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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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No impact from Savannah River radioactive wasps
The news is abuzz with recent news stories about four radioactive wasp nests found at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina. The site has been undergoing cleanup operations since the 1990s related to the production of plutonium and tritium for defense purposes during the Cold War. Cleanup activities are expected to continue into the 2060s.
M. Corradini, H.H. Reineke
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 102 | Number 3 | July 1989 | Pages 260-282
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE102-260
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The results from the BETA molten core/concrete interaction (MCCI) experiments conducted at Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe (KfK) and the associated analyses using computer models developed by KfK and by Sandia National Laboratories, i.e., WECHSL and CORCON, are described. Two important observations were made in the BETA steady-state tests: The first observation could be modeled by WECHSL and CORCON by modifications when interface heat transfer considered a “transition boiling” analogy model. The second observation was not modeled but is expected to be important during the high-temperature phase of the MCCI when fission product release is of concern. These results suggest that the BETA experiments provide necessary information to validate MCCI models for silicate (basaltic) concrete. For limestone (carbonatic) concrete, there are still open questions that further tests must address.