experimental program on the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR). For example, SF6 is used as a high dielectric gaseous insulator in the Neutral Beam sources, and Krytox®, a perfluorinated polyether, is used as a lubricant in vacuum pumping systems. Each of these materials is robust and stable in the applications for which they are designed but may be a source of trouble when used in tritium systems.
This paper reports on the observations made and experience gained operating tritium systems under conditions which degrade these perfluorinated materials. The possible degradation mechanisms and products are described, and the effect on the equipment and instrumentation is described. These observations have led to the conclusion that under certain circumstances perfluorinated materials are not suited for tritium service because of the degradation products from tritium decay and/or process conditions.