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Division Spotlight
Nuclear Criticality Safety
NCSD provides communication among nuclear criticality safety professionals through the development of standards, the evolution of training methods and materials, the presentation of technical data and procedures, and the creation of specialty publications. In these ways, the division furthers the exchange of technical information on nuclear criticality safety with the ultimate goal of promoting the safe handling of fissionable materials outside reactors.
Meeting Spotlight
International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M&C 2025)
April 27–30, 2025
Denver, CO|The Westin Denver Downtown
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
TerraPower begins U.K. regulatory approval process
Seattle-based TerraPower signaled its interest this week in building its Natrium small modular reactor in the United Kingdom, the company announced.
TerraPower sent a letter to the U.K.’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, formally establishing its intention to enter the U.K. generic design assessment (GDA) process. This is TerraPower’s first step in deployment of its Natrium technology—a 345-MW sodium fast reactor coupled with a molten salt energy storage unit—on the international stage.
Allen S. Benjamin, David J. McCloskey
Nuclear Technology | Volume 49 | Number 2 | July 1980 | Pages 274-294
Nuclear Fuel Cycle | Fuel Cycle | doi.org/10.13182/NT80-A32490
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An analysis has been performed to determine the heatup of spent fuel following a hypothetical accident involving drainage of the storage pool. The heatup has been found to be strongly dependent on the spent fuel decay time, the storage rack design, and the packing density in the pool, as well as the drainage level and the building ventilation characteristics. In particular, the prerequisite decay time to preclude failure of the cladding due to rupture or melting has been found to vary from <10 days for some storage configurations to several years for others. The potential for reducing this critical decay time either by making reasonable design modifications or by providing effective emergency counter-measures has been found to be significant.
