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Division Spotlight
Nuclear Installations Safety
Devoted specifically to the safety of nuclear installations and the health and safety of the public, this division seeks a better understanding of the role of safety in the design, construction and operation of nuclear installation facilities. The division also promotes engineering and scientific technology advancement associated with the safety of such facilities.
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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Nuclear Technology
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Latest News
ARPA-E announces $40 million to develop transmutation technologies for UNF
The Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) announced $40 million in funding to develop cutting-edge technologies to enable the transmutation of used nuclear fuel into less-radioactive substances. According to ARPA-E, the new initiative addresses one of the agency’s core goals as outlined by Congress: to provide transformative solutions to improve the management, cleanup, and disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel.
Jun Li, Xiao-Bin Tang, Long-Gang Gui, Yun Ge, Ying Chen, Da Chen
Nuclear Technology | Volume 195 | Number 1 | July 2016 | Pages 79-86
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NT15-72
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An off-line boron meter in a pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear power plant has the disadvantages of lagging data measurements and a long response time. This paper aims to shorten the response time and enhance the measurement accuracy of this type of device. First, the shortcomings of off-line boron meters were analyzed and the serpentuator system was proposed to replace the typical container system. Then, both FLUENT and GEANT simulation tools were used to demonstrate the merits of the serpentuator system. FLUENT was used to simulate the fluid response, while GEANT4 was used to obtain the f(P) curve. The simulation results from FLUENT indicate that the residence time of the fluid in the container system was approximately 9.5 times that in the serpentuator system. The simulation results obtained from GEANT4 manifest that the f(P) curve of the rectangular section was steeper than for the circular section. When the polyethylene was 8 cm thick, the f(P) curve was the steepest. Compared with a serpentuator made of titanium alloy, stainless steel, and brass, a serpentuator made of zirconium alloy or aluminum alloy achieved a steeper f(P) curve. Therefore, the serpentuator system is more applicable for PWRs using an off-line boron letdown through a chemical and volume control system.