What are the general feelings behind the term “nuclear simulator” in this group? Doing a little test.

Hey guys, can someone provide insights on the computer codes used in the nuclear plant licensing process? I’ve come across computer codes such as RELAP, etc. What are these?

Suppose I am proposing a design to the NRC — what documents are required, such as PSR and DSR? I also wonder how PSRs are performed using event trees and fault trees. Are there any other computer codes or software commonly used?

Additionally, when is the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) required?

This is for my information for an upcoming interview.

looking at industry options and opportunities and want to hear from the experts!

The potentiality for new-builds in the U.S. that can start as early as possible are only the ones with a COL(combined license holders) issued by the NRC. There are three COLs still active as of today.

Fermi unit 3- the COL was issued back in 2015 and will expire in 2035. However, DTE currently has zero plans for a new-build on the site.

North Anna 3- the COL was issued back in 2017 and will expire in 2037. Dominion has selected ESBWR for unit 3, but as of today everything is on hold (IMO, this is probably the most probable in the near-future).

Turkey Point 6 & 7- the COL was issued back in 2018 and will expire in 2038. FPL has selected AP-1000 for 6 & 7. However, everything is on hold or dormant as of today.

Regarding V.C. Summer... First of all its COL was terminated; second both Dominion and Santee Cooper are not willing to proceed with construction restarts. IF there's any possibility of construction restarts, then that's only the case for unit 2. Unit 3 is forever bye-bye. Unit 3's major components like RPV, SGs, circulation pumps, and others were purchased by Ukraine's Energoatom back in 21. Yes, I'm aware that these components are still on-site, but telling the owners to pay contractual default fees to the Ukrainians before everything would start is a terrible idea.

Guys, I have an interview scheduled for a Nuclear Safety Engineer position. I am a graduate in Chemical Engineering. The job description mentions performing deterministic and probabilistic safety analysis. I understand what those are, but I am looking for additional information or insights about them. Kindly enlighten me!

Thorium is the future of Nuclear and it is an accepted fact
However, we cannot use Thorium directly, we need to convert it into Uranium U-233 by blasting it with Neutrons, it will then absorb a neutron then go through beta decay twice and convert into U-233 which is fissile and can be used in Nuclear reactors.
India right now is leading this race, the PFBR(Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor) is already ready and is at the last stages of final checks and tests, after these checks are complete in around late 2025, it will reach criticallity, that is fuel loading will start.
Many articles claim that this reactor will only Breed more Plutonium Pu-239 from Uranium U-238, which is in fact true, but there is a concrete evidence that Thorium Th-232 will also be converted into Uranium U-233, it is because it has the only operational reactor in the world that is based on U-233(for generating electricity)

Also what makes this Reactor different from the American one which was tested in late 1950s is that the PFBR is liquid Sodium cooled and the American one was Molten salt cooled

There is also one more point about this reactor, it is that it breeds more fissile material than it requires as an input.
In conclusion, we can say that the PFBR will breed Plutonium Pu-239 from Uranium U-238; and it will also breed Uranium U-233 from Thorium Th-232

For the year 2024, Oskarshamn 3 supplied 10.8 TWh to the Nordic grid; Olkiluoto 3 supplied 9.7 TWh to the grid. Hopefully, Olkiluoto 3 will transition from 12-month to 18-month operating cycles beginning this annual RFO.

Hello, I am an aviation mechanic at a major airline with 4 yrs of experience with an interest of possibly jumping ship into nuclear energy at an entry level and working my way up. I relatively know nothing about nuclear energy. I am used to strick rules, manuals, and shift work. Just seeing if anyone here has made the transition and if they deemed the end pay/work satisfaction similar to that in aviation.

https://world-nuclear-news.org/articles/dismantling-of-brunsbuttel-vessel-progresses Vattenfall announced the news a few days ago. Now, the segmented closure head will be recycled.

I posted earlier this week about trying to get an NLO position and got a lot of great advice, so thank you to anyone who responded. I'm just trying to get a sense of what career progression would look like in the industry and have just a few questions I haven't stumbled upon yet and am hoping someone can answer.

1. How useful is a masters? I understand it's not required for NLO->RO->SRO route, but I imagine getting a masters in nuclear engineering would open up some other possibilities outside of operations? Or does being a licensed RO/SRO get you similar amount of leverage when trying to look for work elsewhere? Will plants pay to pursue a masters?

2. As far as I understand, getting licensed as an RO/SRO is site dependent and if you wanted to transfer to another location you would have to get licensed again. Is this also the case with the 1 year NLO classes? If I were hired at location X and became an NLO, and 3 years later transferred to location Y and wanted to be an RO, would I have to do the classes again to be an NLO at that location, spend X time being an NLO, and then the 18 month RO training afterward?

3. When you are doing the 18 month licensing classes for RO is this the same as the NLO classes in that it is full time classes? Or are you part-time working as NLO, and then classes on the side? Do you receive the pay you were receiving as a full-time NLO when you start the classes, or a reduced amount?

I know these aren't things I really need to worry about right now, but I'm fairly certain this will be the career path I try and go down so I'm just trying to imagine what things may look like in a few years time. Thanks everyone :)

Hey for the people who applied for the new grad engineering positions a couple months back for OPG, has anyone heard back? I have been waiting but I am not sure if they started to roll out interviews yet.

I’ve never been great at science, particularly chemistry (barely passed in college) but I’ve always had an interest in it. Are there any entry level books about nuclear power (how it works, the physics or chemistry behind it etc) that the sub would recommend?

Hi there,

What do you think guys about future of Nuclear power plant projects during Trump 2.0 term..?

Any thoughts

Has anyone here that worked in the plant, even if it was many years ago, been diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma or bone cancer? My SO was diagnosed with bone cancer of the spine. After many many diagnostic tests at UCSF doctors were unable to pinpoint the primary site (origin of the cancer). He hasn’t worked in the plant in years but I’m aware that cancer from radiation exposure can lay dormant for years. It just occurred to me today that maybe this could be related.

I just got finished watching Chernobyl mini-series, which I know isn't 100% accurate, and one of the things that was so insane watching it is that because a large explosion and exposed runaway reaction had not occurred before there was very little of an idea on how to fix it.

Now I am aware that changes and planning to prevent anything close to Chernobyl from ever happening again have happened, and further optimisations of nuclear safety protocols are always occuring. It certainly seems like the likelihood of another event similar to it are extremely low.

That said at the time, no one thought what happened at chernobyl could have happened, and as a result there was no plan, which definitely contributed to the problem.

So is there a plan now, either by individual countries or by the IAEA on what to do if a reactor undergoes a meltdown or ruptures or has uncontrolled fission like that which was occurring in chernobyl

A big part of why I am curious is as nuclear power seems to be once again becoming a popular alternative to fossil fuels, this is something that always sits in the back of people's minds. Even if the safety concerns with nuclear are more of a feeling than a fact, sorta in the same way that flying is far safer than driving but its not how a lot of people feel.

Palisades Restart is certainly possible, but the NRC may demand Holtec to replace its steam generators after a certain grace period.

The SGs that were replaced in the early 1990s for Palisades were Combustion Engineering Model 2530 with alloy 600 tubes. I remember reading somewhere else that this pair of SGs were intended for a CE 2-loop reactor to be constructed elsewhere, but that plan either never came to fruition or the owner decided to select another design(I maybe wrong here). For SGs replacement, the tubes are manufactured with alloy 690 and no longer 600 ones for a better performance/enhancement against axial and circumferential stress corrosion.

In the fall of 2020, the NRC inspection of the Palisades SGs reported that only ONE tube required plugging. At the hot-leg side of the SGs at various tube support locations and at the top of the tubesheet, there were indications of axial and circumferential stress corrosion cracking but as as serious as the NRC would discovere in 2024.

https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2119/ML21197A032.pdf

From the report published by the NRC on Oct. 1st last year, the NRC indicated that there were more than 700 tubes that required plugging(the rate of degration was a bit alarming). The top-of-tubesheet for steam generator A, there were 52 indications of axial primary water stress corrosion cracking, and 62 circumferential indications of outside diametre stress corrosion cracking. For tube supports in steam generator A, there are 853 indications of axial outside diametre stress corrosion cracking.

Overall, the report indicates that steam generator B is in a better shape than steam generator A.

https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2426/ML24267A296.pdf

It is looking increasingly likely that the NRC will provide Holtec with a grace period to replace the SGs after the unit restarts. This is especially case for Holtec since the company indicated that they desire to operate the unit to 2051 and perhaps even beyond.

The bottom line: the late autumn 2025 restart date may be too ambitious for Palisades restart. My guess is sometime in early or mid-2026.

I was reading out about the atomic batteries. Apparently the decay can be used to generate electricity. They got me thinking. Is there a possibility, though extremely inefficient, we could use places like chernobyl, with the extreme radiation generate this electricity?

Mind you, this question is not a practical one. The cost would most likely outweigh any benefit.

I just want to know if it's even physically possible to do this. If so, then how could we make it where it's worth the effort? Is it even worth looking into? I've heard of recycling nuclear waste before. Could this just be a different method? Building something that can capture those isotopes and convert them to something useful, instead of just constantly poisoning the air.

Hey guys , I need one help . Can anyone explain what is the purpose of reactor coolant pump other than circulation in primary circuit? also guide me what are the important things to be considered while commissioning these pumps .

Can anyone enlighten me what are the different kinds of pumps used in different international vendors like AP1000 uses canned motor pumps ..