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NRC proposes changes to its rules on nuclear materials
In response to Executive Order 14300, “Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,” the NRC is proposing sweeping changes to its rules governing the use of nuclear materials that are widely used in industry, medicine, and research. The changes would amend NRC regulations for the licensing of nuclear byproduct material, some source material, and some special nuclear material.
As published in the May 18 Federal Register, the NRC is seeking public comment on this proposed rule and draft interim guidance until July 2.
Won S. Park, Yong H. Kim, Chang K. Park, Jong S. Chung, Chang H. Kim
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 143 | Number 2 | February 2003 | Pages 188-201
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE03-A2329
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A design study for the fission product (FP) target was performed to maximize the transmutation of 99Tc and 129I in the Hybrid Power Extraction Reactor (HYPER) system without causing any core safety concerns. Localized thermal flux is obtained by inserting moderators such as CaH2. Many types of target design concepts have been investigated. The concept where 99Tc is loaded as a plate type in the outermost region and 129I is loaded as NaI rods mixed with CaH2 rods in the inner region is concluded to be the most effective in terms of transmutation rate and core power peaking. The proposed FP target is estimated to have a net transmutation rate of 5.53%/effective full-power year (EFPY) and 11.41%/EFPY for 99Tc and 129I, respectively, which are much higher compared to the transmutation rates in other fast neutron systems. In addition, the support ratios of the HYPER system for 99Tc and 129I are 5.7 and 4.0, respectively, very similar to the support ratio of TRU. The maximum pin power peaking with the loading of the FP target is 1.232, which is within the acceptable range. The loading of the FP target increases the inventory of TRU and makes the core coolant void coefficient more negative but the Doppler coefficient less negative. The proposed FP target configuration causes no safety problems in terms of core neutronics.
