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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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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New coolants, new fuels: A new generation of university reactors
Here’s an easy way to make aging U.S. power reactors look relatively youthful: Compare them (average age: 43) with the nation’s university research reactors. The 25 operating today have been licensed for an average of about 58 years.
S. R. Speidel, W. H. Plettenberg
Nuclear Technology | Volume 49 | Number 1 | June 1980 | Pages 61-69
Technical Paper | Nuclear Power Reactor Safety / Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT80-A32507
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In concrete reactor vessels of high temperature reactors many cavities with different diameters are arranged. The design of the closures for such cavities is an important problem in the detail engineering. A draft based on using prestressed concrete as a material is presented for closures with high diameter values. The problems that could possibly be caused by the concrete weight might be solved through a proposal based on a separation of the closure into an inner and outer part. A special view is given to the kind of production as well as to a rapid mounting and remounting of the closures and sealing problems. The closures are fixed on the reactor vessel by tendons. The influence of the tendon forces, creep and shrinkage, pressure, etc. on stresses, stress distribution, and deformation are proved by a finite element analysis and the results are pointed out. A short outlook of further development is given.