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Nuclear Installations Safety
Devoted specifically to the safety of nuclear installations and the health and safety of the public, this division seeks a better understanding of the role of safety in the design, construction and operation of nuclear installation facilities. The division also promotes engineering and scientific technology advancement associated with the safety of such facilities.
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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Latest News
Take steps on SNF and HLW disposal
Matt Bowen
With a new administration and Congress, it is time once again to ponder what will happen—if anything—on U.S. spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste management policy over the next few years. One element of the forthcoming discussion seems clear: The executive and legislative branches are eager to talk about recycling commercial SNF. Whatever the merits of doing so, it does not obviate the need for one or more facilities for disposal of remaining long-lived radionuclides. For that reason, making progress on U.S. disposal capabilities remains urgent, lest the associated radionuclide inventories simply be left for future generations to deal with.
In March, Rick Perry, who was secretary of energy during President Trump’s first administration, observed that during his tenure at the Department of Energy it became clear to him that any plan to move SNF “required some practical consent of the receiving state and local community.”1
Teruya Tanaka, Hiroyuki Noto, Fuminobu Sato, Yoshimitsu Hishinuma, Hiroyuki A. Sakaue, Masahito Yoshino
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 75 | Number 8 | November 2019 | Pages 1076-1083
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2019.1658039
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
To examine the impact of nuclear transmutation in K-type and N-type thermocouples on temperature measurements in a fusion reactor, thermocouples with altered compositions were fabricated, and their responses were obtained at up to 800°C. The compositions of the thermocouples were altered according to transmutation calculations simulating the 3.5-, 4.6-, and 7-year use at the first wall and 40-year use at the front surface of the radiation shield. Comparison of the responses with commercial thermocouples at 800°C showed that the K-type and N-type thermocouples with altered composition simulating the 7-year use at the first wall indicate 20% to 25% lower temperatures. In this condition, the weight ratio of additive powders for simulation of transmuted elements was ~3%. The differences of responses between the commercial thermocouples and thermocouples simulating transmutation are dependent on the weight ratio of the additive powders. The present data could be used for estimation of response degradation of thermocouples used for long-term operation in a fusion reactor.