It is generally acknowledged that LMFBRs would be superior TRU transmutation devices, mainly due to their hard neutron spectrum. In the present study, the characteristics of TRU transmutation in a 1000 MWe-class LMFBR with mixed-oxide(MOX) fuel were quantitatively investigated to substantiate the feasibility. We considered here two typical methods transmuting TRU in the LMFBR core. One is the m...

In this paper we report on a research project in which the user interface for a research nuclear reactor was specified using a combination of formal notations. The goal of the project was to evaluate the use of a combination of techniques and to assess their utility in specifying a user interface for a non-trivial safety-critical application. We conclude that the techniques worked well and scal...

We propose the use of a proton accelerator to run a slightly subcritical fast breeder and incinerator of minor actinides, and also the use of minor actinides to make a high bumup t%el, which can be burned in a reactor with a non-flattened core with a ratio of height to diameter (H/D= 1). By injecting medium-energy protons into a subcritical assembly, and by supplying external neutrons produced ...

The current resurgence of interest in the nuclear power industry has led to renewed interest in new reactor designs. The GE Compact Modular Boiling Water Reactor (CM-BWR) is one such reactor. The 350 MWe CM-BWR is designed for small incremental additions to the power grid. A key feature of the CM-BWR is the use of the unique F-Lattice. The F-Lattice employs a staggered row configuration for the...

We measured in situ the radiation-induced absorption of pure silica core fibers exposed to a fission nuclear reactor. We observed the growth of the 1.39m OH vibration band in polymer coated fiber. Three mechanisms are responsible for this effect: recoil protons, hydrogen diffusion, and a probable compaction effect. Based on this experiment, a fiber-optic neutron monitor prototype is proposed.

The Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) accident, which occurred on March 28, 1979, led industry and regulators to enhance strategies to protect against severe accidents in commercial nuclear power plants. Investigations in the years after the accident concluded that at least 45% of the core had melted and that nearly 19 tonnes of the core material had relocated to the lower head. Postaccident exa...

Multistep and continuous production of core–shell InP/ZnS semiconductor nanocrystals in a high-temperature miniature stirred-tank reactor cascade.

Nuclear reactors require periodic maintenance and inspection to ensure continued and safe operations, and automation of inspection tasks through robotics can minimize the duration of reactor inspection outages in a safe and costeffective manner. State-of-the-art reactor pressure vessel inspection leverages remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), which are teleoperated, submersible robots. In order t...