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NRC approves TerraPower construction permit
Today, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced that it has approved TerraPower’s construction permit application for Kemmerer Unit 1, the company’s first deployment of Natrium, its flagship sodium fast reactor.
This approval is a significant milestone on three fronts. For TerraPower, it represents another step forward in demonstrating its technology. For the Department of Energy, it reflects progress (despite delays) for the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP). For the NRC, it is the first approval granted to a commercial reactor in nearly a decade—and the first approval of a commercial non–light water reactor in more than 40 years.
Frank H. Huang, William J. Mills
Nuclear Technology | Volume 102 | Number 3 | June 1993 | Pages 367-375
Technical Paper | Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT93-A17035
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The mechanical properties of nuclear reactor components degrade as a result of long service exposure in high-temperature, irradiation, and corrosive environments. Fracture toughness and tensile testing are conducted on the pressure tubes of Zircaloy-2 to evaluate the effects of neutron fluence, hydrogen content, and temperature on the mechanical properties. Tensile tests are performed on the base metal, and fracture toughness tests are performed on both the base and weld metals. Neutron irradiation increases the strength, reduces ductility, and significantly degrades fracture toughness. The postirradiation fracture toughness increases substantially as the test temperature is increased from room temperature to 250°C. Hydrogen levels up to 250 ppm are found to have little or no effect on the postirradiation fracture toughness. Because of its anisotropic nature, Zircaloy-2 displays different fracture resistances, depending on crack orientation. In the base metal, the fracture toughness in the longitudinal orientation is higher than that for the circumferential orientation, and this difference is enhanced at higher temperatures. The weld exhibits lower toughness in the longitudinal direction.