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Division Spotlight
Robotics & Remote Systems
The Mission of the Robotics and Remote Systems Division is to promote the development and application of immersive simulation, robotics, and remote systems for hazardous environments for the purpose of reducing hazardous exposure to individuals, reducing environmental hazards and reducing the cost of performing work.
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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
August 2024
Nuclear Technology
July 2024
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
NRC engineers share their expertise at the University of Puerto Rico
Robert Roche-Rivera and Marcos Rolón-Acevedo are licensed professional engineers who work at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. They are also alumni of the University of Puerto Rico–Mayagüez (UPRM) and have been sharing their knowledge and experience with students at their alma mater since last year, serving as adjunct professors in the university’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. During the 2023–2024 school year, they each taught two courses: Fundamentals of Nuclear Science and Engineering, and Nuclear Power Plant Engineering.
Tingzhou Fei, Zhaopeng Zhong, Samuel E. Bays, Florent Heidet
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 196 | Number 1 | October 2022 | Pages S98-S109
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2021.1991760
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) is currently under development by the U.S. Department of Energy. It will provide very high fast neutron flux irradiation capabilities that are currently unavailable in the United States. Given the increasingly large number of advanced reactor concepts being pursued in recent years, this irradiation testing capability will be essential to support maturation of these designs. Radiation protection is an important part of the VTR design. High neutron fluxes can pose a challenge for radiation protection of the structures and equipment near the reactor core. This paper provides a summary on the status of the radiation protection considerations and shielding analysis performed for VTR under a nominal operating condition. The main radiation sources identified and examined in the study are applicable only under this operating condition. The paper focuses on three areas of radiation protection and shielding: secondary sodium activation in the intermediate heat exchanger, air activation in the reactor vessel auxiliary cooling system, and dose rate above the head access area due to primary sodium activation. VTR design and development are continuously progressing, and as such, the shielding considerations discussed in this paper will evolve alongside the overall VTR design.