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Division Spotlight
Operations & Power
Members focus on the dissemination of knowledge and information in the area of power reactors with particular application to the production of electric power and process heat. The division sponsors meetings on the coverage of applied nuclear science and engineering as related to power plants, non-power reactors, and other nuclear facilities. It encourages and assists with the dissemination of knowledge pertinent to the safe and efficient operation of nuclear facilities through professional staff development, information exchange, and supporting the generation of viable solutions to current issues.
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
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.”
Neil E. Todreas
Nuclear Technology | Volume 167 | Number 1 | July 2009 | Pages 127-144
Technical Paper | NURETH-12 / Fission Reactors | doi.org/10.13182/NT09-A8857
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Thermal-hydraulic challenges in the design of the following four Generation IV fast reactor concepts are presented: sodium \[sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR)\], lead \[lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR)\], gas \[gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR)\], and liquid salt \[liquid salt-cooled fast reactor (LSFR)\]. The supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle in indirect mode is the candidate power cycle for all coolants except gas, which is direct cycle. Thermal-hydraulic considerations must be closely integrated with neutronic analysis to properly control reactivity feedbacks, particularly that of the coolant density coefficient. The thermal-hydraulic performance of all reactors is compared to the sodium concept, which has superior performance because of the inherent properties of sodium. The chemical incompatibility of sodium with water and air remains a concern, should a steam generator tube or other sodium line leak. Challenges in steady-state operation, transient performance, shutdown heat removal, and loss-of-coolant-accident design accommodation in gas reactors are reviewed.