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Division Spotlight
Radiation Protection & Shielding
The Radiation Protection and Shielding Division is developing and promoting radiation protection and shielding aspects of nuclear science and technology — including interaction of nuclear radiation with materials and biological systems, instruments and techniques for the measurement of nuclear radiation fields, and radiation shield design and evaluation.
Meeting Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Latest News
Take steps on SNF and HLW disposal
Matt Bowen
With a new administration and Congress, it is time once again to ponder what will happen—if anything—on U.S. spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste management policy over the next few years. One element of the forthcoming discussion seems clear: The executive and legislative branches are eager to talk about recycling commercial SNF. Whatever the merits of doing so, it does not obviate the need for one or more facilities for disposal of remaining long-lived radionuclides. For that reason, making progress on U.S. disposal capabilities remains urgent, lest the associated radionuclide inventories simply be left for future generations to deal with.
In March, Rick Perry, who was secretary of energy during President Trump’s first administration, observed that during his tenure at the Department of Energy it became clear to him that any plan to move SNF “required some practical consent of the receiving state and local community.”1
William B. Terney, Henri Fenech
Nuclear Technology | Volume 3 | Number 1 | January 1967 | Pages 46-52
Technical Paper and Note | doi.org/10.13182/NT67-A27824
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The optimum gradient technique is reviewed and then used to optimize a shipboard reactor shield system consisting of a water-lead primary and a concrete-lead-polyethylene secondary shield. The shield is optimized to the point where the cost of further reductions in weight exceeds the worth (K) of these reductions to the ship, and subject to five dose point constraints. Plots of eight thicknesses as a function of K are given. For high K values (essentially weight optimization) the concrete thicknesses are zero. As K decreases and cost becomes more and more important in comparison to the weight, concrete is added, and the more expensive lead and polyethylene are subtracted.
