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Conference Spotlight
2026 Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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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Latest News
What’s the most difficult question you’ve been asked as a maintenance instructor?
Blye Widmar
"Where are the prints?!"
This was the final question in an onslaught of verbal feedback, comments, and critiques I received from my students back in 2019. I had two years of instructor experience and was teaching a class that had been meticulously rehearsed in preparation for an accreditation visit. I knew the training material well and transferred that knowledge effectively enough for all the students to pass the class. As we wrapped up, I asked the students how they felt about my first big system-level class, and they did not hold back.
“Why was the exam from memory when we don’t work from memory in the plant?” “Why didn’t we refer to the vendor documents?” “Why didn’t we practice more on the mock-up?” And so on.
Morris E. Battat, L. A. Ronald Dierckx,+, C. Robert Emigh
Nuclear Technology | Volume 43 | Number 3 | May 1979 | Pages 338-348
Technical Paper | Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT79-A19222
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A detailed analysis is made showing the feasibility of producing a neutron spectrum that will closely match the first wall neutron environment of any proposed future fusion reactor. An intense neutron source based on the deuterium-tritium reaction and producing 1 to 3 × 1015 14-MeV neutrons per second in a small volume, <1 cm3, is used as the primary source. The spectrum is tailored by surrounding this source with a spherical blanket composed of concentric shells of lithium, uranium (93% 235U), and beryllium. The irradiation volume of ∼100 cm3 is located between the source and the inside of the blanket and can be used for the purpose of radiation damage evaluations.
