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Division Spotlight
Fusion Energy
This division promotes the development and timely introduction of fusion energy as a sustainable energy source with favorable economic, environmental, and safety attributes. The division cooperates with other organizations on common issues of multidisciplinary fusion science and technology, conducts professional meetings, and disseminates technical information in support of these goals. Members focus on the assessment and resolution of critical developmental issues for practical fusion energy applications.
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
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.”
Ashok K. Ghosh, Kerry J. Howe, Arup K. Maji, Bruce C. Letellier, Russell C. Jones
Nuclear Technology | Volume 157 | Number 2 | February 2007 | Pages 196-207
Technical Paper | Thermal Hydraulics | doi.org/10.13182/NT07-A3812
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This paper examines the generation and effect of secondary materials created by chemical reactions between dislodged fiberglass insulation debris and simulated cooling system water that would be present within the containment of a pressurized water reactor following a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA). Corrosion and subsequent precipitation of metals (aluminum, iron, zinc, and calcium) pose an important safety concern because the surface area of exposed metal inside containment represents a large potential source term of chemical debris products that may be capable of blocking the recirculation sump. The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) cited the presence of gelatinous material recovered from the Three Mile Island containment pool after its 1979 accident and noted that the formation of adverse chemical products had not been previously examined under Generic Safety Issue 191 (GSI-191) research program.Based on small-scale tests, the following key issues related to corrosion and precipitation were investigated:1. Do credible corrosion mechanisms exist for leaching metal ions from bulk solid surfaces, and if so, what are the typical reaction rate constants?2. Can corrosion products accumulate in the containment pool water to the extent that they might precipitate as new chemical species at pH and temperature levels that are relevant to the LOCA accident sequence?3. How do chemical precipitants affect the head loss across an existing fibrous debris bed?Findings from these tests confirmed that corrosion of metal can occur and that artificially induced metallic precipitants can cause substantial additional head loss.