Multiplexer/amplifier test results for SP-100

Multiplexer and amplifier systems must be designed with transistors that can perform satisfactorily over ten years to a total gamma dose of 120E6 rads and a total neutron fluence of 1.6E15 nvt for the SP-100 reactor system. Series of gamma and neutron tests have been completed to measure transistor degradation as a function of total dose, fluence, and temperature. Test results indicate that modest increases in temperature result in substantial improvement of transistor performance at a neutron flux of 8E8 n/cm{sup 2}/s. 2 refs., 3 figs

Research and development on the application of advanced control technologies to advanced nuclear reactor systems: A US national perspective

Control system designs for nuclear power plants are becoming more advanced through the use of digital technology and automation. This evolution is taking place because of: (1) the limitations in analog based control system performance and maintenance and availability and (2) the promise of significant improvement in plant operation and availability due to advances in digital and other control technologies. Digital retrofits of control systems in US nuclear plants are occurring now. Designs of control and protection systems for advanced LWRs are based on digital technology. The use of small inexpensive, fast, large-capacity computers in these designs is the first step of an evolutionary process described in this paper. Under the sponsorship of the US Department of Energy (DOE), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, GE Nuclear Energy and several universities are performing research and development in the application of advances in control theory, software engineering, advanced computer architectures, artificial intelligence, and man-machine interface analysis to control system design. The target plant concept for the work described in this paper is the Power Reactor Inherently Safe Module reactor (PRISM), an advanced modular liquid metal reactor concept. This and other reactor designs which provide strong passive responses to operational upsets or accidents afford good opportunities to apply these advances in control technology. 18 refs., 5 figs

Safety aspects of the US advanced LMR (liquid metal reactor) design

The cornerstones of the United States Advanced Liquid Metal Cooled Reactor (ALMR) program sponsored by the Department of Energy are: the plant design program at General Electric based on the PRISM (Power Reactor Innovative Small Module) concept, and the Integral Fast Reactor program (IFR) at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). The goal of the US program is to produce a standard, commercial ALMR, including the associated fuel cycle. This paper discusses the US regulatory framework for design of an ALMR, safety aspects of the IFR program at ANL, the IFR fuel cycle and actinide recycle, and the ALMR plant design program at GE. 6 refs., 5 figs

Failure probability estimate of Type 304 stainless steel piping

The primary source of in-service degradation of the SRS production reactor process water piping is intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC). IGSCC has occurred in a limited number of weld heat affected zones, areas known to be susceptible to IGSCC. A model has been developed to combine crack growth rates, crack size distributions, in-service examination reliability estimates and other considerations to estimate the pipe large-break frequency. This frequency estimates the probability that an IGSCC crack will initiate, escape detection by ultrasonic (UT) examination, and grow to instability prior to extending through-wall and being detected by the sensitive leak detection system. These four factors estimate the occurrence of several conditions that must coexist in order for a crack to lead to a large break of the process piping. When evaluated for the SRS production reactors, they produce an extremely low break frequency. The objective of this paper is to present the assumptions, methodology, results and conclusion of a probabilistic evaluation for the direct failure of the primary coolant piping resulting from normal operation and seismic loads. This evaluation was performed to support the ongoing PRA effort and to complement deterministic analyses addressing the credibility of a double-ended guillotine break. 5 refs., 2 figs

Evaluation of the near-term commercial potential of technologies being developed by the Office of Building Technologies

This project developed an inventory of the Office of Building Technologies (OBT) from a survey administered in 1988 to program managers and principal investigators from OBT. Information provided on these surveys was evaluated to identify equipment and practices that are near-term opportunities for technology commercialization and to determine whether they needed some form of assistance from OBT to be successful in the marketplace. The near-term commercial potential of OBT technologies was assessed by using a technology selection screening methodology. The screening first identified those technologies that were ready to be commercialized in the next two years. The second screen identified the technologies that had a simple payback period of less than five years, and the third identified those that met a current need in the marketplace. Twenty-six OBT technologies met all the criteria. These commercially promising technologies were further screened to determine which would succeed on their own and which would require further commercialization support. Additional commercialization support was recommended for OBT technologies where serious barriers to adoption existed or where no private sector interest in a technology could be identified. Twenty-three technologies were identified as requiring commercialization support from OBT. These are categorized by each division within OBT and are shown in Table S.1. The methodology used could easily be adapted to screen other DOE-developed technologies to determine commercialization potential and to allocate resources accordingly. It provides a systematic way to analyze numerous technologies and a defensible and documented procedure for comparing them. 4 refs., 7 figs., 10 tabs

Evaluation of the near-term commercial potential of technologies being developed by the Office of Building Technologies Volune II - Survey Results

This report consists of the results from each Equipment and Practice Form completed by the program managers and principal investigators. Information collected from the Equipment and Practice Form include the following: name and description of the technology; energy characteristics; when the technology will be ready for commercialization; estimated payback period; market sectors that would benefit; important commercialization barriers to overcome; energy-related benefits; and non-energy benefits of the technology to customers. Some of these technologies include: heat pumps, heat exchangers, insulation lighting systems; cooling systems, ventilation systems, burners, leak detection systems, retrofit procedure, operating and maintenance procedures, wall systems, windows, sampling equipment, measuring methods and instruments, thermal analysis methods, and computer codes

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