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Radiation Protection & Shielding
The Radiation Protection and Shielding Division is developing and promoting radiation protection and shielding aspects of nuclear science and technology — including interaction of nuclear radiation with materials and biological systems, instruments and techniques for the measurement of nuclear radiation fields, and radiation shield design and evaluation.
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
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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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Article considers incorporation of AI into nuclear power plant operations
The potential application of artificial intelligence to the operation of nuclear power plants is explored in an article published in late December in the Washington Examiner. The article, written by energy and environment reporter Callie Patteson, presents the views of a number of experts, including Yavuz Arik, a strategic energy consultant.
Gary R. Smolen, Raymond C. Lloyd, Tomozo Koyama
Nuclear Technology | Volume 107 | Number 3 | September 1994 | Pages 326-339
Technical Paper | Nuclear Criticality Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT94-A35011
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Critical experiments were performed at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory-Critical Mass Laboratory from 1985 to 1987 with mixed Pu+U nitrate solutions in annular geometry. The 25.4-cm-diam central region of the annular vessel contained various inserts, such as a bottle containing fissile solution and borated-concrete and cadmium-covered polyethylene annular inserts. The fissile solution concentrations ranged from 47 to 226g Pu/ℓ with Pu/Pu+U ratios of 1.0, 0.5, and 0.2. The criticality data were used to validate two versions of the SCALE computer code system (SCALE-4 and SCALE-2). The analyses were performed with the 27-energy-group cross-section library, derived from the Evaluated Nuclear Data File B-Version IV. Computer models were prepared to accurately simulate all significant materials that would affect the system reactivity. The average calculated keff for the 18 experiments was 1.008 (σ = 0.006) with SCALE-4 and 1.004 (σ = 0.006) with SCALE-2. Overall, the range of calculated keff’s varied from 0.990 to 1.017. The results of the validation calculations indicate that the SCALE computer code system is capable of accurately modeling Pu+U nitrate. solutions in annular geometry.