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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.
M. A. Abdou, Robert W. Conn
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 55 | Number 3 | November 1974 | Pages 256-266
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE74-A23452
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A study of the nuclear performance of several recently reported fusion reactor blanket designs is presented. In particular, the nuclear heating, the tritium breeding ratio, and the charged-particle production rates in the various systems are reported. It is found that the total nuclear heating can be overestimated by as much as 30%, that ∼20 MeV per fusion is a typical value for the energy production capability of most blankets, and that 22.4 MeV per fusion is a more maximum than nominal value for blankets without fissile materials. The tritium breeding ratio in lithium blankets is high, and uncertainties in nuclear data are unlikely to prevent such systems from breeding. Flibe blankets are marginal in this regard, and uncertainties can prevent breeding in these systems. Hydrogen and helium production rates are fairly large in all systems; they are highest in sintered aluminum product and in the PE-16 alloy, and lowest in niobium, with stainless steel in between. However, much of the required nuclear data on charged-particle-producing reactions is unavailable, and the need for cross-section measurements in this area is discussed.