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Division Spotlight
Reactor Physics
The division's objectives are to promote the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena characterizing nuclear reactors and other nuclear systems. The division encourages research and disseminates information through meetings and publications. Areas of technical interest include nuclear data, particle interactions and transport, reactor and nuclear systems analysis, methods, design, validation and operating experience and standards. The Wigner Award heads the awards program.
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
Constellation seeks rezone for property adjacent to Illinois plant
While no development details have been released, Constellation is asking to rezone 658.8 acres of land it owns around the Byron nuclear plant in Illinois for possible long-term use.
S. Chatzidakis, S. Cetiner, H. Santos-Villalobos, J. J. Jarrell, J. M. Scaglione (ORNL)
Proceedings | 2018 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2018) | Charlotte, NC, April 8-11, 2018 | Pages 714-720
Over 2,000 canisters are being used for dry storage of commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in the United States, and each year, between 150–200 new canisters are loaded. There is evidence that these welded stainless steel canisters are susceptible to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) under certain conditions (1). Undetected crack development may result in a loss of confinement. SCC is very difficult to predict with crack opening displacements of 15–30 ?m, which are much smaller than what can be detected with current visual inspections (~100 ?m) (2, 3). The lack of initial cracks does not preclude formation of cracks in the future. This observation is particularly critical for SCC, which is characterized by a long incubation period, after which crack initiation and growth evolution is depth dependent. If crack growth is rapid, SCC may not be detected in time to prevent the loss of canister confinement without frequent nondestructive examination (NDE) inspections (4).
Proposed NDE techniques include periodic inspections using eddy currents, bulk ultrasonic waves, guided and surface waves, as well as continuous noncontact monitoring methods such as passive acoustic emission. To develop monitoring systems for SCC, sensor requirements must be carefully considered and evaluated with respect to radiation resistance, size, power consumption, defect sensitivity, axial and lateral resolution, signal-to-noise ratio, and scanning time. This paper examines monitoring requirements, and a variety of sensor types are considered and compared against these metrics. This work focuses on detection and characterization of SCC in welded stainless steel canisters placed within concrete overpacks. Potential compromises, advantages, disadvantages, and compatibility with other state-of-the-art and complementary monitoring techniques such as thermographic phosphors are discussed.