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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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Deep Space: The new frontier of radiation controls
In commercial nuclear power, there has always been a deliberate tension between the regulator and the utility owner. The regulator fundamentally exists to protect the worker, and the utility, to make a profit. It is a win-win balance.
From the U.S. nuclear industry has emerged a brilliantly successful occupational nuclear safety record—largely the result of an ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) process that has driven exposure rates down to what only a decade ago would have been considered unthinkable. In the U.S. nuclear industry, the system has accomplished an excellent, nearly seamless process that succeeds to the benefit of both employee and utility owner.
E. Corran, C. A. Stapleton
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 54 | Number 1 | May 1974 | Pages 47-54
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE74-A23392
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A control system is described which will shut down a reactor in close to the minimum time that will allow subsequent restart on demand, despite fission product buildup. Errors in the reactor model, restrictions on operating conditions, and plant perturbations are taken into account. The system uses an on-line computer, requires no extra reactor instrumentation, and provides the operator at all times with an estimate of the minimum time to transfer the reactor from its current state to a suitable shutdown condition. During normal operating conditions, the operator may use the system to evaluate strategies satisfying various restart conditions. The results of simulation tests on the system are included.
