Elk River - Rural America's First Atomic Power PlantANS Nuclear CafeJuly 28, 2016, 2:45PM|ANS Nuclear Cafe Elk River Generating Station, Rural Cooperative Power Association, Elk River, Minnesota.The Elk River reactor, as it was generally known in the AEC parlance of the day, was a pioneering effort in America's nuclear energy history. Hailed widely as "Rural America's first atomic power plant," the intention was to provide a pilot installation of a small, simple, and inexpensive nuclear steam supply system that could be duplicated at many far flung locations. Unfortunately for the concept, the Elk River plant in the end proved unable to meet the task for technical reasons; yet, it remains firmly in history as one of the well known early nuclear energy installations. What follows is a brief history of the project and its major players.Go to ArticleTags:bwrsnuclear historyShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Nuclear Energy for Puerto RicoANS Nuclear CafeApril 14, 2016, 2:39PM|ANS Nuclear Cafe BONUS nuclear plant as it appears today (Photo courtesy US DOE)Among the many different reactor concepts being investigated in the late 1950s and early 1960s was the idea that the steam produced by a boiling water reactor, which normally goes straight to the turbine building, could be superheated (or have further heat added once it was already steam) by nuclear energy. This would greatly increase the efficiency of the plant, as well as make dry steam at a high pressure that would allow the use of (less expensive) commercially available equipment in the steam plant. Two reactors were built to investigate the idea of performing both processes in essentially the same reactor-one in South Dakota and (perhaps incredibly to today's readers) another of a very different design on the island of Puerto Rico.Go to ArticleTags:bwrsnuclear historynuclear pioneersShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
DTE Energy to receive COL for Fermi-3ANS Nuclear CafeMay 1, 2015, 5:39PM|Will DavisYesterday, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced that its commissioners had approved the award of a Construction and Operating License (COL) for DTE Energy's prospective Fermi Unit 3, to be built on the site of the existing Fermi-2 near Detroit, Mich. The COL will also notably be the first for the GE Hitachi ESBWR, or "Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor," a Gen-III+ nuclear plant with passive safety.Go to ArticleTags:bwrsShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Reflections on Vermont Yankee - 3ANS Nuclear CafeJanuary 21, 2015, 7:00AM|ANS Nuclear CafeThis is the last of the three-part series presenting the opinions of nuclear industry experts on the closing of Vermont Yankee. Thank you to Dan Yurman for helping to coordinate all of the authors/articles in this three-part series.Go to ArticleTags:bwrsvermont yankeeShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Reflections on Vermont Yankee - 2ANS Nuclear CafeJanuary 20, 2015, 9:00AM|ANS Nuclear CafeThis is the second of three posts presenting the professional opinions of experts in the nuclear field on the Yankee Vermont closing.Go to ArticleTags:american nuclear societybwrsvermont yankeeShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Reflections on Vermont Yankee - 1ANS Nuclear CafeJanuary 19, 2015, 8:30PM|ANS Nuclear CafeAlthough the nuclear power station known as Vermont Yankee had another 18 years left on its license, it was shut down for economic reasons at the end of 2014. Entergy Corporation,the plant's owner, and others have cited the low price of natural gas in the region as deterministic, but the reality is that many other issues were also at play.Go to ArticleTags:bwrsvermont yankeeview from vermontShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Another Nuclear Design Approved by the NRCANS Nuclear CafeSeptember 19, 2014, 8:29PM|Will Davis• This week the GE-Hitachi ESBWR design received its Design Certification from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.Go to ArticleTags:bwrsdcadesign certificationesbwrnuclear regulatory commissionShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
The Final Entrant - Last Nuclear Utility in Japan Applies for RestartANS Nuclear CafeAugust 14, 2014, 3:57PM|Will Davis Shika NPP Unit 2. Courtesy Hokuriku Electric Power Co.Yesterday, the saga of nuclear energy in post-Fukushima Japan reached an important milestone as the final utility that owns nuclear power plants in that country applied to the regulator for restart, in an event that snuck under the radar of most news venues.Go to ArticleTags:bwrsfukushimapwrswill davisShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Pathfinder: A Path Not TakenANS Nuclear CafeJune 13, 2014, 6:00AM|Will Davis Pathfinder Atomic Power Plant. Press photo, Will Davis collection.The recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announcement of policy regarding carbon emissions from power plants has triggered a renewed interest in nuclear energy over the past few weeks; along with this of course comes a focus on small modular reactors (SMRs) and their availability for replacing existing fossil-fueled plants or facilities. We have discussed this topic here at ANS Nuclear Cafe before, in terms of the possibility of adding an SMR onto an existing facility-see "The Hook-Ons."Go to ArticleTags:bwrsnuclear historyShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Decommissioning of Private Assets is Public Matter in Japan; TEPCO Forges AheadANS Nuclear CafeSeptember 26, 2013, 1:56PM|Will Davis Fukushima Daiichi Units 5 (left) and 6 (right) seen in October 2012 behind the newly completed breakwall.Earlier this month, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe conducted a visit to Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear station to examine conditions at the site and to gauge TEPCO's response to numerous ongoing problems. When Abe spoke to reporters after the visit, he mentioned (for reasons still unknown) that he had suggested to TEPCO that it decommission Unit 5 and Unit 6 on the site, so that it could focus its efforts squarely on the work required to recover from the nuclear accidents at Units 1, 2, and 3. This was reported with some surprise in many quarters.Go to ArticleTags:bwrsearthquakefukushimafukushima daiichitepcoShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Japan's NRA determines Tsuruga Nuclear Plant built over active faultANS Nuclear CafeMay 23, 2013, 6:00AM|Will DavisThe news has finally come out on a long-awaited subject: the first determination by Japan's new Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) that a nuclear plant in Japan lies on a seismic fault determined to be active.Go to ArticleTags:bwrsearthquakejapannuclearnuclear regulatory authoritytsurugaShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Fukushima Two Years LaterANS Nuclear CafeMarch 7, 2013, 2:58PM|Will DavisAt about a quarter to three in the afternoon on March 11, 2011, a gigantic and unprecedented earthquake struck just over 110 miles off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. The quake was followed, just over 40 minutes later, by the first of several rounds of tsunami, which inundated enormous areas and eradicated entire towns and villages. Over 19,000 people were killed or are still missing, and over 6,000 survivors were injured.Go to ArticleTags:bwrsearthquakefukushimalessons learnednatural disastersradiationreactor designsShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Spent Fuel Pool at Oyster CreekANS Nuclear CafeOctober 30, 2012, 1:01AM|Will DavisAs the Eastern half of the United States falls under siege by Hurricane Sandy and combined weather fronts-which together are being termed "Frankenstorm"-the nuclear community is targeted by nuclear opponents keen on capitalizing on this severe weather event. A recent piece quoting Arnold Gundersen asserts that Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station is facing serious problems should it lose offsite power, saying essentially that the plant will be unable to provide cooling for the spent fuel in its spent fuel pool.Go to ArticleTags:arnie gundersonbwrshurricane sandynatural disastersnuclear regulatory commissionoyster creekspent fuelspent fuel poolswill davisShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Federal judge: State can't shut down Vermont Yankee over spent fuelANS Nuclear CafeMarch 20, 2012, 3:49PM|ANS Nuclear CafeThe plant dodges another bullet at least for nowGo to ArticleTags:bwrseconomic benefits of nuclearentergylicensingnuclear regulatory commissionspent fuelShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
TVA uses supercomputers to look inside reactorsANS Nuclear CafeFebruary 23, 2012, 7:00AM|Dan YurmanA partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory will yield results for years to comeGo to ArticleTags:bwrsengineeringpwrsreactor designssmall modular reactorstennessee valley authorityShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Ballot initiative to close California’s nuclear plantsANS Nuclear CafeJanuary 30, 2012, 7:00AM|Jim HopfThere's not much new happening in DC right at the moment, so this month I'll discuss something that's going on in the state of California. That is, a proposed ballot initiative to shut the two remaining nuclear power plants-the two-unit Diablo Canyon and the two-unit San Onofre-in the state.Go to ArticleTags:bwrseducationfukushimaknowledge transferlessons learnednatural disastersnuclear opponentspwrsspent fuelShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
TVA's countdown to MOX fuelANS Nuclear CafeJanuary 26, 2012, 7:00AM|Dan YurmanThe utility is assessing options to use it Go to ArticleTags:bwrsdepartment of energylicensingmox fuelnational laboratoriesnuclear fuel cyclenuclear regulatory commissionpwrsreactor designstennessee valley authorityShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Priorities for 2012 in Vermont PoliticsANS Nuclear CafeJanuary 24, 2012, 6:59AM|Howard ShafferVermont's "Citizen Legislature" meets from January to May/June. During this term, the major issue is Hurricane Irene and its aftermath. The hurricane caused major devastation, but, thankfully, few lives were lost.Go to ArticleTags:bwrsengineeringentergyfellows of anslessons learnednatural disastersnuclear opponentsnuclear regulatory commissionreactor designsspent fuelview from vermontShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
A win for Vermont YankeeANS Nuclear CafeJanuary 20, 2012, 2:07PM|Dan YurmanFederal District Court rules against efforts by the State of Vermont to assert regulatory authority over radiological safety issuesGo to ArticleTags:american nuclear societybwrsentergylicensingnuclear opponentsnuclear regulatory commissionreactor designsspent fuelview from vermontShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
"I&C" in Nuclear NewsANS Nuclear CafeDecember 20, 2011, 7:00AM|ANS Nuclear CafeThe December issue of Nuclear News magazine, which contains a special section on instrumentation and control, is available in hard copy and electronically for American Nuclear Society members (must enter ANS user name and password in Member Center). The special section contains the following stories:Go to ArticleTags:american nuclear societybwrsdepartment of energyi&ciaeanational laboratoriesnuclear newsnuclear regulatory commissionpwrsreactor designssmall modular reactorsspent fuelShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook