ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Division Spotlight
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.
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2024
Jan 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
August 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Vogtle-3 shuts down for valve issue
One of the new Vogtle units in Georgia was shut down unexpectedly on Monday last week for a valve issue that has since been investigated and repaired. According to multiple local news outlets, Georgia Power reported on July 17 that Unit 3 was back in service.
Southern Company spokesperson Jacob Hawkins confirmed that Vogtle-3 went off line at 9:25 p.m. local time on July 8 “due to lowering water levels in the steam generators caused by a valve issue on one of the three main feedwater pumps.”
Marko Maucec, Bogdan Glumac
Nuclear Technology | Volume 149 | Number 1 | January 2005 | Pages 1-13
Technical Paper | Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT05-A3575
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Monte Carlo criticality safety and sensitivity calculations of pressurized water reactor (PWR) spent nuclear fuel repository facilities for the Slovenian nuclear power plant Krsko are presented. The MCNP4C code was deployed to model and assess the neutron multiplication parameters of pool-based storage and dry transport containers under various loading patterns and moderating conditions. To comply with standard safety requirements, fresh 4.25% enriched nuclear fuel was assumed. The impact of potential optimum moderation due to water steam or foam formation as well as of different interpretations, of neutron multiplication through varying the system boundary conditions was elaborated. The simulations indicate that in the case of compact (all rack locations filled with fresh fuel) single or "double tiering" loading, the supercriticality can occur under the conditions of enhanced neutron moderation, due to accidentally reduced density of cooling water. Under standard operational conditions the effective multiplication factor (keff) of pool-based storage facility remains below the specified safety limit of 0.95. The nuclear safety requirements are fulfilled even when the fuel elements are arranged at a minimal distance, which can be initiated, for example, by an earthquake. The dry container in its recommended loading scheme with 26 fuel elements represents a safe alternative for the repository of fresh fuel. Even in the case of complete water flooding, the keff remains below the specified safety level of 0.98. The criticality safety limit may however be exceeded with larger amounts of loaded fuel assemblies (i.e., 32). Additional Monte Carlo criticality safety analyses are scheduled to consider the "burnup credit" of PWR spent nuclear fuel, based on the ongoing calculation of typical burnup activities.