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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
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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Latest News
NRC issues subsequent license renewal to Monticello plant
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed for a second time the operating license for Unit 1 of Minnesota’s Monticello nuclear power plant.
Sang Ji Kim, Yonghee Kim, Sergi Hong, Chung Ho Cho, Jae-Hyuk Eoh, Jong Bum Kim, Myung Hwan Wi, Kwi Seok Ha, Eui Kwang Kim
Nuclear Technology | Volume 170 | Number 1 | April 2010 | Pages 148-158
Technical Paper | Special Issue on the 2008 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants / Fission Reactors | doi.org/10.13182/NT10-A9453
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The conceptual design of a 900-MW(thermal) lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) system for transuranic element (TRU) burning is developed and analyzed using TRU-U-Zr metallic alloy fuel. The design and analysis areas covered are neutronics design, thermal-hydraulic analysis, thermal system design, system mechanical design and analysis, system arrangement, passive decay heat removal system evaluation, and safety analysis for anticipated transient without scram (ATWS) events. Design challenges, solutions, and further research and development items during the conceptual design are described in this paper. Large burnup reactivity swing inherent in the transmutation reactor and irradiation damage to the cladding by high fast neutron fluence are overcome by filling in boron carbide within the tie rods with axial cutbacks. The lead coolant in the reactor pool was estimated to lead to a maximum stress of 125 MPa in the containment vessel. For the long-term cooling behavior upon the concurrent occurrences of a loss of heat sink and a loss of flow, the hot pool temperature is maintained below the design limit of 650°C, which is achieved by an improved decay heat removal design with heat transfer enhancement mechanisms. Analyses of the ATWSs in the investigated core do not reveal any problem from the viewpoints of fuel temperature, cladding temperature, and hot pool temperature. In conclusion, the 900-MW(thermal) LFR system in this study does not pose any significant design-related concerns except for a marginal seismic loading due to the large coolant mass and a verification of the newly introduced design resolutions for long-term decay heat removal.