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Division Spotlight
Isotopes & Radiation
Members are devoted to applying nuclear science and engineering technologies involving isotopes, radiation applications, and associated equipment in scientific research, development, and industrial processes. Their interests lie primarily in education, industrial uses, biology, medicine, and health physics. Division committees include Analytical Applications of Isotopes and Radiation, Biology and Medicine, Radiation Applications, Radiation Sources and Detection, and Thermal Power Sources.
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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
February 2025
Nuclear Technology
January 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?
R. H. Renshaw, S. Roy
Nuclear Technology | Volume 55 | Number 2 | November 1981 | Pages 371-382
Technical Paper | Materials | doi.org/10.13182/NT55-371
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Twelve steam generators in three nuclear power plants were damaged during manufacture by postweld stress relief heat treatment. This damage was detected after all were installed, but before any of the plants became operational. The steam generators were rebuilt, in situ, by complete replacement of the internals and tubing. The damage caused by heat treatment consisted of indentation of the tubing by distortion of the tube support plates. The indentations produced points of local high stress in the tubing, causing a potential for stress corrosion cracking. The indentations and the distortion of the support plates also prevented free axial motion of the tubing through the support plates in service, and it is thought that some tubes would have failed in service for this reason. The rebuilding program permitted design changes to accommodate technical information accumulated since the vessels were designed in 1975. These design changes principally were a strengthening of internal structural members to resist seismic forces and fluid forces predicted for pipe breaks, substitution of stainless steel for carbon steel tube support plates, a more elastic U-bend restraint design, increase of some clearances to better tolerate in-service thermal distortion, and a redesigned emergency water injection system to promote thermal syphoning of the reactor coolant under accident conditions. New methods of tube expansion, tube-to-tube-sheet welding, and heat treatment of the tubing were developed to facilitate field installation. The work required 15 months. It was planned and executed so that the delays to the erection programs of the plants were minimized. The final result was a significant improvement in the design of the steam generators, and an accumulation of technology that may be useful if steam generators should require in-service retubing.