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Conference Spotlight
2025 ANS Winter Conference & Expo
November 9–12, 2025
Washington, DC|Washington Hilton
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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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Surplus plutonium for power reactor fuel: What’s on offer
The Department of Energy has a plan for private companies to “dispose of surplus plutonium”—about 19.7 metric tons in both oxide and metal forms—by “making the materials available for advanced nuclear technologies.” A Surplus Plutonium Utilization Program request for applications (RFA) issued October 21 describes the plutonium on offer, and the “thresholds” prospective applicants must meet.
Charles N. Kelber
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 47 | Number 1 | January 1972 | Pages 127-131
Technical paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE72-A28425
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In the course of the recent rehabilitation of CP-5, a study was made of the safety problems associated with in-leakage of light water into the primary coolant (heavy water) stream from a tube rupture in the main heat exchanger. The reactivity effects of the light water can be represented by a prompt positive coefficient and a delayed negative coefficient during normal operation. When the rods are pulled out (as during recovery from xenon poisoning), the effects of light water are to decrease the reactivity. The plant is designed to render water in-leakage highly unlikely. Even in the case such in-leakage occurs, the plant protection system is capable of protecting the system against rupture of many tubes in rapid succession.