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2026 Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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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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Modernizing I&C for operations and maintenance, one phase at a time
The two reactors at Dominion Energy’s Surry plant are among the oldest in the U.S. nuclear fleet. Yet when the plant celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023, staff could raise a toast to the future. Surry was one of the first plants to file a subsequent license renewal (SLR) application, and in May 2021, it became official: the plant was licensed to operate for a full 80 years, extending its reactors’ lifespans into 2052 and 2053.
Yasunori Yamanaka, Shinya Mizokami, Manabu Watanabe, Takeshi Honda
Nuclear Technology | Volume 186 | Number 2 | May 2014 | Pages 263-279
Technical Paper | Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT13-46
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Because of the Great East Japan Earthquake, and the resulting tsunami, which occurred on March 11, 2011, a serious accident occurred in Units 1, 2, and 3 of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. Since the accidents, data from interviews with operators and on-site surveys have been continuously compiled. Based on the data, a plant-state analysis has been conducted using the severe accident analysis code MAAP (Modular Accident Analysis Program). Parallel to the MAAP analysis, the responses of the plant to site operations, such as water injection, are analyzed, and core conditions are comprehensively evaluated. According to the evaluation, in Unit 1, it is presumed that almost no fuel was left at the original position; it was molten and moved downward. The fuel likely damaged the reactor pressure vessel (RPV), and it is assumed that most of it had dropped to the primary containment vessel (PCV) pedestal. In Units 2 and 3, it is presumed that some of the fuel was left at the original position and the rest dropped to the bottom of the RPV or to the PCV pedestal. In the MAAP analysis, the behavior of the plants before core melt is reproduced. However, RPV damage of Units 2 and 3 does not occur in the MAAP analysis, which is contrary to the observed facts. This shows that the analysis capability of the current MAAP code is limited. Therefore, by developing severe accident analysis codes to achieve higher levels of accuracy and by evaluating the plant responses to site operation, we will continue to obtain a clear picture of the states inside the reactor so that fuel debris can be removed.