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
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
Aug 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2025
Nuclear Technology
August 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
No impact from Savannah River radioactive wasps
The news is abuzz with recent news stories about four radioactive wasp nests found at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina. The site has been undergoing cleanup operations since the 1990s related to the production of plutonium and tritium for defense purposes during the Cold War. Cleanup activities are expected to continue into the 2060s.
Yassin A. Hassan, Laxminarayan L. Raja
Nuclear Technology | Volume 103 | Number 3 | September 1993 | Pages 310-319
Technical Paper | Nuclear Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT93-A34854
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Loss of residual heat removal during midloop operations was simulated for a typical four-loop pressurized water reactor operated under reduced inventory level using the RELAP5/MOD3 thermal-hydraulic code. Two cases are considered here: one for an intact reactor coolant system with no vents and the other for an open system with a vent in the pressurizer. The presence of air in the reactor coolant system is modeled, and its effect on the transients is calculated. The steam generators are considered under wet layup with water in the secondary covering the U-tubes. The system is pressurized once the water starts boiling in the core. Higher system pressures are seen for the closed-vent case when compared with the open-vent case. Reflux condensation occurs in the steam generator U-tubes preventing complete uncovery of the core and aiding in decay heat removal. The total heat removed by the steam generators is one-third of that produced by the core. The hot leg and vessel upper head pressurization cause the reactor vessel to act as a manometer where the core level drops and the downcomer level rises. This phenomenon is seen at different transient times for the two cases. Since it occurs only for a brief period, the rest of the transient is unaffected. Fuel centerline and clad temperatures are observed to be below the accepted safety limits throughout both transients.