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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.
C. M. Cooling, M. M. R. Williams, E. T. Nygaard, M. D. Eaton
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 177 | Number 3 | July 2014 | Pages 233-259
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE13-55
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Previously, a point kinetics model of the Medical Isotope Production Reactor has been presented, which included representations of instantaneous power, delayed neutron precursors, fuel solution temperature, radiolytic gas content, and coolant temperature. This model has been extended to include the effects of a vertically discretized temperature profile with a mixing of heat energy by eddies, boiling, and condensation and an extended model of bubble velocity and radius. It is found that the most striking change to the behavior of the system is caused by the effects of steam, which provides a strong negative feedback that tends to depress average powers in cases where the fuel solution temperature rises above the saturation temperature but can also lead to large, sharp power peaks through steam exiting the system (which can remove a large amount of negative reactivity in a short amount of time). The overall effect, however, does not lead to any unbounded power excursions. Possibilities for further extension of the model include the modeling of the composition of the plenum gas and the modeling of global pressure and its effects.