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Division Spotlight
Decommissioning & Environmental Sciences
The mission of the Decommissioning and Environmental Sciences (DES) Division is to promote the development and use of those skills and technologies associated with the use of nuclear energy and the optimal management and stewardship of the environment, sustainable development, decommissioning, remediation, reutilization, and long-term surveillance and maintenance of nuclear-related installations, and sites. The target audience for this effort is the membership of the Division, the Society, and the public at large.
Meeting Spotlight
International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M&C 2025)
April 27–30, 2025
Denver, CO|The Westin Denver Downtown
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!
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Latest News
Argonne’s METL gears up to test more sodium fast reactor components
Argonne National Laboratory has successfully swapped out an aging cold trap in the sodium test loop called METL (Mechanisms Engineering Test Loop), the Department of Energy announced April 23. The upgrade is the first of its kind in the United States in more than 30 years, according to the DOE, and will help test components and operations for the sodium-cooled fast reactors being developed now.
Konor Frick, J. Michael Doster (NCSU), Shannon Bragg-Sitton (INL)
Proceedings | Nuclear Plant Instrumentation, Control, and Human-Machine Interface Technolgies (NPIC&HMIT 2019) | Orlando, FL, February 9-14, 2019 | Pages 91-101
A consequence of operating steam cycles under time varying loads, is the variability of the feedwater temperature entering the bottom of the steam generators. This variability is a direct result of changes in turbine impulse pressure and subsequently turbine tap pressures in response to the load changes, with a reduction in feed temperature during periods of low turbine demand. These fluctuations over time will increase thermal cycling and threaten the integrity of the tube bundle as well as other components in the feed system. Sensible heat, TES systems have been shown to be an effective load management strategy allowing nuclear reactor systems to operate at effectively 100% full power while storing excess thermal energy for recovery later. A byproduct of the TES system is the availability of large amounts of low grade waste heat that can be used for ancillary applications, including auxiliary feed heating during periods of low turbine demand. The addition of an auxiliary feed heater at the end of the traditional feed train can minimize feed temperature variations during periods of low turbine demand, reducing the effects of thermal cycling and increasing overall thermodynamic efficiency. This paper discusses the design, operation and control strategies for an auxiliary feed water system as an integral component of a coupled Thermal Energy Storage system and Integral Pressurized Water Reactor. The impact on system performance, particularly as it affects reactor dynamic response and reductions in thermal cycling will be addressed. In addition to the improved thermal efficiency, a benefit of this approach is the relocation of thermal stressors from the reactor coolant system to more easily managed Balance of Plant systems