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Human Factors, Instrumentation & Controls
Improving task performance, system reliability, system and personnel safety, efficiency, and effectiveness are the division's main objectives. Its major areas of interest include task design, procedures, training, instrument and control layout and placement, stress control, anthropometrics, psychological input, and motivation.
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ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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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
X-energy, Dow apply to build an advanced reactor project in Texas
Dow and X-energy announced today that they have submitted a construction permit application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a proposed advanced nuclear project in Seadrift, Texas. The project could begin construction later this decade, but only if Dow confirms “the ability to deliver the project while achieving its financial return targets.”
Wei Tang, Jian Chen, Brian Gibson, Roger Miller, Scarlett Clark, Mark Vance, Zhili Feng, Keith Leonard (ORNL), Jonathan Tatman, Benjamin Sutton, Gregory Frederick (EPRI)
Proceedings | 2018 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2018) | Charlotte, NC, April 8-11, 2018 | Pages 67-75
Welding is widely used for repair, maintenance, and upgrade of nuclear reactor components. As a critical technology for supporting the extension of nuclear power plant service lifetimes beyond 60 years, there has been an industry need in further developing welding technology for highly irradiated materials. During welding of irradiated materials, Helium, which is a transmutation byproduct from Boron and Nickel contained in the structural alloys, can coalesce into bubbles along grain boundaries in the material under driving forces of high temperature and thermal tensile stress. This leads to embrittlement and potential intergranular cracking in the Heat Affected Zone (HAZ) of the weld. In this paper, irradiated 304 stainless steel coupons containing 5, 10 and 20 ppm Boron prior to radiation were successfully welded by advanced laser beam welding (LBW) and friction stir welding (FSW). Facilities and welding machine design, welding processes development, cold material welded joints evaluation, process safety control and documentation, and irradiated material welding are discussed. Both laser and friction stir welded coupons of the irradiated material exhibited high welding quality and surface finish. No Helium induced welding defects were observed on the weld surfaces or adjacent base metals.