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Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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Christmas Light
’Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house
No electrons were flowing through even my mouse.
All devices were plugged by the chimney with care
With the hope that St. Nikola Tesla would share.
V. F. Baston, K. J. Hofstetter, Richard F. Karuhn
Nuclear Technology | Volume 83 | Number 2 | November 1988 | Pages 216-227
Technical Paper | Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT88-A34164
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Defueling operations at Three Mile Island Unit 2 involve underwater plasma arc cutting of reactor vessel stainless steel components. Sampling and analysis of released off-gases and aerosols during steady-state plasma arc cutting tests established a conversion fraction of nitrogen-to-nitrogen oxides, off-gas composition, and aerosol concentrations for engineering evaluations of potential health and safety and corrosion issues. The sample results indicate that (a) <1 vol% of nitrogen is converted to nitrogen oxides, (b) the airborne particulate concentrations for the major steel components (chromium, iron, nickel, etc.) could exceed the threshold limit values without off-gas capability, (c) the volume percent hydrogen could exceed its lower flammability limit without off-gas capability, and (d) there is low corrosion potential for off-gas system components for the given torch operations.