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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
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
Virginia utility considers SMRs
Dominion Energy Virginia has issued a request for proposals from leading nuclear companies to study the feasibility of putting a small modular reactor at its North Anna nuclear power plant.
While the utility says it is not a commitment to build an SMR at the site, the RFP is “an important first step in evaluating the technology and the North Anna site to support Dominion Energy customers’ future energy needs consistent with the company’s most recent Integrated Resource Plan.”
S. Rajendran Pillai, R. Ranganathan, Cherian K. Mathews
Nuclear Technology | Volume 92 | Number 2 | November 1990 | Pages 243-247
Technical Paper | Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT90-A34475
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Carburization is one of the causes of the degradation of the mechanical properties of structural components in a liquid-metal fast breeder reactor. Sodium carbonate is a carbon-bearing impurity species that can decompose in the sodium coolant of the reactor loops and give rise to highly carburizing conditions. While there are conflicting reports about the temperature of the onset of decomposition of sodium carbonate in liquid sodium, there is general agreement about its instability at elevated temperatures. Two methods have been used to monitor the onset and kinetics of decomposition of sodium carbonate in liquid sodium. In the first method, carbon generated by the decomposition of sodium carbonate reacts with hydrogen (dissolved in sodium) to form methane, and the temperature at which the pressure of methane abruptly increases is determined. In the second method, the increase of carbon activity of sodium, resulting from decomposition of the sodium carbonate, is monitored by an electrochemical carbon meter. In both cases, mutually complementary results are obtained with regard to the temperature of decomposition; however, a significant difference in the kinetics of decomposition is observed, the rate being very high in the presence of hydrogen.