Transient simulation of a helical-coil sodium/water steam generator

The MINET (Momentum Integral Network) code heat exchanger model was used to analyze transient test data provided by PNC of Japan. Testing of the MINET model is part of a larger effort to facilitate and validate the use of the SSC/MINET code for MONJU plant transient analysis. In MINET, a heat exchanger is modeled using one or more representative tubes, with each tube consisting of the fluid inside the tube, the tube wall, and the fluid outside that is associated with the tube. The heat exchanger tube is divided into one or more axial nodes of equal length. Five time dependent equations are utilized per node, including the wall heat conduction equation and donor-cell differenced conservation of mass and energy equations for the fluids on both sides of the tube. These nodal equations are used to constrain the tube wall temperature, fluid mass flow rates, and fluid enthalpies

Overview of proposed accelerator-driven spallation target applications

With the rapid development of particle accelerator technologies during the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) of the 1980s and the severe institutional and political challenges faced by the nuclear reactor community, there has been increasing interest in the use of particle accelerators to fulfill some nuclear missions in the US and abroad. This paper describes the enabling technologies, as well as proposed applications for neutron sources (research applications), tritium production (defense), production of other special isotopes for medical or space-power applications, and waste actinide transmutation

Target designs for Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) utilizing lithium-aluminum

A number of accelerator-driven spallation neutron-source target/blanket systems have been developed for production of tritium under the APT Program. The two systems described in this paper employ a proton linear accelerator, and a target which contains a heavy-metal(s) for the production of neutrons via spallation, and solid lithium-aluminum for the production of tritium via neutron capture. lie lithium-aluminum technology is based on that employed at Savannah River for tritium production since the 1950`s. In the APT concept tritium is produced without the presence of fissionable materials; therefore, no high-level waste is produced, and the ES&H concerns are significantly reduced compared to reactor systems

Beam shut down considerations for large accelerator-driven target systems

While the potential hazards posed by large particle accelerator driven spallation targets are greatly reduced in comparison to nuclear reactors capable of similar neutron production levels, they are significant, and require a safety-by-design approach to ensure there is little likelihood of accidental releases of target materials. Most postulated accident scenarios evolve very slowly, given the modest after-heat levels in spallation targets, and modest backup heat removal systems can prevent target damage. Similarly, events where problems develop with the accelerated particle beams are easily detected and can be quickly terminated. This leaves an interesting class of postulated accidents, where problems are postulated to develop in the target cooling system but there is a failure to recognize the problem and shut down the accelerator. Safety systems designed to detect such problems are likely to be reliable, but given the potential for serious target damage, there is incentive to further reduce the likelihood of this class of events. Options to do so are discussed

Analysis of postulated events for the revised ALMR/PRISM design

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is continuing a pre-application review of the 471 MWt, Liquid Metal Reactor, PRISM by General Electric, with Brookhaven National Laboratory providing technical support. The revised design has been evaluated, using the SSC code, for an unscrammed loss of heat sink (ULOHS), an unscrammed loss of flow (ULOF) with and without the Gas Expansion Modules (GEMs), and a 40{cents} unscrammed transient overpower (UTOP) event. The feedback effects for U-27Pu-10Zr metal fuel were modeled in SSC. The ULOHS accident was determined to be a benign event for the design, with the reactor power transitioning down to a decay heat level within 500s. The power during the postulated ULOF events, with the GEMs functioning, transitioned to decay heat levels without fuel damage, and included a 300K margin to sodium saturation. The case without the GEMs had only a 160K margin to sodium saturation and higher fuel temperatures. In addition, the clad was predicted to quickly pass through the eutectic phase (between fuel and clad), and some clad wastage would result. The 40{cents} UTOP was predicted to raise the power to 1.8 rated, which later stabilized near 1.2 times full power. SSC predicted some localized fuel melting for the event, but the significance of this localized damage has not yet been determined. If necessary, the vendor has options to reduce the maximum reactivity insertion below 40{cents}

The PHOENIX Concept

A proposed means of transmuting key long-lived radioactive isotopes, primarily the so-called minor actinides (Np, Am, Cm), using a hybrid proton-accelerator-sub-critical lattice, is described. It is argued that by partitioning the components of the light water reactor (LWR) spent fuel and by transmuting key elements, such as the plutonium, the minor actinides, and a few of the long-lived fission products, that some of the most significant challenges in building a waste repository can be substantially reduced. If spent fuel partitioning and transmutation were fully implemented, the time required to reduce the waste stream toxicity below that of uranium ore would be reduced from more than 10,000 years to approximately 30 years. The proposed machine, based on the described PHOENIX Concept, would transmute the minor actinides and much of the iodine produced by 75 LWRs, and would generate usable electricity (beyond that required to run the large accelerator) of 850 MW{sub e}. 14 refs., 29 figs

Metabolism of phenol and hydroquinone to reactive products by macrophage peroxidase or purified prostaglandin H synthase.

Macrophages, an important cell-type of the bone marrow stroma, are possible targets of benzene toxicity because they contain relatively large amounts of prostaglandin H synthase (PHS), which is capable of metabolizing phenolic compounds to reactive species. PHS also catalyzes the production of prostaglandins, negative regulators of myelopoiesis. Studies indicate that the phenolic metabolites of benzene are oxidized in bone marrow to reactive products via peroxidases. With respect to macrophages, PHS peroxidase is implicated, as in vivo benzene-induced myelotoxicity is prevented by low doses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, drugs that inhibit PHS. Incubations of either 14C-phenol or 14C-hydroquinone with a lysate of macrophages collected from mouse peritoneum (greater than 95% macrophages), resulted in an irreversible binding to protein that was dependent upon H2O2, incubation time, and concentration of radiolabel. Production of protein-bound metabolites from phenol or hydroquinone was inhibited by the peroxidase inhibitor aminotriazole. Protein binding from 14C-phenol also was inhibited by 8 microM hydroquinone, whereas binding from 14C-hydroquinone was stimulated by 5 mM phenol. The nucleophile cysteine inhibited protein binding of both phenol and hydroquinone and increased the formation of radiolabeled water-soluble metabolites. Similar to the macrophage lysate, purified PHS also catalyzed the conversion of phenol to metabolites that bound to protein and DNA; this activation was both H2O2- and arachidonic acid-dependent. These results indicate a role for macrophage peroxidase, possibly PHS peroxidase, in the conversion of phenol and hydroquinone to reactive metabolites and suggest that the macrophage should be considered when assessing the hematopoietic toxicity of benzene

Physical and functional interactions between human mitochondrial single-stranded DNA-binding protein and tumour suppressor p53

Single-stranded DNA-binding proteins (SSB) form a class of proteins that bind preferentially single-stranded DNA with high affinity. They are involved in DNA metabolism in all organisms and serve a vital role in replication, recombination and repair of DNA. In this report, we identify human mitochondrial SSB (HmtSSB) as a novel protein-binding partner of tumour suppressor p53, in mitochondria. It binds to the transactivation domain (residues 1–61) of p53 via an extended binding interface, with dissociation constant of 12.7 (± 0.7) μM. Unlike most binding partners reported to date, HmtSSB interacts with both TAD1 (residues 1–40) and TAD2 (residues 41–61) subdomains of p53. HmtSSB enhances intrinsic 3′-5′ exonuclease activity of p53, particularly in hydrolysing 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) present at 3′-end of DNA. Taken together, our data suggest that p53 is involved in DNA repair within mitochondria during oxidative stress. In addition, we characterize HmtSSB binding to ssDNA and p53 N-terminal domain using various biophysical measurements and we propose binding models for both

Voices of Women in the Field--Obtaining a Higher Education Faculty Position: The Critical Role Mentoring Plays for Females

Mentoring female doctoral candidates to obtain access to positions in higher education has not been widely researched. Women often aspire to the professorship only to find limited access to these positions. Even though a doctoral degree is a vehicle for acquiring a career in higher education, the transfom1ation from doctoral candidate to assistant professor is usually a long and winding road. While devoting hours to extensive course work, conducting research studies, and writing and rewriting dissertation drafts, it is not uncommon for graduate students to begin to imagine themselves as professors like the professors they have worked with in higher education. A commentary on mentoring at the graduate level focusing on literacy education by Cobb, Fox, Many, Matthews, McGrail, & Sachs (2006) found that while engaged in graduate programs, doctoral students began thinking about their changing identities or roles (p. 374). When thinking about their changing roles, students recognized the additional help they would need navigating within the culture of the university (p. 375). The students often looked to their professors to mentor them and show them the way. This commentary asserts that to get the most out of their graduate experience, students need to be proactive in seeking mentoring experiences (p. 376)