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Fusion Energy
This division promotes the development and timely introduction of fusion energy as a sustainable energy source with favorable economic, environmental, and safety attributes. The division cooperates with other organizations on common issues of multidisciplinary fusion science and technology, conducts professional meetings, and disseminates technical information in support of these goals. Members focus on the assessment and resolution of critical developmental issues for practical fusion energy applications.
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 since 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. local time 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.”
Kazuaki Kitoh, Seiichi Koshizuka, Yoshiaki Oka
Nuclear Technology | Volume 123 | Number 3 | September 1998 | Pages 233-244
Technical Paper | Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT98-A2895
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The safety design and the analyses of pressure- and flow-induced accidents and transients of the direct-cycle supercritical-water-cooled fast reactor (SCFR) are discussed. The coolant system of the SCFR is the once-through type like a fossil-fired power plant. Maintaining the core flow is adopted as a fundamental safety requirement. The coolant flow rate is measured for the safety signal instead of the water level of a boiling water reactor. To guarantee the core flow, the plant is equipped with four high-pressure auxiliary feedwater systems, four low-pressure coolant injection systems, turbine bypass valves, and an automatic depressurization system.Behaviors at pressure- and flow-induced events are analyzed by a computer code for assessing the safety of the reactor. Total loss of flow and pump seizure are considered as accidents, and the maximum cladding temperature criterion for stainless steel is satisfied. Flywheels are needed for the main feedwater pumps for prolonging the coastdown time more than 10 s. Six events are considered as transients. All results satisfy the minimum deterioration heat flux criterion. The loss of feedwater heating is not a severe transient, although there is no recirculation coolant. The loss of turbine load is not severe because the coolant flow is stagnated by closing turbine control valves, and the core power is reduced because of the decrease of the coolant density. The SCFR tolerates the pressure- and flow-induced events.