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Decommissioning & Environmental Sciences
The mission of the Decommissioning and Environmental Sciences (DES) Division is to promote the development and use of those skills and technologies associated with the use of nuclear energy and the optimal management and stewardship of the environment, sustainable development, decommissioning, remediation, reutilization, and long-term surveillance and maintenance of nuclear-related installations, and sites. The target audience for this effort is the membership of the Division, the Society, and the public at large.
Meeting Spotlight
International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M&C 2025)
April 27–30, 2025
Denver, CO|The Westin Denver Downtown
Standards Program
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
Argonne’s METL gears up to test more sodium fast reactor components
Argonne National Laboratory has successfully swapped out an aging cold trap in the sodium test loop called METL (Mechanisms Engineering Test Loop), the Department of Energy announced April 23. The upgrade is the first of its kind in the United States in more than 30 years, according to the DOE, and will help test components and operations for the sodium-cooled fast reactors being developed now.
M. A. Sweeney, J. N. Olsen
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 89 | Number 3 | March 1985 | Pages 233-246
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE85-A17544
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Sandia National Laboratories Particle Beam Fusion Accelerator PBFA II is expected to produce significant amounts of prompt penetrating radiation from bremsstrahlung. In the present study the radiation environment for two voltages, 30 and 5 MV, has been calculated using a three-dimensional electron-photon transport code. Because of the facility design changes required with the high-voltage lithium ion option, most calculations were done at 30 MV. The dose to personnel, ∼1 mrad for the 30-MV option, is acceptable. Reliable operation of electronic components, however, requires significant changes to systems in various stages of completion. Shielding and relocation options that minimize interference with the completion schedule of the accelerator and with its operation and maintenance have been investigated. We find that an array of control devices located in the east alcove of the basement should be moved to the main control/monitor screen room in the low bay. A thicker top cover on the vacuum chamber and a higher water level in the pulse-forming section allow electronics in the screen room to cope with the hard 30-MV spectrum. A two-stage shield has been designed to protect the KrF laser and its associated electronics, which cannot be removed from the basement. The two-stage shield consists of a thick steel bottom cover on the vacuum chamber and a thick shield wall on the north alcove of the basement.