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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!
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2024
Jan 2024
Latest Journal Issues
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.”
J. D. Giallonardo, P. G. Keech, D. Doyle (NWMO)
Proceedings | 16th International High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference (IHLRWM 2017) | Charlotte, NC, April 9-13, 2017 | Pages 173-182
The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) has proposed the concept of a deep geological repository (DGR) for the storage of Canada’s used nuclear fuel. A major component of the engineered barrier system is the used fuel container (UFC). NWMO’s UFC design has been optimized for CANDU fuel. It consists of a structural containment vessel fabricated from carbon steel which houses 48 used fuel bundles. The structural vessel is comprised of a cylindrical shell welded to hemi-spherical heads at either end. An integrally bonded 3 mm thick copper coating is applied to the exterior surface of the steel vessel for corrosion protection. Since 2011, the NWMO has conducted a multi-phase development program for the advancement of copper coating technologies application to UFC’s. This program consisted of proof of concept testing, optimization, technology scale-up and demonstration on full size UFC prototypes. From this work, two reference coating technologies have been identified: electrodeposition and cold spray. Electrodeposition will be used to copper coat the factory supplied UFC components (lower assembly and upper hemi-spherical head); it is a well established, straight-forward, industrial technique that is easily adapted to the UFC material and geometry under conventional fabrication conditions. The cold spray coating process will be used to complete the application of the corrosion barrier to the remaining uncoated zone about the closure weld following final assembly in the hot cell. In this regard, cold spray is well suited to automated robotic application in a radioactive environment. The objective of this paper is to present a current review of NWMO’s copper coating development program, application process to UFC’s and performance testing along with planned future work for continued advancement of the technologies.