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Members are devoted to applying nuclear science and engineering technologies involving isotopes, radiation applications, and associated equipment in scientific research, development, and industrial processes. Their interests lie primarily in education, industrial uses, biology, medicine, and health physics. Division committees include Analytical Applications of Isotopes and Radiation, Biology and Medicine, Radiation Applications, Radiation Sources and Detection, and Thermal Power Sources.
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Metz on Harold Denton: Memories of a life in nuclear safety
Metz
A number of years ago, historian and writer Chuck Metz Jr. was at the Bush’s Visitor Center in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains when he ran into former Nuclear Regulatory Commission official Harold Denton and his wife. Metz was at the visitor center, which opened in 2010 and is now a tourist hotspot, because, as he explained to the Dentons at the time, he had overseen the development of its on-site museum and had written a companion coffee-table history book.
The chance meeting turned into a friendship and a fruitful collaboration. Denton, who in 1979 was the public spokesperson for the NRC as the Three Mile Island-2 accident unfolded, had been working on his memoir, but he was stuck. He asked Metz for help with the organization and compilation of his notes. “I was about to retire,” Metz said, “but I thought that exploring the nuclear world might be an interesting change of pace.”
Denton passed away in 2017, but by then Metz had spent many hours with his fast friend and was able to complete the memoir, Three Mile Island and Beyond: Memories of a Life in Nuclear Safety, which was published recently by ANS. Metz shared some of his thoughts about Denton and the book with Nuclear News. The interview was conducted by NN’s David Strutz.
P. Chellapandi, S. C. Chetal, Baldev Raj
Nuclear Technology | Volume 172 | Number 1 | October 2010 | Pages 16-28
Technical Paper | Fission Reactors | dx.doi.org/10.13182/NT10-A10879
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A core disruptive accident, considered a beyond-design-basis accident, for the 500-MW(electric) capacity Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) is analyzed using the FUSTIN in-house computer code. In order to have a good understanding of the complicated loading mechanisms and sequences, the analysis studies the effects of introducing internals in the main vessel. Further, the structural integrity of heat exchangers - which are important for decay heat removal during postaccident conditions - was demonstrated with tests that were conducted on a 1/13th scaled-down mock-up; a suitable low-density explosive was developed and characterized to simulate nuclear energy release characteristics. The tests have indicated relatively smaller displacements and strains in the vessel, compared to numerical predictions, and the structural integrity of the decay heat exchangers including tubes was demonstrated. Thus, the reactor assembly components meet the safety criteria specified for PFBR with comfortable margins for the specified mechanical energy release of 100 MJ.
