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SMART accident simulation - Korea’s SMR test loop
20 December, 2013
A test loop for Korea’s SMART integral pressurized water reactor aims to investigate system performance and thermal-hydraulic phenomena occurring during normal, abnormal, and emergency operating conditions. By Hyun-Sik Park, Sung-Jae Yi and Chul-Hwa Song

Nuvia ModuCon system helps clear Trawsfynydd tank
19 December, 2013
Nuvia has successfully decommissioned one of the most challenging legacy hazards at the site of Trawsfynydd nuclear power plant, which consists of twin 236 MWe (gross) Magnox gas-cooled reactors shut down in August 1993.

Reactors go wireless
16 December, 2013
Up until about five years ago, cyber-security fears and electromagnetic interference concerns were keeping wireless technologies away from most US nuclear facilities. By H.M. Hashemian

Cook’s really big screen
11 December, 2013
The Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant (CNP) simulation department has developed a large touch screen/classroom to support virtual simulation of control room panels as well as virtual simulation of safety related field equipment used in the chemistry training programme.

Earned Value Management for keeping on top of decommissioning work
03 December, 2013
Earned Value Management (EVM) provides a quantitative measurement of the status of a project. This is particularly useful for complex decommissioning work, which can be subject to a large amount of change and uncertainty. However, it does require a well-defined project plan and a large amount of work up front. By Alastair Laird

Iron boxes for ILW transport and storage
26 November, 2013
Recently, the UK has moved toward storing radwaste in shielded containers. A new design of container made of cast iron mitigates issues of radionuclide migration possible in previous concrete container designs, whilst minimizing the number of containers necessary to store waste. By Mark Janicki

Treating organic waste
25 November, 2013
Arvia of the UK owns an electrochemical oxidation technology for the treatment of radioactive liquid organic wastes. The process, which destroys the organics and transfers most of the radioactive contamination into a water solution, claims to offer relatively low operational expense alongside minimal secondary waste generation. By Alex Adams and Nigel Brown

Revising BWR emergency procedures
18 November, 2013
The BWR Owners’ Group has completed a revision of emergency procedure guidelines in light of lessons from Fukushima. By Bill Williamson, Jay Lyter, Dan Roniger and Phillip Ellison

A passive heat removal retrofit for BWRs
15 November, 2013
One of the fundamental safety functions of nuclear power plants is residual heat removal. Nevertheless, during certain scenarios, like the station blackout, or loss of the ultimate heat sink, available active safety systems are often not sufficient to remove the decay heat. A retrofitted turbo-compressor system driven by a self-cooling Brayton cycle could provide autarky even in these beyond design basis accidents and extend the grace period of existing BWRs significantly. By Jeanne Venker

A new line of defence: the abeyance seal
13 November, 2013
Due to the worldwide response to the Fukushima nuclear accident by regulatory authorities, the ability of reactor coolant pump mechanical seals to cope with the effects of a Station Blackout (SBO) and consequent Loss of Seal Cooling (LOSC) are being investigated. The ability of the Flowserve N-Seal to cope during a LOSC event has been further enhanced. By Mark E. Sanville

Decommissioning of José Cabrera NPP
07 November, 2013
The reactor vessel and internals of this Spanish PWR will be sectioned in the spent fuel pool, transferred in a shielded container and then boxed for temporary storage in its old turbine building. By Manuel Rodríguez, Manuel Ondaro, Jorge Borque and Nieves Martín

Fuel qualification for China's HTR-PM
30 October, 2013
Fuel qualification is being carried out by NRG in the High Flux Reactor at Petten.

Computer modelling of pebble beds
30 October, 2013
Researchers at NRG in the Netherlands are working on computer models and experiments to give insights into the core behaviour of the new generation of pebble-bed high-temperature reactors.

High-capacity racks
28 October, 2013
Re-racking spent fuel pools using compact racks can increase fuel storage capacity significantly.

Fuelling the Westinghouse SMR
24 October, 2013
Westinghouse has taken a key step forward in the development of its 225 MW Small Modular Reactor (SMR), completing the design, fabrication and start of testing on the first fuel assemblies.

Mapping the skills gaps
22 October, 2013
David Whitmore, engineering & technical director at Atkins, has developed a new competency management process and tool that has won industry-wide recognition.

Nuclear security culture
21 October, 2013
The UK nuclear power industry should take an integrated approach to site security, cyber security and personnel security, according to experts from defence and security firm, Thales.

Emergency diesel generators: four challenges
18 October, 2013
As well as to having to meet increasing customer requirements in a post-Fukushima world, emergency diesel generator suppliers face challenges relating to fuel supply, emissions regulations and control systems. By Laurent Tessier and Eric Huet

Avoiding BWR channel distortion
11 October, 2013
Guidance produced by a cross-industry US collaboration has been successful in eliminating the occurrence of one type of boiling water reactor channel distortion, shadow corrosion- induced bow, since 2011. Ongoing research aims to learn more.

Goodbye gaseous diffusion
09 October, 2013
Despite the closure of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant this summer, the enrichment market remains over-supplied by around 12% in 2013. It is estimated that 85% of 2020 requirements are already contracted, and in the reference case scenario little in the way of additional new capacity is needed through 2025. By Thomas Meade and Eileen Supko