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Fusion Science and Technology
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WIPP: Lessons in transportation safety
As part of a future consent-based approach by the federal government to site new deep geologic repositories for nuclear waste, local communities and states that are considering hosting such facilities are sure to have many questions. Currently, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico is the only example of such a repository in operation, and it offers the opportunity for state and local officials to visit and judge for themselves the risks and benefits of hosting a similar facility. But its history can also provide lessons for these officials, particularly the political process leading up to the opening of WIPP, the safety of WIPP operations and transportation of waste from generator facilities to the site, and the economic impacts the project has had on the local area of Carlsbad, as well as the rest of the state of New Mexico.
J. F. Latkowski, Ryan P. Abbott, Ray Laning, Steve Manson, Kevin Morris, Susana Reyes, Eric Williams
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 52 | Number 4 | November 2007 | Pages 807-811
Technical Paper | Nuclear Analysis and Experiments | doi.org/10.13182/FST07-A1590
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
During the past two years a team at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has used Raytheon's TopAct code to convert a variety of CAD models into TART and MCNP Monte Carlo input files. TopAct offers the possibility of enormous savings by largely eliminating the need for manual generation of models via combinatorial geometry. Also, TopAct is expected to deliver improvements in quality assurance and configuration management. We detail our experiences with various test problems. The reader will see the steady improvements that have been made in the conversion process and understand our expectations for further progress. Finally, we explain how TopAct will become a cornerstone of our future neutronics efforts.