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May 31–June 3, 2026
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Fusion Science and Technology
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Latest News
Modernizing I&C for operations and maintenance, one phase at a time
The two reactors at Dominion Energy’s Surry plant are among the oldest in the U.S. nuclear fleet. Yet when the plant celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023, staff could raise a toast to the future. Surry was one of the first plants to file a subsequent license renewal (SLR) application, and in May 2021, it became official: the plant was licensed to operate for a full 80 years, extending its reactors’ lifespans into 2052 and 2053.
K. J. Heroux, G. A. Morgan
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 67 | Number 2 | March 2015 | Pages 375-378
Proceedings of TRITIUM 2013 | doi.org/10.13182/FST14-T32
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Thermal Enhancement Cartridge Heater Modified (TECH Mod) tritium hydride bed is an interim replacement for the 1st generation (Gen 1) process hydride beds currently in service in the Savannah River Site (SRS) Tritium Facilities. Three new features are implemented in the TECH Mod hydride bed prototype: internal electric cartridge heaters, porous divider plates, and copper foam discs. These modifications will enhance bed performance and reduce costs by improving bed activation and installation processes, in-bed accountability measurements, end-of-life bed removal, and He-3 recovery. A full-scale hydride bed test station was constructed at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) in order to evaluate the performance of the prototype TECH Mod hyd ride bed. Controlled hydrogen (H2) absorption/desorption experiments were conducted to validate that the conceptual design changes have no adverse effects on the gas transfer kinetics or H2 storage/release properties compared to those of the Gen 1 bed. Inert gas expansions before, during, and after H2 flow tests were used to monitor changes in gas transfer rates with repeated hydriding/dehydriding of the hydride material. The gas flow rates significantly decreased after initial hydriding of the material; however, minimal changes were observed after repeated cycling. The data presented herein confirm that the TECH Mod hydride bed would be a suitable replacement for the Gen 1 bed with the added enhancements expected from the advanced design features.
