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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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Jul 2024
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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.”
Efstathios Vlassopoulos (EPFL), Ramil Nasyrow, Dimitrios Papaioannou, Vincenzo V. Rondinella (EC-JRC), Stefano Caruso (Nagra), Andreas Pautz (EPFL/Scherrer Inst)
Proceedings | 16th International High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference (IHLRWM 2017) | Charlotte, NC, April 9-13, 2017 | Pages 726-733
The investigation of the mechanical integrity of spent nuclear fuel rods in accidental scenarios is the main objective of this research, conducted at the hot-cell facilities of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) - Karlsruhe. Two devices for mechanical testing on fuelled, pressurized spent nuclear fuel rod segments have been developed for gravitational impact and 3-point bending tests. The main objectives of this program are the determination of rod response to external load, rod failure conditions and the characterization of fuel release in case of rod fracture. The campaign consists of two phases, namely the development and optimization of the testing devices in "cold" laboratories and their installation and application to test irradiated spent fuel in hot-cells. This paper focuses on the main stages of the development and optimization of the new devices, detailing the motivation behind them and their extended data acquisition capabilities. Representative results on the response of SNF to these dynamic and quasi static loads are presented. The load-deflection curves for the fuel/cladding ensemble and the characterization (mass/size distribution) of released fuel debris following SNF fracture are described.