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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
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025)
February 3–6, 2025
Amelia Island, FL|Omni Amelia Island Resort
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
February 2025
Nuclear Technology
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Latest News
Reboot: Nuclear needs a success . . . anywhere
The media have gleefully resurrected the language of a past nuclear renaissance. Beyond the hype and PR, many people in the nuclear community are taking a more measured view of conditions that could lead to new construction: data center demand, the proliferation of new reactor designs and start-ups, and the sudden ascendance of nuclear energy as the power source everyone wants—or wants to talk about.
Once built, large nuclear reactors can provide clean power for at least 80 years—outlasting 10 to 20 presidential administrations. Smaller reactors can provide heat and power outputs tailored to an end user’s needs. With all the new attention, are we any closer to getting past persistent supply chain and workforce issues and building these new plants? And what will the election of Donald Trump to a second term as president mean for nuclear?
As usual, there are more questions than answers, and most come down to money. Several developers are engaging with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or have already applied for a license, certification, or permit. But designs without paying customers won’t get built. So where are the customers, and what will it take for them to commit?
T. G. Broughton, N. G. Trikouros
Nuclear Technology | Volume 54 | Number 3 | September 1981 | Pages 342-357
First International Retran Meeting | Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow | doi.org/10.13182/NT81-A32779
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The RETRAN code was developed in recognition of the need for utilities with a small analysis staff to be able to perform best-estimate analyses of operational transients. It provided General Public Utilities with a powerful tool for independent analysis of dynamic plant performance. Previously, all such best-estimate analyses were rarely performed, and only vendors, consultants, and large utilities had the required capability. The use of RETRAN by our own staff on our in-house computer has allowed us to establish our own schedules for a variety of analysis applications. In addition, the general nature of RETRAN allowed for the analysis of many different events with only minor changes to the model and for the modeling of both pressurized water reactor and boiling water reactor plants with the same code. To date, RETRAN has been successfully used to predict plant performance for the purposes of design optimization, short-term operational support, in-house support of licensing, and operator training activities. Plant procedures and postulated transient scenarios have been verified using RETRAN. Inferences have been made regarding the behavior of unrecorded plant parameters using the recorded parameters and iteratively varying the unknowns until a consistent simulation was obtained. This approach is presently being refined with the use of RETRAN control system models to preclude the need for iterative analyses. Our activities with RETRAN have given us confidence in the ability of the code to provide accurate thermal-hydraulic simulations, including simulations that require thermal-hydraulic and control system coupling. The importance of benchmarking against actual plant data as a means of providing confidence in the code and the particular plant models cannot be overemphasized. The control system models in RETRAN have been shown to provide a great deal of flexibility in displaying results in terms familiar to operations personnel and as a general means of problem solving. We anticipate an increased usage of RETRAN for operator training and procedure development. We also plan to conduct analyses of expected plant performance during different modes of operation such as startups and load changes. It is further anticipated that RETRAN will be used to provide prepredictions of plant performance during the Three Mile Island Unit 1 startup testing program. Future applications will include analyses in support of fuel reloads and plant modifications.