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Materials Science & Technology
The objectives of MSTD are: promote the advancement of materials science in Nuclear Science Technology; support the multidisciplines which constitute it; encourage research by providing a forum for the presentation, exchange, and documentation of relevant information; promote the interaction and communication among its members; and recognize and reward its members for significant contributions to the field of materials science in nuclear technology.
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2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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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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Glass strategy: Hanford’s enhanced waste glass program
The mission of the Department of Energy’s Office of River Protection (ORP) is to complete the safe cleanup of waste resulting from decades of nuclear weapons development. One of the most technologically challenging responsibilities is the safe disposition of approximately 56 million gallons of radioactive waste historically stored in 177 tanks at the Hanford Site in Washington state.
ORP has a clear incentive to reduce the overall mission duration and cost. One pathway is to develop and deploy innovative technical solutions that can advance baseline flow sheets toward higher efficiency operations while reducing identified risks without compromising safety. Vitrification is the baseline process that will convert both high-level and low-level radioactive waste at Hanford into a stable glass waste form for long-term storage and disposal.
Although vitrification is a mature technology, there are key areas where technology can further reduce operational risks, advance baseline processes to maximize waste throughput, and provide the underpinning to enhance operational flexibility; all steps in reducing mission duration and cost.
Doan L. Phung
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 90 | Number 4 | August 1985 | Pages 509-520
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE85-A18501
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Light water reactor safety in the United States through the Three Mile Island (TMI) accident is reviewed and safety gains up to 1983 are assessed. The work was undertaken during 1982–1983 to support Alvin Weinberg's “Second Nuclear Era Study.” Safety studies, such as the “Rasmussen Reactor Safety Study,” and accidents, such as TMI, disclosed deficiencies in the design basis accident technique and the lack of attention to human factors, including management. Operational problems also highlighted the fact that reactors grew too quickly in size and number for experience to be factored into designs, operating procedures, and regulations. Actions taken by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and by the industry following TMI are reviewed. Analytical and experimental programs on severe accidents are examined. Safety gains resulting from these activities and from improved quality of operation are assessed qualitatively and quantitatively. It was determined that a factor of 3 to 6 for core melt frequencies and of at least 10 for public risk have been achieved since TMI.