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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
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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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.”
Ryan M. Meyer, Samuel W. Glass, Gerges Dib, Morris S. Good, Surajit Roy, Judith M. Cuta (PNNL), Ash Thakker (Global Technology Connection, Inc.)
Proceedings | 16th International High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference (IHLRWM 2017) | Charlotte, NC, April 9-13, 2017 | Pages 512-517
This work focuses specifically on methods for detecting water inside of dry cask storage systems (DCSSs). Ideally, the environment inside of a DCSS confinement is inert and free of water to prevent potential corrosion of used fuel cladding or other internal hardware. However, there is some uncertainty about the amount of residual water potentially left behind in a DCSS as a result of drying processes, and assumptions about the possible quantities of residual water or its potential significance have not yet been corroborated with field experience for periods of extended storage. Considering the complex spatial and time-dependent temperature profiles in dry storage casks, water may be in liquid or gas phase depending on where it is located in the cask and how long the cask has been in storage. This paper describes some concepts and presents initial feasibility assessments for sensing liquid and gas phase water in vertically and horizontally oriented dry storage casks with transducers mounted exterior to the confinement boundary. The feasibility of detecting small amounts of liquid water inside of vertically and horizontally oriented dry storage canisters with externally mounted sensors was demonstrated empirically with laboratory measurements. The feasibility analysis for gas phase water indicates that gas phase water may be detected in the fill gas at concentration levels of approximately 4000 ppm to 7000 ppm (2 to 3.5 moles).