ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Mar 2026
Jul 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
March 2026
Nuclear Technology
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
April 2026
Latest News
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.
Gregg B. Swindlehurst
Nuclear Technology | Volume 121 | Number 3 | March 1998 | Pages 295-301
Technical Paper | RETRAN | doi.org/10.13182/NT98-A2841
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Duke Power Company has experienced high levels of steam generator tube degradation at its McGuire Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2, and at Catawba Nuclear Station, Unit 1. Repair of the degraded tubes by sleeving and plugging has resulted in exceeding the tube plugging levels assumed in the licensing basis analyses. Consequently, the licensing basis was reanalyzed with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission-approved RETRAN-02 and VIPRE-01 methodology to justify continued operation with tube plugging levels up to 20%. A decision was also made to replace the steam generators with a design significantly different from the current steam generators. This necessitated additional analytical efforts to determine the thermal-hydraulic transients to be used in the design of the replacement steam generators, to reanalyze the licensing basis, and to re-certify the control room simulator. The RETRAN-02, RETRAN-03, VIPRE-01, GOTHIC 4.0, and RELAP5/MOD3 codes were used for these analyses. The adverse impact of increased steam generator tube plugging levels and the design of the replacement steam generators were accommodated without significantly impacting plant operation or requiring more restrictive technical specification limits.