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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.
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International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M&C 2025)
April 27–30, 2025
Denver, CO|The Westin Denver Downtown
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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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Argonne’s METL gears up to test more sodium fast reactor components
Argonne National Laboratory has successfully swapped out an aging cold trap in the sodium test loop called METL (Mechanisms Engineering Test Loop), the Department of Energy announced April 23. The upgrade is the first of its kind in the United States in more than 30 years, according to the DOE, and will help test components and operations for the sodium-cooled fast reactors being developed now.
Sandro Sandri, Luigi Di Pace
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 30 | Number 3 | December 1996 | Pages 1480-1484
Safety and Environment | doi.org/10.13182/FST96-A11963158
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Occupational Radiation Exposure (ORE) for the water primary cooling system (PCS) of the SEAFP (Safety and Environmental Assessment of Fusion Power) alternative plant model (APM) was assessed taking into account the first wall/ blanket section only.
All the potential radiological sources were considered and the analysis was restricted to the most important source at the PCS, the activated corrosion products (ACP). The neutrons have the capability to activate the materials under their flux and therefore also the inner surface of the in-vessel portion of the PCS undergo to such a process. Production, erosion/corrosion, transport and deposition of the ACP are the subject of a parallel work presented at the same meeting.
The ACP deposited on the inner surface of the PCS components are responsible for the personnel external irradiation. The relevant dose rate was evaluated by using the computer code MCNP and comparing the results with the respective values measured at the fission PWR plants. The comparison with the PWR made it possible to transfer the parameters relevant to the working activities to the SEAFP PCS. Maintenance and inspection were found to be the only working tasks applicable to the SEAFP circuit and the worker access was considered to be allowed 24 h after the plant shut down only.
The ORE figures are shown in the work for each working activity and are compared with those measured at the PWR similar circuit. The comparison showed a more acceptable result from the radiological safety point of view for the SEAFP staff.