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Fusion Science and Technology
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Getting back to yes: A local perspective on decommissioning, restart, and responsibility
For 45 years, Duane Arnold Energy Center operated in Linn County, Ia., near the town of Palo and just northwest of Cedar Rapids. The facility, owned by NextEra Energy, was the only nuclear power plant in the state.
In August 2020, a historic derecho swept across eastern Iowa with winds approaching 140 miles per hour. Damage to the plant’s cooling towers accelerated a shutdown that had already been planned, and the facility entered decommissioning soon after, with its fuel removed in October of that year. Iowa’s only nuclear plant had gone off line.
Today the national energy landscape looks very different than it did just six short years ago. Electricity demand is rising rapidly as data centers, artificial intelligence infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and electrification expand across the country. Reliable, carbon-free baseload power has become increasingly valuable. In that context, Linn County has approved the rezoning necessary to support the recommissioning and restart of Duane Arnold and is actively supporting NextEra’s efforts to secure the remaining state and federal approvals.
Bethany R. Colling, T. Eade, M. R. Gilbert, J. Naish, S. Zheng
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 74 | Number 4 | November 2018 | Pages 330-339
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2018.1496690
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Computational models created for neutronics assessment through solid geometry conversion are often specific to the analysis being performed. The use of unstructured mesh geometry has the potential to reduce the build time of MCNP models, reduce inaccuracies introduced through flux averaging over different components and material mixing, and make use of computer-aided design models that can also be suitable for other types of analysis. In this paper three neutronics methods were investigated for suitability in performing a radioactive waste assessment of a fusion demonstration reactor. The methods included the conventional cell-based approach, a superimposed structured mesh, and the use of a recently developed capability with unstructured mesh geometry. It was concluded that an unstructured mesh approach has the potential to be an important tool for assessing radioactive waste to inform reactor and component design.