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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
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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.”
William S. Charlton, William D. Stanbro, R. T. Perry, Bryan L. Fearey
Nuclear Technology | Volume 128 | Number 3 | December 1999 | Pages 285-299
Technical Paper | Fission Reactors | doi.org/10.13182/NT99-A3032
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has developed a system for determining 237Np, 241Am, and 243Am concentrations in spent fuel from measurements of the 240Pu/239Pu isotopic ratio using calculations performed with the HELIOS lattice-physics code. Benchmark calculations for several pressurized water reactors (PWRs) were performed and compared to measured values from the literature for fuels with burnups ranging from 0 to 50 000 MWd/tonne U. A direct correlation can be found between the 240Pu/239Pu isotopic ratio and the higher-actinide concentrations for each fuel type. Comparisons of calculated with measured values suggests that the LANL technique would yield 237Np and 241Am concentrations within ±5% and 243Am concentrations within ±15% for PWRs. Expanding this system for all reprocessing applications will require more measured data (especially for boiling water reactors and VVER-type reactors), but the existing results show a marked improvement over the previous ORIGEN calculations. Also, a better determination of the 243Am concentrations may support a greater confidence in the calculated results or suggest an alteration to the existing nuclear data. The present state of these neutronics calculations suggests that the technology exists to reduce the need for direct measurement of the 237Np, 241Am, and 243Am concentrations in spent fuel.