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Division Spotlight
Nuclear Installations Safety
Devoted specifically to the safety of nuclear installations and the health and safety of the public, this division seeks a better understanding of the role of safety in the design, construction and operation of nuclear installation facilities. The division also promotes engineering and scientific technology advancement associated with the safety of such facilities.
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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February 2025
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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?
Allen G. Croff
Nuclear Technology | Volume 62 | Number 3 | September 1983 | Pages 335-352
Technical Paper | Analyses | doi.org/10.13182/NT83-1
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
ORIGEN2 is a versatile point-depletion and radioactive-decay computer code for use in simulating nuclear fuel cycles and calculating the nuclide compositions and characteristics of materials contained therein. It represents a revision and update of the original ORIGEN computer code, which was developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and distributed worldwide beginning in the early 1970s. Included in ORIGEN2 are provisions for incorporating data generated by more sophisticated reactor physics codes, a free-format input, and a highly flexible and controllable output; with these features, ORIGEN2 has the capability for simulating a wide variety of fuel cycle flow sheets. The decay, cross-section, fission product yield, and photon emission data bases employed by ORIGEN2 have been extensively updated, and the list of reactors that can be simulated includes pressurized water reactors, boiling water reactors, liquid-metal fast breeder reactors, and Canada deuterium uranium reactors. A number of verification activities have been undertaken, including (a) comparison of ORIGEN2 decay heat results with both calculated and experimental values, and (b) comparison of predicted spent fuel compositions with measured values. The agreement between ORIGEN2 and the comparison bases is generally very good. Future work concerning ORIGEN2 will involve continued maintenance and user support along with additional verification studies and limited modifications to enhance its flexibility and usability. ORIGEN2 can be obtained, free of charge, from the ORNL Radiation Shielding Information Center.