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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.
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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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Christmas Night
Twas the night before Christmas when all through the houseNo electrons were flowing through even my mouse.
All devices were plugged in by the chimney with careWith the hope that St. Nikola Tesla would share.
D. F. Da Cruz, D. Rochman, A. J. Koning
Nuclear Technology | Volume 185 | Number 2 | February 2014 | Pages 174-191
Technical Paper | Fuel Cycle And Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT12-154
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Uncertainty analysis on reactivity and discharged inventory for a typical pressurized water reactor fuel element as a result of uncertainties in 235,238U, 239,240,241Pu, and fission products nuclear data was performed. A typical Westinghouse three-loop fuel assembly fueled with UO2 fuel with 4.8% enrichment was selected. The Total Monte Carlo method was applied using the deterministic transport code DRAGON. This code allows the generation of the few-groups nuclear data libraries by directly using data contained in the nuclear data evaluation files. The nuclear data used in this study are from the JEFF3.1 evaluation, with the exception of the nuclear data files for U, Pu, and fission products isotopes (randomized for the generation of the various DRAGON libraries). These are taken from the TALYS evaluated nuclear data library TENDL-2012. Results show that the calculated total uncertainty in keff (as a result of uncertainties in nuclear data of the considered isotopes) is virtually independent of fuel burnup, and amounts to 700 pcm. The uncertainties in the inventory of the discharged fuel are dependent on the element considered and lie in the range 1% to 15% for most fission products, and are <5% for the most important actinides. The total uncertainty on the reactor parameters was also split into different components (different nuclear reaction channels), and the main sources of uncertainties were identified.