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Nuclear Criticality Safety
NCSD provides communication among nuclear criticality safety professionals through the development of standards, the evolution of training methods and materials, the presentation of technical data and procedures, and the creation of specialty publications. In these ways, the division furthers the exchange of technical information on nuclear criticality safety with the ultimate goal of promoting the safe handling of fissionable materials outside reactors.
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2024 ANS Annual Conference
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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
From South Korea to Belgium: Testing a high-density research reactor fuel
The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has developed a high-density uranium silicide fuel designed to replace high-enriched uranium in research reactors. Recent irradiation tests appear to be successful, KAERI reports, which means the fuel could be commercialized to continue a key global nuclear nonproliferation effort—converting research reactors to run on low-enriched uranium fuel.
Seokho H. Kim, Jeanette B. Berry
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 60 | Number 1 | July 2011 | Pages 156-160
ITER Systems | Proceedings of the Nineteenth Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy (TOFE) (Part 1) | doi.org/10.13182/FST11-A12344
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
U.S. ITER is responsible for the design, engineering, and procurement of the Tokamak Cooling Water System. The TCWS transfers heat generated in the Tokamak to cooling water during nominal pulsed operation - 850 MW at up to 150°C and 4.2MPa water pressure. This water contains radionuclides because impurities (e.g., tritium) diffuse from in-vessel components and the vacuum vessel by water baking at 200–240°C at up to 4.4MPa, and corrosion products become activated by neutron. The complexity of the TCWS design and fabrication presents unique challenges. During completion of the conceptual design of this one-of-a-kind cooling system, several issues were identified because of complex system requirements. Those issues include flow balancing between over a hundred branch pipelines in parallel to supply cooling water to blankets, determination of optimum flow velocity while minimizing the potential for cavitation damage, design for freezing protection for cooling water flowing through the cryostat (freezing environment), requirements for high-energy piping design, and electromagnetic impact to piping and components. Although the TCWS consists of standard commercial components such as piping with valves and fittings, heat exchangers, and pumps, complex requirements present interesting design challenges. The TCWS conceptual design and strategies for resolving critical design issues are described.