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Division Spotlight
Reactor Physics
The division's objectives are to promote the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena characterizing nuclear reactors and other nuclear systems. The division encourages research and disseminates information through meetings and publications. Areas of technical interest include nuclear data, particle interactions and transport, reactor and nuclear systems analysis, methods, design, validation and operating experience and standards. The Wigner Award heads the awards program.
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!
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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.”
Kathryn A. McCarthy, David A. Petti, Hesham Y. Khater
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 39 | Number 2 | March 2001 | Pages 951-955
Safety and Environment | doi.org/10.13182/FST01-A11963363
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
High temperature refractory alloys of tungsten, molybdenum and tantalum are under evaluation for use as structural materials in the Advanced Power Extraction Program (APEX) because of their ability to accommodate high wall loading and high temperature coolant. However, such materials tend to have undesirable safety and environmental characteristics relative to conventional reduced-activation fusion materials. These alloys have high decay heat and in some cases their activation results in the production of long-lived isotopes that would disqualify the material from being disposed of as low level waste. In addition, some of the alloys have oxides that are very volatile, which could be mobilized in accident scenarios in which air ingress is a concern. In this paper we compare the safety and environmental characteristics of these alloys with their low activation cousin (vanadium) in terms of decay heat, oxidation driven mobilization in air, and waste management.