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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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Latest News
Recent surveys confirm high levels of U.S. nuclear support
Surveys have consistently indicated that public support in the United States for the use of nuclear energy has been increasing in recent years. Four recent surveys continue to suggest that near-record-high numbers of Americans support nuclear energy. However, the survey results differ—sometimes widely—in the details of their findings.
H. Y. Khater, M. E. Sawan, I. N. Sviatoslavsky, L. J. Wittenberg
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 21 | Number 3 | May 1992 | Pages 2023-2028
Safety, Recycling, and Waste Management | doi.org/10.13182/FST92-A30018
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Activation and safety analysis has been performed for the chamber, shield and Li2O coolant of the inertial confinement fusion (IFE) reactor SOMBRERO. The total activities generated in the reactor graphite chamber and steel-reinforced concrete shield at shutdown are 0.054 and 10.12 MCi, respectively. The biological dose rate at the back of the shield drops to 1.6 mrem/hr after one day of shutdown allowing for hands-on maintenance. Radwaste classification has shown that both the chamber and shield would easily qualify as Class A low level waste (LLW) according to the 10CFR61 waste disposal concentration limits (WDL). At the same time, the Li2O granules would qualify as Class C LLW. The maximum public dose from atmospheric effluents is 0.93 mrem/yr. The dose is due to tritium and its maximum value occurs at the reactor site boundary which is 1 km away from the point of tritium release. Only a small fraction (0.44%) of the graphite first wall would be mobilized during a loss of coolant accident (LOCA). During such an accident, the shield temperature would only increase by a few degrees releasing a very small fraction of its radioactive inventory. The total tritium inventory in the containment building which is assumed to be released at the onset of a severe accident is 182.6 grams. The estimated whole body (WB) early dose from a severe accident resulting in the failure of the reactor containment is 2.22 rem. The very low off-site dose eliminates the need for N-stamp nuclear grade components in SOMBRERO.