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Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Division Spotlight
Aerospace Nuclear Science & Technology
Organized to promote the advancement of knowledge in the use of nuclear science and technologies in the aerospace application. Specialized nuclear-based technologies and applications are needed to advance the state-of-the-art in aerospace design, engineering and operations to explore planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond, plus enhance the safety of air travel, especially high speed air travel. Areas of interest will include but are not limited to the creation of nuclear-based power and propulsion systems, multifunctional materials to protect humans and electronic components from atmospheric, space, and nuclear power system radiation, human factor strategies for the safety and reliable operation of nuclear power and propulsion plants by non-specialized personnel and more.
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
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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.”
Abiodun Adeniyi, Bret van den Akker (ORNL), Halim Alsaed (Enviro Nuclear Services), Jim Blink (Beckman & Assoc), Joe Carter, Tom Severynse, Bob Jones (SRNL)
Proceedings | 16th International High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference (IHLRWM 2017) | Charlotte, NC, April 9-13, 2017 | Pages 395-401
Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) assemblies are stored in pools or dry casks at commercial reactor sites awaiting transfer to an interim storage facility (ISF) or a geologic repository for disposal. To meet acceptance criteria for repository waste package loading, fuel in dry storage may require repackaging into smaller canisters. A modular packaging facility design has been developed to receive and package 1,500 metric tons of uranium (MTU) of fuel annually. This fuel may arrive in welded canisters previously stored at reactor sites or in bolted lid bare fuel transportation casks (TCs) that would typically be shipped directly from spent fuel pools at reactor sites. Three outgoing sizes of storage, transportation, aging, and disposal (STAD) canisters were evaluated against 8 possible inflows of SNF canisters and casks to determine the effect on facility throughput. Cost estimates have been developed for the packaging facility, and operating costs have been determined for packaging 1,500 MTU of SNF per year. Transfer of SNF from (TCs) or dual-purpose canisters (DPCs) would be performed in a dry hot cell environment. When compared to a wet packaging method, a dry packaging method could improve throughput by eliminating the need for quenching the fuel prior to immersion in the pool, and the time required for drying canisters in preparation for shipment. The dry packaging process could also reduce the contamination levels on the outer surface of the transfer cask for DPC system or the outer surface of the TC depending on the scenario, resulting in lower personnel exposure and reduced waste treatment costs for cask decontamination.