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Division Spotlight
Decommissioning & Environmental Sciences
The mission of the Decommissioning and Environmental Sciences (DES) Division is to promote the development and use of those skills and technologies associated with the use of nuclear energy and the optimal management and stewardship of the environment, sustainable development, decommissioning, remediation, reutilization, and long-term surveillance and maintenance of nuclear-related installations, and sites. The target audience for this effort is the membership of the Division, the Society, and the public at large.
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 Science and Engineering
August 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
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.
Kai Kosowski, Marcus Seidl
Nuclear Technology | Volume 209 | Number 10 | October 2023 | Pages 1549-1564
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2022.2130660
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The extension of the operating domain of PreussenElektra’s Konvoi-type pressurized water reactors (PWRs) beyond the natural end of cycle is known as stretch-out operation. A range of possibilities exists to increase nuclear fuel utilization to continue operation after the boron concentration reaches its dilution limit. The most basic option is to continue operation with constant average moderator temperature, which results in a relatively fast decrease in reactor power. From a fuel utilization point of view, this is the least optimal procedure. In PreussenElektra’s PWR fleet, an enhanced operation mode is adopted, leading to a comparatively modest decrease in reactor power and very high utilization of nuclear fuel. Initially, the stretch-out mode provided an option to gain flexibility regarding outage planning. More recently, the stretch-out method has served as a practical approach to optimizing electricity generation costs during the last cycles before the final shutdown as stipulated by law, as operators can extend the cycle length in a range of 30 to 60 days after the natural end of cycle. This paper describes the licensing rationale, the feasibility of this type of operation, and the operating requirements and experience. The system parameters affected by stretch-out operation are discussed. Adjustments of set points of thermal-hydraulic variables in the primary and secondary systems are explained. Licensing requirements for safe reactor operation in stretch-out mode are reviewed. Furthermore, aspects of neutronic and thermal-hydraulic core surveillance are included. After more than 35 years and counting, the methods of increasing fuel utilization are not new, and an evaluation of experience and effectiveness is in order.