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Division Spotlight
Isotopes & Radiation
Members are devoted to applying nuclear science and engineering technologies involving isotopes, radiation applications, and associated equipment in scientific research, development, and industrial processes. Their interests lie primarily in education, industrial uses, biology, medicine, and health physics. Division committees include Analytical Applications of Isotopes and Radiation, Biology and Medicine, Radiation Applications, Radiation Sources and Detection, and Thermal Power Sources.
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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Latest News
Vogtle-3 shuts down for valve issue
One of the new Vogtle units in Georgia was shut down unexpectedly on Monday last week for a valve issue that has been investigated and repaired. According to multiple local news outlets, Georgia Power reported on July 17 that unit 3 was back in service.
Southern Company spokesperson Jacob Hawkins confirmed that Vogtle-3 went off line at 9:25 p.m. on July 8 “due to lowering water levels in the steam generators caused by a valve issue on one of the three main feedwater pumps.”
Kun Mo, Hsiao-Ming Tung, Xiang Chen, Yang Zhao, Jon Hansen, James F. Stubbins
Nuclear Technology | Volume 183 | Number 3 | September 2013 | Pages 455-463
Technical Paper | Materials for Nuclear Systems | doi.org/10.13182/NT13-A19433
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Both Alloy 617 and Alloy 230 have been considered the most promising structural materials for the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR). In this study, mechanical properties of both alloys were examined by performing tensile tests at three different strain rates and at temperatures up to 1000°C. This range covers time-dependent (plasticity) to time-independent (creep) deformations. Strain-rate sensitivity analysis for each alloy was conducted in order to approximate the long-term flow stresses. The strain-rate sensitivities for the 0.2% flow stress were found to be temperature independent (m [approximate] 0) at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 700°C due to dynamic strain aging. At elevated temperatures (800°C to 1000°C), the strain-rate sensitivity significantly increased (m > 0.1). Compared to Alloy 617, Alloy 230 displayed higher strain-rate sensitivities at high temperatures. This leads to lower estimated long-term flow stresses. Results of this analysis were used to evaluate the current American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) allowable design limits for each alloy. The study showed that the allowable design stresses in the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code for either alloy do not provide adequate long-term degradation estimation. Nevertheless, rupture stresses for Alloy 617, developed in the ASME code case N-47-28, can generally satisfy the safety margins at 800°C and 1000°C estimated in the study following the strain-rate sensitivity analysis. Furthermore, additional material development studies might be required, since the design parameters for rupture stresses are constrained such that the current VHTR conceptual designs cannot satisfy the material limits.