Operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McRae, L.P.; Six, D.E.

1991-01-01

In 1987, Westinghouse Hanford Company began operating a first-generation integrated safeguards system in the Plutonium Finishing Plant storage vaults. This Vault Safety and Inventory System is designed to integrate data into a computer-based nuclear material inventory monitoring system. The system gathers, in real time, measured physical parameters that generate nuclear material inventory status data for thousands of stored items and sends tailored report to the appropriate users. These data include canister temperature an bulge data reported to Plant Operations and Material Control and Accountability personnel, item presence and identification data reported to Material Control and Accountability personnel, and unauthorized item movement data reported to Security response forces and Material Control and Accountability personnel. The Westinghouse Hanford Company's experience and operational benefits in using this system for reduce radiation exposure, increase protection against insider threat, and real-time inventory control are discussed in this paper

Acid distribution in phosphoric acid fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okae, I.; Seya, A.; Umemoto, M. [Fuji Electric Co., Ltd., Chiba (Japan)

1996-12-31

Electrolyte acid distribution among each component of a cell is determined by capillary force when the cell is not in operation, but the distribution under the current load conditions had not been clear so far. Since the loss of electrolyte acid during operation is inevitable, it is necessary to store enough amount of acid in every cell. But it must be under the level of which the acid disturbs the diffusion of reactive gases. Accordingly to know the actual acid distribution during operation in a cell is very important. In this report, we carried out experiments to clarify the distribution using small single cells.

Operating experience with snubbers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levin, H.; Cudlin, R.

1978-06-01

Recent operating experience with hydraulic and mechanical snubbers has indicated that there is a need to evaluate current practice in the industry associated with snubber qualification testing programs, design and analysis procedures, selection and specification criteria, and the preservice inspection and inservice surveillance programs. The report provides a summary of operational experiences that represent problems that are generic throughout the industry. Generic Task A-13 is part of the NRC Program for the Resolution of Generic Issues Related to Nuclear Power Plants described in NUREG-0410. The report is based upon a rather large amount of data that have become available in the past four years. These data have been evaluated by the Division of Operating Reactors to develop a data base for use in connection with several NRC activities including Category A, Technical Activity A-13 (Snubbers); the Standard Review Plan; future Regulatory Guides; ASME Code Provisions; and various technical specifications of operating nuclear power plants

14 CFR 121.434 - Operating experience, operating cycles, and consolidation of knowledge and skills.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Operating experience, operating cycles, and... Qualifications § 121.434 Operating experience, operating cycles, and consolidation of knowledge and skills. (a... position, the operating experience, operating cycles, and the line operating flight time for consolidation...

Operating experience review for the AP1000 plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaney, T. E.; Lipner, M. H.

2006-01-01

Westinghouse is performing an update to the Operating Experience Review (OER) Report for the AP1000 project to account for operating experience since December 1996. Significant Operating Experience Reports, Significant Event Reports, Significant Event Notifications, Operations and Maintenance Reminders, Topical Reports, Event Analysis Reports and Licensee Event Reports were researched for pertinent input to the update. As a part of the OER, Westinghouse has also conducted operator interviews and observations during simulated plant operations and after operating events. The main purpose of the OER is to identify Human Factors Engineering (HFE) related safety issues from existing operating plant experience and to ensure that these issues are addressed in the new design. The issues and lessons learned regarding operating experience provide a basis for improving the plant design. (authors)

ATLAS IBL operational experience

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00237659; The ATLAS collaboration

2017-01-01

The Insertable B-Layer (IBL) is the inner most pixel layer in the ATLAS experiment, which was installed at 3.3 cm radius from the beam axis in 2014 to improve the tracking performance. To cope with the high radiation and hit occupancy due to proximity to the interaction point, a new read-out chip and two different silicon sensor technologies (planar and 3D) have been developed for the IBL. After the long shut-down period over 2013 and 2014, the ATLAS experiment started data-taking in May 2015 for Run-2 of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The IBL has been operated successfully since the beginning of Run-2 and shows excellent performance with the low dead module fraction, high data-taking efficiency and improved tracking capability. The experience and challenges in the operation of the IBL is described as well as its performance.

Operating Experience with Power Reactors. Proceedings of the Conference on Operating Experience with Power Reactors. Vol. I

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1963-10-15

At the beginning of 1963 nuclear power plants produced some 3 500 000kW of electrical power to different distribution grids around the world. Much significant operating experience has been gained with these power reactors, but this experience is often not collected in such a way as to make it easily available. The International Atomic Energy Agency convened a Conference on Operating Experience with Power Reactors in Vienna from 4-8 June 1963 which was attended by 240 participants representing 27 of the Agency's Member States and six international organizations. At the Conference, 42 papers giving detailed experience with more than 20 nuclear power stations were discussed. Although similar meetings on a national or regional scale have been held earlier in various countries, this is the first arranged by the Agency on a world-wide basis. Some of the detailed material may have been given earlier but for the most part it represents new and recently acquired experience, and for the first time it has been possible to compile in one place such extensive material on the operating experience with power reactors. The Conference discussed the experience gained both generally in the context of national and international nuclear power development programmes, and more specifically in the detailed operating experience with different power reactor stations. In addition, various plant components, fuel cycles, staffing of nuclear plants and licensing of such staff were treated. It is hoped that these Proceedings will be of interest not only to nuclear plant designers and operators who daily encounter problems similar to those discussed by the Conference, but also to those guiding the planning and implementation of power development programmes.

Operating Experience with Power Reactors. Proceedings of the Conference on Operating Experience with Power Reactors. Vol. II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1963-10-15

At the beginning of 1963 nuclear power plants produced some 3 500 000 kW of electrical power to different distribution grids around the world. Much significant operating experience has been gained with these power reactors, but this experience is often not collected in such a way as to make it easily available. The International Atomic Energy Agency convened a Conference on Operating Experience with Power Reactors in Vienna from 4 -8 June 1963 which was attended by 240 participants representing 27 of the Agency's Member States and six international organizations. At the Conference, 42 papers giving detailed experience with more than 20 nuclear power stations were discussed. Although similar meetings on a national or regional scale have been held earlier in various countries, this is the first arranged by the Agency on a world-wide basis. Some of the detailed material may have been given earlier but for the most part it represents new and recently acquired experience, and for the first time it has been possible to compile in one place such extensive material on the operating experience with power reactors. The Conference discussed the experience gained both generally in the context of national and international nuclear power development programmes, and more specifically in the detailed operating experience with different power reactor stations. In addition, various plant components, fuel cycles, staffing of nuclear plants and licensing of such staff were treated. It is hoped that these Proceedings will be of interest not only to nuclear , plant designers and operators who daily encounter problems similar to those discussed by the Conference, but also to those guiding the planning and implementation of power development programmes.

Regulatory challenges in using nuclear operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

The fundamental objective of all nuclear safety regulatory bodies is to ensure that nuclear utilities operate their plants in an acceptably safe manner at all times. Learning from experience has been a key element in meeting this objective. It is therefore very important for nuclear power plant operators to have an active programme for collecting, analysing and acting on the lessons of operating experience that could affect the safety of their plants. NEA experts have noted that almost all of the recent, significant events reported at international meetings have occurred earlier in one form or another. Counteractions are usually well-known, but information does not always seem to reach end users, or corrective action programmes are not always rigorously applied. Thus, one of the challenges that needs to be met in order to maintain good operational safety performance is to ensure that operating experience is promptly reported to established reporting systems, preferably international in order to benefit from a larger base of experience, and that the lessons from operating experience are actually used to promote safety. This report focuses on how regulatory bodies can ensure that operating experience is used effectively to promote the safety of nuclear power plants. While directed at nuclear power plants, the principles in this report may apply to other nuclear facilities as well. (author)

Magnet operating experience review for fusion applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cadwallader, L.C.

1991-11-01

This report presents a review of magnet operating experiences for normal-conducting and superconducting magnets from fusion, particle accelerator, medical technology, and magnetohydrodynamics research areas. Safety relevant magnet operating experiences are presented to provide feedback on field performance of existing designs and to point out the operational safety concerns. Quantitative estimates of magnet component failure rates and accident event frequencies are also presented, based on field experience and on performance of similar components in other industries

The Wonderland of Operating the ALICE Experiment

CERN Document Server

Augustinus, A; Pinazza, O; Rosinský, P; Lechman, M; Jirdén, L; Chochula, P

2011-01-01

ALICE is one of the experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), CERN, Geneva, Switzerland. Composed of 18 sub-detectors each with numerous subsystems that need to be controlled and operated in a safe and efficient way. The Detector Control System (DCS) is the key to this and has been used by detector experts with success during the commissioning of the individual detectors. During the transition from commissioning to operation, more and more tasks were transferred from detector experts to central operators. By the end of the 2010 datataking campaign, the ALICE experiment was run by a small crew of central operators, with only a single controls operator. The transition from expert to non-expert operation constituted a real challenge in terms of tools, documentation and training. A relatively high turnover and diversity in the operator crew that is specific to the HEP experiment environment (as opposed to the more stable operation crews for accelerators) made this challenge even bigger. Thi...

Operating experience in reprocessing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schueller, W.

1983-01-01

Since 1953, reprocessing has accumulated 180 years of operating experience in ten plants, six of them with 41 years of operation in reprocessing oxide fuel from light water reactors. After abortive, premature attempts at what is called commercial reprocessing, which had been oriented towards the market value of recoverable uranium and plutonium, non-military reprocessing technologies have proved their technical feasibility, since 1966 on a pilot scale and since 1976 on an industrial scale. Reprocessing experience obtained on uranium metal fuel with low and medium burnups can now certainly be extrapolated to oxide fuel with high burnup and from pilot plants to industrial scale plants using the same technologies. The perspectives of waste management of the nuclear power plants operated in the Federal Republic of Germany should be viewed realistically. The technical problems still to be solved are in a balanced relationship to the benefit arising to the national economy out of nuclear power generation and can be solved in time, provided there are clearcut political boundary conditions. (orig.) [de

Six years of operational experience with a lead acid battery in the autonomous PV-hydrogen plant phoebus Juelich

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meurer, C.; Brocke, W.A.; Emonts, B.; Heuts, G.; Mai, H.; Croe, D. [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, Juelich (Germany). Inst. for Materials and Processes in Energy Systems IWV-3

1999-07-01

A set of 110 lead acid battery cells with a capacity of 1380 Ah was operated for six years in the PV-hydrogen plant PHOEBUS Juelich under realistic consumer and solar conditions. The plant is controlled by an energy management system that is specially designed for the use of a battery combined with a hydrogen long-term storage. The energy management system uses the state of charge SOC, which is determined by measurements of the battery current using validated models of the gassing current and the equilibrium voltage. It was found that after six years of operation there is hardly any fading of battery capacity. (orig.)

Kayenta advanced series compensation operational experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-01-01

The world's first three-phase, thyristor-controlled series compensation scheme with continuously variable impedance has been introduced into a transmission system. Energized and dedicated in September 1992, the installation was placed into commercial operation in January 1993 and has provided over one year of operating experience. This paper describes the 230 kV, 330 MVAr (60 Hz) advanced series compensation (ASC) project, located in north-eastern Arizona at Kayenta Substation on the 320 km Glen Canyon-Shiprock transmission line. The paper describes operating experiences, coordination with phase shifting transformer, phase shifter failure, platform power, system disturbances, and future plans.

TSTA Piping and Flame Arrestor Operating Experience Data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cadwallader, Lee C.; Willms, R. Scott

2014-10-01

The Tritium Systems Test Assembly (TSTA) was a facility dedicated to tritium handling technology and experiment research at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The facility operated from 1984 to 2001, running a prototype fusion fuel processing loop with ~100 grams of tritium as well as small experiments. There have been several operating experience reports written on this facility’s operation and maintenance experience. This paper describes analysis of two additional components from TSTA, small diameter gas piping that handled small amounts of tritium in a nitrogen carrier gas, and the flame arrestor used in this piping system. The operating experiences and the component failure rates for these components are discussed in this paper. Comparison data from other applications are also presented.

Nuclear Power Plant Operating Experience from the IAEA/NEA International Reporting System for Operating Experience 2012-2014

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2018-03-01

The International Reporting System for Operating Experience (IRS) is an essential element of the international operating experience feedback system for nuclear power plants. Its fundamental objective is to contribute to improving safety of commercial nuclear power plants which are operated worldwide. IRS reports contain information on events of safety significance with important lessons learned which assist in reducing recurrence of events at other plants. This sixth publication, covering the period 2012 - 2014, follows the structure of the previous editions. It highlights important lessons based on a review of the approximately 240 event reports received from the participating countries over this period.

Ontario Hydro CANDU operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartholomew, R.W.; Woodhead, L.W.; Horton, E.P.; Nichols, M.J.; Daly, I.N.

1987-01-01

The CANDU Pressurized Heavy Water (CANDU-PHW) type of nuclear-electric generating station has been developed jointly by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited and Ontario Hydro. This report highlights Ontario Hydro's operating experience using the CANDU-PHW system, with a focus on worker and public safety, operating performance and costs, and reliability of system components

Operational experience with superconducting synchrotron magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, P.S.

1987-01-01

The operational experience with the Fermilab Tevatron is presented, with emphasis on reliability and failure modes. Comparisons are made between the operating efficiencies for the superconducting machine and for the conventional Main Ring

Operational experience with superconducting synchrotron magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, P.S.

1987-03-01

The operational experience with the Fermilab Tevatron is presented, with emphasis on reliability and failure modes. Comprisons are made between the operating efficiencies for the superconducting machine and for he conventional Main Ring

Operating experience insights supporting ageing assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nitoi, M.

2013-01-01

Be effective in ageing management means looking at the right aspects, with the right techniques, and one of the most effective tool which could be used for that purpose is the analysis of operating experience. The paper has as objective to perform a review of available operating experience, with the aim to provide a better picture about the impact of ageing effects. The IAEA International Reporting System and NRC Licensee Event Reports were chosen as reference databases, both databases being internationally recognized as important sources of information about events occurrences in the nuclear power plants. The ageing related events identified in the selected time window were analyzed in detail, and the contributions of each major degradation mechanisms that have induced the ageing related events (specific to each defined group of components) was represented and discussed. The paper demonstrates the possibility to use operating experience insights in highlighting the ageing effects. (authors)

ETSON proposal on the European operational experience feedback system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maqua, Michael; Bertrand, Remy; Gelder, Pieter de

2007-01-01

The new IAEA Safety Fundamentals states regarding the operating experience feedback: The feedback of operating experience from facilities and activities - and, where relevant, from elsewhere - is a key means of enhancing safety. Processes must be put in place for the feedback and analysis of operating experience, including initiating events, accident precursors, near misses, accidents and unauthorized acts, so that lessons may be learned, shared and acted upon. This presentation deals with the proposal of the ETSON (European TSO Network) to optimize the European operating experiences feedback (OEF). It is generally recognized that the efficiency of nuclear safety supervision by public authorities is based on two key requirements: - the existence of a competent authority at national level, benefiting from an appropriate legislative and regulatory basis, from adequate (quantitatively and qualitatively) human resources, particularly for inspection purposes, - the availability of resources devoted to highly specialised independent technical expertise, in order to provide competent authorities with pertinent technical opinions on: -- the safety files provided by operators, for the purpose of licensing corresponding activities, -- the exploitation for regulatory purposes of the operating experience feed back from licensed nuclear installations. There are two worldwide systems intended to learn lessons from experience: the WANO (World Association of Nuclear Operators) system established by the licensees with access restricted to operating organizations and the IRS system jointly operated by IAEA and OECD/NEA accessible to regulators and to some other users nominated by the regulators in their countries. The IRS itself is dedicated to the analysis of safety significant operating events. NEA/CNRA runs a permanent working group on operating experience (WGOE). WGOE provides among other things also generic reports on safety concerns related to operating experiences and

Ontario Hydro CANDU operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, H.A.; Woodhead, L.W.; Fanjoy, G.R.

1984-03-01

The CANDU Pressurized Heavy Water (CANDU-PHW) type of nuclear-electric generating station has been developed jointly by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited and Ontario Hydro. This report highlights Ontario Hydro's operating experience using the CANDU-PHW system, with a focus on the operating performance and costs, reliability of system components and nuclear safety considerations for the workers and the public

Operating experience and TPA: the Italian perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grimaldi, G.

1990-01-01

Collection and analysis of operating experience from the Italian plants and utilization of abroad data both to plants in operation and in construction are presented. Some results are also referred, aimed to evidence the role of the international cooperation to safe operation of nuclear plants. The approach to the Trend and Pattern analyses is described as well, and the use of computerized techniques of analysis on personal computer. Finally on going activities are introduced, specifically application of operating experience of plants in operation to small sized reactors and to ones with more intrinsic safety characteristics; review of the reporting system for future application and comparative analysis of the different realization of selected safety systems

FFTF operational experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newland, D.J.; Krupar, J.J.

1984-01-01

In April 1982, the FFTF began its first nominally 100 day irradiation cycle. Since that time the plant has operated very well with steadily increasing plant capacity factors during its first four cycles. One hundred fifty fuel assemblies (eighty of which are experiments) and over 32,000 individual fuel pins have been irradiated, some in excess of 100 MWd/Kg burnup. Specialized equipment and systems unique to sodium cooled reactor plants have performed well

Steam generator operating experience update, 1982-1983

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frank, L.

1984-06-01

This report is a continuation of earlier reports by the staff addressing pressurized water reactor steam generator operating experience. NUREG-0886, Steam Generator Tube Experience, published in February 1982 summarized experience in domestic and foreign plants through December 1981. This report summarizes steam generator operating experience in domestic plants for the years 1982 and 1983. Included are new problems encountered with secondary-side loose parts, sulfur-induced stress-assisted corrosion cracking, and flow-induced vibrational wear in the new preheater design steam generators. The status of Unresolved Safety Issues A3, A4, and A5 is also discussed

Impact of LMFBR operating experience on PFBR design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhoje, S.B.; Chetal, S.C.; Chellapandi, P.; Govindarajan, S.; Lee, S.M.; Kameswara Rao, A.S.L.; Prabhakar, R.; Raghupathy, S.; Sodhi, B.S.; Sundaramoorthy, T.R.; Vaidyanathan, G.

2000-01-01

PFBR is a 500 MWe, sodium cooled, pool type, fast breeder reactor currently under detailed design. It is essential to reduce the capital cost of PFBR in order to make it competitive with thermal reactors. Operating experience of LMFBRs provides a vital input towards simplification of the design, improving its reliability, enhancing safety and achieving overall cost reduction. This paper includes a summary of LMFBR operating experience and details the design features of PFBR as influenced by operating experience of LMFBRs. (author)

Emergency planning and operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halpern, O.; Breniere, J.

1984-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to derive lessons from operating experience for the planning of emergency measures. This operating experience has two facets: it is obtained not only from the various incidents and accidents which have occurred in countries with nuclear power programmes and from the resulting application of emergency plans but also from the different exercises and simulations carried out in France and in other countries. Experience generally confirms the main approaches selected for emergency plans. The lessons to be derived are of three types: first, it appears necessary to set forth precisely the responsibilities of each person involved in order to prevent a watering-down of decisions in the event of an accident; secondly, considerable improvements need to be made in the different communication networks to be used; and thirdly, small accidents with minor radiological consequences deserve as systematic and thorough an approach as large and more improbable accidents. (author)

Operating practical experience at Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quihillalt, Oscar

1997-01-01

Operating experiences of Atucha-1 and Embalse Nuclear Power Plants were discussed in this work. The technical and economic aspects, such as reliability, availability, personnel training, operating costs, prices and market, which exercise influence upon Argentina nuclear energy policy, mainly on the power electric generation by nuclear power plants were considered. Finally the current status of the nucleoelectric sector in Argentina and forecasting were analysed

Accelerator/Experiment Operations - FY 2016

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blake, A.; Convery, M.; Geer, S.; Geesaman, D.; Harris, D.; Johnson, D.; Lang, K.; McFarland, K.; Messier, M.; Moore, C. D.; Newhart, D.; Reimer, P. E.; Plunkett, R.; Rominsky, M.; Sanchez, M.; Schmidt, J. J.; Shanahan, P.; Tate, C.; Thomas, J.; Donatella Torretta, Donatella Torretta; Matthew Wetstein, Matthew Wetstein

2016-01-01

This Technical Memorandum summarizes the Fermilab accelerator and experiment operations for FY 2016. It is one of a series of annual publications intended to gather information in one place. In this case, the information concerns the FY 2016 NOvA, MINOS+ and MINERvA experiments using the Main Injector Neutrino Beam (NuMI), the MicroBooNE experiment and the activities in the SciBooNE Hall using the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB), and the SeaQuest experiment, LArIAT experiment and Meson Test Beam activities in the 120 GeV external switchyard beam (SY120). Each section was prepared by the relevant authors, and was then edited for inclusion in this summary.

Accelerator/Experiment Operations - FY 2016

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blake, A. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Convery, M. [Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Geer, S. [Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Geesaman, D. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Harris, D. [Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Johnson, D. [Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Lang, K. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); McFarland, K. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Messier, M. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Moore, C. D. [Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Newhart, D. [Fermilab; Reimer, P. E. [Argonne; Plunkett, R. [Fermilab; Rominsky, M. [Fermilab; Sanchez, M. [Iowa State U.; Schmidt, J. J. [Fermilab; Shanahan, P. [Fermilab; Tate, C. [Fermilab; Thomas, J. [University Coll. London; Donatella Torretta, Donatella Torretta [Fermilab; Matthew Wetstein, Matthew Wetstein [Iowa State University

2016-10-01

This Technical Memorandum summarizes the Fermilab accelerator and experiment operations for FY 2016. It is one of a series of annual publications intended to gather information in one place. In this case, the information concerns the FY 2016 NOvA, MINOS+ and MINERvA experiments using the Main Injector Neutrino Beam (NuMI), the MicroBooNE experiment and the activities in the SciBooNE Hall using the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB), and the SeaQuest experiment, LArIAT experiment and Meson Test Beam activities in the 120 GeV external switchyard beam (SY120). Each section was prepared by the relevant authors, and was then edited for inclusion in this summary.

MIT January Operational Internship Experience 2011

Science.gov (United States)

DeLatte, Danielle; Furhmann, Adam; Habib, Manal; Joujon-Roche, Cecily; Opara, Nnaemeka; Pasterski, Sabrina Gonzalez; Powell, Christina; Wimmer, Andrew

2011-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the 2011 January Operational Internship experience (JOIE) program which allows students to study operational aspects of spaceflight, how design affects operations and systems engineering in practice for 3 weeks. Topics include: (1) Systems Engineering (2) NASA Organization (3) Workforce Core Values (4) Human Factors (5) Safety (6) Lean Engineering (7) NASA Now (8) Press, Media, and Outreach and (9) Future of Spaceflight.

EBR-II: twenty years of operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lentz, G.L.; Buschman, H.W.; Smith, R.N.

1985-01-01

Experimental Breeder Reactor No. 2 (EBR-II) is an unmoderated, sodium-cooled reactor with a design power of 62.5 MWt. For the last 20 years EBR-II has operated safely, has demonstrated stable operating characteristics, has shown excellent performance of its sodium components, and has had an excellent plant factor. These years of operating experience provide a valuable resource to the nuclear community for the development and design of future liquid metal fast reactors. This report provides a brief description of the EBR-II plant and its early operating experience, describes some recent problems of interest to the nuclear community, and also mentions some of the significant operating achievements of EBR-II. Finally, a few words and speculations on EBR-II's future are offered. 4 figs., 1 tab

Accelerator/Experiment Operations - FY 2015

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Czarapata, P. [Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); et al.

2015-10-01

This Technical Memorandum summarizes the Fermilab accelerator and experiment operations for FY 2015. It is one of a series of annual publications intended to gather information in one place. In this case, the information concerns the FY 2015 NOvA, MINOS+ and MINERvA experiments using the Main Injector Neutrino Beam (NuMI), the activities in the SciBooNE Hall using the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB), and the SeaQuest experiment and Meson Test Beam (MTest) activities in the 120 GeV external Switchyard beam (SY120).

Continuous Air Monitor Operating Experience Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cadwallader, L.C.; Bruyere, S.A.

2008-01-01

Continuous air monitors (CAMs) are used to sense radioactive particulates in room air of nuclear facilities. CAMs alert personnel of potential inhalation exposures to radionuclides and can also actuate room ventilation isolation for public and environmental protection. This paper presents the results of a CAM operating experience review of the DOE Occurrence Reporting and Processing System (ORPS) database from the past 18 years. Regulations regarding these monitors are briefly reviewed. CAM location selection and operation are briefly discussed. Operating experiences reported by the U.S. Department of Energy and in other literature sources were reviewed to determine the strengths and weaknesses of these monitors. Power losses, human errors, and mechanical issues cause the majority of failures. The average 'all modes' failure rate is 2.65E-05/hr. Repair time estimates vary from an average repair time of 9 hours (with spare parts on hand) to 252 hours (without spare parts on hand). These data should support the use of CAMs in any nuclear facility, including the National Ignition Facility and the international ITER experiment

Operating manual for the critical experiments facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

The operation of the Critical Experiments Facility (CEF) requires careful attention to procedures in order that all safety precautions are observed. Since an accident could release large amounts of radioactivity, careful operation and strict enforcement of procedures are necessary. To provide for safe operation, detailed procedures have been written for all phases of the operation of this facility. The CEF operating procedures are not to be construed to constitute a part ofthe Technical Specifications. In the event of any discrepancy between the information given herein and the Technical Specifications, limits set forth in the Technical Specifications apply. All normal and most emergency operation conditions are covered by procedures presented in this manual. These procedures are designed to be followed by the operating personnel. Strict adherence to these procedures is expected for the following reasons. (1) To provide a standard, safe method of performing all operations, the procedures were written by reactor engineers experienced in supervising the operation of reactors and were reviewed by an organization with over 30 years of reactor operating experience. (2) To have an up-to-date description of operating techniques available at all times for reference and review, it is necessary that the procedures be written

Operating manual for the critical experiments facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1986-01-01

The operation of the Critical Experiments Facility (CEF) requires careful attention to procedures in order that all safety precautions are observed. Since an accident could release large amounts of radioactivity, careful operation and strict enforcement of procedures are necessary. To provide for safe operation, detailed procedures have been written for all phases of the operation of this facility. The CEF operating procedures are not to be construed to constitute a part ofthe Technical Specifications. In the event of any discrepancy between the information given herein and the Technical Specifications, limits set forth in the Technical Specifications apply. All normal and most emergency operation conditions are covered by procedures presented in this manual. These procedures are designed to be followed by the operating personnel. Strict adherence to these procedures is expected for the following reasons. (1) To provide a standard, safe method of performing all operations, the procedures were written by reactor engineers experienced in supervising the operation of reactors and were reviewed by an organization with over 30 years of reactor operating experience. (2) To have an up-to-date description of operating techniques available at all times for reference and review, it is necessary that the procedures be written.

Accelerator/Experiment operations - FY 2006

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brice, S.; Conrad, J.; Denisov, D.; Ginther, G.; Holmes, S.; James, C.; Lee, W.; Louis, W.; Moore, C.; Plunkett, R.; Raja, R.; /Fermilab

2006-10-01

This Technical Memorandum (TM) summarizes the Fermilab accelerator and experiment operations for FY 2006. It is one of a series of annual publications intended to gather information in one place. In this case, the information concerns the FY 2006 Run II at the Tevatron Collider, the MiniBooNE experiments running in the Booster Neutrino Beam in neutrino and antineutrino modes, MINOS using the Main Injector Neutrino Beam (NuMI), and SY 120 activities.

Incorporating operational experience and design changes in availability forecasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norman, D.

1988-01-01

Reliability or availability forecasts which are based solely on past operating experience will be precise if the sample is large enough, and unbiased if nothing in the future design, environment, operating region or anything else changes. Unfortunately, life is never like that. This paper considers the methodology and philosophy of modifying forecasts based on past experience to take account also of changes in design, construction methods, operating philosophy, environments, operator training and so on, between the plants which provided the operating experience and the plant for which the forecast is being made. This emphasises the importance of collecting, assessing, and learning from past data and of a thorough knowledge of future designs, and procurement, operation, and maintenance policies. The difference between targets and central estimates is also discussed. The paper concludes that improvements in future availability can be made by learning from past experience, but that certain conditions must be fulfilled in order to do so. (author)

BN-600 power unit 15-year operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saraev, O.M.; Oshkanov, N.N.; Vylomov, V.V.

1996-01-01

Comprehensive experience has been gained with the operating fast reactor BN-600 with a power out of 600 MWe. This paper includes important performance results and gives also an overview of the experience gained from BN-600 NPP commercial operation during 15 years. (author). 2 figs, 1 tab

Recent operating experiences and programs at EBR-II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lentz, G.L.

1984-01-01

Experimental Breeder Reactor No. II (EBR-II) is a pool-type, unmoderated, sodium-cooled reactor with a design power of 62.5 MWt and an electrical generation capability of 20 MW. It has been operated by Argonne National Laboratory for the US government for almost 20 years. During that time, it has operated safely and has demonstrated stable operating characteristics, high availability, and excellent performance of its sodium components. The 20 years of operating experience of EBR-II is a valuable resource to the nuclear community for the development and design of future LMFBR's. Since past operating experience has been extensively reported, this report will focus on recent programs and events

A summary of the test procedures and operational details of a Delaware River and an ocean dumping pollution monitoring experiment conducted 28 August 1975

Science.gov (United States)

Hypes, W. D.; Ohlhorst, C. W.

1977-01-01

Two remote sensor evaluation experiments are discussed. One experiment was conducted at the DuPont acid-dump site off the Delaware coast. The second was conducted at an organic waste outfall in the Delaware River. The operational objective of obtaining simultaneous sea truth sampling with remote sensors overpasses was met. Descriptions of the test sites, sensors, sensor platforms, flight lines, sea truth data collected, and operational chronology are presented.

Operational experience with Dragon reactor experiment of relevance to commercial reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Capp, P.D.; Simon, R.A.

1976-01-01

An important part of the experience gained during the first ten years of successful power operation of the Dragon Reactor is relevant to the design and operation of future High Temperature Reactors (HTRs). The aspects presented in this paper have been chosen as being particularly applicable to larger HTR systems. Core performance under a variety of conditions is surveyed with particular emphasis on a technique developed for the identification and location of unpurged releasing fuel and the presence of activation and fission products in the core area. The lessons learned during the reflector block replacement are presented. Operating experience with the primary circuit identifies the lack of mixing of gas streams within the hot plenum and the problems of gas streaming in ducts. Helium leakage from the circuit is often greater than the optimum 0.1%/d. Virtually all the leakage problems are associated with the small bore instrument pipework essential for the many experiments associated with the Dragon Reactor Experiment (DRE). Primary circuit maintenance work confirms the generally clean state of the DRE circuit but identifies 137 Cs and 110 Agsup(m) as possible hazards if fuel emitting these isotopes is irradiated. (author)

Operational experience of the Marcoule reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conte, F.

1963-01-01

The results obtaining from three years operation of the reactors G-2, G-3 have made it possible to accumulate a considerable amount of operational experience of these reactors. The main original points: - the pre-stressed concrete casing - the possibility of loading while under power - automatic temperature control have been perfectly justified by the results of operation. The author confirms the importance of these original solutions and draws conclusions concerning the study of future nuclear power stations. (author) [fr

Treatment of operational experience of nuclear power plants in WANO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibanez, M.

2013-01-01

The article describes the activities associated to the Operating Experience Programme of the World Association of Nuclear Operators. The programme manages the event reports submitted by the nuclear power plants to the WANO database for the preparation by the Operating Experience Central Team of some documents like the significant Operating Experience Reports and Significant Event Reports that help the stations to avoid similar events. (Author)

Operating experience with high beta superconducting RF cavities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dylla, H.F.; Doolittle, L.R.; Benesch, J.F.

1993-01-01

The number of installed and operational β=1 superconducting rf cavities has grown significantly over the last two years in accelerator laboratories in Europe, Japan and the U.S. The total installed acceleration capability as of mid-1993 is approximately 1 GeV at nominal gradients. Major installations at CERN, DESY, KEK and CEBAF have provided large increments to the installed base and valuable operational experience. A selection of test data and operational experience gathered to date is reviewed

Operating experience with high beta superconducting rf cavities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dylla, H.F.; Doolittle, L.R.; Benesch, J.F.

1993-06-01

The number of installed and operational β = 1 superconducting rf cavities has grown significantly over the last two years in accelerator laboratories in Europe, Japan and the US. The total installed acceleration capability as of mid-1993 is approximately 1 GeV at nominal gradients. Major installations at CERN, DESY, KEK and CEBAF have provided large increments to the installed base and valuable operational experience. A selection of test data and operational experience gathered to date is reviewed

Entering 'A NEW REALM' of KIBO Payload Operations - Continuous efforts for microgravity experiment environment and lessons learned from real time experiment operations in KIBO -

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakagami, K; Goto, M; Matsumoto, S; Ohkuma, H

2011-01-01

On January 22nd, 2011(JST), KOUNOTORI2 (H-II Transfer Vehicle: HTV2) was successfully launched from Tanegashima Space Center toward the International Space Station (ISS) and two new JAXA payload racks, Kobairo rack and MSPR (Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack) were transferred to ISS/KIBO (Japanese Experiment Module: JEM). In addition to Saibo rack and Ryutai rack which are already in operation in KIBO, in total 4 Japanese experiment payload racks start operations in KIBO. Then KIBO payload operations embark on a new realm, full utilization phase. While the number and variety of microgravity experiments become increasing, simultaneous operation constraints should be considered to achieve multitask payload operations in ISS/KIBO and ever more complicated cooperative operations between crewmember and flight control team/science team are required. Especially for g-jitter improvement in ISS/KIBO, we have greatly advanced cooperative operations with crewmember in the recent increment based on the microgravity data analysis results. In this paper, newly operating Japanese experiment payloads characteristics and some methods to improve g-jitter environment are introduced from the front line of KIBO payload operations.

USA/FBR program status FFTF operations startup experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moffitt, W.C.; Izatt, R.D.

1981-06-01

This paper gives highlights of the major Operations evaluations and operational results of the startup acceptance testing program and initiation of normal operating cycles for experiment irradiation in the FFTF. 33 figures

Experience on operational safety improvement of control and operation support systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, N.; Nakagawa, T.; Mano, K.

1988-01-01

Japanese nuclear industry started in 1956 and about 30 years have passed since that time. Through these years, we have made a lot of efforts and developments in the field of Control and Instrumentation (C and I) system. The above 30 years and following years can be divided into four major periods. The first one is the period of research, the second of domestic production, the third of improvement, and the fourth of advancement. Improvements of C and I system, which we have made in those periods have made a great contribution to enhancement of reliability, availability and operability of nuclear power plants. Fig. 1 shows TEPCO's nuclear power plant (BWR) construction experience and technical trend of C and I system in Japan. This paper is to introduce the efforts and operational experience on control and operation support systems

Review and updates of the risk assessment for advanced test reactor operations for operating events and experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atkinson, S.A.

1996-01-01

Annual or biannual reviews of the operating history of the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) have been conducted for the purpose of reviewing and updating the ATR probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) for operating events and operating experience since the first compilation of plant- specific experience data for the ATR PSA which included data for operation from initial power operation in 1969 through 1988. This technical paper briefly discusses the means and some results of these periodic reviews of operating experience and their influence on the ATR PSA

Operational experience with SLAC's beam containment electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Constant, T.N.; Crook, K.; Heggie, D.

1977-03-01

Considerable operating experience was accumulated at SLAC with an extensive electronic system for the containment of high power accelerated beams. Average beam power at SLAC can approach 900 kilowatts with the potential for burning through beam stoppers, protection collimators, and other power absorbers within a few seconds. Fast, reliable, and redundant electronic monitoring circuits have been employed to provide some of the safeguards necessary for minimizing the risk to personnel. The electronic systems are described, and the design philosophy and operating experience are discussed

Concluding from operating experience to instrumentation and control systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pleger, H.; Heinsohn, H.

1997-01-01

Where conclusions are drawn from operating experience to instrumentation and control systems, two general statements should be made. First: There have been braekdowns, there have also been deficiencies, but in principle operating experience with the instrumentation and control systems of German nuclear power plants has been good. With respect to the debates about the use of modern digital instrumentation and control systems it is safe to say, secondly, that the instrumentation and control systems currently in use are working reliably. Hence, there is no need at present to replace existing systems for reasons of technical safety. However, that time will come. It is a good thing, therefore, that the use of modern digital instrumentation and control systems is to begin in the field of limiting devices. The operating experience which will thus be accumulated will benefit digital instrumentation and control systems in their qualification process for more demanding applications. This makes proper logging of operating experience an important function, even if it cannot be transferred in every respect. All parties involved therefore should see to it that this operating experience is collected in accordance with criteria agreed upon so as to prevent unwanted surprises later on. (orig.) [de

[Operating Room Nurses' Experiences of Securing for Patient Safety].

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Kwang Ok; Kim, Jong Kyung; Kim, Myoung Sook

2015-10-01

This study was done to evaluate the experience of securing patient safety in hospital operating rooms. Experiential data were collected from 15 operating room nurses through in-depth interviews. The main question was "Could you describe your experience with patient safety in the operating room?". Qualitative data from the field and transcribed notes were analyzed using Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory methodology. The core category of experience with patient safety in the operating room was 'trying to maintain principles of patient safety during high-risk surgical procedures'. The participants used two interactional strategies: 'attempt continuous improvement', 'immersion in operation with sharing issues of patient safety'. The results indicate that the important factors for ensuring the safety of patients in the operating room are manpower, education, and a system for patient safety. Successful and safe surgery requires communication, teamwork and recognition of the importance of patient safety by the surgical team.

Fire protection system operating experience review for fusion applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cadwallader, L.C.

1995-12-01

This report presents a review of fire protection system operating experiences from particle accelerator, fusion experiment, and other applications. Safety relevant operating experiences and accident information are discussed. Quantitative order-of-magnitude estimates of fire protection system component failure rates and fire accident initiating event frequencies are presented for use in risk assessment, reliability, and availability studies. Safety concerns with these systems are discussed, including spurious operation. This information should be useful to fusion system designers and safety analysts, such as the team working on the Engineering Design Activities for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor

Fire protection system operating experience review for fusion applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cadwallader, L.C.

1995-12-01

This report presents a review of fire protection system operating experiences from particle accelerator, fusion experiment, and other applications. Safety relevant operating experiences and accident information are discussed. Quantitative order-of-magnitude estimates of fire protection system component failure rates and fire accident initiating event frequencies are presented for use in risk assessment, reliability, and availability studies. Safety concerns with these systems are discussed, including spurious operation. This information should be useful to fusion system designers and safety analysts, such as the team working on the Engineering Design Activities for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor.

Feedback of operating experience in nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-06-01

The feedback of operating experience of nuclear facilities to the designers, manufacturers, operators and regulators is one important means of maintaining and improving safety. The Atomic Energy Control Board`s Advisory Committee on Nuclear Safety examined the means for feedback currently being employed, how effective they are and what improvements are advisable. The review found that the need for feedback of operating experience is well recognized within those institutions contributing to the safety of CANDU power reactors, and that the existing procedures are generally effective. Some recommendations, however, are submitted for improvement in the process.

Feedback of operating experience in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-06-01

The feedback of operating experience of nuclear facilities to the designers, manufacturers, operators and regulators is one important means of maintaining and improving safety. The Atomic Energy Control Board's Advisory Committee on Nuclear Safety examined the means for feedback currently being employed, how effective they are and what improvements are advisable. The review found that the need for feedback of operating experience is well recognized within those institutions contributing to the safety of CANDU power reactors, and that the existing procedures are generally effective. Some recommendations, however, are submitted for improvement in the process

TSTA piping and flame arrestor operating experience data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cadwallader, Lee C., E-mail: Lee.Cadwallader@inl.gov [Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Willms, R. Scott [ITER International Organization, Cadarache (France)

2015-10-15

Highlights: • Experiences from the Tritium Systems Test Assembly were examined. • Failure rates of copper piping and a flame arrestor were calculated. • The calculated failure rates compared well to similar data from the literature. • Tritium component failure rate data support fusion safety assessment. - Abstract: The Tritium Systems Test Assembly (TSTA) was a facility dedicated to tritium handling technology and experiment research at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The facility was operated with tritium for its research and development program from 1984 to 2001, running a prototype fusion fuel processing loop with ∼100 g of tritium as well as small experiments. There have been several operating experience reports written on this facility's operation and maintenance experience. This paper describes reliability analysis of two additional components from TSTA, small diameter copper gas piping that handled tritium in a nitrogen carrier gas, and the flame arrestor used in this piping system. The component failure rates for these components are discussed in this paper. Comparison data from other applications are also presented.

Operator training and the training simulator experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mills, D.

The author outlines the approach used by Ontario Hydro to train operators from the day they are hired as Operators-in-Training until they are Authorized Unit First Operators. He describes in detail the use of the simulator in the final year of the authorization program, drawing on experience with the Pickering NGS A simulator. Simulators, he concludes, are important aids to training but by no means all that is required to guarantee capable First Operators

Operating Experience Report: Counterfeit, Suspect and Fraudulent Items. Working Group on Operating Experience. Proceedings and Analysis on an Item of Generic Interest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

The NEA Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities (CNRA) believes that sharing operating experience from the national operating experience feedback programmes are a major element in the industry's and regulatory body's efforts to ensure the continued safe operation of nuclear facilities. Considering the importance of these issues, the Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) established a working group, PWG no.1 (Principle Working Group Number 1) to assess operating experience in the late 1970's, which was later renamed the Working Group on Operating Experience (WGOE). In 1978, the CSNI approved the establishment of a system to collect international operating experience data. The accident at Three Mile Island shortly after added impetus to this and led to the start of the Incident Reporting System (IRS). In 1983, the IRS database was moved to the International Agency for Atomic Energy (IAEA) to be operated as a joint database by IAEA and NEA for the benefit of all of the member countries of both organisations. In 2006, the WGOE was moved to be under the umbrella of the Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities (CNRA) in NEA. In 2009, the scope of the Incident Reporting System was expanded and re-named the International Reporting System for Operating Experience (although, the acronym remains the same). The purpose of WGOE is to facilitate the exchange of information, experience, and lessons learnt related to operating experience between member countries. The working group continues its mission to identify trending and issues that should be addressed in specialty areas of CNRA and CSNI working groups. The CSFI (Counterfeit, Suspect, and Fraudulent Items) issue was determined to be the Issue of Generic Interest at the April 2010 WGOE meeting. The Issue of Generic Interest is determined by the working group members for an in-depth discussion. They are often emerging issues in operating experience that a country or several countries would to the share

Operational safety experience reporting in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartfield, R.A.

1978-01-01

Licensees of nuclear power plants in the United States have many reporting requirements included in their technical specifications and the code of federal regulations, title 10. The Nuclear Regulatory Commisson receives these reports and utilizes them in its regulatory program. Part of this usage includes collecting and publishing this operating experience data in various reports and storing information in various data systems. This paper will discuss the data systems and reports on operating experience published and used by the NRC. In addition, some observations on operating experience will be made. Subjects included will be the Licensee Event Report (LER) Data File, the Operating Unit Status Report (Gray Book), Radiation Exposure Reports, Effluents Reports, the Nuclear Plant Reliability Data System, Current Events, Bulletin Wrapups and Annual Summaries. Some of the uses of the reports and systems will be discussed. The Abnormal Occurence Report to the US Congress will also be described and discussed. (author)

Proceedings of 2nd PHWR operating safety experience meeting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1991-04-01

Papers presented during the eight sessions of the meeting were devoted to the impact of PHWR operating experience on design of civil structures (reactor building integrity); operating experiences related to pressure tubes, nuclear steam supply system, plant stability; reactor maintenance and control systems, reactor operational safety. Some events concerned with reactor shutdown due to power failures are described, as well as action undertaken to prevent major damage.

Proceedings of 2nd PHWR operating safety experience meeting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-04-01

Papers presented during the eight sessions of the meeting were devoted to the impact of PHWR operating experience on design of civil structures (reactor building integrity); operating experiences related to pressure tubes, nuclear steam supply system, plant stability; reactor maintenance and control systems, reactor operational safety. Some events concerned with reactor shutdown due to power failures are described, as well as action undertaken to prevent major damage

Dry cooling tower operating experience in the LOFT reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunter, J.A.

1980-01-01

A dry cooling tower has been uniquely utilized to dissipate heat generated in a small experimental pressurized water nuclear reactor. Operational experience revealed that dry cooling towers can be intermittently operated with minimal wind susceptibility and water hammer occurrences by cooling potential steam sources after a reactor scram, by isolating idle tubes from the external atmosphere, and by operating at relatively high pressures. Operating experience has also revealed that tube freezing can be minimized by incorporating the proper heating and heat loss prevention features

Operating experience with the DRAGON High Temperature Reactor experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simon, R.A.; Capp, P.D.

2002-01-01

The Dragon Reactor Experiment in Winfrith/UK was a materials test facility for a number of HTR projects pursued in the sixties and seventies of the last century. It was built and managed as an OECD/NEA international joint undertaking. The reactor operated successfully between 1964 and 1975 to satisfy the growing demand for irradiation testing of fuels and fuel elements as well as for technological tests of components and materials. The paper describes the reactor's main experimental features and presents results of 11 years of reactor operation relevant for future HTRs. (author)

The Clearing House on Operating Experience Feedback (CH-OEF)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanarro Colodron, J.

2016-01-01

Full text: The Clearing House on Operating Experience Feedback (CH-OEF) is an online information system that contains three technical databases available only to registered users: 1) Operating Experience Feedback (OEF) records, containing information about events occurred at Nuclear Power Plants; 2) Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) records, containing technical details about NPPs; 3) Documents about operating experience, such as the Topical Operating Experience Reports (TOERs) and the quarterly reports on nuclear power plant events. The main objective of the information system is to develop communication, cooperation and sharing of operating experience amongst the national nuclear regulatory authorities participating in EU Clearinghouse network. The CH-OEF is essential for the preparation and dissemination of the quarterly reports on NPP events. These reports are published every three months and are intended to be complementary to other international reporting systems, containing mainly recent information publicly available. Only events that are considered to be likely to have lessons applicable to EU NPPs or with a real or potential impact on nuclear safety are addressed in the reports. The CH-OEF is a fundamental tool for their preparation, providing specific features for a more efficient sharing of information as well as for facilitating the related discussion and decision making. (author

Operating Experience Review of Tritium-in-Water Monitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

S. A. Bruyere; L. C. Cadwallader

2011-09-01

Monitoring tritium facility and fusion experiment effluent streams is an environmental safety requirement. This paper presents data on the operating experience of a solid scintillant monitor for tritium in effluent water. Operating experiences were used to calculate an average monitor failure rate of 4E-05/hour for failure to function. Maintenance experiences were examined to find the active repair time for this type of monitor, which varied from 22 minutes for filter replacement to 11 days of downtime while waiting for spare parts to arrive on site. These data support planning for monitor use; the number of monitors needed, allocating technician time for maintenance, inventories of spare parts, and other issues.

Operation databook of the fuel treatment system of the Static Experiment Critical Facility (STACY) and the Transient Experiment Critical Facility (TRACY). JFY 2004 to JFY 2008

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kokusen, Junya; Sumiya, Masato; Seki, Masakazu; Kobayashi, Fuyumi; Ishii, Junichi; Umeda, Miki

2013-02-01

Uranyl nitrate solution fuel used in the Static Experiment Critical Facility (STACY) and the Transient Experiment Critical Facility (TRACY) is adjusted in the Fuel Treatment System, in which such parameters are varied as concentration of uranium, free nitric acid, soluble neutron poison, and so on. Operations for concentration and denitration of the solution fuel were carried out with an evaporator from JFY 2004 to JFY 2008 in order to adjust the fuel to the experimental condition of the STACY and the TRACY. In parallel, the solution fuel in which some kinds of soluble neutron poison were doped was also adjusted in JFY 2005 and JFY 2006 for the purpose of the STACY experiments to determine neutron absorption effects brought by fission products, etc. After these experiments in the STACY, a part of the solution fuel including the soluble neutron poison was purified by the solvent extraction method with mixer-settlers in JFY 2006 and JFY 2007. This report summarizes operation data of the Fuel Treatment System from JFY 2004 to JFY 2008. (author)

The experience of five years operation of Phenix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conte, F.; Lacroix, A.

1980-01-01

Two long periods of exceptional operation have satisfied the hopes of the designers and all parameters, power, efficiency, load factor, fuel behaviour, were better than was expected. The experience resulting from the only major incident provided a series of complementary data. Modern technology has need of sanction by experiment. The Phenix type reactor is a tool which is convenient to operate and to maintain. The two aspects of the demonstration, correct operation and ease of maintenance, take a concrete form in the harmlessness of Phenix on men and on the environment. There is no irradiation and few releases. (orig./DG)

Nuclear power plant operation experience - a feedback programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banica, I.; Sociu, F.; Margaritescu, C.

1994-01-01

An effective high quality maintenance programme is required for the safe reliable operation of a nuclear power plant. To achieve the objectives of such a programme, both plant management and staff must be highly dedicated and motivated to perform high quality work at all levels. Operating and maintenance experience data collections and analysis are necessary in order to enhance the safety of the plant and reliability of the structures systems and components throughout their operating life. Significant events, but also minor incident, may reveal important deficiencies or negative trends adverse to safety. Therefore, a computer processing system for collecting, classifying and evaluating abnormal events or findings concerning operating-maintenance and for feeding back the results of the lessons learned from experience into the design and the operation of our nuclear power plant is considered to be of paramount importance. (Author)

Telescience testbed: Operational support functions for biomedical experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Yamashita, Masamichi; Watanabe, Satoru; Shoji, Takatoshi; Clarke, Andrew H.; Suzuki, Hiroyuki; Yanagihara, Dai

A telescience testbed was conducted to study the methodology of space biomedicine with simulated constraints imposed on space experiments. An experimental subject selected for this testbedding was an elaborate surgery of animals and electrophysiological measurements conducted by an operator onboard. The standing potential in the ampulla of the pigeon's semicircular canal was measured during gravitational and caloric stimulation. A principal investigator, isolated from the operation site, participated in the experiment interactively by telecommunication links. Reliability analysis was applied to the whole layers of experimentation, including design of experimental objectives and operational procedures. Engineering and technological aspects of telescience are discussed in terms of reliability to assure quality of science. Feasibility of robotics was examined for supportive functions to reduce the workload of the onboard operator.

LOFT instrumented fuel design and operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russell, M.L.

1979-01-01

A summary description of the Loss-of-Fluid Test (LOFT) system instrumented core construction details and operating experience through reactor startup and loss-of-coolant experiment (LOCE) operations performed to date are discussed. The discussion includes details of the test instrumentation attachment to the fuel assembly, the structural response of the fuel modules to the forces generated by a double-ended break of a pressurized water reactor (PWR) coolant pipe at the inlet to the reactor vessel, the durability of the LOFT fuel and test instrumentation, and the plans for incorporation of improved fuel assembly test instrumentation features in the LOFT core

Nuclear power plant operating experience, 1976

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-11-01

This report is the third in a series of reports issued annually that summarize the operating experience of U.S. nuclear power plants in commercial operation. Power generation statistics, plant outages, reportable occurrences, fuel element performance, occupational radiation exposure and radioactive effluents for each plant are presented. Summary highlights of these areas are discussed. The report includes 1976 data from 55 plants--23 boiling water reactor plants and 32 pressurized water reactor plants

Cryogenic system operating experience review for fusion applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cadwallader, L.C.

1992-01-01

This report presents a review of cryogenic system operating experiences, from particle accelerator, fusion experiment, space research, and other applications. Safety relevant operating experiences and accident information are discussed. Quantitative order-of-magnitude estimates of cryogenic component failure rates and accident initiating event frequencies are presented for use in risk assessment, reliability, and availability studies. Safety concerns with cryogenic systems are discussed, including ozone formation, effects of spills, and modeling spill behavior. This information should be useful to fusion system designers and safety analysts, such as the team working on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor design

Efeito do tempo de experiência de operadores de Harvester no rendimento operacional Effect of time experience of Harvester operators in operating yield

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elaine Cristina Leonello

2012-12-01

Full Text Available A mecanização da colheita de madeira permite maior controle dos custos e pode proporcionar reduções em prazos relativamente curtos. Além disso, tem um lugar de destaque na humanização do trabalho florestal e no aumento do rendimento operacional. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o desempenho de operadores de harvester em função do tempo de experiência na atividade. Foram avaliados oito operadores do sexo masculino, com idade entre 23 e 46 anos. O estudo consistiu na análise do volume de madeira colhida pelo harvester. O tempo de experiência afeta significativamente o rendimento operacional dos operadores de harvester. Tal rendimento aumenta expressivamente nos primeiros 18 meses de experiência, mantendo-se em ascensão nos próximos 26 meses. Após os 44 meses de experiência, o rendimento dos operadores tende a reduzir, revelando as possíveis acomodações do cotidiano. Tais resultados permitem concluir que por volta dos 50 meses de experiência na atividade de operação de harvester, se faz necessária a adoção de medidas de reciclagem, motivação, entre outras, a fim de proporcionar aos operadores melhores condições de trabalho que os possibilitem continuar exercendo a atividade de forma eficiente e rentável à empresa.The mechanization of timber harvesting allows greater control of costs and can provide reductions in relatively short intervals. Moreover, it has a place in the humanization of the working forest and the increase in performance. This work provides comparisons of operating performance of different operator harvester according to the time of experience in the activity. The operators evaluated were eight males, aged between 23 and 46 years old. The study consisted of analysis of the volume of timber harvested by the harvester. The experience significantly affects the performance of harvesters operators. The performance increases significantly in the first 18 months of experience, and it remained on

Stack Monitor Operating Experience Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cadwallader, L.C.; Bruyere, S.A.

2009-01-01

Stack monitors are used to sense radioactive particulates and gases in effluent air being vented from rooms of nuclear facilities. These monitors record the levels and types of effluents to the environment. This paper presents the results of a stack monitor operating experience review of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Occurrence Reporting and Processing System (ORPS) database records from the past 18 years. Regulations regarding these monitors are briefly described. Operating experiences reported by the U.S. DOE and in engineering literature sources were reviewed to determine the strengths and weaknesses of these monitors. Electrical faults, radiation instrumentation faults, and human errors are the three leading causes of failures. A representative 'all modes' failure rate is 1E-04/hr. Repair time estimates vary from an average repair time of 17.5 hours (with spare parts on hand) to 160 hours (without spare parts on hand). These data should support the use of stack monitors in any nuclear facility, including the National Ignition Facility and the international ITER project.

14th Biennial conference on reactor operating experience plant operations: The human element

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1989-01-01

Separate abstracts were prepared for the papers presented in the following areas of interest: enhancing operator performance; structured approaches to maintenance standards and reliability-centered maintenance; human issues in plant operations and management; test, research, and training reactor utilization; methods and applications of root-cause analysis; emergency operating procedure enhancement programs; test, research, and training reactor upgrades; valve maintenance and diagnostics; recent operating experiences; and current maintenance issues

US nuclear power plant operating cost and experience summaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohn, W.E.; Reid, R.L.; White, V.S.

1998-02-01

NUREG/CR-6577, U.S. Nuclear Power Plant Operating Cost and Experience Summaries, has been prepared to provide historical operating cost and experience information on U.S. commercial nuclear power plants. Cost incurred after initial construction are characterized as annual production costs, representing fuel and plant operating and maintenance expenses, and capital expenditures related to facility additions/modifications which are included in the plant capital asset base. As discussed in the report, annual data for these two cost categories were obtained from publicly available reports and must be accepted as having different degrees of accuracy and completeness. Treatment of inconclusive and incomplete data is discussed. As an aid to understanding the fluctuations in the cost histories, operating summaries for each nuclear unit are provided. The intent of these summaries is to identify important operating events; refueling, major maintenance, and other significant outages; operating milestones; and significant licensing or enforcement actions. Information used in the summaries is condensed from annual operating reports submitted by the licensees, plant histories contained in Nuclear Power Experience, trade press articles, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) web site (www.nrc.gov)

US nuclear power plant operating cost and experience summaries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kohn, W.E.; Reid, R.L.; White, V.S.

1998-02-01

NUREG/CR-6577, U.S. Nuclear Power Plant Operating Cost and Experience Summaries, has been prepared to provide historical operating cost and experience information on U.S. commercial nuclear power plants. Cost incurred after initial construction are characterized as annual production costs, representing fuel and plant operating and maintenance expenses, and capital expenditures related to facility additions/modifications which are included in the plant capital asset base. As discussed in the report, annual data for these two cost categories were obtained from publicly available reports and must be accepted as having different degrees of accuracy and completeness. Treatment of inconclusive and incomplete data is discussed. As an aid to understanding the fluctuations in the cost histories, operating summaries for each nuclear unit are provided. The intent of these summaries is to identify important operating events; refueling, major maintenance, and other significant outages; operating milestones; and significant licensing or enforcement actions. Information used in the summaries is condensed from annual operating reports submitted by the licensees, plant histories contained in Nuclear Power Experience, trade press articles, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) web site (www.nrc.gov).

European Clearinghouse for Nuclear Power Plants Operational Experience Feedback

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin Ramos, M.; Noel, M.

2010-01-01

In the European Union, in order to support the Community activities on operational experience, a centralized regional network on nuclear power plants operational experience feedback (European Clearinghouse on Operational Experience Feedback for Nuclear Power Plants) was established in 2008 at the EC JRC-IE, Petten (The Netherlands) on request of nuclear Safety Authorities of several Member States. Its main goal is to improve the communication and information sharing on OEF, to promote regional collaboration on analyses of operational experience and dissemination of the lessons learned. The enlarged EU Clearinghouse was launched in April 2010, and it is currently gathering the Regulatory Authorities of Finland, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Czec Republic, France, Germany, Slovak Republic, and Spain (these last six countries as observers). The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, the IAEA, the EC Directorates General of the JRC and ENER are also part of the network. Recently, collaboration between some European Technical Support Organizations (such IRSN and GRS) and the EU Clearinghouse has been initiated. This paper explains in detail the objectives and organization of the EU Clearinghouse, as well as the most relevant activities carried out, like research work in trend analysis of events ocurred in NPP, topical reports on particular events, dissemination of the results, quarterly reports on events reported publicly and operational experience support to the members of the EU Clearinghouse. (Author)

Fort Saint Vrain operational experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuller, C.H.

1989-01-01

Fort St. Vrain (FSV), on the system of the Public Service Company of Colorado, is the only high temperature gas-cooled (HTGR) power reactor in the United States. The plant features a helium-cooled reactor with a uranium-thorium fuel cycle. The paper describes the experience made during its operation. (author). 2 refs, 4 figs, 2 tabs

Comparing PRAs with operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Picard, R.R.; Martz, H.F.

1998-01-01

Probabilistic Risk Assessment is widely used to estimate the frequencies of rare events, such as nuclear power plant accidents. An obvious question concerns the extent to which PRAs conform to operating experience--that is, do PRAs agree with reality? The authors discuss a formal methodology to address this issue and examine its performance using plant-specific data

Natural uranium metallic fuel elements: fabrication and operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammad, F.H.; Abou-Zahra, A.A.; Sharkawy, S.W.

1980-01-01

The main reactor types based on natural uranium metallic fuel element, particularly the early types, are reviewed in this report. The reactor types are: graphite moderated air cooled, graphite moderated gas cooled and heavy water moderated reactors. The design features, fabrication technology of these reactor fuel elements and the operating experience gained during reactor operation are described and discussed. The interrelation between operating experience, fuel design and fabrication was also discussed with emphasis on improving fuel performance. (author)

Role of Organic Acids in Bioformation of Kaolinite: Results of Laboratory Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Bontognali, T. R. R.; Vasconcelos, C.; McKenzie, J. A.

2012-04-01

Clay minerals and other solid silica phases have a broad distribution in the geological record and greatly affect fundamental physicochemical properties of sedimentary rocks, including porosity. An increasing number of studies suggests that microbial activity and microbially produced organic acids might play an important role in authigenic clay mineral formation, at low temperatures and under neutral pH conditions. In particular, early laboratory experiments (Linares and Huertas, 1971) reported the precipitation of kaolinite in solutions of SiO2 and Al2O3 with different molar ratios SiO2/Al2O3, together with fulvic acid (a non-characterized mixture of many different acids containing carboxyl and phenolate groups) that was extracted from peat soil. Despite many attempts, these experiments could not be reproduced until recently. Fiore et al. (2011) hypothesized that the non-sterile fulvic acid might have contained microbes that participated in the formation of kaolinite. Using solutions saturated with Si and Al and containing oxalate and/or mixed microbial culture extracted from peat-moss soil, they performed incubation experiments, which produced kaolinite exclusively in solutions containing oxalate and microbes. We proposed to test the role of specific organic acids for kaolinite formation, conducting laboratory experiments at 25˚C, with solutions of sodium silicate, aluminum chloride and various organic compounds (i.e. EDTA, citric acid, succinic acid and oxalic acid). Specific organic acids may stabilize aluminum in octahedral coordination positions, which is crucial for the initial nucleation step. In our experiments, a poorly crystalline mineral that is possibly a kaolinite precursor formed exclusively in the presence of succinic acid. In experiments with other organic compounds, no incorporation of Al was observed, and amorphous silica was the only precipitated phase. In natural environments, succinic acid is produced by a large variety of microbes as an

Ventilation Systems Operating Experience Review for Fusion Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cadwallader, L.C.

1999-01-01

This report is a collection and review of system operation and failure experiences for air ventilation systems in nuclear facilities. These experiences are applicable for magnetic and inertial fusion facilities since air ventilation systems are support systems that can be considered generic to nuclear facilities. The report contains descriptions of ventilation system components, operating experiences with these systems, component failure rates, and component repair times. Since ventilation systems have a role in mitigating accident releases in nuclear facilities, these data are useful in safety analysis and risk assessment of public safety. An effort has also been given to identifying any safety issues with personnel operating or maintaining ventilation systems. Finally, the recommended failure data were compared to an independent data set to determine the accuracy of individual values. This comparison is useful for the International Energy Agency task on fusion component failure rate data collection

Safety review of experiments at Albuquerque Operations Office

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elliott, K.

1984-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) Albuquerque Operations Office is responsible for the safety overview of nuclear reactor and critical assembly facilities at Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Rocky Flats Plant. The important safety concerns with these facilities involve the complex experiments that are performed, and that is the area emphasized. A determination is made by the Albuquerque Office (AL) with assistance from DOE/OMA whether or not a proposed experiment is an unreviewed safety question. Meetings are held with the contractor to resolve and clarify questions that are generated during the review of the proposed experiment. The AL safety evaluation report is completed and any recommendations are discussed. Prior to the experiment a preoperational appraisal is performed to assure that personnel, procedures, and equipment are in readiness for operations. During the experiment, any abnormal condition is reviewed in detail to determine any safety concerns

Automated and continuously operating acid dew point measuring instrument for flue gases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reckmann, D.; Naundorf, G.

1986-06-01

Design and operation is explained for a sulfuric acid dew point indicator for continuous flue gas temperature control. The indicator operated successfully in trial tests over several years with brown coal, gas and oil combustion in a measurement range of 60 to 180 C. The design is regarded as uncomplicated and easy to manufacture. Its operating principle is based on electric conductivity measurement on a surface on which sulfuric acid vapor has condensed. A ring electrode and a PtRh/Pt thermal element as central electrode are employed. A scheme of the equipment design is provided. Accuracy of the indicator was compared to manual dew point sondes manufactured by Degussa and showed a maximum deviation of 5 C. Manual cleaning after a number of weeks of operation is required. Fly ash with a high lime content increases dust buildup and requires more frequent cleaning cycles.

Operation experience of the Indonesian multipurpose research reactor RSG-GAS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hastowo, Hudi; Tarigan, Alim [Multipurpose Reactor Center, National Nuclear Energy Agency of the Republic of Indonesia (PRSG-BATAN), Kawasan PUSPIPTEK Serpong, Tangerang (Indonesia)

1999-08-01

RSG-GAS is a multipurpose research reactor with nominal power of 30 MW, operated by BATAN since 1987. The reactor is an open pool type, cooled and moderated with light water, using the LEU-MTR fuel element in the form of U{sub 3}O{sub 8}-Al dispersion. Up to know, the reactor have been operated around 30,000 hours to serve the user. The reactor have been utilized to produce radioisotope, neutron beam experiments, irradiation of fuel element and its structural material, and reactor physics experiments. This report will explain in further detail concerning operational experience of this reactor, i.e. reactor operation data, reactor utilization, research program, technical problems and it solutions, plant modification and improvement, and development plan to enhance better reactor operation performance and its utilization. (author)

Operation experience of the Indonesian multipurpose research reactor RSG-GAS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hastowo, Hudi; Tarigan, Alim

1999-01-01

RSG-GAS is a multipurpose research reactor with nominal power of 30 MW, operated by BATAN since 1987. The reactor is an open pool type, cooled and moderated with light water, using the LEU-MTR fuel element in the form of U 3 O 8 -Al dispersion. Up to know, the reactor have been operated around 30,000 hours to serve the user. The reactor have been utilized to produce radioisotope, neutron beam experiments, irradiation of fuel element and its structural material, and reactor physics experiments. This report will explain in further detail concerning operational experience of this reactor, i.e. reactor operation data, reactor utilization, research program, technical problems and it solutions, plant modification and improvement, and development plan to enhance better reactor operation performance and its utilization. (author)

Operational experience with CMS Tier-2 sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez Caballero, I

2010-01-01

In the CMS computing model, more than one third of the computing resources are located at Tier-2 sites, which are distributed across the countries in the collaboration. These sites are the primary platform for user analyses; they host datasets that are created at Tier-1 sites, and users from all CMS institutes submit analysis jobs that run on those data through grid interfaces. They are also the primary resource for the production of large simulation samples for general use in the experiment. As a result, Tier-2 sites have an interesting mix of organized experiment-controlled activities and chaotic user-controlled activities. CMS currently operates about 40 Tier-2 sites in 22 countries, making the sites a far-flung computational and social network. We describe our operational experience with the sites, touching on our achievements, the lessons learned, and the challenges for the future.

Vacuum system operating experience review for fusion applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cadwallader, L.C.

1994-03-01

This report presents a review of vacuum system operating experiences from particle accelerator, fusion experiment, space simulation chamber, and other applications. Safety relevant operating experiences and accident information are discussed. Quantitative order-of-magnitude estimates of vacuum system component failure rates and accident initiating event frequencies are presented for use in risk assessment, reliability, and availability studies. Safety concerns with vacuum systems are discussed, including personnel safety, foreign material intrusion, and factors relevant to vacuum systems being the primary confinement boundary for tritium and activated dusts. This information should be useful to fusion system designers and safety analysts, such as the team working on the Engineering Design Activities for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor

Spacelab operations planning. [ground handling, launch, flight and experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, T. J.

1976-01-01

The paper reviews NASA planning in the fields of ground, launch and flight operations and experiment integration to effectively operate Spacelab. Payload mission planning is discussed taking consideration of orbital analysis and the mission of a multiuser payload which may be either single or multidiscipline. Payload analytical integration - as active process of analyses to ensure that the experiment payload is compatible to the mission objectives and profile ground and flight operations and that the resource demands upon Spacelab can be satisfied - is considered. Software integration is touched upon and the major integration levels in ground operational processing of Spacelab and its experimental payloads are examined. Flight operations, encompassing the operation of the Space Transportation System and the payload, are discussed as are the initial Spacelab missions. Charts and diagrams are presented illustrating the various planning areas.

Operational safety experience feedback by means of unusual event reports

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-07-01

Operational experience of nuclear power plants can be used to great advantage to enhance safety performance provided adequate measures are in place to collect and analyse it and to ensure that the conclusions drawn are acted upon. Feedback of operating experience is thus an extremely important tool to ensure high standards of safety in operational nuclear power plants and to improve the capability to prevent serious accidents and to learn from minor deviations and equipment failures - which can serve as early warnings -to prevent even minor events from occurring. Mechanisms also need to be developed to ensure that operating experience is shared both nationally as well as internationally. The operating experience feedback process needs to be fully and effectively established within the nuclear power plant, the utility, the regulatory organization as well as in other institutions such as technical support organizations and designers. The main purpose of this publication is to reflect the international consensus as to the general principles and practices in the operational safety experience feedback process. The examples of national practices for the whole or for particular parts of the process are given in annexes. The publication complements the IAEA Safety Series No.93 ''Systems for Reporting Unusual Events in Nuclear Power Plants'' (1989) and may also give a general guidance for Member States in fulfilling their obligations stipulated in the Nuclear Safety Convention. Figs, tabs

Operational safety experience feedback by means of unusual event reports

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-07-01

Operational experience of nuclear power plants can be used to great advantage to enhance safety performance provided adequate measures are in place to collect and analyse it and to ensure that the conclusions drawn are acted upon. Feedback of operating experience is thus an extremely important tool to ensure high standards of safety in operational nuclear power plants and to improve the capability to prevent serious accidents and to learn from minor deviations and equipment failures - which can serve as early warnings -to prevent even minor events from occurring. Mechanisms also need to be developed to ensure that operating experience is shared both nationally as well as internationally. The operating experience feedback process needs to be fully and effectively established within the nuclear power plant, the utility, the regulatory organization as well as in other institutions such as technical support organizations and designers. The main purpose of this publication is to reflect the international consensus as to the general principles and practices in the operational safety experience feedback process. The examples of national practices for the whole or for particular parts of the process are given in annexes. The publication complements the IAEA Safety Series No.93 ``Systems for Reporting Unusual Events in Nuclear Power Plants`` (1989) and may also give a general guidance for Member States in fulfilling their obligations stipulated in the Nuclear Safety Convention. Figs, tabs.

Operation experience with elevated ammonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vankova, Katerina; Kysela, Jan; Malac, Miroslav; Petrecky, Igor; Svarc, Vladimir

2011-01-01

The 10 VVER units in the Czech and Slovak Republics are all in very good water chemistry and radiation condition, yet questions have arisen regarding the optimization of cycle chemistry and improved operation in these units. To address these issues, a comprehensive experimental program for different water chemistries of the primary circuit was carried out at the Rez Nuclear Research Institute, Czech Republic, with the goal of judging the influence of various water chemistries on radiation build-up. Four types of water chemistries were compared: standard VVER water chemistry (in common use), direct hydrogen dosing without ammonia, standard VVER water chemistry with elevated ammonia levels, and zinc dosing to standard VVER water chemistry. The test results showed that the types of water chemistry other than the common one have benefits for the operation of the nuclear power plant (NPP) primary circuit. Operation experience with elevated ammonia at NPP Dukovany Units 3 and 4 is presented which validates the experimental results, demonstrating improved corrosion product volume activity. (orig.)

Operational experience feedback with precursor analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koncar, M.; Ferjancic, M.; Muehleisen, A.; Vojnovic, D.

2003-01-01

Experience of practical operation is a valuable source of information for improving the safety and reliability of nuclear power plants. Operational experience feedback (Olef) system manages this aspect of NPP operation. The traditional ways of investigating operational events, such as the root cause analysis (RCA), are predominantly qualitative. RCA as a part of the Olef system provides technical guidance and management expectations in the conduct of assessing the root cause to prevent recurrence, covering the following areas: conditions preceding the event, sequence of events, equipment performance and system response, human performance considerations, equipment failures, precursors to the event, plant response and follow-up, radiological considerations, regulatory process considerations and safety significance. The root cause of event is recognized when there is no known answer on question 'why has it happened?' regarding relevant condition that may have affected the event. At that point the Olef is proceeding by actions taken in response to events, utilization, dissemination and exchange of operating experience information and at the end reviewing the effectiveness of the Olef. Analysis of the event and the selection of recommended corrective/preventive actions for implementation and prioritization can be enhanced by taking into account the information and insights derived from Pasa-based analysis. A Pasa based method, called probabilistic precursor event analysis (PPE A) provides a complement to the RCA approach by focusing on how an event might have developed adversely, and implies the mapping of an operational event on a probabilistic risk model of the plant in order to obtain a quantitative assessment of the safety significance of the event PSA based event analysis provides, due to its quantitative nature, appropriate prioritization of corrective actions. PPEA defines requirements for PSA model and code, identifies input requirements and elaborates following

Experience in operation of heavy water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rotaru, Ion; Bilegan, Iosif; Ghitescu, Petre

1999-01-01

The paper presents the main topics of the CANDU owners group (COG) meeting held in Mangalia, Romania on 7-10 September 1998. These meetings are part of the IAEA program for exchange of information related mainly to CANDU reactor operation safety. The first meeting for PHWR reactors took place in Vienna in 1989, followed by those in Argentina (1991), India (1994) and Korea (1996). The topics discussed at the meeting in Romania were: operation experience and recent major events, performances of CANDU reactors and safe operation, nuclear safety and operation procedures of PHWR, programs and strategies of lifetime management of installations and components of NPPs, developments and updates

Experiments on the Impact of language Problems in the Multi-cultural Operation of NPPs' Emergency Operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Seongkeun; Kim, Taehoon; Seong, Poong Hyun; Ha, Jun Su

2016-01-01

In 2010, The Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) was awarded a multi-billion dollar bid to construct the first nuclear power plant in Barakah, UAE. One must keep in mind however, that with technology transfer and international cooperation comes a host of potential problems arising from cultural differences such as language, everyday habitudes and workplace expectation. As of now, how problematic these potential issues may become is unknown. Of the aforementioned factors, communication is perhaps of foremost importance. We investigated UAE culture-related issues through analysis of operating experience reviews (OERs) and came to the conclusion that the language barrier needed utmost attention. Korean nuclear power plant operators will work in UAE and will operate the NPPs with operators and managers of other nationalities as well. The purpose of this paper is firstly to confirm that operators are put under mental stress, and secondly to demonstrate the decline in accuracy when they must work in English. Reducing human error is quite important to make nuclear power plants safer. As the mental workload of human operator is increased, the probability of a human error occurring also increases. It will have a negative influence on the plant’s safety. There are many factors which can potentially increase mental workload. We focused on communication problem which is a key factor of increasing mental workload because many Korean operators will work in UAE nuclear power plants and may work together with UAE operators. From these experiments we compared how performance of both Korean and UAE subjects were decreased when they use English. We designed experimental methods to be able to check this problem qualitatively and quantitatively. We analyzed four factors to find the communication problems from the experiments which are accuracy, efficiency, NASA-TLX, and brain wave. Accuracy, efficiency, brain wave are quantitative factors, and NASA-TLX is qualitative factor. To

Power ramping/cycling experience and operational recommendations in KWU power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jan, R. von; Wunderlich, F.; Holzer, R.

1980-01-01

The power cycling and ramping experience of KWU is based on experiments in test and commercial reactors, and on evaluation of plant operation (PHWR, PWR and BWR). Power cycling of fuel rods have never lead to PCI failures. In ramping experiments, for fast ramps PCI failure thresholds of 480/420 W/cm are obtained at 12/23 GWd/t(U) burn-up for pressurized PWR fuel. No failures occurred during limited exceedance of the threshold with reduced ramp rate. Operational recommendations used by KWU are derived from experiments and plant experience. The effects of ramping considerations on plant operation is discussed. No rate restrictions are required for start-ups during an operating cycle or load follow operation within set limits for the distortion of the local power distribution. In a few situations, e.g. start-up after refueling, ramp rates of 1 to 5 %/h are recommended depending on plant and fuel design

BR3/Vulcain Nuclear Power Station. Construction and Operational Experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Storrer, J. [Belgonucleaire, S.A., Brussels (Belgium)

1968-04-15

A full-scale reactor experiment was set out as the main objective of the Vulcain research and development programme agreed in May 1962 between the UKAEA and BelgoNucleaire, manager of ''Syndicat Vulcain''. Vulcain uses variable moderation as the long-term method to control reactivity: the reactor is cooled and moderated by a mixture of heavy and light water, the D{sub 2}O content being stepwise reduced to permit power operation with all control rods completely out of the core. To carry out the Vulcain power experiment it was decided to modify the BR3 nuclear power plant located at Mol, Belgium, which had operated from 1962 to 1964 as a conventional PWR with outputs of 40.9 MW(th) and 11.45 MW(e). The BR3/Vulcain plant was started in December 1966 and since then is running with a load factor around 90%. It is the first time that such a reactor type has been built and operated and the experience gained by its design, construction, commissioning and operation has proven to be most valuable. D{sub 2}O is being used at a pressure (2000 lb/in{sup 2} abs.) never before achieved in a heavy-water reactor and the leak rate from the HP primary systems to the atmosphere has been kept to a negligible value, around 1 to 2 grams/h. Commissioning of the primary plant had been carried out with light water first without fuel, and thereafter with fuel, at which time the water was poisoned with boric acid. The reactor vessel contains experimental devices such as 65 in-pile instrumentation detectors and four hydraulically operated Zircaloy control rods. They required the interposition of a collar between the vessel and its lid. Refuelling is performed under boronated light water, the interchange between the primary water and the H{sub 2}O being carried out by means of a draining and spraying system. The reactor had been operated for two years before its modifications for Vulcain: many lessons have therefore been learned about working on irradiated systems. The BR3/Vulcain core has a

Operating procedures: Fusion Experiments Analysis Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lerche, R.A.; Carey, R.W.

1984-03-20

The Fusion Experiments Analysis Facility (FEAF) is a computer facility based on a DEC VAX 11/780 computer. It became operational in late 1982. At that time two manuals were written to aid users and staff in their interactions with the facility. This manual is designed as a reference to assist the FEAF staff in carrying out their responsibilities. It is meant to supplement equipment and software manuals supplied by the vendors. Also this manual provides the FEAF staff with a set of consistent, written guidelines for the daily operation of the facility.

Operating procedures: Fusion Experiments Analysis Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lerche, R.A.; Carey, R.W.

1984-01-01

The Fusion Experiments Analysis Facility (FEAF) is a computer facility based on a DEC VAX 11/780 computer. It became operational in late 1982. At that time two manuals were written to aid users and staff in their interactions with the facility. This manual is designed as a reference to assist the FEAF staff in carrying out their responsibilities. It is meant to supplement equipment and software manuals supplied by the vendors. Also this manual provides the FEAF staff with a set of consistent, written guidelines for the daily operation of the facility

From USA operation experience of industrial uranium-graphite reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burdakov, N.S.

1996-01-01

The review on materials, presented by a group of the USA specialists at the seminar in Moscow on October 9-11, 1995 is considered. The above specialists shared their experience in operation of the Hanford industrial reactors, aimed at plutonium production for atomic bombs. The purpose of the above visit consisted in providing assistance to the Russian specialists by evaluation and modernization of operational conditions safety improvement of the RBMK type reactors. Special attention is paid to the behaviour of the graphite lining and channel tubes with an account of possible channel power interaction with the reactor structural units. The information on the experience of the Hanford reactor operation may be useful for specialists, operating the RBMK type reactors

GNF2 Operating Experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schardt, John

2007-01-01

GNF's latest generation fuel product, GNF2, is designed to deliver improved nuclear efficiency, higher bundle and cycle energy capability, and more operational flexibility. But along with high performance, our customers face a growing need for absolute fuel reliability. This is driven by a general sense in the industry that LWR fuel reliability has plateaued. Too many plants are operating with fuel leakers, and the impact on plant operations and operator focus is unacceptable. The industry has responded by implementing an INPO-coordinated program aimed at achieving leaker-free reliability by 2010. One focus area of the program is the relationship between fuel performance (i.e., duty) and reliability. The industry recognizes that the right balance between performance and problem-free fuel reliability is critical. In the development of GNF2, GNF understood the requirement for a balanced solution and utilized a product development and introduction strategy that specifically addressed reliability: evolutionary design features supported by an extensive experience base; thoroughly tested components; and defense-in-depth mitigation of all identified failure mechanisms. The final proof test that the balance has been achieved is the application of the design, initially through lead use assemblies (LUAs), in a variety of plants that reflect the diversity of the BWR fleet. Regular detailed surveillance of these bundles provides the verification that the proper balance between performance and reliability has been achieved. GNF currently has GNF2 lead use assemblies operating in five plants. Included are plants that have implemented extended power up-rates, plants on one and two-year operating cycles, and plants with and without NobleChem TM and zinc injection. The leading plant has undergone three pool-side inspections outages to date. This paper reviews the actions taken to insure GNF2's reliability, and the lead use assembly surveillance data accumulated to date to validate

Acid-doped Polybenzimidazole Membranes as Electrolyte for Fuel Cells Operating Above 100°C

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qingfeng, Li; Jensen, Jens Oluf; He, Ronhuan

2003-01-01

The technical achievement and challenges for the PEMFC technology based on perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) polymer membranes (e.g. Nafion®) are briefly discussed. The newest development in the field is alternative polymer electrolytes for operation above 100°C. As one of the successful approaches...... to high operational temperatures, the development and evaluation of acid doped PBI membranes are reviewed, covering polymer synthesis, membrane casting, acid doping, physiochemical characterization and fuel cell tests. A high temperature PEMFC system operational at up to 200°C is demonstrated with no gas...... humidification and high CO-tolerance up to 10 vol%. This high CO tolerance allows for a direct use of reformed hydrogen without further CO removal, which opens the possibility for an integrated reformer-fuel cell system. The content of this review is to a large extent based on research performed by the authors...

LMFBR operational safety: the EBR-II experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sackett, J.I.; Allen, N.L.; Dean, E.M.; Fryer, R.M.; Larson, H.A.; Lehto, W.K.

1978-01-01

The mission of the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) has evolved from that of a small LMFBR demonstration plant to a major irradiation-test facility. Because of that evolution, many operational-safety issues have been encountered. The paper describes the EBR-II operational-safety experience in four areas: protection-system design, safety-document preparation, tests of off-normal reactor conditions, and tests of elements with breached cladding

The SM and MIR reactors operation experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuprienko, V.A.; Klinov, A.V.; Svyatkin, M.N.; Shamardin, V.K.

1995-01-01

The SM and MIR operation experience show that continuous work on the problem of ageing, in all its aspects, allows for prolongation of the research plant life cycle by several folds as compared to the initial project. The redesigned SM-3 reactor will operate for another 20 years. The similar result is expected from the MIR planned reconstruction which scope will be the topic of future presentations. (orig.)

Recent operating experiences with steam generators in Japanese NPPs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yashima, Seiji

1997-01-01

In 1994, the Genkai-3 of Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc. and the Ikata-3 of Shikoku Electric Power Co., Inc. started commercial operation, and now 22 PWR plants are being operated in Japan. Since the first PWR plant now 22 PWR plants are being operated in was started to operate, Japanese PWR plants have had an operating experience of approx. 280 reactor-years. During that period, many tube degradations have been experienced in steam generators (SGs). And, in 1991, the steam generator tube rupture (SGTR) occurred in the Mihama-2 of Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. However, the occurrence of tube degradation of SGs has been decreased by the instructions of the MITI as regulatory authorities, efforts of Electric Utilities, and technical support from the SG manufacturers. Here the author describes the recent SGs in Japan about the following points. (1) Recent Operating Experiences (2) Lessons learned from Mihama-2 SGTR (3) SG replacement (4) Safety Regulations on SG (5) Research and development on SG

Commissioning and Operational Experience in Power Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pradhan, S., E-mail: spradhan@barctara.gov.in [Tarapur Based Reprocessing Plant, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Tarapur (India)

2014-10-15

After completing design, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance experience of the reprocessing plants at Tarapur, Mumbai and Kalpakkam a new reprocessing plant is commissioned and put into operation at BARC, Tarapur since 2011. Subsequent to construction clearance, commissioning of the plant is taken in many steps with simultaneous review by design and safety committees. In spite of vast experience, all the staff was retrained in various aspects of process and utility operations and in operation of innovative changes incorporated in the design. Operating personnel are licensed through an elaborate procedure consisting of various check lists followed by personnel interview. Commissioning systems were divided in sub-systems. Sub-systems were commissioned independently and later integrated testing was carried out. For commissioning, extreme operating conditions were identified in consultation with designers and detailed commissioning procedures were made accordingly. Commissioning was done in different conditions to ensure safety, smooth operation and maintainability. Few modifications were carried out based on commissioning experience. Technical specifications for operation of the plant are made in consultation with designers and reviewed by safety committees. Operation of the plant was carried out after successful commissioning trials with Deep Depleted Uranium (DDU). Emergency operating procedures for each design basis accident were made. Performance of various systems, subsystems are quite satisfactory and the plant has given very good capacity factor. (author)

Operation of the radioactive acid digestion test unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blasewitz, A.G.; Allen, C.R.; Lerch, R.E.; Ely, P.C.; Richardson, G.L.

1980-01-01

The Radioactive Acid Digestion Test Unit (RADTU) has been constructed at Hanford to demonstrate the application of the Acid Digestion Process for treating combustible transuranic wastes and scrap materials. The RADTU with its original tray digestion vessel has recently completed a six-month campaign processing potentially contaminated nonglovebox wastes from a Hanford plutonium facility. During this campaign, it processed 2100 kg of largely cellulosic wastes at an average sustained processing rate of 3 kg/h as limited by the water boiloff rate from the acid feeds. The on-line operating efficiency was nearly 50% on a twelve hour/day, five day/week basis. Following this campaign, a new annular high rate digester has been installed for testing. In preliminary tests with simulated wastes, the new digester demonstrated a sustained capacity of 10 kg/h with greatly improved intimacy of contact between the digestion acid and the waste. The new design also doubles the heat transfer surface, which with reduced heat loss area, is expected to provide at least three times the water boiloff rate of the previous tray digester design. Following shakedown testing with simulated and low-level wastes, the new unit will be used to process combustible plutonium scrap and waste from Hanford plutonium facilities for the purposes of volume reduction, plutonium recovery, and stabilization of the final waste form

Improving the Sharing and Use of Operating Experience Among Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Llewellyn, Michael D.

1998-01-01

Effective use of operating experience is an essential and fundamental aspect of the business of improving safety and reliability of nuclear power plant. Operating experience is considered of such importance, that it is embedded as a fundamental element in the WANO mission statement: 'To maximise the safety and reliability of operation of nuclear power plants by exchanging information and encouraging communication, comparison, and emulation amongst its members'. The exchange of information on plant operating experience and lessons learned from events is at the core of our WANO mission and is an essential element of effective operating experience use. Recognizing this, WANO - AC has joined together with Canadian PHWR operators in a cooperative effort to further strengthen the sharing of the event information, and to facilitate communication of PHWR operating experience worldwide. The content of the paper is: 1. Discussion; 2. Expectation; 3. Improving use of operating experience; 4. Internalizing operating experience; 5. Summary; 6. Attachments. The three attachments deal with: - WANO event reporting guidelines; - Root cause investigation guidelines; - Example prevent events briefing sheet. The paper is completed with the five slides used in the oral presentation

Operational experience of extreme wind penetrations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Estanqueiro, Ana [INETI/LNEG - National Laboratory for Energy and Geology, Lisbon (Portugal); Mateus, Carlos B. [Instituto de Meteorologia, Lisboa (Portugal); Pestana, Rui [Redes Energeticas Nacionais (REN), Lisboa (Portugal)

2010-07-01

This paper reports the operational experience from the Portuguese Power System during the 2009/2010 winter months when record wind penerations were observed: the instantaneous wind power penetration peaked at 70% of consumption during no-load periods and the wind energy accounted for more than 50% of the energy consumed for a large period. The regulation measures taken by the TSO are presented in the paper, together with the additional reserves operated for added system security. Information on the overall power system behavior under such extreme long-term wind power penetrations will also be addressed. (org.)

Operational experience of the ATLAS accelerator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Den Hartog, P K; Bogaty, J M; Bollinger, L M; Clifft, B E; Craig, S L; Harden, R E; Markovich, P; Munson, F H; Nixon, J M; Pardo, R C; Phillips, D R; Shepard, K W; Tilbrook, I R; Zinkmann, G P [Argonne National Lab., IL (USA). Physics Div.

1990-02-01

The ATLAS accelerator consists of a HVEC model FN tandem accelerator injecting into a linac of independently-phased niobium superconducting resonators. The accelerator provides beams with masses 6 {le} A {le} 127 and with energies ranging up to 20 MeV/A for the lightest ions and 4 MeV/A for the heaviest ions. Portions of the linac have been in operation since 1978 and, over the last decade, more than 35000 h of operating experience have been accumulated. The long-term stability of niobium resonators, and their feasibility for use in heavy-ion accelerators is now well established. (orig.).

Preheat operating experiences at the FFTF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tucker, W.R.

1978-01-01

The rather extensive test program performed on the FFTF preheat control system resulted in successful sodium fill of one secondary heat transport loop on July 2, 1978. The data obtained during testing and the attendant operating experience gained resulted in some design changes and provided the information necessary to fully characterize system performance. Temperature excursions and deviations from preset limits of only a minor nature were encountered during preheat for sodium fill. The addition of the rate alarm feature was beneficial to operation of the preheat system and allowed early detection and correction of impending excursions

Operating experience on radiation reduction in the latest BWRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohsumi, K.; Uchida, S.; Aizawa, M.; Takagi, K.; Amano, O.; Yamashita, K.

1988-01-01

In Japan, BWR plants have been operated commercially since 1970, and the reduction of radiation exposure has been an important concern. The application of the procedure for reducing occupational exposure is incorporated in Japanese Improvement and Standardization Program for LWRs. No.2 and No.4 plants in Fukushima No.2 Nuclear Power Station were designed and constructed as the latest 1,100 MWe BWRs in conformity with the Improvement and Standardization Program. No.2 plant began the commercial operation in February, 1984, and experienced three times of the scheduled annual maintenance outage. No.4 plant began the commercial operation in September, 1987, and the first annual maintenance is scheduled from September, 1988. In this paper, discussion is focused on recent radiation reduction measures, that is the control of iron and nickel in primary coolant for reducing the radiation dose rate in primary systems, based on the experience with No.2 and No.4 plants. The design concept of a low radiation dose rate nuclear power plant, the experience on water chemistry in No.2 plant, the control of iron and nickel in No.4 plant operation and so on are reported. It is believed that these operation experiences contribute to the reduction of occupational exposure in BWR plants currently in operation and in future. (Kako, I.)

Large remote manipulator operating and maintenance experience at IEM cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hicks, D.F.; McGuinness, P.W.

1985-01-01

The Interim Examination and Maintenance (IEM) Cell at the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) has two large Electro-Mechanical Manipulators (EMM's). These manipulators are used for cell operations (processing of reactor core components) as well as general cell maintenance. From our eleven years of operation and maintenance experience with these large EMM's, we have learned many lessons concerning manipulator design. This paper describes the IEM Cell EMM design features and discusses operating and maintenance experience at the IEM Cell

Operation experience at the UWTF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ueno, Kazuhiro; Inada, Kameji; Ohmori, Kouji; Usui, Kazuya; Irinouchi, Sigenori; Asami, Makoto; Tohchi, Katsunori

2003-01-01

This report describes the operation experience on the volume reduction of metal wastes and used air filters contaminated with uranium at the Uranium contaminated Waste Treatment Facility (UWTF) in JNC Tokai Works. The UWTF consists of the metal waste treatment system and the filter-waste treatment system. The former treats metal wastes, the latter treats used air filters. Metal wastes are unpacked from drums, cut, and then compacted. Used air filters are separated into filter media and frames. Then the filter media are compacted and the frames are crushed. The operation of the UWTF was started in June 1998. The following volumes of wastes had been treated at the UWTF from the beginning of the operation to March 2003 (for about 5 years). (1) 1,524 drums of the metal wastes had been reduced to 410 drums. The volume reduction factor was 3.7. (2) 372 drums of the used air filters had been reduced to 39 drums. The volume reduction factor was 9.5. These systems have been operated without trouble for 5 years and have demonstrated to be able to reduce the volumes of the wastes to designed values. The volume reduction technologies for metal wastes and used air filters contaminated with uranium were successfully demonstrated at the UWTF. (author)

Carboxylic acids in crystallization of macromolecules: learning from successful crystallization experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Offermann, Lesa R; He, John Z; Mank, Nicholas J; Booth, William T; Chruszcz, Maksymilian

2014-03-01

The production of macromolecular crystals suitable for structural analysis is one of the most important and limiting steps in the structure determination process. Often, preliminary crystallization trials are performed using hundreds of empirically selected conditions. Carboxylic acids and/or their salts are one of the most popular components of these empirically derived crystallization conditions. Our findings indicate that almost 40 % of entries deposited to the Protein Data Bank (PDB) reporting crystallization conditions contain at least one carboxylic acid. In order to analyze the role of carboxylic acids in macromolecular crystallization, a large-scale analysis of the successful crystallization experiments reported to the PDB was performed. The PDB is currently the largest source of crystallization data, however it is not easily searchable. These complications are due to a combination of a free text format, which is used to capture information on the crystallization experiments, and the inconsistent naming of chemicals used in crystallization experiments. Despite these difficulties, our approach allows for the extraction of over 47,000 crystallization conditions from the PDB. Initially, the selected conditions were investigated to determine which carboxylic acids or their salts are most often present in crystallization solutions. From this group, selected sets of crystallization conditions were analyzed in detail, assessing parameters such as concentration, pH, and precipitant used. Our findings will lead to the design of new crystallization screens focused around carboxylic acids.

Summary of operating experience at Swedish nuclear power plants in 1984

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

The four owners on nuclear power plants in Sweden - The Swedish State Power Board, Forsmarks Kraftgrupp AB, Sydkraft AB and OKG AKTIEBOLAG - formed in 1980 the Nuclear Safety Board of the Swedish Utilities as a joint body for collaboration in safety matters. The Board participates in coordination of the safety work of the utilities and conducts its own safety projects, whereever this is more efficient than the utilities' working independently. The work of the Board shall contribute to optimizing safety in the operation of the Swedish nuclear power plants. The most important function of the Board is to collect, process and evaluate information on operational disturbances and incidents at Swedish and foreign nuclear power plants and then use the knowledge thus gained to improve the safety of the operation of the Swedish nuclear power plants (experience feedback). The work with Experience Feedback proceeds in three stages: Event follow-up, Fault analysis and Feedback of results. The Board runs a system for experience feedback (ERF). ERF is a computer-based information and communication system. ERF provides the Board with a daily update of operating experience in both Swedish and foreign nuclear power plants. Each Swedish nuclear power station supplies the ERF system with data on, among other things, operation and operational distrubances. Important experiences are thereby fed back to plant operation. Experience from foreign nuclear power stations can be of interest to the Swedish nuclear power plants. This information comes to RKS and is reviewed daily. The information that is considered relevant to Swedish plants is fed after analysis into the ERF system. Conversely, foreign nuclear power stations can obtain information from the operation of the Swedish plants. (author)

Experience from operating germanium detectors in GERDA

Science.gov (United States)

Palioselitis, Dimitrios; GERDA Collaboration

2015-05-01

Phase I of the Germanium Detector Array (GERDA) experiment, searching for the neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay of 76Ge, was completed in September 2013. The most competitive half-life lower limit for the 0νββ decay of 76Ge was set (T-0ν1/2 > 2.1 · 1025 yr at 90% C.L.). GERDA operates bare Ge diodes immersed in liquid argon. During Phase I, mainly refurbished semi-coaxial high purity Ge detectors from previous experiments were used. The experience gained with handling and operating bare Ge diodes in liquid argon, as well as the stability and performance of the detectors during GERDA Phase I are presented. Thirty additional new enriched BEGe-type detectors were produced and will be used in Phase II. A subgroup of these detectors has already been used successfully in GERDA Phase I. The present paper gives an overview of the production chain of the new germanium detectors, the steps taken to minimise the exposure to cosmic radiation during manufacturing, and the first results of characterisation measurements in vacuum cryostats.

The VEPP-2000 Collider Control System: Operational Experience

CERN Document Server

Senchenko, A I; Lysenko, A P; Rogovsky, Yu A; Shatunov, P Yu

2017-01-01

The VEPP-2000 collider was commissioned and operated successfully in 2010-2013. During the operation the facility underwent continuous updates and experience in maintenance was acquired. Strong cooperation between the staff of the accelerator complex and the developers of the control system proved effective for implementing the necessary changes in a short time.

Model radioisotope experiments on the influence of acid rain on 65Zn binding with humic acid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koczorowska, E.; Mieloch, M.; Slawinski, J.

2002-01-01

Acid rain formed first of all from sulfur oxide emitted by natural and anthropogenic sources, may change the biological equilibrium and the metal stoppage in the soil. The model experiments were performed to determine the influence of acid rain on zinc bond with humic acid (HA). The samples were prepared in glass columns with quartz sand and overlaid HA or HA + 65 Zn radioisotope that simulates natural conditions. Then, solutions of H 2 SO 4 were introduced into the sand - HA layer. Zinc was washed with diluted (10 -4 - 10 -3 M) sulphuric acid as a simulation of acid rain. The results help to evaluate the migration behaviour of zinc in the presence of HA and H 2 SO 4 . The model studies illustrate the considerable influence of sulfuric acid on chemical degradation of HA. (author)

Duke staff tap into a fund of operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1997-01-01

The benefits of the Operating Experience Database (OEDB) allows employees of the nuclear industry to access a fund of operating experience data on-line in order to help them make appropriate management decisions concerning problem solving for various plant-based problems. Recent successful uses include fire protection system design, improving compliance with technical specifications, and reducing unnecessary trips in turbines. It is anticipated that OEDB may well be used in the Ukraine and Russia in the future. (UK)

Experiments on the Impact of language Problems in the Multi-cultural Operation of NPPs' Emergency Operation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Seongkeun; Kim, Taehoon; Seong, Poong Hyun [KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Ha, Jun Su [KUSTAR, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)

2016-10-15

In 2010, The Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) was awarded a multi-billion dollar bid to construct the first nuclear power plant in Barakah, UAE. One must keep in mind however, that with technology transfer and international cooperation comes a host of potential problems arising from cultural differences such as language, everyday habitudes and workplace expectation. As of now, how problematic these potential issues may become is unknown. Of the aforementioned factors, communication is perhaps of foremost importance. We investigated UAE culture-related issues through analysis of operating experience reviews (OERs) and came to the conclusion that the language barrier needed utmost attention. Korean nuclear power plant operators will work in UAE and will operate the NPPs with operators and managers of other nationalities as well. The purpose of this paper is firstly to confirm that operators are put under mental stress, and secondly to demonstrate the decline in accuracy when they must work in English. Reducing human error is quite important to make nuclear power plants safer. As the mental workload of human operator is increased, the probability of a human error occurring also increases. It will have a negative influence on the plant’s safety. There are many factors which can potentially increase mental workload. We focused on communication problem which is a key factor of increasing mental workload because many Korean operators will work in UAE nuclear power plants and may work together with UAE operators. From these experiments we compared how performance of both Korean and UAE subjects were decreased when they use English. We designed experimental methods to be able to check this problem qualitatively and quantitatively. We analyzed four factors to find the communication problems from the experiments which are accuracy, efficiency, NASA-TLX, and brain wave. Accuracy, efficiency, brain wave are quantitative factors, and NASA-TLX is qualitative factor. To

Undergraduate surgical nursing preparation and guided operating room experience: A quantitative analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Foran, Paula

2016-01-01

The aim of this research was to determine if guided operating theatre experience in the undergraduate nursing curricula enhanced surgical knowledge and understanding of nursing care provided outside this specialist area in the pre- and post-operative surgical wards. Using quantitative analyses, undergraduate nurses were knowledge tested on areas of pre- and post-operative surgical nursing in their final semester of study. As much learning occurs in nurses' first year of practice, participants were re-tested again after their Graduate Nurse Program/Preceptorship year. Participants' results were compared to the model of operating room education they had participated in to determine if there was a relationship between the type of theatre education they experienced (if any) and their knowledge of surgical ward nursing. Findings revealed undergraduates nurses receiving guided operating theatre experience had a 76% pass rate compared to 56% with non-guided or no experience (p nurses achieved a 100% pass rate compared to 53% with non-guided or no experience (p research informs us that undergraduate nurses achieve greater learning about surgical ward nursing via guided operating room experience as opposed to surgical ward nursing experience alone. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemistry in water reactors: operating experience and new developments. 2 volumes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

These proceedings of the International conference on chemistry in water reactors (Operating experience and new developments), Volume 1, are divided into 8 sessions bearing on: (session 1) Primary coolant activity, corrosion products (5 conferences), (session 2) Dose reduction (4 conferences), (session 3) New developments (4 conferences), poster session: Primary coolant chemistry (16 posters), (session 4) Decontamination (5 conferences), poster session (2 posters), (session 5) BWR-Operating experience (3 conferences), (session 6) BWR-Modelling of operating experience (4 conferences), (session 7) BWR-Basic studies (4 conferences), (session 8) BWR-New technologies (3 conferences)

Operational experience with the Daresbury accelerator tube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aitken, T.W.; Eastham, D.A.; Joy, T.; Leese, J.M.; Tait, N.R.S.; Thorn, R.

1986-01-01

Operational experience with the Daresbury MKI accelerator tube is reviewed with particular attention to conditioning and high voltage performance. The effects of surges and transients on the tube are described and lines of future development are discussed. (orig.)

Experience in startup and operation of fast flux facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moffitt, W.C.

1980-01-01

The testing program was structured to perform all testing under formal testing procedures with a test engineer as the test director and the plant operators operating the systems and equipment. This provided excellent training and experience for the operators in preparation for eventual reactor operation. Operations preparations for the testing and operation activities has consisted of academic training, formal on-the-job training including systems operation and examinations by persons with an expert knowledge on that portion of the plant, training at EBR-II and the High Temperature Sodium Facility for selected senior operators, operating procedure preparation, training on an FFTF Control Room operator training simulator, and formal written, oral and operating examinations

Operational experience of the ATLAS accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Den Hartog, P.K.; Bogaty, J.M.; Bollinger, L.M.

1989-01-01

The ATLAS accelerator consists of a HVEC model FN tandem accelerator injecting into a linac of independently-phased niobium superconducting resonators. The accelerator provides beams with masses from 6≤A≤127 and with energies ranging up to 20 MeV/A for the lightest ions and 4 MeV/A for the heaviest ions. Portions of the linac have been in operation since 1978 and, over the last decade, more than 35,000 hours of operating experience have been accumulated. The long-term stability of niobium resonators, and their feasibility for use in heavy-ion accelerators is now well established. 11 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

Design and operating experiences with 50MW steam generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawara, M.; Yamaki, H.; Kanamori, A.; Tanaka, K.; Takahashi, T.

1975-01-01

The main purpose of the 50 MW steam generator is to have experiences of manufacturing and operation with large scale steam generator including necessary research and development works which can be reflected on the design and fabrication of 'Monju' (Japan 300 MWe prototype LMFBR). The detailed design of the 50 MW steam, generator was begun on March, 1972 and succeeded in the demonstration of 72 hours continuous operation with full power on June, 1974. It has been successfully operated since then, the performances of which have been evaluated through various kinds of tests. In this paper, the following items are mainly discussed system design, thermal and hydraulic design, structure and fabrication and some experiences on testing operation including cleaning and sodium flushing of equipment, sodium level control system, the behavior of hydrogen detection system and general outlook of the performance. (author)

Design and operating experiences with 50MW steam generator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawara, M; Yamaki, H; Kanamori, A; Tanaka, K; Takahashi, T

1975-07-01

The main purpose of the 50 MW steam generator is to have experiences of manufacturing and operation with large scale steam generator including necessary research and development works which can be reflected on the design and fabrication of 'Monju' (Japan 300 MWe prototype LMFBR). The detailed design of the 50 MW steam, generator was begun on March, 1972 and succeeded in the demonstration of 72 hours continuous operation with full power on June, 1974. It has been successfully operated since then, the performances of which have been evaluated through various kinds of tests. In this paper, the following items are mainly discussed system design, thermal and hydraulic design, structure and fabrication and some experiences on testing operation including cleaning and sodium flushing of equipment, sodium level control system, the behavior of hydrogen detection system and general outlook of the performance. (author)

PFR experience of bellows operating in sodium systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hodgson, D.

1980-01-01

Although there was little operating experience with bellows in sodium systems available during the design phase of the UK 250 MWe prototype fast reactor, bellows were extensively utilised to seal valves and to overcome the problems of differential thermal movements in several important applications. However, because of this lack of operational experience in sodium and the non-availability of design codes it was considered prudent not to install bellows in situations where failure could possibly initiate events of unpredictable proportions, or in positions where replacement following failure would be extremely difficult i.e. involving complete shutdown of the reactor over an extended period (in excess of six months) and/or necessitate removal of large quantities of primary sodium from the reactor vessel. This paper describes some of the bellows units installed in the PFR and the performance achieved during six years of reactor operation

Flooding PSA with Plant Specific Operating Experiences of Korean PWRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Sun Yeong; Yang, Joon Yull

2006-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to update the flooding PSA with Korean plant specific operating experience data and the appropriate estimation method for the flooding frequency to improve the PSA quality. The existing flooding PSA used the NPE (Nuclear Power Experience) database up to 1985 for the flooding frequency. They are all USA plant operating experiences. So an upgraded flooding frequency with Korean specific plant operation experience is required. We also propose a method of only using the PWR (Pressurized Water Reactor) data for the flooding frequency estimation in the case of the flooding area in the primary building even though the existing flooding PSA used both PWR and BWR (Boiled Water Reactor) data for all kinds of plant areas. We evaluate the CDF (Core Damage Frequency) with the modified flooding frequency and compare the results with that of the existing flooding PSA method

Lead isotope results of acid leaching experiments on acid volcanics and black shales in an ore environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gulson, B.L.

1977-01-01

In the volcanogenic Woodlawn Cu-Pb-Zn deposit, where pyrite is the dominant sulphide phase in the ore and a ubiquitous mineral in the host volcanics and shales, leaching experiments using HNO 3 -HCl to overcome the ore/rock lead dominance, resulted in highly complex lead isotopic data, dependent mainly on the original lead concentration in the rock. For samples with higher (> 5 ppm) lead concentrations, the acid leaches are less radiogenic than the rocks or residues whereas for samples with 15 ppm lead, the data arrays are those expected for a dominance of ore/rock lead. In all except the very high lead samples (> 100 ppm), lead is derived from sources other than sulphides. Furthermore, in only the highest lead sample is the acid leach isotopic value compatible with that of the ore lead. As found in previous leaching investigations, the dominant component of lead and uranium is extracted in the acid leach. Acid-leaching experiments of this type may have possible applications in prospecting for basemetal sulphides. (auth.)

Lesson Learned from the Recent Operating Experience of Domestic Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Chang-Ju; Kim, Min-Chull; Koo, Bon-Hyun; Kim, Sang-Jae; Lee, Kyung-Won; Kim, Ji-Tae; Lee, Durk-Hun

2007-01-01

According to the public concerns, it seems that one of the main missions of a nuclear regulatory body is to collect operational experiences from various nuclear facilities, and to analyze their follow-up information. The extensive use of lessons learned from operating experiences to back fit safety systems, improve operator training and emergency procedures, and to focus more attention on human factors, safety culture and quality management systems are also desired. Collecting operational experiences has been mainly done regarding the incidents and major failures of components (so called 'event'), which usually demands lots of regulatory resources. This paper concentrates on new information, i.e. lesson learned from recent investigation results of domestic events which contain 5 years' experience. This information can induce many insights for improving operational safety of nuclear power plants (NPPs)

Operating experience of Fugen-HWR in Japan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoshino, F [Reactor Regulation Division, Nuclear Safety Bureau, Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo (Japan)

1991-04-01

Fugen is a 165 MWe prototype heavy water reactor which mainly uses plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel. Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC) has taken responsibility for the advanced thermal reactor (ATR) project, with its name 'FUGEN' taken from the Buddhist God of Mercy. The project started in October 1967, to develop and establish the technology for this new type of reactor and to clarify MOX fuel performance in the reactor. Site construction began in December 1970 at Tsuruga and the plant commenced commercial operation on March 20, 1979. Since then, Fugen has been operated successfully for more than twelve years. The plant performance and reliability of this type of reactor has been demonstrated through the operation. All these operational experiences have contributed to the establishment of the ATR technology.

Operating experience of Fugen-HWR in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshino, F.

1991-01-01

Fugen is a 165 MWe prototype heavy water reactor which mainly uses plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel. Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC) has taken responsibility for the advanced thermal reactor (ATR) project, with its name 'FUGEN' taken from the Buddhist God of Mercy. The project started in October 1967, to develop and establish the technology for this new type of reactor and to clarify MOX fuel performance in the reactor. Site construction began in December 1970 at Tsuruga and the plant commenced commercial operation on March 20, 1979. Since then, Fugen has been operated successfully for more than twelve years. The plant performance and reliability of this type of reactor has been demonstrated through the operation. All these operational experiences have contributed to the establishment of the ATR technology

The National Flood Interoperability Experiment: Bridging Resesarch and Operations

Science.gov (United States)

Salas, F. R.

2015-12-01

The National Weather Service's new National Water Center, located on the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa, will become the nation's hub for comprehensive water resources forecasting. In conjunction with its federal partners the US Geological Survey, Army Corps of Engineers and Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Weather Service will operationally support both short term flood prediction and long term seasonal forecasting of water resource conditions. By summer 2016, the National Water Center will begin evaluating four streamflow data products at the scale of the NHDPlus river reaches (approximately 2.67 million). In preparation for the release of these products, from September 2014 to August 2015, the National Weather Service partnered with the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. to support the National Flood Interoperability Experiment which included a seven week in-residence Summer Institute in Tuscaloosa for university students interested in learning about operational hydrology and flood forecasting. As part of the experiment, 15 hour forecasts from the operational High Resolution Rapid Refresh atmospheric model were used to drive a three kilometer Noah-MP land surface model loosely coupled to a RAPID river routing model operating on the NHDPlus dataset. This workflow was run every three hours during the Summer Institute and the results were made available to those engaged to pursue a range of research topics focused on flood forecasting (e.g. reservoir operations, ensemble forecasting, probabilistic flood inundation mapping, rainfall product evaluation etc.) Although the National Flood Interoperability Experiment was finite in length, it provided a platform through which the academic community could engage federal agencies and vice versa to narrow the gap between research and operations and demonstrate how state of the art research infrastructure, models, services, datasets etc. could be utilized

Technician support for operation and maintenance of large fusion experiments: the tandem mirror experiment upgrade (TMX-U) approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mattson, G.E.

1983-01-01

As experiments continue to grow in size and complexity, a few technicians will no longer be able to maintain and operate the complete experiment. Specialization is becoming the norm. Subsystems are becoming very large and complex, requiring a great deal of experience and training for technicians to become qualified maintenance/operation personnel. Formal in-house and off-site programs supplement on-the-job training to fulfill the qualification criteria. This paper presents the Tandem Mirror Experiment-Upgrade (TMX-U) approach to manpower staffing, some problems encountered, possible improvements, and safety considerations for the successful operation of a large experimental facility

Enhanced Synthesis of Alkyl Amino Acids in Miller's 1958 H2S Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Eric T.; Cleaves, H. James; Callahan, Michael P.; Dworkin, James P.; Glavin, Daniel P.; Lazcano, Antonio; Bada, Jeffrey L.

2011-01-01

Stanley Miller's 1958 H2S-containing experiment, which included a simulated prebiotic atmosphere of methane (CH4), ammonia (NH3), carbon dioxide (CO2), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) produced several alkyl amino acids, including the alpha-, beta-, and gamma-isomers of aminobutyric acid (ABA) in greater relative yields than had previously been reported from his spark discharge experiments. In the presence of H2S, aspariic and glutamic acids could yield alkyl amino acids via the formation of thioimide intermediates. Radical chemistry initiated by passing H2S through a spark discharge could have also enhanced alkyl amino acid synthesis by generating alkyl radicals that can help form the aldehyde and ketone precursors to these amino acids. We propose mechanisms that may have influenced the synthesis of certain amino acids in localized environments rich in H2S and lightning discharges, similar to conditions near volcanic systems on the early Earth, thus contributing to the prebiotic chemical inventory of the primordial Earth.

New Polymer Electrolyte Membranes Based on Acid Doped PBI For Fuel Cells Operating above 100°C

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Qingfeng

2003-01-01

The technical achievement and challenges for the PEMFC technology based on perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) polymer membranes (e.g. Nafion®) are briefly discussed. The newest development for alternative polymer electrolytes for operation above 100°C. As one of the successful approaches to high...... operational temperatures, the development and evaluation of acid doped PBI membranes are reviewed, covering polymer synthesis, membrane casting, acid doping, physiochemical characterization and fuel cell tests....

Operational experience of the Marcoule reactors; Experience d'exploitation des reacteurs de Marcoule

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conte, F [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Centre de Production de Plutonium, Marcoule (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1963-07-01

The results obtaining from three years operation of the reactors G-2, G-3 have made it possible to accumulate a considerable amount of operational experience of these reactors. The main original points: - the pre-stressed concrete casing - the possibility of loading while under power - automatic temperature control have been perfectly justified by the results of operation. The author confirms the importance of these original solutions and draws conclusions concerning the study of future nuclear power stations. (author) [French] Les resultats atteints apres trois ans de fonctionnement des reacteurs G-2/G-3 permettent une accumulation considerable de l'experience d'exploitation de ces reacteurs. Les principales originalites: - caisson en beton precontraint - chargement en marche - surveillance automatique des temperatures sont largement justifiees par l'exploitation actuelle. L'auteur confirme l'interet de ces solutions d'avant-garde et en tire des conclusions pour les etudes de futures centrales nucleaires. (auteur)

A Functional Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle Operates during Growth of Bordetella pertussis on Amino Acid Mixtures as Sole Carbon Substrates.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marie Izac

Full Text Available It has been claimed that citrate synthase, aconitase and isocitrate dehydrogenase activities are non-functional in Bordetella pertussis and that this might explain why this bacterium's growth is sometimes associated with accumulation of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB and/or free fatty acids. However, the sequenced genome includes the entire citric acid pathway genes. Furthermore, these genes were expressed and the corresponding enzyme activities detected at high levels for the pathway when grown on a defined medium imitating the amino acid content of complex media often used for growth of this pathogenic microorganism. In addition, no significant PHB or fatty acids could be detected. Analysis of the carbon balance and stoichiometric flux analysis based on specific rates of amino acid consumption, and estimated biomass requirements coherent with the observed growth rate, clearly indicate that a fully functional tricarboxylic acid cycle operates in contrast to previous reports.

Logic gates and antisense DNA devices operating on a translator nucleic Acid scaffold.

Science.gov (United States)

Shlyahovsky, Bella; Li, Yang; Lioubashevski, Oleg; Elbaz, Johann; Willner, Itamar

2009-07-28

A series of logic gates, "AND", "OR", and "XOR", are designed using a DNA scaffold that includes four "footholds" on which the logic operations are activated. Two of the footholds represent input-recognition strands, and these are blocked by complementary nucleic acids, whereas the other two footholds are blocked by nucleic acids that include the horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-mimicking DNAzyme sequence. The logic gates are activated by either nucleic acid inputs that hybridize to the respective "footholds", or by low-molecular-weight inputs (adenosine monophosphate or cocaine) that yield the respective aptamer-substrate complexes. This results in the respective translocation of the blocking nucleic acids to the footholds carrying the HRP-mimicking DNAzyme sequence, and the concomitant release of the respective DNAzyme. The released product-strands then self-assemble into the hemin/G-quadruplex-HRP-mimicking DNAzyme that biocatalyzes the formation of a colored product and provides an output signal for the different logic gates. The principle of the logic operation is, then, implemented as a possible paradigm for future nanomedicine. The nucleic acid inputs that bind to the blocked footholds result in the translocation of the blocking nucleic acids to the respective footholds carrying the antithrombin aptamer. The released aptamer inhibits, then, the hydrolytic activity of thrombin. The system demonstrates the regulation of a biocatalytic reaction by a translator system activated on a DNA scaffold.

ATLAS Strip Detector: Operational Experience and Run1-> Run2 Transition

CERN Document Server

Nagai, Koichi; The ATLAS collaboration

2014-01-01

Large hadron collider was operated very successfully during the Run1 and provided a lot of opportunities of physics studies. It currently has a consolidation work toward to the operation at $\\sqrt{s}=14 \\mathrm{TeV}$ in Run2. The ATLAS experiment has achieved excellent performance in Run1 operation, delivering remarkable physics results. The SemiConductor Tracker contributed to the precise measurement of momentum of charged particles. This paper describes the operation experience of the SemiConductor Tracker in Run1 and the preparation toward to the Run2 operation during the LS1.

Operating experience and corrective action program at Ontario Hydro Nuclear

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collingwood, Barry; Turner, David

1998-01-01

This is a slide-based talk given at the COG/IAEA: 5. Technical Committee Meeting on 'Exchange of operating experience of pressurized heavy water reactors'. In the introduction there are presented the operating experience (OPEX) program of OHN, and the OPEX Program Mission, ensuring that the right information gets to the right staff at the right time. The OPEX Processes are analysed. These are: - Internal Corrective Action; - Inter-site Lesson Transfer; - External Lesson Transfer; - External Posting of OHN Events; - Internalizing Operating Experience. Steps in solving the Corrective Action Program are described: - Identify the Problem; - Notify Immediate Supervision/Manager; - Evaluate the Problem; - Correct the Problem; Monitor/Report Status. The Internal Corrective Action is then presented as a flowchart. The internalizing operating experience is presented under three aspects: - Communication; - Interface; - Training. The following items are discussed, respectively: peer meetings, department/section meetings, safety meetings, e-mail folders, newsletters and bulletin boards; work planning, pre-job briefings, supervisors' briefing cards; classroom initial and refresher (case studies), simulator, management courses. A diagram is presented showing the flow and treatment of information within OHN, centered on the weekly screening meetings. Finally, the corrective action processes are depicted in a flowchart and analysed in details

Operating experience at CEBAF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Legg, R.

1996-01-01

CEBAF, the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility, is a 5-pass, recirculating, superconducting rf linac designed to provide exceptional beam quality at 4 GeV up to 200 μA CW. It is made up of an injector, two 400-MeV linacs, and 9 recirculation arcs having a total beamline length of more than 4.5 km. On Nov. 5, 1995, CEBAF delivered a 4 GeV, 25-μA CW electron beam to the first of 3 experimental halls and the experimental physics program was started 10 days later. Accelerator availability during the first month of the experimental run exceeded 75%. Beam properties measured in the experimental hall to date are a one sigma momentum spread of 5x10 -5 and an rms emittance of 0.2 nanometer-radians, better than design specification. CW beam has been provided from all 5 passes at 800 MeV intervals. Outstanding performance of the superconducting linacs suggests a machine energy upgrade to 6 GeV in the near term with eventual machine operation at 8-10 GeV. Results from commissioning and operations experience since the last conference are presented

Experience from operating germanium detectors in GERDA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palioselitis, Dimitrios

2015-01-01

Phase I of the Germanium Detector Array (GERDA) experiment, searching for the neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay of 76 Ge, was completed in September 2013. The most competitive half-life lower limit for the 0νββ decay of 76 Ge was set (T- 0ν 1/2 > 2.1 · 10 25 yr at 90% C.L.). GERDA operates bare Ge diodes immersed in liquid argon. During Phase I, mainly refurbished semi-coaxial high purity Ge detectors from previous experiments were used. The experience gained with handling and operating bare Ge diodes in liquid argon, as well as the stability and performance of the detectors during GERDA Phase I are presented. Thirty additional new enriched BEGe-type detectors were produced and will be used in Phase II. A subgroup of these detectors has already been used successfully in GERDA Phase I. The present paper gives an overview of the production chain of the new germanium detectors, the steps taken to minimise the exposure to cosmic radiation during manufacturing, and the first results of characterisation measurements in vacuum cryostats. (paper)

The University of Colorado OSO-8 spectrometer experiment. IV - Mission operations

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, E. R.; Bruner, E. C., Jr.

1979-01-01

The remote operation of two high-resolution ultraviolet spectrometers on the OSO-8 satellite is discussed. Mission operations enabled scientific observers to plan observations based on current solar data, interact with the observing program using real- or near real-time data and commands, evaluate quick-look instrument data, and analyze the observations for publication. During routine operations, experiments were planned a day prior to their execution, and the data from these experiments received a day later. When a shorter turnaround was required, a real-time mode was available. Here, the real-time data and command links into the remote control center were used to evaluate experiment operation and make satellite pointing or instrument configuration changes with a 1-90 minute turnaround.

Operations experience with the NAC-1 legal weight truck cask

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viebrock, J.M.; Hoffman, C.C.

1978-01-01

The first three years of operation of Nuclear Assurance Corporation's (NAC) four (4) NAC-1 Casks have demonstrated that shipments of spent fuel, fuel rods and other highly irradiated reactor components can be moved routinely by legal weight truck transport. Shipments of these materials have involved some 800,000 miles of highway travel and cask handling at some fifteen different nuclear facilities. This paper presents details on NAC's operations experience with these casks including cask description, cask handling (loading and unloading), pre-shipment testing, facility turnaround and transit times, operator exposure, transport vehicles and shipper/carrier/cask owner responsibilities, actual experience with regard to facility interfacing requirements and operational procedures. Cask and equipment utilization is discussed together with the methods used to control operation costs and to improve the economics of truck transport

Operational and reliability experience with reactor instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixon, F.; Gow, R.S.

1978-01-01

In the last 15 years the CEGB has experienced progressive plant development, integration and changes in operating regime through nine nuclear (gas-cooled reactor) power stations with corresponding instrumentation advances leading towards more refined centralized control. Operation and reliability experience with reactor instrumentation is reported in this paper with reference to the progressive changes related to the early magnox, late magnox and AGR periods. Data on instrumentation reliability in terms of reactor forced outages are presented and show that the instrumentation contributions to loss of generating plant availability are small. Reactor safety circuits, neutron flux and temperature measurements, gas analysis and vibration monitoring are discussed. In reviewing the reactor instrumentation the emphasis is on reporting recent experience, particularly on AGR equipment, but overall performance and changes to magnox equipment are included so that some appreciation can be obtained of instrumentation requirements with respect to plant lifetimes. (author)

Canadian fuel development program and recent operational experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cox, D.S.; Kohn, E.; Lau, J.H.K.; Dicke, G.J.; Macici, N.N.; Sancton, R.W.

1995-01-01

This paper provides an overview of the current Canadian CANDU fuel R and D programs and operational experience. The details of operational experience for fuel in Canadian reactors are summarized for the period 1991-1994; excellent fuel performance has been sustained, with steady-state bundle defect rates currently as low as 0.02%. The status of introducing long 37-element bundles, and bundles with rounded bearing pads is reviewed. These minor changes in fuel design have been selectively introduced in response to operational constraints (end-plate cracking and pressure-tube fretting) at Ontario Hydro's Bruce-B and Darlington stations. The R and D programs are generating a more complete understanding of CANDU fuel behaviour, while the CANDU Owners Group (COG) Fuel Technology Program is being re-aligned to a more exclusive focus on the needs of operating stations. Technical highlights and realized benefits from the COG program are summarized. Re-organization of AECL to provide a one-company focus, with an outward looking view to new CANDU markets, has strengthened R and D in advanced fuel cycles. Progress in AECL's key fuel cycle programs is also summarized. (author)

Study on application of operating experience to new nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Nam Pyo

1991-01-01

From the standpoint of designing the nuclear power plant, nine operating units have been designed and constructed as turn-key base by foreign Nuclear Steam Supply System (NSSS) Suppliers or as component base by foreign Architect/Engineer companies. In case of the component base project, the owner of electric company generally has merits that owner's operational experiences can be effectively incorporated from the beginning stage of design by A/E. Even though six nuclear units, Kori Units 3 and 4, Yonggwang Units 1 and 2, and Ulchin Units 1 and 2, were designed as component base by foreign A/E's, operational experience feedback from Kori Unit 1, such as design improvement and system upgrade, could not be reflected, because the design process of the following units started well ahead before Kori Unit 1 operating experience is obtained enough to reflect on future nuclear power plant design. It can be stated that foreign A/E's used their experience in designing nuclear projects on very limited basis

Feedback of safety - related operational experience: Lessons learned

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elias, D [Commonwealth Edison Co. (United States)

1997-09-01

The presentation considers the following aspects of feedback of safety-related operational experience: lessons learned program, objectives, personnel characteristics; three types of documents for transmitting lessons learned issues.

Feedback of safety - related operational experience: Lessons learned

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elias, D.

1997-01-01

The presentation considers the following aspects of feedback of safety-related operational experience: lessons learned program, objectives, personnel characteristics; three types of documents for transmitting lessons learned issues

Spanish Power Exchange Market Concepts and Operating Experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez, J. J.; Gamito, C.

2000-01-01

On January, 1st, 1998, the Spanish Electricity Market started operations. All generators, distributors, commercialization companies, and final consumers negotiate al power exchanges either through the spot market or using bilateral contracts. The Spanish Power Exchange Market Operator (Compania Operadora del Mercado Espanol de electricidad, OMEL) is responsible for the management of the market and for the economic settlement and billing of a transactions on the Power Exchange market, and the technical operational process handled by the System Operator. This paper describes in detail the Spanish market principles and the experience gathered through the design, installation and first two years of market operation. The paper presents also the Spanish market results from January 1998 up to December 1999 indicating each specific market results and aggregate statistics. (Author)

Operating experience feedback report: Experience with pump seals installed in reactor coolant pumps manufactured by Byron Jackson

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bell, L.G.; O'Reilly, P.D.

1992-09-01

This report examines the reactor coolant pump (RCP) seal operating experience through August 1990 at plants with Byron Jackson (B-J) RCPs. ne operating experience examined in this analysis included a review of the practice of continuing operation with a degraded seal. Plants with B-J RCPs that have had relatively good experience with their RCP seals attribute this success to a combination of different factors, including: enhanced seal QA efforts, modified/new seal designs, improved maintenance procedures and training, attention to detail, improved seal operating procedures, knowledgeable personnel involved in seal maintenance and operation, reduction in frequency of transients that stress the seals, seal handling and installation equipment designed to the appropriate precision, and maintenance of a clean seal cooling water system. As more plants have implemented corrective measures such as these, the number of B-J RCP seal failures experienced has tended to decrease. This study included a review of the practice of continued operation with a degraded seal in the case of PWR plants with Byron Jackson reactor coolant pumps. Specific factors were identified which should be addressed in order to safety manage operation of a reactor coolant pump with indications of a degrading seal

Operating experience with nuclear power plants 2015. Pt. 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

2016-07-01

The VGB Technical Committee ''Nuclear Plant Operation'' has been exchanging operating experience about nuclear power plants for more than 30 years. Plant operators from several European countries are participating in the exchange. A report is given on the operating results achieved in 2015, events important to plant safety, special and relevant repair, and retrofit measures from Germany. The second part of this report will focus on nuclear power plant in Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Spain.

An Experiment on the Impact of Communication Problems in the Multi-cultural Operation of NPPs' Emergency Operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Seongkeun; Lee, Chanyoung; Seong, Poong Hyun; Ha, Jun Su

2015-01-01

Korean government won a contract of nuclear power plants to UAE government in 2010 and nuclear power plants are now under construction in Barakah, UAE. However, with technology transfer and international cooperation, there needs to consider several potential problems due to the differences between two culture of the countries such as language, technical culture and expectation. It is unknown how potential problems can lead to an unsafe plant operation as well. We got to know language problem is the main issue from analyzing the OERs. Korean nuclear power plant operators will work in UAE and they will operate the NPPs with other countries' operators and managers. Therefore they will have to use English when they communicate each other. The purpose of this paper is to confirm how much operators get stress and how much accuracy is declined when operators communicate together in English. Reducing human error is quite important to make nuclear power plants safety. As mental workload of human operator is increased, operators get more stress, then the probability of occurring human error may be increased. It will affect bad influence to nuclear power plants safety. There are many factors to make mental workload increased. We focused on communication problem which is a key factor of the increasing mental workload because many Korean operators will work in UAE nuclear power plants and they may work together with UAE operators. We designed experimental methods to be able to check this problem qualitatively and quantitatively. We analyzed four factors to find the communication problems from the experiments which are accuracy, efficiency, NASA-TLX, and brain wave. Accuracy, efficiency, brain wave are quantitative factors, and NASA-TLX is qualitative factor. To find the impact of how much English affects the operators' workload, we did two cases of experiments; one is experiment for diagnosis and the other is experiment for execution

An Experiment on the Impact of Communication Problems in the Multi-cultural Operation of NPPs' Emergency Operation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Seongkeun; Lee, Chanyoung; Seong, Poong Hyun [KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Ha, Jun Su [KUSTAR, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)

2015-10-15

Korean government won a contract of nuclear power plants to UAE government in 2010 and nuclear power plants are now under construction in Barakah, UAE. However, with technology transfer and international cooperation, there needs to consider several potential problems due to the differences between two culture of the countries such as language, technical culture and expectation. It is unknown how potential problems can lead to an unsafe plant operation as well. We got to know language problem is the main issue from analyzing the OERs. Korean nuclear power plant operators will work in UAE and they will operate the NPPs with other countries' operators and managers. Therefore they will have to use English when they communicate each other. The purpose of this paper is to confirm how much operators get stress and how much accuracy is declined when operators communicate together in English. Reducing human error is quite important to make nuclear power plants safety. As mental workload of human operator is increased, operators get more stress, then the probability of occurring human error may be increased. It will affect bad influence to nuclear power plants safety. There are many factors to make mental workload increased. We focused on communication problem which is a key factor of the increasing mental workload because many Korean operators will work in UAE nuclear power plants and they may work together with UAE operators. We designed experimental methods to be able to check this problem qualitatively and quantitatively. We analyzed four factors to find the communication problems from the experiments which are accuracy, efficiency, NASA-TLX, and brain wave. Accuracy, efficiency, brain wave are quantitative factors, and NASA-TLX is qualitative factor. To find the impact of how much English affects the operators' workload, we did two cases of experiments; one is experiment for diagnosis and the other is experiment for execution.

Operating results and experience and operating regimes in changing demands of energy world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hobza, L.

2004-01-01

In this paper, there are stated some operating results and experience obtained from trial operation of Temelin NPP. In Europe, Temelin NPP is presently one of the latest implemented projects of the series of VVER 1000 nuclear units with proven V-320 pressurized water reactor. The distinction between Temelin NPP and original project lays mainly in supply of nuclear fuel and in I and C systems delivered by Westinghouse Company. Temelin NPP has passed through commissioning period and trial operation. The main goal of the trial operation was to meet the requirements of section 2, par. 4, point b) of Decree No. 106/98 Sb. and verification of project parameters and stability of operation, and the situation leading to violation of safety functions fulfilment according to Pre-operational Safety Report should not occur. The integral part of trial operation assessment was also successful performing of determined monitoring programmes, first refuelling and performing of prescribed tests and operational inspections. Simultaneously, first experience was obtained with nuclear fuel; providing of ancillary services; reliability of important components; operation of turbine-generator 1000 MW; chemical regime; influence to environment; and quality of contractors. As safety is the most important indicator, it can be stated that: no facts which would lead to decreasing of safety systems operability have been detected; no facts which would lead to negative affecting of barriers against fading the radioactivity into both working areas and environment, have been detected; good condition of fire safety has been continuously documented; requirements of limits for releasing waste water into environment have been continuously complied with; requirements of limits for releasing radioactive substances (in gaseous and/or liquid state) into environment have been continuously complied with. From the operation regimes point of view is clear, that it would be suitable for the power plant if the

Design improvements, construction and operating experience with BWRs in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchigasaki, G.; Yokomi, M.; Sasaki, M.; Aoki, R.; Hashimoto, H.

1983-01-01

(1) The first domestic-made 1100-MW(e) BWR in Japan commenced commercial operation in April 1982. The unit is the leading one of the subsequent three in Fukushima Daini nuclear power station owned by the Tokyo Electric Power Company Inc. (Tepco). Based on the accumulated construction and operation experience of 500-MW(e) and 800-MW(e) class BWRs, improvements in various aspects during both the design and construction stages were introduced in core and fuel design with advanced gadolinia distribution, reactor feedwater treatment technology for crud reduction, a radwaste island, control and instrumentation to cope with the lessons learned through Three Mile Island assessment etc. (2) Based on many operating experiences with BWRs, an improved BWR core, which has easier operability and higher load factor than the conventional core, has been developed. The characteristic of the improved core is ''axially two-zoned uranium enrichment distribution''; the enrichment of the upper part of the fuel is slightly higher than that of the lower part. Through the improved core it became possible to optimize the axial power flattening and core reactivity control separately by axial enrichment distribution and burnable poison content. The improved fuels were loaded into operating BWRs and successfully proved the performance by this experience. (3) To shorten annual outage time, to reduce radiation exposure, to save manpower, and to achieve high reliability and safety of inspection operation, the remote automatic service and inspection equipment were developed in Japan. This paper presents the concept, distinctive features, and actual operation experience of the automatic refuelling machine, control-rod drive (CRD) remote-handling machine, improved main steam line isolation plug, and the automated ultrasonic inspection system with a computerized data processing unit, which have been developed by Hitachi, Ltd. with excellent results. (author)

The continuation training of operators and feedback of operational experience in the Royal Navy's nuclear submarine programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manson, R.P.

1983-01-01

Naval continuation training has relied heavily on the use of realistic simulators for over ten years, and this has been proved to be a cost-effective and efficient method of training. The type of simulator used, the selection and qualification of simulator instructors, and the method of training experienced operators is described. Also, the assessment of operator performance, the use of simulators during the final stages of operator qualification, and their use for training operators on plant operation whilst shut-down are covered. The Navy also pays great attention to the feedback of operating experience from sea into both continuation and basic training. This is accomplished using Incident Reports, which are rendered whenever the plant is operated outside the approved Operating Documentation, or when any other unusual circumstance arises. Each Report is individually assessed and replied to by a qualified operator, and those incidents of more general interest are published in a wider circulation document available to all plant operators. In addition, each crew is given an annual lecture on recent operating experiences. Important lessons are fed forward into new plant design, and the incident reports are also used as a source of information for plant reliability data. (author)

ATLAS Pixel Detector Operational Experience

CERN Document Server

Di Girolamo, B; The ATLAS collaboration

2011-01-01

The ATLAS Pixel Detector is the innermost detector of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, providing high-resolution measurements of charged particle tracks in the high radiation environment close to the collision region. This capability is vital for the identification and measurement of proper decay times of long-lived particles such as b-hadrons, and thus vital for the ATLAS physics program. The detector provides hermetic coverage with three cylindrical layers and three layers of forward and backward pixel detectors. It consists of approximately 80 million pixels that are individually read out via chips bump-bonded to 1744 n-in-n silicon substrates. In this talk, results from the successful operation of the Pixel Detector at the LHC will be presented, including monitoring, calibration procedures, timing optimization and detector performance. The detector performance is excellent: 96.9% of the pixels are operational, noise occupancy and hit efficiency exceed the design specification, an...

Simulator experiments on operator reliability and training effectiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, A. Spurgin, A.J.

1990-01-01

This paper discusses some aspects of the Operator Reliability Experiments project sponsored by Electric Power Research Institute. The paper deals with modifications to the HCR correlation which have resulted from the study of operators in responding to nuclear accident scenarios using emergency procedures. The interpretation of time response data and how insights in crew performance can lead to improvements in not only crew performance but also in training effectiveness are discussed

Industry use of operating experience to achieve improved nuclear plant safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zebroski, E.L.

1981-01-01

A principal lesson drawn from the accident at Three Mile Island was the need for a comprehensive and rigorous system for analysis and feedback of operating experience to reactor operators. Chief executives of US utilities directed in mid-1979 that an intensive and rigorous system of analysis and feedback of operating experience be established. This system is commonly referred to as the ''Significant Events Program''. Since April 1980, the Nuclear Safety Analysis Center (NSAC) has been joined by the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) in the field investigation of significant operating events. NSAC has responsibility for analysis of the design and physical events aspects, while INPO has primary responsibility for the operators' aspects, including procedures and training. The process of screening, analysis and feedback of operating experience is now functioning as a seven-step process. A variety of data sources is used, including License Event Reports and outage and major maintenance reports. These are compiled and indexed in convenient form. However, such data bases are used only as incidental tools for the basic investigations and analytical efforts. Rapid dissemination of results is provided by a computer-aided conferencing system, which links 70 operating LWR reactors in the USA, and which has now been extended to four utilities outside the USA, representing several dozen more reactors. Major safety and economic incentives are evident for the rigorous use of such operating experience and for participation in a comprehensive system. Traditional habits of secrecy are recognized as obstacles to timely communication. A principal responsibility of top management of reactor-operating organizations is to overcome such habits where they are counter to the public interest, as well as to the health and survival interest of the utility itself

Long-term operating experience for the ATLAS superconducting resonators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pardo, R.; Zinkann, G.

1999-01-01

Portions of the ATLAS accelerator have been operating now for over 21 years. The facility has accumulated several million resonator-hours of operation at this point and has demonstrated the long-term reliability of RF superconductivity. The overall operating performance of the ATLAS facility has established a level of beam quality, flexibility, and reliability not previously achieved with heavy-ion accelerator facilities. The actual operating experience and maintenance history of ATLAS are presented for ATLAS resonators and associated electronics systems. Solutions to problems that appeared in early operation as well as current problems needing further development are discussed

Small sodium valve design and operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGough, C.B.

1974-01-01

The United States Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor program (LMFBR) includes an extensive program devoted to the development of small sodium valves. This program is now focused on the development and production of valves for the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) now under construction near Richland, Washington. Other AEC support facilities, such as various test loops located at the Liquid Metal Engineering Center (LMEC), Los Angeles, California, and at the Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory (HEDL), Richland, Washington, also have significant requirements for small sodium valves, and valves similar in design to the FFTF valves are being supplied to these AEC laboratories for use in their critical test installations. A principal motivation for these valve programs, beyond the immediate need to provide high-reliability valves for FFTF and the support facilities, is the necessity to develop small valve technology for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP). FFTF small sodium valve design and development experience will be directly applied to the CRBRP program. Various test programs have been, and are being, conducted to verify the performance and integrity of the FFTF valves, and to uncover any potential problems so that they can be corrected before the valves are placed in service in FFTF. The principal small sodium valve designs being utilized in current U.S. programs, the test and operational experience obtained to date on them, problems uncovered, and future development and testing efforts being planned are reviewed. The standards and requirements to which the valves are being designed and fabricated, the valve designs in current use, valve operators, test and operating experience, and future valve development plans are summarized. (U.S.)

Operating Experience at the Aagesta Nuclear Power Station

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandstroem, S [ed.

1966-09-15

Sweden's first nuclear power reactor Agesta, achieved criticality on July 17, 1963. Full power (65 MW{sub t}) was attained on March 20, 1964. Aagesta is a heavy water cooled and moderated pressure vessel reactor used for production of electricity as well as for district heating. The design, assembly and construction etc, of the reactor was described in detail in a staff report by AB Atomenergi, 'The Aagesta Nuclear Power Station' edited by B McHugh, which was published in September, 1964. In the book experiences from the commissioning and the first operation of the reactor were reported as well as findings from the extensive reactor physics studies made during this period. The report now presented is written by members of the operating team at Aagesta since its start. It reflects in general the experiences up to the end of 1965. The Aagesta Log, however, covers the period up to the normal summer stop 1966. The reactor has hitherto produced 506,000 MWh power of which 48,700 MWh have been electric power. In July 1965 the responsibility for the reactor operation was taken over by the Swedish State Power Board from AB Atomenergi, which company had started the reactor and operated it until the summer break 1965.

Operating Experience at the Aagesta Nuclear Power Station

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandstroem, S.

1966-09-01

Sweden's first nuclear power reactor Agesta, achieved criticality on July 17, 1963. Full power (65 MW t ) was attained on March 20, 1964. Aagesta is a heavy water cooled and moderated pressure vessel reactor used for production of electricity as well as for district heating. The design, assembly and construction etc, of the reactor was described in detail in a staff report by AB Atomenergi, 'The Aagesta Nuclear Power Station' edited by B McHugh, which was published in September, 1964. In the book experiences from the commissioning and the first operation of the reactor were reported as well as findings from the extensive reactor physics studies made during this period. The report now presented is written by members of the operating team at Aagesta since its start. It reflects in general the experiences up to the end of 1965. The Aagesta Log, however, covers the period up to the normal summer stop 1966. The reactor has hitherto produced 506,000 MWh power of which 48,700 MWh have been electric power. In July 1965 the responsibility for the reactor operation was taken over by the Swedish State Power Board from AB Atomenergi, which company had started the reactor and operated it until the summer break 1965

Operating Experience at the Aagesta Nuclear Power Station

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandstroem, S. (ed.)

1966-09-15

Sweden's first nuclear power reactor Agesta, achieved criticality on July 17, 1963. Full power (65 MW{sub t}) was attained on March 20, 1964. Aagesta is a heavy water cooled and moderated pressure vessel reactor used for production of electricity as well as for district heating. The design, assembly and construction etc, of the reactor was described in detail in a staff report by AB Atomenergi, 'The Aagesta Nuclear Power Station' edited by B McHugh, which was published in September, 1964. In the book experiences from the commissioning and the first operation of the reactor were reported as well as findings from the extensive reactor physics studies made during this period. The report now presented is written by members of the operating team at Aagesta since its start. It reflects in general the experiences up to the end of 1965. The Aagesta Log, however, covers the period up to the normal summer stop 1966. The reactor has hitherto produced 506,000 MWh power of which 48,700 MWh have been electric power. In July 1965 the responsibility for the reactor operation was taken over by the Swedish State Power Board from AB Atomenergi, which company had started the reactor and operated it until the summer break 1965.

Recent operating experience and improvement of commercial IGCC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-09-01

IGCC has today reached a status where experience is available from first and second generation plants, built in the 1970s/1980s and in the 1990s respectively, as commercial-scale demonstration plants for coal-based applications. These plants feature variations on gasification technology and subsequent environmental controls and in operating them a number of technical and commercial lessons have been learned that will help to improve the next generation of IGCC projects. The report reviews and summarises the state-of-the-art and operating experience of several commercial IGCC plants worldwide, setting out the lessons learned and plans for future development embracing such issues as the changes or modifications to plant made to overcome the operational problems and to improve the reliability and availability of the plant. Since IGCC is considered a 'capture ready' technology for CO2 abatement, the current status with regard to the incorporation of carbon capture and storage systems (CCS) has been reviewed. Finally, the report outlines the issues associated with assessing the risks in commercialising IGCC plant.

European clearinghouse on nuclear power plants operational experience feedback

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ranguelova, Vesselina; Bruynooghe, Christiane; Noel, Marc

2010-01-01

Learning from operational experience and applying this knowledge promptly and intelligently is one of the ways to improve the safety of Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). Recent reviews of the effectiveness of Operational Experience Feedback (OEF) systems have pointed to the need for further improvement, with importance being placed on tailoring the information to the needs of the regulators. In 2007, at the request of a number of nuclear safety regulatory authorities in Europe, the Institute for Energy of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (EC JRC) initiated a project on Nuclear Power Plant operational experience feedback, which adopts an integrated approach to the research needed to strengthen the European capabilities for assessment of NPP operational events and to promote the development of tools and mechanisms for the improved application of the lessons learned. Consequently, a so-called ''European Clearinghouse'' on NPP OEF was established, which includes scientific officers from the EC JRC, a number of European nuclear safety regulatory authorities and some of their Technical Support Organizations (TSOs). The paper discusses the activities implemented in 2008 within the framework of the European Clearinghouse on NPP OEF (hereinafter called the European NPP Clearinghouse) and provides an overview of the main conclusions drawn from the safety studies performed. Outlook of the activities carried out in 2009 are given. (orig.)

Application of operating experience in environmental qualification program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, S.Y.; Wise, R.

2000-01-01

Environmental qualification (EQ) of equipment related to nuclear safety has been carried out in the nuclear community since the 70's. It started with electrical equipment and then expanded to include mechanical equipment. During this evolutionary process, the methods used for EQ have gone through a long period of refinement and clarification. Prior to 1971, qualification for equipment in licensed nuclear power plants was based on the use of electrical components of commonly accepted high industrial quality without the benefit of specific environmental qualification standards. Between 1971 and 1974, most plants used the criteria of IEEE Standard 323-1971 as the basis for demonstrating qualification. Also during this period related 'daughter' standards, mainly by IEEE, became available which addressed qualification for specific equipment items. After July 1974, plants were required to meet the more comprehensive guidelines specified in IEEE Standard 323-1974 and the related 'daughter' standards. IEEE Standard 323-1974 later evolved into IEEE Standard 323-1983. For nuclear power plants built in Ontario during the 70's, i.e. Pickering B and Bruce B, has included the environmental qualification requirements in their respective nuclear safety design guides. It is now recognized that they are not up to the current EQ standards. Darlington, constructed during the 80's, implemented the environmental qualification program in its project. An Environmental Qualification (EQ) Program is now under way in Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to formally implement the Environmental Qualification for Bruce B, Pickering B, and Pickering A and to preserve the Qualification for Darlington G.S. This paper makes a thorough a review of the standard methods used in the past by utilities for environmental qualification. These methods include type testing, analysis, and operating experience. Both type testing and analysis have been clearly defined in standards listed in References [2] to [6] and

International Co-Operation in Control Engineering Education Using Online Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Henry, Jim; Schaedel, Herbert M.

2005-01-01

This paper describes the international co-operation experience in teaching control engineering with laboratories being conducted remotely by students via the Internet. This paper describes how the students ran the experiments and their personal experiences with the laboratory. A tool for process identification and controller tuning based on…

Evaluation of operating experience for early recognition of deteriorating safety performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beckmerhagen, I.A.; Berg, H.P.

2004-01-01

One of the most difficult challenges facing nuclear power plants is to recognize the early signs of degrading safety performance before regulatory requirements are imposed or serious incidents or accidents occur. Today, the nuclear industry is striving for collecting more information on occurrences that could improve the operational safety performance. To achieve this, the reporting threshold has been lowered from incidents to anomalies with minor or no impact to safety. Industry experience (also outside nuclear industry) has shown that these are typical issues which should be considered when looking for such early warning signs. Therefore, it is important that nuclear power plant operators have the capability to trend, analyse and recognize early warning signs of deteriorating performance. It is necessary that plant operators are sensitive to these warning signs which may not be immediately evident. Reviewing operating experience is one of the main tasks for plant operators in their daily activities. Therefore, self assessment should be at the centre of any operational safety performance programme. One way of applying a self assessment program is through the following four basic elements: operational data, events, safety basis, and related experience. This approach will be described in the paper in more details. (authors)

The Pajarito Site operating procedures for the Los Alamos Critical Experiments Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malenfant, R.E.

1991-12-01

Operating procedures consistent with DOE Order 5480.6, and the American National Standard Safety Guide for the Performance of Critical Experiments are defined for the Los Alamos Critical Experiments Facility (LACEF) of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. These operating procedures supersede and update those previously published in 1983 and apply to any criticality experiment performed at the facility. 11 refs

Technical report on operating experience with boiling water reactor offgas systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lo, R.; Barrett, L.; Grimes, B.; Eisenhut, D.

1978-03-01

Over 100 reactor years of Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) operating experience have been accumulated since the first commercial operation of BWRs. A number of incidents have occurred involving the ''offgas'' of these Boiling Water Reactors. This report describes the generation and processing of ''offgas'' in Boiling Water Reactors, the safety considerations regarding systems processing the ''offgas'', operating experience involving ignitions or explosions of ''offgas'' and possible measures to reduce the likelihood of future ignitions or explosions and to mitigate the consequences of such incidents should they occur

U.S. Nuclear Power Plant Operating Cost and Experience Summaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reid, RL

2003-01-01

The ''U.S. Nuclear Power Plant Operating Cost and Experience Summaries'' (NUREG/CR-6577, Supp. 2) report has been prepared to provide historical operating cost and experience information on U.S. commercial nuclear power plants during 2000-2001. Costs incurred after initial construction are characterized as annual production costs, which represent fuel and plant operating and maintenance expenses, and capital expenditures related to facility additions/modifications, which are included in the plant capital asset base. As discussed in the report, annual data for these two cost categories were obtained from publicly available reports and must be accepted as having different degrees of accuracy and completeness. Treatment of inconclusive and incomplete data is discussed. As an aid to understanding the fluctuations in the cost histories, operations summaries for each nuclear unit are provided. The intent of these summaries is to identify important operating events; refueling, major maintenance, and other significant outages; operating milestones; and significant licensing or enforcement actions. Information used in the summaries is condensed from operating reports submitted by the licensees, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) database for enforcement actions, and outage reports

Development of new HRA methods based upon operational experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, S.E.; Luckas, W.J.; Barriere, M.T.; Wreathall, J.

2004-01-01

Under the auspices of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), previously unaddressed human reliability issues are being investigated in order to support the development of human reliability analysis (HRA) methods for both low power and shutdown (LP and S) and full-power conditions. Actual operational experience, such as that reported in Licensee Event Reports (LERs), have been used to gain insights and provide a basis for the requirements of new HRA methods. In particular, operational experience has shown that new HRA methods for LP and S must address human-induced initiators, errors of commission, mistakes (vs. slips), dependencies, and the effects of multiple performance shaping factors (PSFs). (author)

Experiences from operation of Pomorzany EBFGT plant and directions of technology development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paweleca, A.; Chmielewskia, A.G.; Tyminskia, B.; Zimek, Z.; Licki, J.; Mazurekc, L.; Sobolewskic, R.; Kostrzewskic, J.

2011-01-01

Electron beam flue gas treatment technology is one of the most advanced technologies among new generation air pollution control processes. It is the only one process for simultaneous removal of SO 2 and NO x , applied in the industrial scale. Moreover other pollutants as acidic compounds, VOC and dioxins can be removed in one step. Among the other advantages a fully usable by-product – a fertilizer is created in the process. The industrial demonstrational plant was constructed in EPS Pomorzany in Szczecin (Poland). The facility treats the flue gases of maximum flow of 270.000 Nm 3 /h, which are irradiated by four accelerators of 700 keV electron energy and 260 kW beam power each. The removal efficiency of SO 2 in this installation may reach 95%, while removal efficiency of NO x – 70%. Apart of technical analysis also economical calculations of investment and operational costs of EBFGT installations, based on the data obtained on the Polish installation, was performed. The results show that in the case of multi-pollutant control the electron beam technology is strongly competitive to conventional technologies. Description of the experiences obtained during the operation of the plant and further possibilities of the technology development are presented in this paper. (author)

Experiences from operation of Pomorzany EBFGT plant and directions of technology development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paweleca, A.; Chmielewskia, A. G.; Tyminskia, B.; Zimek, Z. [Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Warsaw (Poland); Licki, J. [Institute of Atomic Energy, Otwock-Świerk (Poland); Mazurekc, L.; Sobolewskic, R.; Kostrzewskic, J. [Dolna Odra Group, Pomorzany Power Plant, Szczecin (Poland)

2011-07-01

Electron beam flue gas treatment technology is one of the most advanced technologies among new generation air pollution control processes. It is the only one process for simultaneous removal of SO{sub 2} and NO{sub x}, applied in the industrial scale. Moreover other pollutants as acidic compounds, VOC and dioxins can be removed in one step. Among the other advantages a fully usable by-product – a fertilizer is created in the process. The industrial demonstrational plant was constructed in EPS Pomorzany in Szczecin (Poland). The facility treats the flue gases of maximum flow of 270.000 Nm{sup 3}/h, which are irradiated by four accelerators of 700 keV electron energy and 260 kW beam power each. The removal efficiency of SO{sub 2} in this installation may reach 95%, while removal efficiency of NO{sub x} – 70%. Apart of technical analysis also economical calculations of investment and operational costs of EBFGT installations, based on the data obtained on the Polish installation, was performed. The results show that in the case of multi-pollutant control the electron beam technology is strongly competitive to conventional technologies. Description of the experiences obtained during the operation of the plant and further possibilities of the technology development are presented in this paper. (author)

Ageing degradation mechanisms in nuclear power plants: lessons learned from operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bieth, M.; Zerger, B.; Duchac, A.

2014-01-01

This paper presents main results of a comprehensive study performed by the European Clearinghouse on Operating Experience Feedback of Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) with the support of IRSN (Institut de Surete Nucleaire et de Radioprotection) and GRS (Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen und Reaktorsicherheit mbH). Physical ageing mechanisms of Structures, Systems and Components (SSC) that eventually lead to ageing related systems and components failures at nuclear power plants were the main focus of this study. The analysis of ageing related events involved operating experience reported by NPP operators in France, Germany, USA and to the IAEA/NEA International Reporting System on operating experience for the past 20 years. A list of relevant ageing related events was populated. Each ageing related event contained in the list was analyzed and results of analysis were summarized for each ageing degradation mechanism which appeared to be the dominant contributor or direct cause. This paper provides insights into ageing related operating experience as well as recommendations to deal with the physical ageing of nuclear power plant SSC important to safety. (authors)

Estimation of fire frequency from PWR operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertrand, R.; Bonneval, F.; Barrachin, G.; Bonino, F.

1998-01-01

In the framework of a fire probabilistic safety assessment (Fire PSA), the French Institute for Nuclear Safety and Protection (IPSN) has developed a method for estimating the frequency of fire in a nuclear power plant room. This method is based on the analysis of French Pressurized Water Reactors operating experience. The method adopted consists is carrying out an in-depth analysis of fire-related incidents. A database has been created including 202 fire events reported in 900 MWe and 1300 MWe reactors from the start of their commercial operation up to the first of March 1994, which represents a cumulated service life of 508 reactor-years. For each reported fire, several data were recorded among which: The operating state of the reactor in the stage preceding the fire, the building in which the fire broke out, the piece of equipment or the human intervention which caused the fire. Operating experience shows that most fires are initiated by electrical problems (short-circuits, arcing, faulty contacts, etc.) and that human intervention also plays an important role (grinding, cutting, welding, cleaning, etc.). A list of equipment and of human interventions which proved to be possible fire sources was therefore drawn up. the items of this list were distributed in 19 reference groups defined by taking into account the nature of the potential ignition source (transformers, electrical cabinets, pumps, fans, etc.). The fire frequency assigned to each reference group was figured out using the operating experience information of the database. The fire frequency in a room is considered to be made out of two contributions: one due to equipment which is proportional to the number of pieces of equipment from each reference group contained in the room, and a second one which is due to human interventions and assumed to be uniform throughout the reactor. Formulas to assess the fire frequencies in a room, the reactor being in a shutdown state or at power, are then proposed

Precision operation of the Nova laser for fusion experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caird, J.A.; Ehrlich, R.B.; Hermes, G.L.; Landen, O.L.; Laumann, C.W.; Lerche, R.A.; Miller, J.L.; Murray, J.E.; Nielsen, N.D.; Powell, H.T.; Rushford, M.C.; Saunders, R.L.; Thompson, C.E.; VanArsdall, P.J.; Vann, C.S.; Weiland, T.L.

1994-01-01

The operation of a Neodymium glass laser of a special design for fusion experiments is improved by a better pulse synchronization, the gain stabilization, and the laser diagnostics. We used sensor upgrading and antifriction coating of focusing lenses. The pointing accuracy of the Nova laser meets now our goal for precision operation. (AIP) copyright 1994 American Institute of Physics

One-Step Nucleic Acid Amplification in Breast Cancer Sentinel Lymph Node: A Single Institutional Experience and a Short Review

OpenAIRE

Brambilla, Tatiana; Fiamengo, Barbara; Tinterri, Corrado; Testori, Alberto; Grassi, Massimo Maria; Sciarra, Amedeo; Abbate, Tommaso; Gatzemeier, Wolfgang; Roncalli, Massimo; Di Tommaso, Luca

2015-01-01

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) examination is a standard in breast cancer patients, with several methods employed along its 20 years history, the last one represented by one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA). The latter is a intra-operative molecular assay searching for CK19 mRNA as a surrogate of metastatic cells. Our 3 years experience with OSNA (1122 patients) showed results overlapping those recorded in the same institution with a morphological evaluation (930 patients) of SLN. In detail,...

Operating experience of steam generator test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sureshkumar, V.A.; Madhusoodhanan, G.; Noushad, I.B.; Ellappan, T.R.; Nashine, B.K.; Sylvia, J.I.; Rajan, K.K.; Kalyanasundaram, P.; Vaidyanathan, G.

2006-01-01

Steam Generator (SG) is the vital component of a Fast Reactor. It houses both water at high pressure and sodium at low pressure separated by a tube wall. Any damage to this barrier initiates sodium water reaction that could badly affect the plant availability. Steam Generator Test Facility (SGTF) has been set up in Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) to test sodium heated once through steam generator of 19 tubes similar to the PFBR SG dimension and operating conditions. The facility is also planned as a test bed to assess improved designs of the auxiliary equipments used in Fast Breeder Reactors (FBR). The maximum power of the facility is 5.7 MWt. This rating is arrived at based on techno economic consideration. This paper covers the performance of various equipments in the system such as Electro magnetic pumps, Centrifugal sodium pump, in-sodium hydrogen meters, immersion heaters, and instrumentation and control systems. Experience in the system operation, minor modifications, overall safety performance, and highlights of the experiments carried out etc. are also brought out. (author)

Operational experience of a large area x-ray camera for protein crystallography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joachimiak, A.; Jorden, A. R.; Loeffen, P. W.; Naday, I.; Sanishvili, R.; Westbrook, E. M.

1999-01-01

After 3 years experience of operating very large area (210mm x 210mm) CCD-based detectors at the Advanced Photon Source, operational experience is reported. Four such detectors have been built, two for Structural Biology Center (APS-1 and SBC-2), one for Basic Energy Sciences Synchrotrons Radiation Center (Gold-2) at Argonne National Laboratory's Advanced Photon Source and one for Osaka University by Oxford Instruments, for use at Spring 8 (PX-21O). The detector is specifically designed as a high resolution and fast readout camera for macromolecular crystallography. Design trade-offs for speed and size are reviewed in light of operational experience and future requirements are considered. Operational data and examples of crystallography data are presented, together with plans for more development

Nucleic acid polymeric properties and electrostatics: Directly comparing theory and simulation with experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Sim, Adelene Y L

2016-06-01

Nucleic acids are biopolymers that carry genetic information and are also involved in various gene regulation functions such as gene silencing and protein translation. Because of their negatively charged backbones, nucleic acids are polyelectrolytes. To adequately understand nucleic acid folding and function, we need to properly describe its i) polymer/polyelectrolyte properties and ii) associating ion atmosphere. While various theories and simulation models have been developed to describe nucleic acids and the ions around them, many of these theories/simulations have not been well evaluated due to complexities in comparison with experiment. In this review, I discuss some recent experiments that have been strategically designed for straightforward comparison with theories and simulation models. Such data serve as excellent benchmarks to identify limitations in prevailing theories and simulation parameters. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Annual meeting on nuclear technology 1980. Technical meeting: Operating experiences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

In addition to general experiences, experiences in reactor operation with relation to the Phenix reactor, KNK-2 reactor, the AVR reactor, the BWR-type KKI-reactor, the Philippsburg-1 reactor and the Obrigheim reactor are described. (DG) [de

Algal toxins and reverse osmosis desalination operations: Laboratory bench testing and field monitoring of domoic acid, saxitoxin, brevetoxin and okadaic acid

KAUST Repository

Seubert, Erica L.

2012-12-01

The occurrence and intensity of harmful algal blooms (HABs) have been increasing globally during the past few decades. The impact of these events on seawater desalination facilities has become an important topic in recent years due to enhanced societal interest and reliance on this technology for augmenting world water supplies. A variety of harmful bloom-forming species of microalgae occur in southern California, as well as many other locations throughout the world, and several of these species are known to produce potent neurotoxins. These algal toxins can cause a myriad of human health issues, including death, when ingested via contaminated seafood. This study was designed to investigate the impact that algal toxin presence may have on both the intake and reverse osmosis (RO) desalination process; most importantly, whether or not the naturally occurring algal toxins can pass through the RO membrane and into the desalination product. Bench-scale RO experiments were conducted to explore the potential of extracellular algal toxins contaminating the RO product. Concentrations exceeding maximal values previously reported during natural blooms were used in the laboratory experiments, with treatments comprised of 50 μg/L of domoic acid (DA), 2 μg/L of saxitoxin (STX) and 20 μg/L of brevetoxin (PbTx). None of the algal toxins used in the bench-scale experiments were detectable in the desalinated product water. Monitoring for intracellular and extracellular concentrations of DA, STX, PbTx and okadaic acid (OA) within the intake and desalinated water from a pilot RO desalination plant in El Segundo, CA, was conducted from 2005 to 2009. During the five-year monitoring period, DA and STX were detected sporadically in the intake waters but never in the desalinated water. PbTx and OA were not detected in either the intake or desalinated water. The results of this study demonstrate the potential for HAB toxins to be inducted into coastal RO intake facilities, and the

Algal toxins and reverse osmosis desalination operations: Laboratory bench testing and field monitoring of domoic acid, saxitoxin, brevetoxin and okadaic acid

KAUST Repository

Seubert, Erica L.; Trussell, Shane; Eagleton, John; Schnetzer, Astrid; Cetinić, Ivona; Lauri, Phil; Jones, Burton; Caron, David A.

2012-01-01

The occurrence and intensity of harmful algal blooms (HABs) have been increasing globally during the past few decades. The impact of these events on seawater desalination facilities has become an important topic in recent years due to enhanced societal interest and reliance on this technology for augmenting world water supplies. A variety of harmful bloom-forming species of microalgae occur in southern California, as well as many other locations throughout the world, and several of these species are known to produce potent neurotoxins. These algal toxins can cause a myriad of human health issues, including death, when ingested via contaminated seafood. This study was designed to investigate the impact that algal toxin presence may have on both the intake and reverse osmosis (RO) desalination process; most importantly, whether or not the naturally occurring algal toxins can pass through the RO membrane and into the desalination product. Bench-scale RO experiments were conducted to explore the potential of extracellular algal toxins contaminating the RO product. Concentrations exceeding maximal values previously reported during natural blooms were used in the laboratory experiments, with treatments comprised of 50 μg/L of domoic acid (DA), 2 μg/L of saxitoxin (STX) and 20 μg/L of brevetoxin (PbTx). None of the algal toxins used in the bench-scale experiments were detectable in the desalinated product water. Monitoring for intracellular and extracellular concentrations of DA, STX, PbTx and okadaic acid (OA) within the intake and desalinated water from a pilot RO desalination plant in El Segundo, CA, was conducted from 2005 to 2009. During the five-year monitoring period, DA and STX were detected sporadically in the intake waters but never in the desalinated water. PbTx and OA were not detected in either the intake or desalinated water. The results of this study demonstrate the potential for HAB toxins to be inducted into coastal RO intake facilities, and the

Experiences on operation, maintenance and utilization in JRR-2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-08-01

The Japan Research Reactor No.2 (JRR-2) is a high performance 10 MW multi purpose research reactor, heavy water moderated and cooled enriched uranium fuel used. Since the first criticality was attained in October, 1960, JRR-2 has been operated to satisfy the utilization demands, such as irradiation of fuel and materials, neutron beam experiments, radio isotope production and B.N.C.T (Boron Neutron Capture Therapy). During the operation, various kinds of troubles mainly caused by the old design concept had been occurred at the JRR-2 systems and components. Those troubles were solved with adequate countermeasures of timely repairs and large scale modifications with newest techniques. The works above were completely carried out by the staff of JRR-2 and related divisions. As a result, JRR-2 became one of the oldest research reactors which are still under operation in the world. Since JRR-2 has been utilized for more than 30 years, the operation mode was changed from 12 days-one cycle to 3 days-one cycle in April, 1994, taking into consideration aging of the reactor systems. In this paper, the experiences of JRR-2 for more than 30 years such as operation, maintenance, repair, modifications and utilization on JRR-2 are described. (author)

Fast reactor operating experience gained in Russia: Analysis of anomalies and abnormal operation cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashurko, Y.M.; Baklushin, R.P.; Zagorulko, Y.I.; Ivanenko, V.N.; Matveyev, V.P.; Vasilyev, B.A.

2000-01-01

Review of various anomalous events and abnormal operation experience gained in the process of Russian fast reactors operation is given in the paper. The main information refers to the BN-600 demonstration reactor operation. Statistical data on sodium leaks and steam generator failures are presented, and sources of these events and countermeasures taken to avoid their appearance on the operating reactors as well as related changes made in the BN-800 reactor design are considered. In the paper, some features of impurities behaviour are considered in various modes of the BN-600 reactor operation. Information is given on the impurities ingress into the circuits, on abnormal situation emerged in the process of the BN-600 reactor operation and its probable cause. Information is presented on the event related to the increased torque of the BN-600 reactor central rotating column and repair works performed. (author)

State Regulatory responses to acid rain: Implications for electric utility operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagelhout, M.

1990-01-01

This article discusses the state regulatory responses to acid rain legislation and how this will affect electric utility operations. Topics discusses include planning and fuel procurement practices, least-cost planning, long-term supply contracts, fuel mix, cogeneration and small power production, qualifying facility contracts, avoided costs, environmental impact, lobbying expense, bill inserts, and forecasting models

The Drop Tower Bremen -Experiment Operation

Science.gov (United States)

Könemann, Thorben; von Kampen, Peter; Rath, Hans J.

The idea behind the drop tower facility of the Center of Applied Space Technology and Micro-gravity (ZARM) in Bremen is to provide an inimitable technical opportunity of a daily access to short-term weightlessness on earth. In this way ZARM`s european unique ground-based microgravity laboratory displays an excellent economic alternative for research in space-related conditions at low costs comparable to orbital platforms. Many national and international ex-perimentalists motivated by these prospects decide to benefit from the high-quality and easy accessible microgravity environment only provided by the Drop Tower Bremen. Corresponding experiments in reduced gravity could open new perspectives of investigation methods and give scientists an impressive potential for a future technology and multidisciplinary applications on different research fields like Fundamental Physics, Astrophysics, Fluid Dynamics, Combus-tion, Material Science, Chemistry and Biology. Generally, realizing microgravity experiments at ZARM`s drop tower facility meet new requirements of the experimental hardware and may lead to some technical constraints in the setups. In any case the ZARM Drop Tower Operation and Service Company (ZARM FAB mbH) maintaining the drop tower facility is prepared to as-sist experimentalists by offering own air-conditioned laboratories, clean rooms, workshops and consulting engineers, as well as scientific personal. Furthermore, ZARM`s on-site apartment can be used for accommodations during the experiment campaigns. In terms of approaching drop tower experimenting, consulting of experimentalists is mandatory to successfully accomplish the pursued drop or catapult capsule experiment. For this purpose there will be a lot of expertise and help given by ZARM FAB mbH in strong cooperation to-gether with the experimentalists. However, in comparison to standard laboratory setups the drop or catapult capsule setup seems to be completely different at first view. While defining a

Insight into acid-base nucleation experiments by comparison of the chemical composition of positive, negative, and neutral clusters.

Science.gov (United States)

Bianchi, Federico; Praplan, Arnaud P; Sarnela, Nina; Dommen, Josef; Kürten, Andreas; Ortega, Ismael K; Schobesberger, Siegfried; Junninen, Heikki; Simon, Mario; Tröstl, Jasmin; Jokinen, Tuija; Sipilä, Mikko; Adamov, Alexey; Amorim, Antonio; Almeida, Joao; Breitenlechner, Martin; Duplissy, Jonathan; Ehrhart, Sebastian; Flagan, Richard C; Franchin, Alessandro; Hakala, Jani; Hansel, Armin; Heinritzi, Martin; Kangasluoma, Juha; Keskinen, Helmi; Kim, Jaeseok; Kirkby, Jasper; Laaksonen, Ari; Lawler, Michael J; Lehtipalo, Katrianne; Leiminger, Markus; Makhmutov, Vladimir; Mathot, Serge; Onnela, Antti; Petäjä, Tuukka; Riccobono, Francesco; Rissanen, Matti P; Rondo, Linda; Tomé, António; Virtanen, Annele; Viisanen, Yrjö; Williamson, Christina; Wimmer, Daniela; Winkler, Paul M; Ye, Penglin; Curtius, Joachim; Kulmala, Markku; Worsnop, Douglas R; Donahue, Neil M; Baltensperger, Urs

2014-12-02

We investigated the nucleation of sulfuric acid together with two bases (ammonia and dimethylamine), at the CLOUD chamber at CERN. The chemical composition of positive, negative, and neutral clusters was studied using three Atmospheric Pressure interface-Time Of Flight (APi-TOF) mass spectrometers: two were operated in positive and negative mode to detect the chamber ions, while the third was equipped with a nitrate ion chemical ionization source allowing detection of neutral clusters. Taking into account the possible fragmentation that can happen during the charging of the ions or within the first stage of the mass spectrometer, the cluster formation proceeded via essentially one-to-one acid-base addition for all of the clusters, independent of the type of the base. For the positive clusters, the charge is carried by one excess protonated base, while for the negative clusters it is carried by a deprotonated acid; the same is true for the neutral clusters after these have been ionized. During the experiments involving sulfuric acid and dimethylamine, it was possible to study the appearance time for all the clusters (positive, negative, and neutral). It appeared that, after the formation of the clusters containing three molecules of sulfuric acid, the clusters grow at a similar speed, independent of their charge. The growth rate is then probably limited by the arrival rate of sulfuric acid or cluster-cluster collision.

Lessons Learned from Missing Flooding Barriers Operating Experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simic, Z.; Veira, M. P.

2016-01-01

Flooding hazard is highly significant for nuclear power plant safety because of its potential for common cause impact on safety related systems, and because operating experience reviews regularly identify flooding as a cause of concern. Source of the flooding could be external (location) or internal (plant design). The amount of flooding water could vary but even small amount might suffice to affect redundant trains of safety related systems for power supply and cooling. The protection from the flooding is related to the design-basis flood level (DBFL) and it consists of three elements: structural, organizational and accessibility. Determination of the DBFL is critical, as Fukushima Daiichi accident terribly proved. However, as the topic of flooding is very broad, the scope of this paper is focused only on the issues related to the missing flood barriers. Structural measures are physically preventing flooding water to reach or damage safety related system, and they could be permanent or temporary. For temporary measures it is important to have necessary material, equipment and organizational capacity for the timely implementation. Maintenance is important for permanent protection and periodical review is important for assuring readiness and feasibility of temporary flooding protection. Final flooding protection element is assured accessibility to safety related systems during the flooding. Appropriate flooding protection is based on the right implementation of design requirements, proper maintenance and periodic reviews. Operating experience is constantly proving how numerous water sources and systems interactions make flooding protection challenging. This paper is presenting recent related operating experience feedback involving equipment, procedures and analysis. Most frequent deficiencies are: inadequate, degraded or missing seals that would allow floodwaters into safety related spaces. Procedures are inadequate typically because they underestimate necessary

Risk management for operations of the LANL Critical Experiments Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paternoster, R.; Butterfield, K.

1998-01-01

The Los Alamos Critical Experiments Facility (LACEF) currently operates two burst reactors (Godiva-IV and Skua), one solution assembly [the Solution High-Energy Burst Assembly (SHEBA)], two fast-spectrum benchmark assemblies (Flattop and Big Ten), and five general-purpose remote assembly machines that may be configured with nuclear materials and assembled by remote control. Special nuclear materials storage vaults support these and other operations at the site. With this diverse set of operations, several approaches are possible in the analysis and management of risk. The most conservative approach would be to write a safety analysis report (SAR) for each assembly and experiment. A more cost-effective approach is to analyze the probability and consequences of several classes of operations representative of operations on each critical assembly machine and envelope the bounding case accidents. Although the neutron physics of these machines varies widely, the operations performed at LACEF fall into four operational modes: steady-state mode, approach-to-critical mode, prompt burst mode, and nuclear material operations, which can include critical assembly fuel loading. The operational sequences of each mode are very nearly identical, whether operated on one assembly machine or another. The use of an envelope approach to accident analysis is facilitated by the use of classes of operations and the use of bounding case consequence analysis. A simple fault tree analysis of operational modes helps resolve which operations are sensitive to human error and which are initiated by hardware of software failures. Where possible, these errors and failures are blocked by TSR LCOs. Future work will determine the probability of accidents with various initiators

Radiological operating experience at FFTF [Fast Flux Test Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bunch, W.L.; Prevo, P.R.

1986-11-01

The Fast Flux Test Facility has been in operation for approximately five years, including about one thousand days of full power operation of the Fast Test Reactor. During that time the collective dose equivalents received by operating personnel have been about two orders of magnitude lower than those typically received at commercial light water reactors. No major contamination problems have been encountered in operating and maintaining the plant, and release of radioactive gas to the environment has been minimal and well below acceptable limits. All shields have performed satisfactorily. Experience to date indicates an apparent radiological superiority of liquid metal reactor systems over current light water plants

Operational Experience from Solar Thermal Energy Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Cameron, C. P.

1984-01-01

Over the past few years, Sandia National Laboratories were involved in the design, construction, and operation of a number of DOE-sponsored solar thermal energy systems. Among the systems currently in operation are several industrial process heat projects and the Modular Industrial Solar Retrofit qualification test systems, all of which use parabolic troughs, and the Shenandoah Total Energy Project, which uses parabolic dishes. Operational experience has provided insight to both desirable and undesirable features of the designs of these systems. Features of these systems which are also relevant to the design of parabolic concentrator thermal electric systems are discussed. Other design features discussed are system control functions which were found to be especially convenient or effective, such as local concentrator controls, rainwash controls, and system response to changing isolation. Drive systems are also discussed with particular emphasis of the need for reliability and the usefulness of a manual drive capability.

LITERATURE REVIEW OF BORIC ACID SOLUBILITY DATA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crapse, K.; Kyser, E.

2011-09-22

A new solvent system is being evaluated for use in the Modular Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU) and in the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF). The new system replaces the current dilute nitric acid strip solution with 0.01 M boric acid. This literature study is performed to determine if there is a potential for boric acid to crystallize in the lines with emphasis on the transfer lines to the Defense Waste Processing Facility. This report focuses on the aqueous phase chemistry of boric acid under conditions relevant to MCU and SWPF. Operating and transfer conditions examined for the purpose of this review include temperatures between 13 C (McLeskey, 2008) and 45 C (Fondeur, 2007) and concentrations from 0 to 3M in nitric acid as well as exposure of small amounts of entrained boric acid in the organic phase to the sodium hydroxide caustic wash stream. Experiments were also conducted to observe any chemical reactions and off-gas generation that could occur when 0.01 M boric acid solution mixes with 3 M nitric acid solution and vice versa. Based on the low concentration (0.01M) of boric acid in the MCU/SWPF strip acid and the moderate operating temperatures (13 C to 45 C), it is unlikely that crystallization of boric acid will occur in the acid strip solution under process or transfer conditions. Mixing experiments of boric and nitric acid show no measurable gas generation (< 1 cc of gas per liter of solution) under similar process conditions.

Operating experience with superconducting cavities at Jefferson Lab

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reece, C.E.

1998-01-01

The CEBAF recirculating superconducting electron linac at Jefferson Lab is now in full operation supporting nuclear physics experiments in three target halls at up to 4.4 GeV. The 330 SRF cavities, operating at 2.0 K, continue to perform well above design specifications, and have accumulated over 8,000,000 operating cavity hours. The authors have to date no evidence of degradation of cavity performance. The SRF cavities have demonstrated excellent reliability. The one klystron per cavity design provides CEBAF with flexibility and redundancy for normal operations. Several techniques have been developed for establishing optimum operating conditions for the 330 independent systems. Operation of the cavities and control systems at the full design current of 1 mA has recently been achieved. The principal constraints on usable gradient for low current operations are (1) discharge at the cold ceramic rf window induced by electron field emission in cavities, (2) tuner controls, and (3) stability of the waveguide vacuum in the region between the warm and cold windows. Several cryomodules have been improved by application of rf helium processing while installed on the beamline

Experiment operations plan for the MT-4 experiment in the NRU reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russcher, G.E.; Wilson, C.L.; Parchen, L.J.; Marshall, R.K.; Hesson, G.M.; Webb, B.J.; Freshley, M.D.

1983-06-01

A series of thermal-hydraulic and cladding materials deformation experiments were conducted using light-water reactor fuel bundles as part of the Pacific Northwest Laboratory Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) Simulation Program. This report is the formal operations plan for MT-4 - the fourth materials deformation experiment conducted in the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor, Chalk River, Ontario, Canada. A major objective of MT-4 was to simulate a pressurized water reactor LOCA that could induce fuel rod cladding deformation and rupture due to a short-term adiabatic transient and a peak fuel cladding temperature of 1200K (1700 0 F)

Operating experience with gamma ray irradiators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fraser, F.M.; Ouwerkerk, T.

1980-01-01

The experience of Atomic Energy of Canada, Limited (AECL) with radioisotopes dates back to the mid-1940s when radium was marketed for medical purposes. Cobalt-60 came on the scene in 1949 and within a few years a thriving business in cancer teletherapy machines and research irradiators was developed. AECL's first full-scale cobalt-60 gamma ray sterilizer for medical products was installed in 1964. AECL now has over 50 plants and 30 million curies in service around the world. Sixteen years of design experience in cobalt-60 sources, radiation shielding, safety interlock systems, and source pass mechanisms have made gamma irradiators safe, reliable, and easy to operate. This proven technology is being applied in promising new fields such as sludge treatment and food preservation. Cesium-137 is expected to be extensively utilized as the gamma radiation source for these applications

Experiment on continuous operation of the Brazilian IEA-R1 research reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freitas Pintaud, M. de

1994-01-01

In order to increase the radioisotope production in the IEA-R1 research reactor at IPEN/CNEN-SP, it has been proposed a change in its operation regime from 8 hours per day and 5 days per week to continuous 48 hours per week. The necessary reactor parameters for this new operation regime were obtained through an experiment in which the reactor was for the first time operated in the new regime. This work presents the principal results from this experiment: xenon reactivity, new shutdown margins, and reactivity loss due to fuel burnup in the new operation regime. (author)

Operating experience with nuclear power stations in Member States in 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-12-01

This report is twenty-ninth in the IAEA series of annual reports on operating experience with nuclear power stations in Member States. The report is a direct output from the Agency's Power Reactor Information System (PRIS), whose database contains all operating experience data published in Agency's operating experience annual reports published since 1971 and basic information on power reactors, including design data. According to the information available to the Agency at the end of 1997, there were 437 nuclear power reactors having a total capacity of 351795 MW(e). During 1997 three new reactors having total capacity of 3555 MW(e) were connected to the grid in France and the Republic of Korea. There were 36 nuclear power plants under construction in the world. Load, operation and availability factors are used as the basic performance factors. In addition to annual performance data and outage information, the report contains a historical summary of performance and outages during the lifetime of individual plants and five figures illustrating worldwide performance and statistical data

Operating experiences with Neutron Overpower Trip Systems in Ontario Hydro's CANDU nuclear plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hnik, J.; Kozak, J.

1991-01-01

Operating experiences with Neutron Over Power Trip (NOP) Systems in different Ontario Hydro CANDU nuclear power plants are discussed. Lessons learned from the system operation and their impact on design improvements are presented. Retrofitting of additional tools, such as Shutdown System Monitoring computers, to improve operator interaction with the system is described. Experiences with the reliability of some of the NOP system components is also discussed. Options for future enhancements of system performance and operability are identified. (author)

The importance for nuclear safety of efficient feedback of operational experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-09-01

Experience of practical operation is a valuable source of information for improving and optimizing the safety and reliability of nuclear power plants. Therefore it is essential to collect information on abnormal events occurring at plants during operation and on all deviations from normal performance by systems and personnel that could be precursors of accidents. For this purpose it is necessary to establish hierarchical systems to feedback operational safety experience at utility, national and international levels and to make these systems as effective as possible. The present report attempts to identify the safety objectives of these systems, to analyse the difficulties presently encountered and to suggest possible improvements

Operating experience with nuclear power plants 2013; Betriebserfahrungen mit Kernkraftwerken 2013

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

2014-07-01

The VGB Technical Committee 'Nuclear Plant Operation' has been exchanging operating experience about nuclear power plants for more than 30 years. Plant operators from several European countries are participating in the exchange. A report is given on the operating results achieved in 2013, events important to plant safety, special and relevant repair, and retrofit measures from Belgium, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Spain. (orig.)

Best practices in the utilization and dissemination of operating experience at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-03-01

IAEA Safety Standards Series No. SF-1 entitled Fundamental Safety Principles: Safety Fundamentals states the need for operating organizations to establish a programme for the collection and analysis of operating experience in nuclear power plants. Such a programme ensures that operating experience is analysed, events important to safety are reviewed in depth, lessons learned are disseminated to the staff of the organization and to relevant national and international organizations, operating experience is utilized and corrective actions are effectively implemented. This publication has been developed to provide advice and assistance to nuclear installations and related institutions, including contractors and support organizations, to strengthen and enhance their own feedback process through the implementation of best practices in the utilization and dissemination of operating experience and to assess their effectiveness. Dissemination and utilization of internal and external operating experience is essential in supporting a proactive safety management approach of preventing events from occurring. Few new events reveal a completely new cause or failure mechanism. Although not recognized prior to the event, most subsequent investigations identify internal or external industry operating experience that, if applied effectively, would have prevented the event. Therefore, the establishment of an effective utilization and dissemination process is very beneficial in raising awareness of the organization and individuals of available operating experience, and focussing effort in the implementation of the lessons learnt. This leads to improved safety and reliability. The present publication is the outcome of a coordinated effort involving the participation of experts of nuclear organizations in several Member States. It was written to complement the publication IAEA Services Series No. 10 entitled PROSPER Guidelines - Guidelines for Peer Review and for Plant Self-assessment of

Assessment of LWR piping design loading based on plant operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svensson, P.O.

1980-08-01

The objective of this study has been to: (1) identify current Light Water Reactor (LWR) piping design load parameters, (2) identify significant actual LWR piping loads from plant operating experience, (3) perform a comparison of these two sets of data and determine the significance of any differences, and (4) make an evaluation of the load representation in current LWR piping design practice, in view of plant operating experience with respect to piping behavior and response to loading

Tritium Room Air Monitor Operating Experience Review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

L. C. Cadwallader; B. J. Denny

2008-09-01

Monitoring the breathing air in tritium facility rooms for airborne tritium is a radiological safety requirement and a best practice for personnel safety. Besides audible alarms for room evacuation, these monitors often send signals for process shutdown, ventilation isolation, and cleanup system actuation to mitigate releases and prevent tritium spread to the environment. Therefore, these monitors are important not only to personnel safety but also to public safety and environmental protection. This paper presents an operating experience review of tritium monitor performance on demand during small (1 mCi to 1 Ci) operational releases, and intentional airborne inroom tritium release tests. The tritium tests provide monitor operation data to allow calculation of a statistical estimate for the reliability of monitors annunciating in actual tritium gas airborne release situations. The data show a failure to operate rate of 3.5E-06/monitor-hr with an upper bound of 4.7E-06, a failure to alarm on demand rate of 1.4E-02/demand with an upper bound of 4.4E-02, and a spurious alarm rate of 0.1 to 0.2/monitor-yr.

A method to attenuate U(VI) mobility in acidic waste plumes using humic acids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wan, J.; Dong, W.; Tokunaga, T.K.

2011-02-01

Acidic uranium (U) contaminated plumes have resulted from acid-extraction of plutonium during the Cold War and from U mining and milling operations. A sustainable method for in-situ immobilization of U under acidic conditions is not yet available. Here, we propose to use humic acids (HAs) for in-situ U immobilization in acidic waste plumes. Our laboratory batch experiments show that HA can adsorb onto aquifer sediments rapidly, strongly and practically irreversibly. Adding HA greatly enhanced U adsorption capacity to sediments at pH below 5.0. Our column experiments using historically contaminated sediments from the Savannah River Site under slow flow rates (120 and 12 m/y) show that desorption of U and HA were non-detectable over 100 pore-volumes of leaching with simulated acidic groundwaters. Upon HA-treatment, 99% of the contaminant [U] was immobilized at pH < 4.5, compared to 5% and 58% immobilized in the control columns at pH 3.5 and 4.5, respectively. These results demonstrated that HA-treatment is a promising in-situ remediation method for acidic U waste plumes. As a remediation reagent, HAs are resistant to biodegradation, cost effective, nontoxic, and easily introducible to the subsurface.

Feedback of operation and maintenance experience into evolutionary plant design (HWRs)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hedges, K.R.; Sanatkumar, A.; Kwon, Oh-Cheol

1999-01-01

The process of feeding back operation and maintenance information into the CANDU plant design process has been in constant evolution since the beginning of the CANDU program. The commissioning and operation experience from the first commercial reactors at Pickering A and Bruce A was used extensively in the design of the first generation CANDU 6 Plants. These units have been in operation for 15 years, producing electricity at an average lifetime capacity factor of about 85%. In further advancing the CANDU 6 and 9 design, greater emphasis is placed on enhancements that can reduce operational costs and further improve plant performance by reducing the planned outage time. The plant design has been improved to facilitate maintenance scheduling, equipment isolation, maintenance and post maintenance testing. Individual tasks have been analyzed as well as the interaction between tasks during outages to reduce the down time required and simplify the execution of the work. This results in shorter outages, reduced radioactive dose and reduced costs. The Utilities have continued to play an important role in CANDU 6 Evolution. Specifically; the Korea Utility KEPCO has one of the original four CANDU 6 Plants and three of the most modem. Their feedback to the designers has been very helpful. One of the most important feedback processes is through the CANDU Owners Group, which provides information exchange between members. In India eight PHWRs of 220 MWe capacity are in operation. Four reactors, also of 220 MWe capacity are in advanced stages of construction. Site construction work of two units of 500 MWe PHWRs at Tarapur will be taken up shortly. Over the years, during construction and operation of these power stations, a large amount of experience has been accumulated. Operation and maintenance experience is shared with operating stations by intensive participation of design engineers in Station Operation Review meetings, trouble shooting and root cause analysis of problems

Review of BNFL's operational experience of wet type flasks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McWilliam, D.S.

2004-01-01

BNFL International Transport's operational experience includes shipping 6000te of spent fuel from Japan to Sellafield, through its dedicated terminal at Barrow, and to Cogema La Hague. This fuel was shipped under the PNTL (Pacific Nuclear Transport Ltd) banner for which BNFL is responsible. PNTL owned and operated a fleet of 5 ships for Japanese business and a fleet of 80 wet and 58 dry flasks, for the transport of Light Water Reactor (LWR) spent fuel, from both Pressurised Water Reactors (PWR) and Boiling Water Reactors (BWR). ''Wet'' or ''dry'' flask is the common terminology used to distinguish between spent fuel flasks transporting fuel where the fuel is immersed in water, or spent fuel flasks that have been drained of water and dried. This paper concentrates on the wet type of flask utilised to transport fuel to Sellafield, that is the Excellox type (including similar type NTL derivatives). It aims to provide a summary of operational experience during handling at power stations, shipment, unloading at reprocessors and from scheduled maintenance

IRS Guidelines: Joint IAEA/NEA International Reporting System for Operating Experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

The International Reporting System for Operating Experience (IRS) is an international system jointly operated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD/NEA). The fundamental objective of the IRS is to contribute to improving the safety of commercial nuclear power plants which are operated worldwide. This objective can be achieved by providing timely and detailed information on lessons learned from operating and construction experience at the international level. This information could be related to issues and events that are related to safety. The purpose of these guidelines is to describe the system and to give users the necessary background and guidance to enable them to produce IRS reports meeting a high standard of quality while retaining the effectiveness of the system expected by all Member States operating nuclear power plants. As this system is owned by the Member States, the IRS Guidelines have been developed and approved by the IRS National Co-ordinators with the assistance of both Secretariats (IAEA/NEA).

Microwave tokamak experiment (MTX) first year of operation and future plans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, M.C.

1989-01-01

The Microwave Tokamak Experiment (MTX) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) began plasma operations in November 1988, and our main goal is the study of electron-cyclotron heating (ECH) in plasma discharges. The MTX tokamak was relocated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and we have re-created plasma parameters that are similar to those generated while the tokamak was at MIT. After stable ohmic operation was achieved, single-pulse FEL heating experiments began. During this phase, the FEL operated at low power levels on the way to its ultimate goal of 2 GW and 140 GHz with a 30-ns pulse length. We have developed a number of new diagnostics to measure these fast FEL pulses and the resulting plasma effects. In this paper, we present results that show the correlation of MTX data with MIT data, some of the operational modifications and procedures used, results to date from preliminary tokamak operations with the FEL, and our near-term operational plans. 7 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab

Operational experience with Seibersdorf low-level incinerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chalupa, G.

1987-01-01

This report contains information about an excess air incinerator which burned low level β and γ wastes (also α up to determined limits). The incinerator was started up in 1980 and it is clear that in a technical plant of such magnitude, some changes and alterations will be needed to be overcome according to the experiences of operation. This paper - after a short description of the incinerator plant itself - gives a summary of some of the operation and the changes which are made in the plant according to these facts. A partial redesign of the incinerator plant in the first half of 1985 resulted in a very satisfying new design, which proved its superiority during the runs in 1985 and 1986

Reviewing operational experience feedback

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-04-01

The purpose of this document is to provide detailed supplementary guidance to OSART experts to aid in the evaluation of operational experience feedback (OEF) programmes at nuclear power plants. The document begins by describing the objectives of an OEF programme. It goes on to indicate preparatory work and investigatory guidance for the expert. Section 5 describes attributes of an excellent OEF programme. Appended to these guidelines are examples of OEF documents from various plants. These are intended to help the expert by demonstrating the actual implementation of OEF in practice. These guidelines are in no way intended to conflict with existing national regulations and rules. A comprehensive OEF programme, as described in Section 2, would be impossible to evaluated in detail in the amount of time typically allocated for assessing OEF in an OSART review. The expert must use his or her time wisely by concentrating on those areas that appear to be the weakest

Operating Experience from Events Reported to the IAEA Incident Reporting System for Research Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-03-01

Operating experience feedback is an effective mechanism in providing lessons learned from events and the associated corrective actions to prevent them, helping to improve safety at nuclear installations. The Incident Reporting System for Research Reactors (IRSRR), which is operated by the IAEA, is an important tool for international exchange of operating experience feedback for research reactors. The IRSRR reports contain information on events of safety significance with their root causes and lessons learned which help in reducing the occurrence of similar events at research reactors. To improve the effectiveness of the system, it is essential that national organizations demonstrate an appropriate interest for the timely reporting of events important to safety and share the information in the IRSRR database. At their biennial technical meetings, the IRSRR national coordinators recommended collecting the operating experience from the events reported to the IRSRR and disseminating it in an IAEA publication. This publication highlights the root causes, safety significance, lessons learned, corrective actions and the causal factors for the events reported to the IRSRR up to September 2014. The publication also contains relevant summary information on research reactor events from sources other than the IRSRR, operating experience feedback from the International Reporting System for Operating Experience considered relevant to research reactors, and a description of the elements of an operating experience programme as established by the IAEA safety standards. This publication will be of use to research reactor operating organizations, regulators and designers, and any other organizations or individuals involved in the safety of research reactors

Operating experience with LAMPF main beam lines instrumentation and control system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

van Dyck, O.B.; Harvey, A.; Howard, H.H.; Roeder, D.L.

1975-01-01

Instrumentation and control (I and C) for the Los Alamos Clinton P. Anderson Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF) main beam line is based upon central computer control through remote stations which provide input and output to most devices. Operating experience shows that the ability of the computer to give high-quality graphical presentation of the measurements enhances operator performance and instrument usefulness. Experience also shows that operator efficiency degrades rapidly with increasing instrument response time, that is, with increasing delay between the time a control is changed and the result can be observed. For this reason, instrumentation upgrade includes speeding up data acquisition and display times to under 10 s. Similarly, television-viewed phosphors are being retained where possible since their instantaneous response is very useful. Other upgrading of the instrumentation system is planned to improve data accuracy, reliability, redundancy, and instrument radiation tolerance. Past experience is being applied in adding or relocating devices to simplify tuning procedures. (U.S.)

Nuclear power plant operating experience. Annual report, 1978

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beebe, M.R.

1979-12-01

This report is the fifth in a series of reports issued annually that summarizes the operating experience of US nuclear power plants in commercial operation. Power generation statistics, plant outages, reportable occurrences, fuel element performance, occupational radiation exposure for each plant are presented. Summary highlights of these areas are discussed. The report includes 1978 data from 65 plants - 25 boiling water reactor plants and 40 pressurized water reactor plants. Discussion of radioactive effluents which has been a part of this report in previous years, has not been included in this issue because of late acquisition of data

Operational experience of ATLAS SCT and Pixel Detector

CERN Document Server

Kocian, Martin; The ATLAS collaboration

2017-01-01

The ATLAS Inner Detector based on silicon sensors is consisting of a strip detector (SCT) and a pixel detector. It is the crucial component for vertexing and tracking in the ATLAS experiment. With the excellent performance of the LHC well beyond the original specification the silicon tracking detectors are facing substantial challenges in terms of data acquisition, radiation damage to the sensors, and SEUs in the readout ASICs. The approaches on how the detector systems cope with the demands of high luminosity operation while maintaining excellent performance through hardware upgrades, software and firmware algorithms, and operational settings, are presented.

Analysis of operating experience of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volta, G.; Amesz, J.; Mancini, G.

1981-01-01

The power reactors operating experience has been matter for studies at the Joint Research Centre of the C.E.C. with the aim of validating probabilistic analysis models and of setting up data banks concerning reliability, availability of components and systems and safety related events. The report shows problems encountered and solutions given to attain the goal. For what concerns validation, the need of more satisfactory models that could handle both the technical and the organizational aspects of an operating plant is shown. For what concerns the data banks the possibilities opened by a coherent international system of classification are underlined. (author)

Operational experience feedback in the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Revuelta, Ramon

2004-01-01

Operators in high-risk industries need to be learning organisations, learning from themselves and from the others. This presentation will describe how the nuclear industry is dealing in an integrated manner with the feedback of operating experience (OE), both internal and external, to increase the safety and reliability of power plants; it will describe how it: - investigates events; - reports events and analyses trends; - shares information to prevent recurrence; - performs corrective action and training; - performs assessments to verify effectiveness. The plants have achieved great improvements in performance overall, and to improve further, the industry is evolving. Instead of just learning from past events (reactive) it is now focusing on lower level indications of problems (precursors) through low level events reporting, trending and analysis. A hallmark of the industry is its desire to be self-critical. Emphasis is placed on improving the bottom quartile performing plants

Self-assessment as an approach to improvement of efficient implementation of Ukrainian NPP operational experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pecheritsya, L.M.; Lyigots'kij, O.Yi.; Pecheritsya, O.V.; Tarasenko, V.M.

2012-01-01

the paper contains a brief description of the procedure for implementation of operational experience, focuses on the role of self -assessment in efficient use of operational experience, presents a review of international and national practices of self-assessment and review of the main features, issues and ways to improve self-assessment of efficient use of operational experience in Ukraine

Operating experience and radiation protection in RAPS-3 and 4 operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khandelwal, Narendra; Dhakar, P.C.; Singh, G.K.; Gupta, Ashok

2008-01-01

Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS)-3 and 4 was designed and constructed using latest technological advancements in the field of nuclear energy. Operating experience of the station have taught many lessons and provided opportunities to take proactive corrective actions. Design modifications, effective implementation of radiological surveillance program and improvements in work culture have helped in achieving continual reduction in radiation exposures and effluent releases at the station. This paper discusses some of the modifications carried out at the station along with their radiological impacts. (author)

HANARO operation experience in the year 2004

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Soo-Youl; Kim, Heonil; Cho, Yeong-Garp; Jun, Byung-Jin

2006-01-01

The experiences of the HANARO operation and maintenance in the year 2004 are presented in this article. The operation of HANARO, a 30 MW research reactor operated by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), aims at a safe and effective operation to enhance its utilization in various fields of scientific research and industry. Regardless of its importance of the routine operation, this article is devoted to rather unusual matters such as irregular maintenance events and incidents. Since the first criticality in 1995, it has been a long-cherished task to reach the designed power level of 30 MW from the temporarily approved 24 MW. By resolving the concern on the fuel integrity, the designed level could be licensed and, eventually, it was achieved last November. On the other hand, after its 9 years of operation, the mechanical integrity of the heavy water reflector tank was checked. The measurement of the vertical straightness of the tank inner shell indicated its integrity. Meanwhile, the HANARO fuel production facility was completed at the KAERI site, and it will begin to supply centrifugally atomized fuels, instead of conventional comminuted fuels, to HANARO shortly. There were several incidents in 2004, which have all been cleared, including a leak of heavy water, melting of a sample in an irradiation hole for the neutron activation analysis, and a condensation problem in a horizontal beam tube. The progress of and lessons from each incident are presented. The utilization of HANARO is expanding every year and the trend will also continue in 2005. The operation mode has been changed from an 18-day continuous operation and 10-day shutdown (18-10 mode) to the 23-12 mode since the end of 2004, and a further extension is planned to the 30-12 mode. Thanks to this extended operation term, an increased power level and, most importantly, a reliable operation, the HANARO is gaining more and more credit from the end users. (author)

French experience in operating pressurized water reactor power stations. Ten years' operation of the Ardennes power station

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teste du Bailler, A.; Vedrinne, J.F.

1978-01-01

In the paper the experience gained over ten years' operation of the Ardennes (Chooz) nuclear power station is summarized from the point of view of monitoring and control equipment. The reactor was the first pressurized water reactor to be installed in France; it is operated jointly by France and Belgium. The equipment, which in many cases consists of prototypes, was developed for industrial use and with the experience that has now been gained it is possible to evaluate its qualities and defects, the constraints which it imposes and the action that has to be taken in the future. (author)

Risk management for operations of the Los Alamos critical experiments facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paternoster, R.; Butterfield, K.

1998-01-01

The Los Alamos Critical Experiments Facility (LACEF) currently operates two burst reactors (Godiva-IV and Skua), one solution assembly (SHEBA 2--Solution high-Energy Burst Assembly), two fast-spectrum benchmark assemblies (Flattop and Big Ten), and five general-purpose remote assembly machines which may be configured with nuclear materials and assembled by remote control. SNM storage vaults support these and other operations at the site. With this diverse set of operations, several approaches are possible in the analysis and management of risk. The most conservative approach would be to write a safety analysis report (SAR) for each assembly and experiment. A more cost-effective approach is to analyze the probability and consequences of several classes of operations representative of operations on each critical assembly machine and envelope the bounding case accidents. Although the neutron physics of these machines varies widely, the operations performed at LACEF fall into four operational modes: steady-state mode, approach-to-critical mode, prompt burst mode, and nuclear material operations which can include critical assembly fuel loading. The operational sequences of each mode are very nearly the same, whether operated on one assembly machine or another. The use of an envelope approach to accident analysis is facilitated by the use of classes of operations and the use of bounding case consequence analysis. A simple fault tree analysis of operational modes helps resolve which operations are sensitive to human error and which are initiated by hardware of software failures. Where possible, these errors and failures are blocked by TSR LCOs

Configuration control during plant outages. A review of operating experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peinador Veira, Miguel; El Kanbi, Semir [European Commission Joint Research Centre, Petten (Netherlands). Inst. for Energy and Transport; Stephan, Jean-Luc [Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire (IRSN), Fontenay-aux-Roses (France); Martens, Johannes [Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) gGmbH, Koeln (Germany)

2015-03-15

After the occurrence of several significant events in nuclear power plants during shut-down modes of operation in the eighties, and from the results of probabilistic safety assessments completed in the nineties, it was clear that risk from low power and shutdown operational modes could not be neglected and had to be addressed by appropriate safety programs. A comprehensive review of operating experience from the last ten years has been conducted by the Joint Research Centre with the objective of deriving lessons learned and recommendations useful for nuclear regulatory bodies and utilities alike. This paper is focused on one particular challenge that any nuclear plant faces whenever it plans its next outage period: how to manage the configuration of all systems under a complex environment involving numerous concurrent activities, and how to make sure that systems are returned to their valid configuration before the plant resumes power operation. This study highlights the importance of conveying accurate but synthesized information on the status of the plant to the operators in the main control room. Many of the lessons learned are related to the alarm display in the control room and to the use of check lists to control the status of systems. Members of the industry and safety authorities may now use these recommendations and lessons learned to feed their own operating experience feedback programs, and check their applicability for specific sites.

Operating experience with nuclear power stations in Member States in 2002

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-11-01

This report is the thirty-fourth in the Agency's series of annual reports on operating experience with nuclear power stations in Member States. The report is a direct output from the Agency's Power Reactor Information System (PRIS), whose database contains all operating experience data published in the Agency's operating experience annual reports since 1971 and basic information on power reactors, including design data. It presents operating experience data for all worldwide nuclear power plants after starting commercial operation. The PRIS databank is available free of charge to IAEA Member States through its two services: PRIS-PC and MicroPRIS. The PRIS-PC allows direct access to the database via telephone lines or through the Internet. The MicroPRIS contains a subset of the PRIS database and is a personal computer version of PRIS data available on diskette in a form readily accessible by standard, commercially available personal computer packages. PRIS is also available in the Internet at http://www.iaea.org/programmes/a2. Load, operation and availability factors are used as the basic performance factors. Energy unavailability factors, separate for planned and unplanned unavailability, due either to causes in the plant or causes external to the plant, are used as a measure of energy lost through a unit not being available. However, some ambiguity remains in the operator reports of the unavailability data, resulting in inconsistencies in these factors. It is recognized that there is an inherent difficulty in reporting unavailability in energy with relation to a maximum capacity which may change several times during the year. In addition, there are different practices in reporting planned and unplanned unavailability among Member States. The unavailability factors in this report should therefore be used with caution. It should be noted that, for load, operation and unavailability factors, there might be differences between the data of this report and those

Regional co-operation in the nuclear field: The Nordic experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marcus, F.R.

1983-01-01

Experience from 25 years of co-operation in the nuclear field between the Nordic countries is described. A pragmatic approach with a minimum of formalism is used. The co-operation takes place mainly through ''horizontal'' channels between corresponding bodies in the different countries - safety authorities, research institutions, electricity producers, etc. In addition, a ''vertical'' co-ordination between these different circles is accomplished through a Nordic Liaison Committee. The experience shows that valuable results can be obtained, mainly through rationalization and improved use of resources. Difficulties, which are inherent in international co-operation, can be reduced, provided that there is a strong political will, an efficient system to promote contacts, and a flexible financing scheme. Apart from the benefits obtained in each of the countries - whether or not it has its own nuclear power - particular advantages accrue when a ''Nordic group'' can present co-ordinated viewpoints on the international scene. (author)

Impact of operating experience on design of civil structures - An overview

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tang, J H.K. [Ontario Hydro, Toronto, ON (Canada)

1991-04-01

During the past twenty years, Ontario Hydro has expanded its nuclear power to provide about one third of the electricity used in the province (coal and water powered stations provide the other two thirds). By 1992, the total installed capacity of nuclear generating stations in Ontario will further rise to over 14,000 MW. In common with other power plant design, the layout and structural design of civil facilities for a nuclear generating station are developed from consideration of functional, safety and operational requirements, as well as from past operating experience. Experience on structural performance in the sixteen units of Pickering and Bruce NGS's includes: piping and machinery vibrations, structural fatigue failures, and structural integrity due to extreme loadings not considered in the original design. The operating experience of Ontario Hydro's nuclear stations also indicates that civil structures are subjected to some degree of corrosion or degradation of certain elements similar to other mechanical components in a power station. This category of problems consists of concerns associated with thermal effects on concrete structures due to inoperative cooling system, cracking of concrete, and reliability of elastomeric seal materials at expansion joints of the containment envelop. This paper presents an overview of the operating problems and issues regarding changes in the licensing requirements related to civil structures and supporting systems of major mechanical components. The impact of these generic experience on the design of retrofits and new generating stations is also described in the paper.

Impact of operating experience on design of civil structures - An overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, J.H.K.

1991-01-01

During the past twenty years, Ontario Hydro has expanded its nuclear power to provide about one third of the electricity used in the province (coal and water powered stations provide the other two thirds). By 1992, the total installed capacity of nuclear generating stations in Ontario will further rise to over 14,000 MW. In common with other power plant design, the layout and structural design of civil facilities for a nuclear generating station are developed from consideration of functional, safety and operational requirements, as well as from past operating experience. Experience on structural performance in the sixteen units of Pickering and Bruce NGS's includes: piping and machinery vibrations, structural fatigue failures, and structural integrity due to extreme loadings not considered in the original design. The operating experience of Ontario Hydro's nuclear stations also indicates that civil structures are subjected to some degree of corrosion or degradation of certain elements similar to other mechanical components in a power station. This category of problems consists of concerns associated with thermal effects on concrete structures due to inoperative cooling system, cracking of concrete, and reliability of elastomeric seal materials at expansion joints of the containment envelop. This paper presents an overview of the operating problems and issues regarding changes in the licensing requirements related to civil structures and supporting systems of major mechanical components. The impact of these generic experience on the design of retrofits and new generating stations is also described in the paper

NPD Operating Experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Horton, E. P. [Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario, Rolphton, ON (Canada)

1968-04-15

NPD has demonstrated high-capacity factor operation and for the past three years has achieved an average net capacity factor of 98% for the ''winter-peak'' period. The net capacity factor for the year 1966 was 88% and for the period from the end of commissioning (October 1962) to the end of 1966 was 71%. The output of the station has been stretched from 22 MW(e) gross to 25 MW(e) gross. This was aided by the installation of an internal steam separator in the turbine but no basic modifications to the reactor-boiler systems were required. The turbine has also been modified by the installation of chrome steel diaphragms as a solution to an erosion problem. The station also continues as a test facility to develop new components and techniques. This includes the recent successful replacement of two reactor pressure tubes and the conversion of the reactor vault ventilation system to a ''dry'' atmosphere using a molecular sieve to collect heavy-water leakage and control the concentration of acidic oxides of nitrogen. Fuel performance has been excellent and the average burn-up in the core is now 84 MWh/kg U which is slightly above the equilibrium design value. Only three fuel bundles have been found with sheath failures and none of these was due to a deficiency in the fuel but was as a result of handling problems with the refuelling equipment. In spite of undesirably high maintenance time, the fuelling machines have now inserted over 1000 fuel bundles into the reactor ''on power''. Heavy-water loss rates have been acceptable and are improving. The average loss rate from leaks during 1966 was 210 g/h. A proposal to modify the NPD heavy-water heat transport system to allow boiling is under consideration. (author)

Early tracking would improve the operative experience of general surgery residents.

Science.gov (United States)

Stain, Steven C; Biester, Thomas W; Hanks, John B; Ashley, Stanley W; Valentine, R James; Bass, Barbara L; Buyske, Jo

2010-09-01

High surgical complexity and individual career goals has led most general surgery (GS) residents to pursue fellowship training, resulting in a shortage of surgeons who practice broad-based general surgery. We hypothesize that early tracking of residents would improve operative experience of residents planning to be general surgeons, and could foster greater interest and confidence in this career path. Surgical Operative Log data from GS and fellowship bound residents (FB) applying for the 2008 American Board of Surgery Qualifying Examination (QE) were used to construct a hypothetical training model with 6 months of early specialization (ESP) for FB residents in 4 specialties (cardiac, vascular, colorectal, pediatric); and presumed these cases would be available to GS residents within the same program. A total of 142 training programs had both FB residents (n = 237) and GS residents (n = 402), and represented 70% of all 2008 QE applicants. The mean numbers of operations by FB and GS residents were 1131 and 1091, respectively. There were a mean of 252 cases by FB residents in the chief year, theoretically making 126 cases available for each GS resident. In 9 defined categories, the hypothetical model would result in an increase in the 5-year operative experience of GS residents (mastectomy 6.5%; colectomy 22.8%; gastrectomy 23.4%; antireflux procedures 23.4%; pancreatic resection 37.4%; liver resection 29.3%; endocrine procedures 19.6%; trauma operations 13.3%; GI endoscopy 6.5%). The ESP model improves operative experience of GS residents, particularly for complex gastrointestinal procedures. The expansion of subspecialty ESP should be considered.

Operation of the tokamak fusion test reactor tritium systems during initial tritium experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, J.L.; Gentile, C.; Kalish, M.; Kamperschroer, J.; Kozub, T.; LaMarche, P.; Murray, H.; Nagy, A.; Raftopoulos, S.; Rossmassler, R.; Sissingh, R.; Swanson, J.; Tulipano, F.; Viola, M.; Voorhees, D.; Walters, R.T.

1995-01-01

The high power D-T experiments on the tokamak fusion test reactor (TFTR) at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory commenced in November 1993. During initial operation of the tritium systems a number of start-up problems surfaced and had to be corrected. These were corrected through a series of system modifications and upgrades and by repair of failed or inadequate components. Even as these operational concerns were being addressed, the tritium systems continued to support D-T operations on the tokamak. During the first six months of D-T operations more than 107kCi of tritium were processed successfully by the tritium systems. D-T experiments conducted at TFTR during this period provided significant new data. Fusion power in excess of 9MW was achieved in May 1994. This paper describes some of the early start-up issues, and reports on the operation of the tritium system and the tritium tracking and accounting system during the early phase of TFTR D-T experiments. (orig.)

Operating Cooperatively (OC sensor for highly specific recognition of nucleic acids.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evan M Cornett

Full Text Available Molecular Beacon (MB probes have been extensively used for nucleic acid analysis because of their ability to produce fluorescent signal in solution instantly after hybridization. The indirect binding of MB probe to a target analyte offers several advantages, including: improved genotyping accuracy and the possibility to analyse folded nucleic acids. Here we report on a new design for MB-based sensor, called 'Operating Cooperatively' (OC, which takes advantage of indirect binding of MB probe to a target analyte. The sensor consists of two unmodified DNA strands, which hybridize to a universal MB probe and a nucleic acid analyte to form a fluorescent complex. OC sensors were designed to analyze two human SNPs and E. coli 16S rRNA. High specificity of the approach was demonstrated by the detection of true analyte in over 100 times excess amount of single base substituted analytes. Taking into account the flexibility in the design and the simplicity in optimization, we conclude that OC sensors may become versatile and efficient tools for instant DNA and RNA analysis in homogeneous solution.

Power-Cooling-Mismatch Test Series Test PCM-7. Experiment operating specifications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sparks, D.T.; Smith, R.H.; Stanley, C.J.

1979-02-01

The experiment operating specifications for the Power-Cooling-Mismatch (PCM) Test PCM-7 to be conducted in the Power Burst Facility are described. The PCM Test Series was designed on the basis of a parametric evaluation of fuel behavior response with cladding temperature, rod internal pressure, time in film boiling, and test rod power being the variable parameters. The test matrix, defined in the PCM Experiment Requirements Document (ERD), encompasses a wide range of situations extending from pre-CHF (critical heat flux) PCMs to long duration operation in stable film boiling leading to rod failure

Applying operating experience to design the CANDU 3 process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, D.S.; Hinchley, E.M.; Pauksens, J.; Snell, V.; Yu, S.K.W.

1991-01-01

The CANDU 3 is an advanced, smaller (450 MWe), standardized version of the CANDU now being designed for service later in the decade and beyond. The design of this evolutionary nuclear power plant has been carefully planned and organized to gain maximum benefits from new technologies and from world experience to date in designing, building, commissioning and operating nuclear power stations. The good performance record of existing CANDU reactors makes consideration of operating experience from these plants a particularly vital component of the design process. Since the completion of the first four CANDU 6 stations in the early 1980s, and with the continuing evolution of the multi-unit CANDU station designs since then, AECL CANDU has devised several processes to ensure that such feedback is made available to designers. An important step was made in 1986 when a task force was set up to review and process ideas arising from the commissioning and early operation of the CANDU 6 reactors which were, by that time, operating successfully in Argentina and Korea, as well as the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick. The task force issued a comprehensive report which, although aimed at the design of an improved CANDU 6 station, was made available to the CANDU 3 team. By that time also, the Institute of Power Operations (INPO) in the U.S., of which AECL is a Supplier Participant member, was starting to publish Good Practices and Guidelines related to the review and the use of operating experiences. In addition, details of significant events were being made available via the INPO SEE-IN (Significant Event Evaluation and Information Network) Program, and subsequently the CANNET network of the CANDU Owners' Group (COG). Systematic review was thus possible by designers of operations reports, significant event reports, and related documents in a continuing program of design improvement. Another method of incorporating operations feedback is to involve experienced utility

Applying operating experience to design the CANDU 3 process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harris, D S; Hinchley, E M; Pauksens, J; Snell, V; Yu, S K.W. [AECL-CANDU, Ontario (Canada)

1991-04-01

The CANDU 3 is an advanced, smaller (450 MWe), standardized version of the CANDU now being designed for service later in the decade and beyond. The design of this evolutionary nuclear power plant has been carefully planned and organized to gain maximum benefits from new technologies and from world experience to date in designing, building, commissioning and operating nuclear power stations. The good performance record of existing CANDU reactors makes consideration of operating experience from these plants a particularly vital component of the design process. Since the completion of the first four CANDU 6 stations in the early 1980s, and with the continuing evolution of the multi-unit CANDU station designs since then, AECL CANDU has devised several processes to ensure that such feedback is made available to designers. An important step was made in 1986 when a task force was set up to review and process ideas arising from the commissioning and early operation of the CANDU 6 reactors which were, by that time, operating successfully in Argentina and Korea, as well as the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick. The task force issued a comprehensive report which, although aimed at the design of an improved CANDU 6 station, was made available to the CANDU 3 team. By that time also, the Institute of Power Operations (INPO) in the U.S., of which AECL is a Supplier Participant member, was starting to publish Good Practices and Guidelines related to the review and the use of operating experiences. In addition, details of significant events were being made available via the INPO SEE-IN (Significant Event Evaluation and Information Network) Program, and subsequently the CANNET network of the CANDU Owners' Group (COG). Systematic review was thus possible by designers of operations reports, significant event reports, and related documents in a continuing program of design improvement. Another method of incorporating operations feedback is to involve experienced utility

Lessons from feedback of safety operating experience for reactor physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suchomel, J.; Rapavy, S.

1999-01-01

Analyses of events in WWER operations as a part of safety experience feedback provide a valuable source of lessons for reactor physics. Examples of events from Bohunice operation will be shown such as events with inadequate approach to criticality, positive reactivity insertions, expulsion of a control rod from shut-down reactor, problems with reactor protection system and control rods. (Authors)

Program of experiments for the operating phase of the Underground Research Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simmons, G.R.; Bilinsky, D.M.; Davison, C.C.; Gray, M.N.; Kjartanson, B.H.; Martin, C.D.; Peters, D.A.; Lang, P.A.

1992-09-01

The Underground Research Laboratory (URL) is one of the major research and development facilities that AECL Research has constructed in support of the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program. The URL is a unique geotechnical research facility constructed in previously undisturbed plutonic rock, which was well characterized before construction. The site evaluation and construction phases of the URL project have been completed and the operating phase is beginning. A program of operating phase experiments that address AECL's objectives for in situ testing has been selected. These experiments were subjected to an external peer review and a subsequent review by the URL Experiment Committee in 1989. The comments from the external peer review were incorporated into the experiment plans, and the revised experiments were accepted by the URL Experiment Committee. Summaries of both reviews are presented. The schedule for implementing the experiments and the quality assurance to be applied during implementation are also summarized. (Author) (9 refs., 11 figs.)

Physics operating experience and fuel management of RAPS-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakra, A.N.; Purandare, H.D.; Srinivasan, K.R.; Rastogi, B.P.

1976-01-01

Rajasthan Atomic Power Station Unit-1 achieved criticality on August 11, 1972. Thereafter the reactor was brought to power, in November, 1972. Due to non-availability of the depleted fuel, the loading of which was necessary to obtain full power to begin with, the core was loaded with all natural uranium fuel and only 70% of the full power could be achieved. During the reactor operation for the last three years, the reactor has seen more than one effective full power year and about 1400 fresh fuel bundles have been loaded in the core. The reactor was subjected to about 150 power cycles resulting in more than 30% variation in operating power level and about 10 fuel bundles have failed. For satisfactory fuel management and refuelling decisions, a three dimensional simulator TRIVENI was developed. This was extensively tested during the start-up experiments and was found to be a satisfactory tool for day to day operation of the plant. In this paper, a brief account of analysis of the start-up experiments, approach to full power, power distortions and flux peaking, fuel management service and analysis of the failed fuel data has been given. (author)

Human Factors Engineering (HFE) insights for advanced reactors based upon operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higgins, J.; Nasta, K.

1997-01-01

The NRC Human Factors Engineering Program Review Model (HFE PRM, NUREG-0711) was developed to support a design process review for advanced reactor design certification under 10CFR52. The HFE PRM defines ten fundamental elements of a human factors engineering program. An Operating Experience Review (OER) is one of these elements. The main purpose of an OER is to identify potential safety issues from operating plant experience and ensure that they are addressed in a new design. Broad-based experience reviews have typically been performed in the past by reactor designers. For the HFE PRM the intent is to have a more focussed OER that concentrates on HFE issues or experience that would be relevant to the human-system interface (HSI) design process for new advanced reactors. This document provides a detailed list of HFE-relevant operating experience pertinent to the HSI design process for advanced nuclear power plants. This document is intended to be used by NRC reviewers as part of the HFE PRM review process in determining the completeness of an OER performed by an applicant for advanced reactor design certification. 49 refs

Contributions of the European Operating Experience Feedback Project to Support Regulatory Bodies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heitsch, M.

2016-01-01

Operating Experience Feedback (OEF) is one of the ways of improving the nuclear safety of operating nuclear power plants. The EC-Clearinghouse initiative was set up in 2008 to support nuclear regulatory authorities of EU Member States, but also Technical Support Organizations, international organizations and the broader nuclear community, to enhance nuclear safety. The differing regulatory regimes in the EU member countries and a significant diversity of the nuclear power plant (NPP) designs have been a challenge in the establishment of the European Clearinghouse. The European Clearinghouse is organized as a Network operated by a Central Office located at the Institute for Energy and Transport (IET) which is part of Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission. It gathers 17 European regulatory authorities and 3 major European Technical Support organizations (TSO). The Clearinghouse aims at providing lessons learned, recommendations and best practices from operational experience of NPPs based on support and commitment from the EU nuclear regulatory authorities. One of the objectives of the European Clearinghouse is to establish European best practices for the assessment of unusual events in NPPs. The paper will present the main activities of the European Clearinghouse. These include: • Topical studies providing in-depth assessment of selected topics important for the safe operation of NPPs. Statistical tools help to identify interesting subjects for these studies; • Quarterly reports on operating experience; • Training courses in the field of root cause analysis and event investigation; • Development, maintenance and population of a database for storage of operating experience related information; • Collaboration with international organizations such as IAEA and OECD/NEA on all aspects of OEF. All activities of the Clearinghouse initiative focus on providing an added value for nuclear regulation. (author)

Operating experience feedback from safety significant events at research reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shokr, A.M. [Atomic Energy Authority, Abouzabal (Egypt). Egypt Second Research Reactor; Rao, D. [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India)

2015-05-15

Operating experience feedback is an effective mechanism to provide lessons learned from the events and the associated corrective actions to prevent recurrence of events, resulting in improving safety in the nuclear installations. This paper analyzes the events of safety significance that have been occurred at research reactors and discusses the root causes and lessons learned from these events. Insights from literature on events at research reactors and feedback from events at nuclear power plants that are relevant to research reactors are also presented along with discussions. The results of the analysis showed the importance of communication of safety information and exchange of operating experience are vital to prevent reoccurrences of events. The analysis showed also the need for continued attention to human factors and training of operating personnel, and the need for establishing systematic ageing management programmes of reactor facilities, and programmes for safety management of handling of nuclear fuel, core components, and experimental devices.

Operating experience feedback from safety significant events at research reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shokr, A.M.

2015-01-01

Operating experience feedback is an effective mechanism to provide lessons learned from the events and the associated corrective actions to prevent recurrence of events, resulting in improving safety in the nuclear installations. This paper analyzes the events of safety significance that have been occurred at research reactors and discusses the root causes and lessons learned from these events. Insights from literature on events at research reactors and feedback from events at nuclear power plants that are relevant to research reactors are also presented along with discussions. The results of the analysis showed the importance of communication of safety information and exchange of operating experience are vital to prevent reoccurrences of events. The analysis showed also the need for continued attention to human factors and training of operating personnel, and the need for establishing systematic ageing management programmes of reactor facilities, and programmes for safety management of handling of nuclear fuel, core components, and experimental devices.

Operational plans for life science payloads - From experiment selection through postflight reporting

Science.gov (United States)

Mccollum, G. W.; Nelson, W. G.; Wells, G. W.

1976-01-01

Key features of operational plans developed in a study of the Space Shuttle era life science payloads program are presented. The data describes the overall acquisition, staging, and integration of payload elements, as well as program implementation methods and mission support requirements. Five configurations were selected as representative payloads: (a) carry-on laboratories - medical emphasis experiments, (b) mini-laboratories - medical/biology experiments, (c) seven-day dedicated laboratories - medical/biology experiments, (d) 30-day dedicated laboratories - Regenerative Life Support Evaluation (RLSE) with selected life science experiments, and (e) Biomedical Experiments Scientific Satellite (BESS) - extended duration primate (Type I) and small vertebrate (Type II) missions. The recommended operational methods described in the paper are compared to the fundamental data which has been developed in the life science Spacelab Mission Simulation (SMS) test series. Areas assessed include crew training, experiment development and integration, testing, data-dissemination, organization interfaces, and principal investigator working relationships.

Experiment Operating Specification for the Semiscale MOD-2C feedwater and steam line break experiment series. Appendix S-FS-6 and 7

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boucher, T.J.; Owca, W.A.

1985-05-01

This document is the Semiscale MOD-2C feedwater and steam line break experiment series Experiment Operating Specification Appendix for tests S-FS-6 and S-FS-7. Test S-FS-6 is the third test in the series and simulates a 100% break in a steam generator bottom feedwater line downstream of the check valve accompanied by compounding factors (such as check valve failure, loss-of-offsite power at SIS and SIS delayed until low steam generator pressure signal). The test is terminated after plant stabilization and recovery procedures including unaffected loop steam and feed, pressurizer heater operation, pressurizer auxiliary spray operation, and normal charging/letdown operation. Test S-FS-7 is the fourth test in the series and simulates a 14.3% break in a steam generator bottom feedwater line downstream of the check valve, accompanied by compounding factors. The test is terminated after plant stabilization procedures including unaffected loop steam and feed, pressurizer heater operation, and normal charging/letdown operation. The test was followed by an affected loop secondary refill after isolating the break. The Appendix contains information on the major fluid systems, initial experiment conditions, experiment boundary conditions, and sequence of experiment events. Also included is a discussion of the scaling criteria and philosophy used to develop the experiment initial and boundary conditions and system configuration

Tevatron operational experiences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norris, B.L.; Theilacker, J.C.

1989-02-01

Fermilabs superconducting accelerator, the Tevatron has been operational for nearly six years. The history of its operation is presented. Several long shutdowns for superconducting dipole repairs are discussed. The dominant factor influencing the repair was conductor motion which fatigued the cable in the magnet ends. Borescoping and x-raying techniques were used to determine which magnet ends required repair. Detailed downtime logs were kept for each of the running periods. A discussion of the sources of downtime and a comparison for different operating modes is presented

Operational Experience with the ATLAS Pixel Detector

CERN Document Server

Djama, Fares; The ATLAS collaboration

2017-01-01

Run 2 of the LHC collider sets new challenges to track and vertex reconstruction because of its higher energy, pileup and luminosity. The ATLAS tracking performance relies critically on the Pixel Detector. Therefore, in view of Run 2, the ATLAS collaboration has constructed the first 4-layer pixel detector in Particle Physics by installing a new pixel layer, called Insertable B-Layer (IBL). Operational experience and performance of the 4-layer Pixel Detector during Run 2 are presented.

Exploitation of the in-seam miner and operational experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilson, W I.S.; Morris, A H

1977-12-01

The In-seam Miner started as an investigatory project at MRDE in 1969. Since that time it has passed through the classic development stages of design of prototype, surface trials, underground trials, modification, production of more machines, assessment of experience and then wider exploitation. At the present time well over 100 machines have been supplied to the National Coal Board. The original machine was hydraulically driven and all but five of the machines supplied to date are of this type. The variety of applications that the machine has found in the mining industry has caused derivative development to embrace machines of length varying from 12-ft centers to 44-ft centers, to work in seams ranging from 40 in. up to 68 in. The range of applications has included face drivages, stablehole operations, in-seam retreat roadways and dirt-absorbing headings. Five electrically driven machines are now coming onto the market and experience with them, though limited, is very encouraging. The paper concentrates on two major aspects of the overall development process: first, the management of exploitation; and second, some operational experience of the In-seam Miner in South Midlands area.

Recent experience of Almaraz NPP in operator training

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez Cabanero, J.G.; Gomez de la Torre, J.M.

1994-01-01

In recent years the nuclear industry has been paying special attention to boosting nuclear power plant operation. To this end, it has optimized its maintenance, engineering, safety, management and other systems, using the appropriate resources to achieve its target. Optimization of these systems required the allocation of new resources for training plant personnel. The activity of training, which hitherto dedicated most of its attention and resources to the operating area, now extends them to schooling required in other areas of the plant, with the aim of updating the skills and knowledge of personnel to deal with new needs which have arisen. Regulations at present cover the training and qualification of only personnel responsible for handling reactor or for directing plant operation activities and capable of evaluating the nature and magnitude of possible incidents, especially those causing radioactive emissions, and of personnel requiring knowledge and experience to guarantee effective protection of individuals, ie, operators, supervisors, and qualified radiological protection experts. However, it should be borne in mind that, in the future, the training of other plant personnel could also be subject to regulations. (Author)

Operating Experiences of a Loss of Voltage Monitoring Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Eun-Chan [Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. Ltd., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

Loss of voltage (LOV) events continue to occur due to inadequate work management and random human errors. On February 26, 2015, regulators analyzed the root causes of LOV events and presented the results for the nuclear industry. Currently, KHNP uses a risk monitoring program, which is named 'LOV Monitor', for LOV prevention during pilot plant outages. This review introduces the operation experiences of LOV Monitor based on the evaluation results of a real event. The operation experiences of LOV Monitor in the pilot plants confirmed that this program could detect and reduce LOV possibilities from scheduling errors such as the simultaneous maintenance of energized trains and de-energized trains considering the physical conditions of the power circuit breakers. However, a maintenance culture that heeds the risk monitoring result must be strengthened in order to obtain substantial effects through applying LOV Monitor to the outage.

Vitrification operational experiences and lessons learned at the WVDP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamel, W.F. Jr.; Sheridan, M.J.; Valenti, P.J.

1997-01-01

The Vitrification Facility (VF) at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) commenced full, high-level radioactive waste (HLW) processing activities in July 1996. The HLW consists of a blend of washed plutonium-uranium extraction (PUREX) sludge, neutralized thorium extraction (THOREX) waste, and cesium-loaded zeolite. The waste product is borosilicate glass contained in stainless steel canisters, sealed for eventual disposal in a federal repository. This paper discusses the WVDP vitrification process, focusing on operational experience and lessons learned during the first year of continuous, remote operation

Best Practices in the Management of an Operating Experience Programme at Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-08-01

The IAEA Fundamental Safety Principles (IAEA Safety Standards Series No. SF-1) state the need for operating organizations to establish a programme for the feedback and analysis of operating experience in nuclear power plants. Such a programme ensures that operating experience is analysed, events important to safety are reviewed in depth, lessons learned are disseminated to the staff of the organization and to the relevant national and international organizations and corrective actions are effectively implemented. In IAEA Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) and Peer Review of the effectiveness of the Operational Safety Performance Experience Review (PROSPER) missions, weaknesses in the management of operating experience (OE) programmes have been identified as one of the root causes of the recurrence of events. This publication has been developed to provide advice and assistance to nuclear installation managers and related institutions, including contractors and support organizations, to strengthen and enhance the management of their OE processes. In this publication, a number of barriers to the successful management of an OE programme have been identified. Managers are encouraged to review and evaluate these barriers with a view to identifying and eliminating them within their own organizations

Operating experience of a sodium rig following the ingress of oil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bell, A C; Mehew, R D; Robertson, C M [UKAEA, Dounreay, Thurso, Caithness, Scotland (United Kingdom)

1980-05-01

The experience of operating the Small Water Leak Rig at Dounreay in the two years following the ingress into the sodium of silicone oil from the pump is reported. The carbon penetration into the rig pipework has been monitored and has been found to agree with a diffusion model. The predictions based on this model have enabled an operating strategy to be determined to allow continued operation of the rig. (author)

Operating experience of a sodium rig following the ingress of oil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bell, A.C.; Mehew, R.D.; Robertson, C.M.

1980-01-01

The experience of operating the Small Water Leak Rig at Dounreay in the two years following the ingress into the sodium of silicone oil from the pump is reported. The carbon penetration into the rig pipework has been monitored and has been found to agree with a diffusion model. The predictions based on this model have enabled an operating strategy to be determined to allow continued operation of the rig. (author)

Selection of operations staff, qualifications and experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutmann, H.

1977-01-01

Requirements and suggestions have been made by authorities and various organisations in a number of countries which define necessary experience and training for the various groups of nuclear power plant personnel. For two countries, the USA and the FRG, a comparison has been made which shows that there is only a slight deviation, taking into account the different education systems. With the example of the Biblis nuclear power plant the training on the job is described. Especially the production or operation department is looked at in more detail. The training is split up into several parts: a general part, such as nuclear physics, reactor physics and engineering, reactor safety, radiation protection and so on and a plant related part, such as arrangement and mode of operation of the plant under normal and accident conditions, license conditions and so on. (orig.) [de

Experiences of operation for Ikata Nuclear Power Station

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kashimoto, Shigeyuki

1979-01-01

No. 1 plant in the Ikata Nuclear Power Station, Shikoku Electric Power Co., Inc., is a two-loop PWR unit with electric output of 566 MW, and it began the commercial operation on September 30, 1977, as the first nuclear power station in Shikoku. It is the 13th LWR and 7th PWR in Japan. The period of construction was 52 months since it had been started in June, 1973. During the period, it became the object of the first administrative litigation to seek the cancellation of permission to install the reactor, and it was subjected to the influence of the violent economical variation due to the oil shock, but it was completed as scheduled. After the start of operation, it continued the satisfactory operation, and generated about 2.35 billion KWh for 4300 operation hours. It achieved the rate of utilization of 96.7%. Since March 28, 1978, the first periodical inspection was carried out, and abnormality was not found in the reactor, the steam generator and the fuel at all. The period of inspection was 79 days and shorter than expected. The commercial operation was started again on June 14. The outline of the Ikata Nuclear Power Station, its state of operation, and the periodical inspection are reported. Very good results were able to be reported on the operation for one year, thanks to the valuable experiences offered by other electric power companies. (Kako, I.)

Use of experience for the improvement of technical specifications for operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schweitz, J.P.; Seveon, J.J.

1987-11-01

The lessons drawn from experience led EdF to define in 1980 a national specification standard, to be applied to the first standardized series of 900 MWe units and to be adapted to the later 1300 MWe units. This document is periodically revised, every two years or so, to take into account new trends in safety thinking and lessons learnt from operating experience. In this paper we present the main developments in the field of technical specifications, particularly: the definition of rules applicable in the event of unavailability of safety-related equipment, the integration of plant unit operating feedback for specifications optimization

Operating experiences since rise-to-power test in high temperature engineering test reactor (HTTR)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tochio, Daisuke; Watanabe, Shuji; Motegi, Toshihiro; Kawano, Shuichi; Kameyama, Yasuhiko; Sekita, Kenji; Kawasaki, Kozo

2007-03-01

The rise-to-power test of the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) was actually started in April 2000. The rated thermal power of 30MW and the rated reactor outlet coolant temperature of 850degC were achieved in the middle of Dec. 2001. After that, the reactor thermal power of 30MW and the reactor outlet coolant temperature of 950degC were achieved in the final rise-to-power test in April 2004. After receiving the operation licensing at 850degC, the safety demonstration tests have conducted to demonstrate inherent safety features of the HTGRs as well as to obtain the core and plant transient data for validation of safety analysis codes and for establishment of safety design and evaluation technologies. This paper summarizes the HTTR operating experiences for six years from start of the rise-to-power test that are categorized into (1) Operating experiences related to advanced gas-cooled reactor design, (2) Operating experiences for improvement of the performance, (3) Operating experiences due to fail of system and components. (author)

Operating experience with BWR nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonsdorf, Magnus von.

1986-01-01

The two-unit nuclear power station in Olkiluoto on the western coast of Finland produces about 20 per cent of the electricity consumption of the country. The first unit, TVO-I was first connected to the national grid in September 1978 and TVO-II in February 1980. The original rated power output of each unit was 660 MWe, corresponding to the thermal power of 2000 MW from the reactor. Technical modifications allowed the power to be uprated by 8%. The operating statistics (load factors etc.) are given and the outage experience discussed. The radiological history shows very low radioactivity and dose levels have been maintained at the plant. (UK)

Atypical cleavage of protonated N-fatty acyl amino acids derived from aspartic acid evidenced by sequential MS3 experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Boukerche, Toufik Taalibi; Alves, Sandra; Le Faouder, Pauline; Warnet, Anna; Bertrand-Michel, Justine; Bouchekara, Mohamed; Belbachir, Mohammed; Tabet, Jean-Claude

2016-12-01

Lipidomics calls for information on detected lipids and conjugates whose structural elucidation by mass spectrometry requires to rationalization of their gas phase dissociations toward collision-induced dissociation (CID) processes. This study focused on activated dissociations of two lipoamino acid (LAA) systems composed of N-palmitoyl acyl coupled with aspartic and glutamic acid mono ethyl esters (as LAA (*D) and LAA (*E) ). Although in MS/MS, their CID spectra show similar trends, e.g., release of water and ethanol, the [(LAA (*D/*E) +H)-C 2 H 5 OH] + product ions dissociate via distinct pathways in sequential MS 3 experiments. The formation of all the product ions is rationalized by charge-promoted cleavages often involving stepwise processes with ion isomerization into ion-dipole prior to dissociation. The latter explains the maleic anhydride or ketene neutral losses from N-palmitoyl acyl aspartate and glutamate anhydride fragment ions, respectively. Consequently, protonated palmitoyl acid amide is generated from LAA (*D), whereas LAA (*E) leads to the [*E+H-H 2 O] + anhydride. The former releases ammonia to provide acylium, which gives the C n H (2n-1) and C n H (2n-3) carbenium series. This should offer structural information, e.g., to locate either unsaturation(s) or alkyl group branching present on the various fatty acyl moieties of lipo-aspartic acid in further studies based on MS n experiments.

Impact of operating variables on re-refining of vehicle waste oil to base-oil by acid-clay process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Durrani, H.A.; Panhwar, M.I.; Kazi, R.A.

2009-01-01

A large volume of waste oil is generated each year as the number of vehicles in the country is increasing every day. This used lubricant oil constitutes a serious pollution problem. It easily be converted as a resource depending on the manners of utilization and management. This paper compares various end uses of waste oil and develops technology by which basic properties of the base oil can be regained. An experimental setup (Experimental rig) of acid-clay method was used to regain waste oil collected and number of experiments were conducted by varying different process variables. The impacts of the operating variables on the quality of re-refined oil are also discussed. The recovery of re-refined base oil was found in between 44-49%. (author)

Procedure for following external nuclear power plant operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostadinov, V.

2003-01-01

Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration (SNSA) has developed computer database and the procedure for following-up and investigating external nuclear operating experience and administrative requirements. The SNSA's primary goal is to investigate safety significant events in due time, to analyze them from the regulatory point of view and to ensure that meaningful lessons be learned and used for improvement of the safe operation of Slovenian Nuclear Power Plant Krsko. Moreover, we intend to make uniform format and method for reporting broader spectrum of events analyzed including low level event reporting. (author)

The safeguards on-site laboratory at Sellafield. Five years operational experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duinslaeger, L.; Belle, P. van; Mayer, K.; Casteleyn, K.; Abousahl, S.; Daures, P.; Eberle, H.; Enright, T.; Guiot, A.; Hild, M.; Horta Domenech, J.; Lajarge, P.; Laurent, P.; Le Terrier, A.; Lynch, B.; Marucci, M.; Millet, S.; Ottmar, H.; Richir, P.; Street, S.; Vallet, P.; Zuleger, E. [European Commission, Karlsruhe (Germany). Inst. for Transuranium Elements

2004-06-01

The start of operation of the large reprocessing facilities led Euratom Safeguards to a new approach for verification analysis of samples taken at the facility: the installation of on-site laboratories. The availability of analytical capabilities for independent verification measurements at the site of these facilities offers obvious advantages in view of timeliness of results. The 'On-Site Laboratory' (OSL) at the BNFL Sellafield site was the first ever and entered into operation in 1999. For almost five years, the Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU) has been operating the laboratory under routine conditions. During this period, more than one thousand safeguards samples were analysed. The experience gained in the management, logistics and operation of the OSL allow a critical review based on a significant period in time. This includes also aspects of training of staff, maintenance of equipment, flow of information, and improvements in the efficiency. The analytical issues are of key importance: based on the operational experience, the measurement methods were adapted (changing boundary conditions), the distribution of samples according to material type changed (start up of MOS fabrication plant), and the cutback in resources triggered a further streamlining of the analytical efforts. (orig.)

Wet steam turbines for nuclear generating stations -design and operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Usher, J.

1977-01-01

Lecture to the Institution of Nuclear Engineers, 11 Jan. 1977. The object of this lecture was to give an account of some design features of large wet steam turbines and to show by describing some recent operational experience how their design concepts were fulfilled. Headings are as follows: effects of wet steam cycle on turbine layout and operation (H.P. turbine, L.P. turbine); turbine control and operation; water separators; and steam reheaters. (U.K.)

Earth-covered storage of LPG - Development, construction and operating experiences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuldt, P.; Grote, G.

1990-01-01

The paper describes the planning, approval procedures, design, fabrication, site-assembling and the testing of liquefied petroleum gas storage tanks. The practical experience after three years of operation is reported. 8 figs

Experience gained in enhancing operational safety at ComEd's nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elias, D.

1997-01-01

The following aspects of experience gained in enhancing operational safety at Comed's nuclear power plants are discussed: nuclear safety policy; centralization/decentralization; typical nuclear operating organization; safety review boards; human performance enhancement; elements of effective nuclear oversight

Machine utilisation and operation experience with Jet from 1983

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, B.J.; Chuilon, P.; Noble, B.; Saunders, R.; Webberley, D.

1989-01-01

The operation of JET commenced in June 1983 and is scheduled until the end of 1992. This seemingly long period is actually quite limited when compared with the time needed to implement and commission the planned machine enhancements, and pursue research and developments which result from the experiments. There is an ever-present urgency to make the best use of the machine. 1983-84 was a learning period and only in 1985 was it felt worthwhile to adopt double-shift day working. Data has been compiled and analysed for utilisation of the machine, delays in terms of time lost and systems involved, and number and frequency of machine pulses. This paper presents an overall picture of machine availability and utilisation. It describes the JET operational arrangements and the experience of system faults. Finally, it draws conclusions and identifies lessons learned which may be relevant to the next stage of fusion power development

Machine utilisation and operation experience with JET from 1983

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, B.J.; Chuilon, P.; Noble, B.; Saunders, R.; Webberley, D.

1989-01-01

The operation of JET commenced in June 1983 and is scheduled until the end of 1992. This seemingly long period is actually quite limited when compared with the time needed to implement and commission the planned machine enhancements, and pursue research and developments which result from the experiments. There is an ever-present urgency to make the use of the machine. 1983-84 was a learning period and only in 1985 was it felt worthwhile to adopt double-shift day working. Data has been compiled and analysed for utilisation of the machine, delays in terms of time lost and system involved, and number and frequency of machine pulses. This paper presents an overall picture of machine availability and utilisation. It describes the JET operational arrangements and the experience of system faults. Finally, it draws conclusions and identifies lessons learned which may be relevant to the next stage of fusion power development. (author). 9 figs

Experience building and operating the CMS Tier-1 computing centres

Science.gov (United States)

Albert, M.; Bakken, J.; Bonacorsi, D.; Brew, C.; Charlot, C.; Huang, Chih-Hao; Colling, D.; Dumitrescu, C.; Fagan, D.; Fassi, F.; Fisk, I.; Flix, J.; Giacchetti, L.; Gomez-Ceballos, G.; Gowdy, S.; Grandi, C.; Gutsche, O.; Hahn, K.; Holzman, B.; Jackson, J.; Kreuzer, P.; Kuo, C. M.; Mason, D.; Pukhaeva, N.; Qin, G.; Quast, G.; Rossman, P.; Sartirana, A.; Scheurer, A.; Schott, G.; Shih, J.; Tader, P.; Thompson, R.; Tiradani, A.; Trunov, A.

2010-04-01

The CMS Collaboration relies on 7 globally distributed Tier-1 computing centres located at large universities and national laboratories for a second custodial copy of the CMS RAW data and primary copy of the simulated data, data serving capacity to Tier-2 centres for analysis, and the bulk of the reprocessing and event selection capacity in the experiment. The Tier-1 sites have a challenging role in CMS because they are expected to ingest and archive data from both CERN and regional Tier-2 centres, while they export data to a global mesh of Tier-2s at rates comparable to the raw export data rate from CERN. The combined capacity of the Tier-1 centres is more than twice the resources located at CERN and efficiently utilizing this large distributed resources represents a challenge. In this article we will discuss the experience building, operating, and utilizing the CMS Tier-1 computing centres. We will summarize the facility challenges at the Tier-1s including the stable operations of CMS services, the ability to scale to large numbers of processing requests and large volumes of data, and the ability to provide custodial storage and high performance data serving. We will also present the operations experience utilizing the distributed Tier-1 centres from a distance: transferring data, submitting data serving requests, and submitting batch processing requests.

Experience building and operating the CMS Tier-1 computing centres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albert, M; Bakken, J; Huang, Chih-Hao; Dumitrescu, C; Fagan, D; Fisk, I; Giacchetti, L; Gutsche, O; Holzman, B; Bonacorsi, D; Grandi, C; Brew, C; Jackson, J; Charlot, C; Colling, D; Fassi, F; Flix, J; Gomez-Ceballos, G; Hahn, K; Gowdy, S

2010-01-01

The CMS Collaboration relies on 7 globally distributed Tier-1 computing centres located at large universities and national laboratories for a second custodial copy of the CMS RAW data and primary copy of the simulated data, data serving capacity to Tier-2 centres for analysis, and the bulk of the reprocessing and event selection capacity in the experiment. The Tier-1 sites have a challenging role in CMS because they are expected to ingest and archive data from both CERN and regional Tier-2 centres, while they export data to a global mesh of Tier-2s at rates comparable to the raw export data rate from CERN. The combined capacity of the Tier-1 centres is more than twice the resources located at CERN and efficiently utilizing this large distributed resources represents a challenge. In this article we will discuss the experience building, operating, and utilizing the CMS Tier-1 computing centres. We will summarize the facility challenges at the Tier-1s including the stable operations of CMS services, the ability to scale to large numbers of processing requests and large volumes of data, and the ability to provide custodial storage and high performance data serving. We will also present the operations experience utilizing the distributed Tier-1 centres from a distance: transferring data, submitting data serving requests, and submitting batch processing requests.

Operation experiences with a 30 kV/100 MVA high temperature superconducting cable system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toennesen, Ole; Daeumling, Manfred; Jensen, Kim H; Kvorning, Svend; Olsen, Soeren K; Traeholt, Chresten; Veje, Erling; Willen, Dag; Oestergaard, Jacob

2004-01-01

A superconducting cable based on Bi-2223 tape technology has been developed, installed and operated in the public network of Copenhagen Energy in a two-year period between May 2001 and May 2003. This paper gives a brief overview of the system and analyses some of the operation experiences. The aim of this demonstration project is to gain experience with HTS cables under realistic conditions in a live distribution network. Approximately 50 000 utility customers have their electric power supplied through the HTS cable. The cable system has delivered 226 GW h of energy and reached a maximum operating current of 1157 A. The operation experiences include over-currents of 6 kA due to faults on peripheral lines, commissioning, servicing and failure responses on the cooling system, continuous 24 h, 7 day per week monitoring and performance of the alarm system. The implications of these experiences for the future applications of HTS cable systems are analysed

The LHC test string first operational experience

CERN Document Server

Bézaguet, Alain-Arthur; Casas-Cubillos, J; Coull, L; Cruikshank, P; Dahlerup-Petersen, K; Faugeras, Paul E; Flemsæter, B; Guinaudeau, H; Hagedorn, Dietrich; Hilbert, B; Krainz, G; Kos, N; Lavielle, D; Lebrun, P; Leo, G; Mathewson, A G; Missiaen, D; Momal, F; Parma, Vittorio; Quesnel, Jean Pierre; Richter, D; Riddone, G; Rijllart, A; Rodríguez-Mateos, F; Rohmig, P; Saban, R I; Schmidt, R; Serio, L; Skiadelli, M; Suraci, A; Tavian, L; Walckiers, L; Wallén, E; Van Weelderen, R; Williams, L; McInturff, A

1996-01-01

CERN operates the first version of the LHC Test String which consists of one quadrupole and three 10-m twin aperture dipole magnets. An experimental programme aiming at the validation of the LHC systems started in February 1995. During this programme the string has been powered 100 times 35 of which at 12.4 kA or above. The experiments have yielded a number of results some of which, like quench recovery for cryogenics, have modified the design of subsystems of LHC. Others, like controlled helium leaks in the cold bore and quench propagation bewteen magnets, have given a better understanding on the evolution of the phenomena inside a string of superconducting magnets cooled at superfluid helium temperatures. Following the experimental programme, the string will be powered up and powered down in one hour cycles as a fatigue test of the structure thus simulating 20 years of operation of LHC.

submitter Unexpectedly acidic nanoparticles formed in dimethylamine–ammonia–sulfuric-acid nucleation experiments at CLOUD

CERN Document Server

Lawler, Michael J; Kim, Jaeseok; Ahlm, Lars; Tröstl, Jasmin; Praplan, Arnaud P; Schobesberger, Siegfried; Kürten, Andreas; Kirkby, Jasper; Bianchi, Federico; Duplissy, Jonathan; Hansel, Armin; Jokinen, Tuija; Keskinen, Helmi; Lehtipalo, Katrianne; Leiminger, Markus; Petäjä, Tuukka; Rissanen, Matti; Rondo, Linda; Simon, Mario; Sipilä, Mikko; Williamson, Christina; Wimmer, Daniela; Riipinen, Ilona; Virtanen, Annele; Smith, James N

2016-01-01

New particle formation driven by acid–base chemistry was initiated in the CLOUD chamber at CERN by introducing atmospherically relevant levels of gas-phase sulfuric acid and dimethylamine (DMA). Ammonia was also present in the chamber as a gas-phase contaminant from earlier experiments. The composition of particles with volume median diameters (VMDs) as small as 10 nm was measured by the Thermal Desorption Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer (TDCIMS). Particulate ammonium-to-dimethylaminium ratios were higher than the gas-phase ammonia-to-DMA ratios, suggesting preferential uptake of ammonia over DMA for the collected 10–30 nm VMD particles. This behavior is not consistent with present nanoparticle physicochemical models, which predict a higher dimethylaminium fraction when NH3 and DMA are present at similar gas-phase concentrations. Despite the presence in the gas phase of at least 100 times higher base concentrations than sulfuric acid, the recently formed particles always had measured base : ...

Using Conductivity Measurements to Determine the Identities and Concentrations of Unknown Acids: An Inquiry Laboratory Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, K. Christopher; Garza, Ariana

2015-01-01

This paper describes a student designed experiment using titrations involving conductivity measurements to identify unknown acids as being either HCl or H[subscript 2]SO[subscript 4], and to determine the concentrations of the acids, thereby improving the utility of standard acid-base titrations. Using an inquiry context, students gain experience…

Magnesio-thermic reduction of UF4 to uranium metal : plant operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayekar, S.V.; Singh, H.; Meghal, A.M.; Koppiker, K.S.

1991-01-01

Uranium Metal Plant has switched over from calcio-thermy to magnesio-thermy for production of uranium ingots. In this paper, the plant operating experience for magnesio-thermic reduction is described. Based on trials, the production has been stepped up from 40 kg ingots to 200 kg ingots. The operating parameters optimised include : heating schedule, UF 4 quality, magnesium quantity and quality, and particle size. The effect of quality of refractory lining has been discussed. Conditions for lining are optimised with regard to type of material used and size. Developmental work has also been carried out on use of pelletised charge and on use of graphite sleeves. Some experience in the machining of ingots for removal of surface slag is also discussed. Impurity problems, occasionally encountered, have been investigated and results are discussed. Based on the experience gained, specifications for operation have been laid down, and areas for further improvement are identified. (author). 5 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab

Operating experience with aluminum bearings at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langebrake, C.O.

1975-01-01

Considerable operating experience has been gained at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant over the last 15 years in the use of aluminum bearings in process related and auxiliary equipment. All of this experience has been excellent and, in several cases, the use of this type of bearing material has solved significant operating problems. Aluminum 850-T101 alloy was first used as a bearing material in purge cascade (PC-9) centrifugal compressors where a fatigue problem was being experienced with babbitt-type bearings. Good experience in this application led to the extended use of this bearing material in other equipment including process related as well as auxiliary equipment. Since 1961 aluminum bearings have been installed in approximately 21 Type PC-9 (centrifugal), 97 Type 9 (centrifugal), 262 Type X-29 (axial), and 101 Type 31 (axial) compressors, and 3 speed increasers in the X-330 Evacuation Booster Station. Based on successful operation of these bearings, continued and expanded use of aluminum bearings is recommended as a means of obtaining a high fatigue resistant bearing at a cost lower than that for babbitt-type bearings. (U.S.)

Programmable DSP-based multi-bunch feedback--operational experience from six installations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fox, J.; Prabhakar, S.; Teytelman, D.; Young, A.; Stover, G.; Drago, A.; Serio, M.; Khan, S.; Knuth, T.; Kim, Y.; Park, M.

2000-01-01

A longitudinal instability control system, originally developed for the PEP-II, DAΦNE and ALS machines has in the last two years been commissioned for use at the PLS and BESSY-II light sources. All of the installations are running identical hardware and use a common software distribution package. This common structure is beneficial in sharing expertise among the labs, and allows rapid commissioning of each new installation based on well-understood diagnostic and operational techniques. While the installations share the common instability control system, there are significant differences in machine dynamics between the various colliders and light sources. These differences require careful specification of the feedback algorithm and system configuration at each installation to achieve good instability control and useful operational margins. This paper highlights some of the operational experience at each installation, using measurements from each facility to illustrate the challenges unique to each machine. Our experience on the opportunities and headaches of sharing development and operational expertise among labs on three continents is also offered

Safety aspects and operating experience of LWR plants in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoki, S.; Yoshioka, T.; Toyota, M.; Hinoki, M.

1977-01-01

To develop nuclear power generation for the future, it is necessary to put further emphasis on safety assurance and to endeavour to devise measures to improve plant availability, based on the careful analysis of causes that reduce plant availability. The paper discusses the results of studies on the following items from such viewpoints: (1) Safety and operating experience of LWR nuclear power plants in Japan: operating experience with LWRs; improvements in LWR design during the past ten years; analysis of the factors affecting plant availability; (2) Assurance of safety and measures to increase availability: measures for safety and environmental protection; measures to reduce radiation exposure of employees; appropriateness of maintenance and inspection work; measures to increase plant availability; measures to improve reliability of equipment and components; (3) Future technical problems. (author)

CMS distributed analysis infrastructure and operations: experience with the first LHC data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaandering, E W

2011-01-01

The CMS distributed analysis infrastructure represents a heterogeneous pool of resources distributed across several continents. The resources are harnessed using glite and glidein-based work load management systems (WMS). We provide the operational experience of the analysis workflows using CRAB-based servers interfaced with the underlying WMS. The automatized interaction of the server with the WMS provides a successful analysis workflow. We present the operational experience as well as methods used in CMS to analyze the LHC data. The interaction with CMS Run-registry for Run and luminosity block selections via CRAB is discussed. The variations of different workflows during the LHC data-taking period and the lessons drawn from this experience are also outlined.

US experience with acid digestion of combustible transuranic wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, C.R.; Lerch, R.E.

1982-09-01

Contaminated transuranic waste from a plutonium finishing plant has been processed in a waste treatment demonstration plant, the Radioactive Acid Digestion Test Unit (RADTU) located at Hanford, Washington, USA. Waste treatment experience, including process and equipment performance, the behavior of plutonium in the system, and chemical and nuclear safety are all discussed. The complementary relationship of this research and development to that at the ALONA pilot plant in Mol, Belgium is noted. 7 figures, 4 tables

Plant operator performance evaluation based on cognitive process analysis experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ujita, H.; Fukuda, M.

1990-01-01

This paper reports on an experiment to clarify plant operators' cognitive processes that has been performed, to improve the man-machine interface which supports their diagnoses and decisions. The cognitive processes under abnormal conditions were evaluated by protocol analyses interviews, etc. in the experiment using a plant training simulator. A cognitive process model is represented by a stochastic network, based on Rasmussen's decision making model. Each node of the network corresponds to an element of the cognitive process, such as observation, interpretation, execution, etc. Some observations were obtained as follows, by comparison of Monte Carlo simulation results with the experiment results: A process to reconfirm the plant parameters after execution of a task and feedback paths from this process to the observation and the task definition of next task were observed. The feedback probability average and standard deviation should be determined for each incident type to explain correctly the individual differences in the cognitive processes. The tendency for the operator's cognitive level to change from skill-based to knowledge-based via rule-based behavior was observed during the feedback process

Clinical Education Environment Experiences of Operating Room Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tahereh khazaei

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background and purpose: The objective of medical education is to train competent and qualified workforce in order to provide services in various health environments. One of the important objectives of Operating Room students is to train workforce who can involve in patient’s health and recovery. Training these students should cause clinical ability and independent decision making during surgery. Since students during internship face with many problems, this study has been conducted to explore and describe the challenges and experiences.Methods: This qualitative study is a phenomenology that was conducted based on 20 students in the last semester of Operating Room associate’s degree with purposive sampling. Deep and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data and data were analyzed by content analysis method.Results: The findings in 5 main themes: (1 Physical space and equipment in the operating room, (2 The student’s position in operating room, (3 Integrating knowledge and action, (4 Managing education environment and 5- Student’s viewpoint about operating room and working in it.Conclusions: Interviews with students revealed the educational environment challenges with which they are faced during their study. Teachers can provide solutions to overcome the challenges and create a positive atmosphere for students' learning using results of this study and students may continue their interest in education and improve the quality of their education.Keywords: CLINICAL EDUCATION, OPERATING ROOM STUDENTS, CHALLENGE

PROSPER guidelines: Guidelines for peer review and for plant self-assessment of operational experience feedback process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

Effective use of operational performance information is an important element in any plant operator's arrangements for enhancing the operational safety of a nuclear power plant (NPP). This has been recognized in the IAEA Safety Fundamental, The Safety of Nuclear Installations (Safety Series No. 110). Under the technical aspects of safety, one of the principles of operation and maintenance is that the operating organization and the regulatory body shall establish complementary programmes to analyse operating experience to ensure that lessons are learned and acted upon. Such experience shall be shared with relevant national and international bodies. The Convention on Nuclear Safety, which entered into force in July 1996, also recognized the importance of operational experience feedback as a tool of high importance for the safety of nuclear plant operation and its further enhancement. It follows that the arrangements and results achieved under the operation experience feedback process in Member States will be covered by the national report under the Convention and will be subject to periodical review. These principles are further expanded in the IAEA Safety Standards Safety of Nuclear Power Plants: Operation (Safety Standard Series No. NS-R-2, year 2000) under the Feedback of The IAEA-led Peer Review of the effectiveness of the Operational Safety Performance Experience Review process (PROSPER) and associated guidelines have been developed to provide advice and assistance to utilities or individual power plants to strengthen and enhance the effectiveness of operational experience programmes in achieving these fundamental objectives. The objectives of the former IAEA Assessment of Significant Safety Events Team (ASSET) service have been expanded to include an evaluation of the effective use of all operating performance information available to the plant (e.g. external operating experience, internal low-level and near miss event reports and other relevant operating

EBO feed water distribution system, experience gained from operation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matal, O. [Energovyzkum, Brno (Switzerland); Schmidt, S.; Mihalik, M. [Atomove Elektrarne Bohunice, Jaslovske Bohunice (Switzerland)

1997-12-31

Advanced feed water distribution systems of the EBO design have been installed into steam generators at Units 3 and 4 of the NPP Jaslovske Bohunice (VVER 440). Experiences gained from the operation of steam generators with the advanced feed water distribution systems are discussed in the paper. (orig.). 4 refs.

EBO feed water distribution system, experience gained from operation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matal, O [Energovyzkum, Brno (Switzerland); Schmidt, S; Mihalik, M [Atomove Elektrarne Bohunice, Jaslovske Bohunice (Switzerland)

1998-12-31

Advanced feed water distribution systems of the EBO design have been installed into steam generators at Units 3 and 4 of the NPP Jaslovske Bohunice (VVER 440). Experiences gained from the operation of steam generators with the advanced feed water distribution systems are discussed in the paper. (orig.). 4 refs.

Operational Experience with a Cryogenic Axial-Centrifugal Compressor

CERN Document Server

Decker, L; Löhlein, K; Purtschert, W; Ziegler, B L; Lebrun, P; Tavian, L; Brunovsky, I; Tucek, L

1998-01-01

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), presently under construction at CERN, requires large refrigeration capacity at 1.8 K. Compression of gaseous helium at cryogenic temperatures is therefore inevitable. Together with subcontractors, Linde Kryotechnik has developed a prototype machine. This unit is based on a cryogenic axial-centrifugal compressor, running on ceramic ball bearings and driven by a variable-frequency electrical motor operating at ambient temperature. Integrated in a test facility for superconducting magnets the machine has been commissioned without major problems and successfully gone through the acceptance test in autumn 1995. Subsequent steps were initiated to improve efficiency of this prototype. This paper describes operating experience gained so far and reports on measured performance prior to and after constructional modifications.

Operational Experience with the ATLAS Pixel Detector

CERN Document Server

Djama, Fares; The ATLAS collaboration

2017-01-01

Run-2 of the LHC is providing new challenges to track and vertex reconstruction imposed by the higher collision energy, pileup and luminosity that are being delivered. The ATLAS tracking performance relies critically on the Pixel Detector, therefore, in view of Run-2 of LHC, the ATLAS experiment has constructed the first 4-layer Pixel detector in HEP, installing a new Pixel layer, also called Insertable B-Layer (IBL). Pixel detector was refurbished with a new service quarter panel to recover about 3% of defective modules lost during run-1 and an additional optical link per module was added to overcome in some layers the readout bandwidth limitation when LHC will exceed the nominal peak luminosity by almost a factor of 3. The key features and challenges met during the IBL project will be presented, as well as its operational experience and Pixel Detector performance in LHC.

Computational Modeling of the Optical Rotation of Amino Acids: An "in Silico" Experiment for Physical Chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, Scott; Autschbach, Jochen; Zurek, Eva

2013-01-01

A computational experiment that investigates the optical activity of the amino acid valine has been developed for an upper-level undergraduate physical chemistry laboratory course. Hybrid density functional theory calculations were carried out for valine to confirm the rule that adding a strong acid to a solution of an amino acid in the l…

First experience in operating the population of the condition databases for the CMS experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Gruttola, Michele; Paolucci, Pierluigi; Di Guida, Salvatore; Glege, Frank; Innocente, Vincenzo; Schlatter, Dieter; Futyan, David; Govi, Giacomo; Pierro, Antonio

2010-01-01

Reliable population of the condition databases is critical for the correct operation of the online selection as well as of the offline reconstruction and analysis of data. We will describe here the system put in place in the CMS experiment to populate the database and make condition data promptly available both online for the high-level trigger and offline for reconstruction. The system, designed for high flexibility to cope with very different data sources, uses POOL-ORA technology in order to store data in an object format that best matches the object oriented paradigm for C++ programming language used in the CMS offline software. In order to ensure consistency among the various subdetectors, a dedicated package, PopCon (Populator of Condition Objects), is used to store data online. The data are then automatically streamed to the offline database hence immediately accessible offline worldwide. This mechanism was intensively used during 2008 in the test-runs with cosmic rays. The experience of this first months of operation will be discussed in detail.

First operational experience with the LHC machine protection system when operating with beam energies beyond the 100MJ range

CERN Document Server

Assmann, R; Ferro-Luzzi, M; Goddard, B; Lamont, M; Schmidt, R; Siemko, A; Uythoven, J; Wenninger, J; Zerlauth, M

2012-01-01

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN has made remarkable progress during 2011, surpassing its ambitious goal for the year in terms of luminosity delivered to the LHC experiments. This achievement was made possible by a progressive increase of beam intensities by more than 5 orders of magnitude during the first months of operation, reaching stored beam energies beyond the 100MJ range at the end of the year, less than a factor of 4 from the nominal design value. The correct functioning of the machine protection systems is vital during the different operational phases, for initial operation and even more when approaching nominal beam parameters where already a small fraction of the stored energy is sufficient to damage accelerator equipment or experiments in case of uncontrolled beam loss. Safe operation of the machine in presence of such high intensity proton beams is guaranteed by the interplay of many different systems: beam dumping system, beam interlocks, beam instrumentation, equipment monitoring, colli...

Current operations and experiments at the Tritium Systems Test Assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartlit, J.R.; Anderson, J.L.

1985-01-01

The Tritium Systems Test Assembly (TSTA) has continued to move toward operation of a fully-integrated, full-sized, computer-controlled fusion fuel processing loop. Concurrent, nonloop experiments have answered important questions on new components and issues such as palladium diffusion membranes, ceramic electrolysis cells, regenerable tritium getters, laser Raman spectroscopy, unregenerable tritium inventory on molecular sieves, tritium contamination problems and decontamination methods, and operating data on reliability, emissions, doses, and wastes generated. 4 refs., 2 figs

Best practices in identifying, reporting and screening operating experience at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-03-01

IAEA Safety Standards Series No. SF-1 entitled Fundamental Safety Principles: Safety Fundamentals states the need for operating organizations to establish a programme for the collection and analysis of operating experience in nuclear power plants. Such a programme ensures that operating experience is analysed, events important to safety are reviewed in depth, lessons learned are disseminated to the staff of the organization and to relevant national and international organizations, and corrective actions are effectively implemented. This publication has been developed to provide advice and assistance to nuclear installations, and related institutions including contractors and support organizations to strengthen and enhance their own feedback process through the implementation of best practices in identifying, reporting and screening processes and to assess the effectiveness of the above areas. To support a proactive safety management approach the nuclear installations are enhancing the operating experience feedback (OEF) processes. For this purpose, the nuclear industry is striving to collect more information on occurrences that are useful to address the early signs of declining performance and improve operational safety performance. In this environment a strong reporting culture that motivates people to identify and report issues is an important attribute. As a consequence, the number and diversity of issues identified increases, and there is a need to set thresholds of screening for further treatment. Thus, the establishment of an effective identification, reporting and screening process is very beneficial to streamline the efforts, and ensure that major incidents and latent weaknesses are being addressed and that operating experience is treated according to its significance. This leads to improved safety and production. This publication was written to complement the publication IAEA Services Series No. 10 - PROSPER Guidelines - Guidelines for Peer Review and for

One-Step Nucleic Acid Amplification in Breast Cancer Sentinel Lymph Node: A Single Institutional Experience and a Short Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Brambilla, Tatiana; Fiamengo, Barbara; Tinterri, Corrado; Testori, Alberto; Grassi, Massimo Maria; Sciarra, Amedeo; Abbate, Tommaso; Gatzemeier, Wolfgang; Roncalli, Massimo; Di Tommaso, Luca

2015-01-01

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) examination is a standard in breast cancer patients, with several methods employed along its 20 years history, the last one represented by one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA). The latter is a intra-operative molecular assay searching for CK19 mRNA as a surrogate of metastatic cells. Our 3 years experience with OSNA (1122 patients) showed results overlapping those recorded in the same institution with a morphological evaluation (930 patients) of SLN. In detail, the data of OSNA were almost identical to those observed with standard post-operative procedure in terms of patients with positive SLN (30%) and micrometastatic/macrometastatic involvement of SLN (respectively, 38-45 and 62-55%). By contrast, when OSNA was compared to the standard intraoperatory procedure, it was superior in terms of accuracy, prompting the use of this molecular assay as a very valid, and reproducible for intra-operative evaluation of SLN. Further possibilities prompting the use of OSNA range from adhesion to quality control programs, saving of medical time, ability to predict, during surgery, additional nodal metastasis, and molecular bio-banking.

Operating experiences with 1 MW steam generator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sano, A; Kanamori, A; Tsuchiya, T

1975-07-01

1 MW steam generator, which was planned as the first stage of steam generator development in Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Corp. (PNC) in Japan, is a single-unit, once-through, integrated shell and tube type with multi-helical coil tubes. It was completed in Oarai Engineering Center of PNC in March of 1971, and the various performance tests were carried out up to April, 1972. After the dismantle of the steam generator for structural inspection and material test, it was restored with some improvements. In this second 1 MW steam generator, small leak occurred twice during normal operation. After repairing the failure, the same kind of performance tests as the first steam generator were conducted in order to verify the thermal insulation effect of argon gas in downcomer zone from March to June, 1974. In this paper the above operating experiences were presented including the outline of some performance test results. (author)

Operational experience with the ATLAS Pixel Detector

CERN Document Server

Ince, T; The ATLAS collaboration

2012-01-01

The ATLAS Pixel Detector is the innermost element of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, providing high-resolution measurements of charged particle tracks in the high radiation environment close to the collision region. This capability is vital for the identification and measurement of proper decay times of long-lived particles such as b-hadrons, and thus vital for the ATLAS physics program. The detector provides hermetic coverage with three cylindrical layers and three layers of forward and backward pixel detectors. It consists of approximately 80 million pixels that are individually read out via chips bump-bonded to 1744 n-in-n silicon substrates. In this paper, results from the successful operation of the Pixel Detector at the LHC will be presented, including monitoring, calibration procedures, timing optimization and detector performance. The detector performance is excellent: 96.2% of the pixels are operational, noise occupancy and hit efficiency exceed the design specification, an...

Operational experience of the ATLAS Pixel detector

CERN Document Server

Hirschbuehl, D; The ATLAS collaboration

2011-01-01

The ATLAS Pixel Detector is the innermost detector of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, providing high-resolution measurements of charged particle tracks in the high radiation environment close to the collision region. This capability is vital for the identification and measurement of proper decay times of long-lived particles such as b-hadrons, and thus vital for the ATLAS physics program. The detector provides hermetic coverage with three cylindrical layers and three layers of forward and backward pixel detectors. It consists of approximately 80 million pixels that are individually read out via chips bump-bonded to 1744 n-in-n silicon substrates. In this talk, results from the successful operation of the Pixel Detector at the LHC will be presented, including monitoring, calibration procedures, timing optimization and detector performance. The detector performance is excellent: 97,5% of the pixels are operational, noise occupancy and hit efficiency exceed the design specification, an...

Operational experience of the ATLAS Pixel Detector

CERN Document Server

Marcisovsky, M; The ATLAS collaboration

2011-01-01

The ATLAS Pixel Detector is the innermost detector of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, providing high-resolution measurements of charged particle tracks in the high radiation environment close to the collision region. This capability is vital for the identification and measurement of proper decay times of long-lived particles such as b-hadrons, and thus vital for the ATLAS physics program. The detector provides hermetic coverage with three cylindrical layers and three layers of forward and backward pixel detectors. It consists of approximately 80 million pixels that are individually read out via chips bump-bonded to 1744 n-in-n silicon substrates. In this talk, results from the successful operation of the Pixel Detector at the LHC will be presented, including monitoring, calibration procedures, timing optimization and detector performance. The detector performance is excellent: 97,5% of the pixels are operational, noise occupancy and hit efficiency exceed the design specification, an...

Flight Technical Error Analysis of the SATS Higher Volume Operations Simulation and Flight Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Daniel M.; Consiglio, Maria C.; Murdoch, Jennifer L.; Adams, Catherine H.

2005-01-01

This paper provides an analysis of Flight Technical Error (FTE) from recent SATS experiments, called the Higher Volume Operations (HVO) Simulation and Flight experiments, which NASA conducted to determine pilot acceptability of the HVO concept for normal operating conditions. Reported are FTE results from simulation and flight experiment data indicating the SATS HVO concept is viable and acceptable to low-time instrument rated pilots when compared with today s system (baseline). Described is the comparative FTE analysis of lateral, vertical, and airspeed deviations from the baseline and SATS HVO experimental flight procedures. Based on FTE analysis, all evaluation subjects, low-time instrument-rated pilots, flew the HVO procedures safely and proficiently in comparison to today s system. In all cases, the results of the flight experiment validated the results of the simulation experiment and confirm the utility of the simulation platform for comparative Human in the Loop (HITL) studies of SATS HVO and Baseline operations.

EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute) operator reliability experiments program - Training implications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joksimovich, V.; Spurgin, A.J.; Orvis, D.D.; Moieni, P.; Worledge, D.H.

1990-01-01

The primary purpose of the EPRI Operator Reliability Experiments (ORE) Program is to collect data for use in reliability and safety studies of nuclear power plant operation to more realistically take credit for operator performance in preventing core damage. The two objectives for fulfilling this purpose are: (1) to obtain quantitative/qualitative performance data on operating crew responses in the control room for potential accident sequences by using plant simulators, and (2) to test the Human Cognitive Reliability (HCR) correlation. This paper briefly discusses the background to this program, data collection and analysis, the results and quantitative/qualitative insights stemming from phase one which might be of interest to simulator operators and trainers

Proboscis conditioning experiments with honeybees, Apis mellifera caucasica, with butyric acid and DEET mixture as conditioned and unconditioned stimuli.

Science.gov (United States)

Abramson, Charles I; Giray, Tugrul; Mixson, T Andrew; Nolf, Sondra L; Wells, Harrington; Kence, Aykut; Kence, Meral

2010-01-01

Three experiments are described investigating whether olfactory repellents DEET and butyric acid can support the classical conditioning of proboscis extension in the honeybee, Apis mellifera caucasica (Hymenoptera: Apidae). In the first experiment DEET and butyric acid readily led to standard acquisition and extinction effects, which are comparable to the use of cinnamon as a conditioned stimulus. These results demonstrate that the odor of DEET or butyric acid is not intrinsically repellent to honey bees. In a second experiment, with DEET and butyric acid mixed with sucrose as an unconditioned stimulus, proboscis conditioning was not established. After several trials, few animals responded to the unconditioned stimulus. These results demonstrate that these chemicals are gustatory repellents when in direct contact. In the last experiment a conditioned suppression paradigm was used. Exposing animals to butyric acid or DEET when the proboscis was extended by direct sucrose stimulation or by learning revealed that retraction of the proboscis was similar to another novel odor, lavender, and in all cases greatest when the animal was not permitted to feed. These results again demonstrate that DEET or butyric acid are not olfactory repellents, and in addition, conditioned suppression is influenced by feeding state of the bee.

The operating experience and incident analysis for High Flux Engineering Test Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Guang

1999-01-01

The paper describes the incidents analysis for High Flux Engineering test reactor (HFETR) and introduces operating experience. Some suggestion have been made to reduce the incidents of HFETR. It is necessary to adopt new improvements which enhance the safety and reliability of operation. (author)

Self-assessment on nuclear power plants operational experience feedback process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Hongtao; Ding Ying

2005-01-01

This paper introduces the purpose and function of self-assessment conducted by the responsible organizations of nuclear power plants, and describes the methods and requirements of self-assessment on operational experience feedback process to give a example. (authors)

ATLAS Operations: Experience and Evolution in the Data Taking Era

CERN Document Server

Ueda, I; The ATLAS collaboration; Goossens, L; Stewart, G; Jezequel, S; Nairz, A; Negri, G; Campana, S; Di Girolamo, A

2011-01-01

This paper summarises the operational experience and improvements of the ATLAS hierarchical multi-tier computing infrastructure in the past year leading to taking and processing of the first collisions in 2009 and 2010. Special focus will be given to Tier-0 which is responsible, among other things, for a prompt processing of the raw data coming from the online DAQ system and is thus critical part of the chain. We will give an overview of the Tier-0 architecture, and improvements based on the operational experience. Emphasis will be put on the new developments, namely the Task Management System opening Tier-0 to expert users and Web 2.0 monitoring and management suite. We then overview the achieved performances with the distributed computing system, discuss observed data access patterns over the grid and describe how we used this information to improve analysis rates.

Evolution of PHWR fuel transfer system based on operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parvatikar, R.S.; Singh, Jaipal; Chaturvedi, P.C.; Bhambra, H.S.

2006-01-01

Fuel Transfer System facilitates loading of new fuel into Fuelling Machine, receipt of spent fuel from Fuelling Machine and its further transportation to Storage Bay. To overcome the limitations of transferring a pair of bundles in the single tube Airlock and Transfer Arm in RAPS-1 and 2/MAPS, a new concept of six tube Transfer Magazine was introduced in NAPS. This resulted in simultaneous loading of new fuel from Transfer Magazine into the Fuelling Machine and unloading of spent fuel from the Fuelling Machine through the exchange mode. It further facilitated the parallel/simultaneous operation of refuelling by Fuelling Machines on the reactor and transferring of spent fuel bundles from the Transfer Magazine to the bay. This new design of Fuel Transfer System was adopted for all standardised 220 MWe PHWRs. Based on the experience gained in 220 MWe PHWRs in the area of operation and maintenance, a number of improvements have been carried out over the years. These aspects have been further strengthened and refined in the Fuel Transfer System of 540 MWe units. The operating experience of the system indicates that the presence of heavy water in the Transfer Magazine poses limitations in its maintenance in the Fuel Transfer room. Further, Surveillance and maintenance of large number of under water equipment and associated valves, rams and underwater sensors is putting extra burden on the O and M efforts. A new concept of mobile light water filled Transfer Machine has been evolved for proposed 700 MWe PHWR units to simplify Fuel Transfer System. This has been made possible by adopting snout level control in the Fuelling Machine, elimination of Shuttle Transport System and locating the Storage Bay adjacent to the Reactor Building. This paper describes the evolution of Fuel Transfer System concepts and various improvements based on the experience gained in the operation and maintenance of the system. (author)

Operation experiences of biofuel dryers; Drifterfarenheter fraan aangtorkar och direkta roekgastorkar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berge, Christian; Dejfors, Charlotte [AaF Energikonsult Stockholm AB (Sweden)

2000-01-01

A study regarding operation experiences of indirect steam dryers and direct flue gas dryers of biofuels has been conducted. In the study, plants with the two types of dryers have been visited and operational experiences have been gathered and analysed. Results show that the well proven technique with flue gas dryers has a higher availability than the steam dryers. Several plants have problem with the feeding and discharge systems. Material selection is very important to prevent corrosion. Indirect steam dryers have more environmental regulations than flue gas dryers because of the generated condensate from the fuel drying process. Future work should concentrate on material selections, refining the feeding and discharge systems and control system.

The reliability of structural systems operating at high temperature: Replacing engineering judgement with operational experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chevalier, M.J.; Smith, D.J.; Dean, D.W.

2012-01-01

Deterministic assessments are used to assess the integrity of structural systems operating at high temperature by providing a lower bound lifetime prediction, requiring considerable engineering judgement. However such a result may not satisfy the structural integrity assessment purpose if the results are overly conservative or conversely plant observations (such as failures) could undermine the assessment result if observed before the lower bound lifetime. This paper develops a reliability methodology for high temperature assessments and illustrates the impact and importance of managing the uncertainties within such an analysis. This is done by separating uncertainties into three classifications; aleatory uncertainty, quantifiable epistemic uncertainty and unquantifiable epistemic uncertainty. The result is a reliability model that can predict the behaviour of a structural system based upon plant observations, including failure and survival data. This can be used to reduce the over reliance upon engineering judgement which is prevalent in deterministic assessments. Highlights: ► Deterministic assessments are shown to be heavily reliant upon engineering judgment. ► Based upon the R5 procedure, a reliability model for a structural system is developed. ► Variables must be classified as either aleatory or epistemic to model their impact on reliability. ► Operation experience is then used to reduce reliance upon engineering judgment. ► This results in a model which can predict system behaviour and learn from operational experience.

Experience gained from the operation of two α-monitors in ''PUTE''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groll, P.; Persohn, M.; Roeder, L.; Roemer, J.; Schuler, B.

1983-04-01

The operation of two α-monitors of the ''drum-cell''-type in the plutonium facility ''PUTE'' is described. The instruments were installed in the AW- and the BW-stream. After a short description of the monitor, the different operating modes and of installation details, the experience gained from two weeks of continuous operation is described. The advantages of the use of in-line-instruments compared with laboratory analyses of samples are discussed. The instruments were available for 97 or 94% of the time. (orig.) [de

Short-radius horizontal well re-entry learning curve: prize, cost and operational experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boote, K. [Ocelot Energy Inc., Calgary, AB (Canada); MacDonald, R. [Lauron Engineering Ltd, Calgary, AB (Canada)

1997-12-01

Six mature vertical wells in Alberta belonging to Ocelot Energy Inc., were reentered and drilled horizontally. Experiences gained, the modifications made to the drilling program and the rewards in the form of incremental oil, were discussed. Details of pre- and post-performance, operational experiences with exiting the casing, building the curve, overbalance versus underbalanced drilling, motors, directional equipment, setting liners, remedial workovers and the cost of the operation were part of the discussion.

Operational Experience and Performance with the ATLAS Pixel detector

CERN Document Server

Martin, Christopher Blake; The ATLAS collaboration

2018-01-01

The tracking performance of the ATLAS detector relies critically on its 4-layer Pixel Detector, that has undergone significant hardware and software upgrades to meet the challenges imposed by the higher collision energy, pileup and luminosity that are being delivered by the Large Hadron Collider, with record breaking instantaneous luminosities of $1.3\\times10^{34}\\text{cm}^{{-2}}\\text{s}^{{-1}}$ recently surpassed. The key status and performance metrics of the ATLAS Pixel Detector are summarized, and the operational experience and requirements to ensure optimum data quality and data taking efficiency are described, with special emphasis to radiation damage experience.

Operational Experience and Performance with the ATLAS Pixel detector

CERN Document Server

Martin, Christopher Blake; The ATLAS collaboration

2018-01-01

The tracking performance of the ATLAS detector relies critically on its 4-layer Pixel Detector, that has undergone significant hardware and software upgrades to meet the challenges imposed by the higher collision energy, pileup and luminosity that are being delivered by the Large Hadron Collider, with record breaking instantaneous luminosities of 1.3 x 10^34 cm-2 s-1 recently surpassed. The key status and performance metrics of the ATLAS Pixel Detector are summarised, and the operational experience and requirements to ensure optimum data quality and data taking efficiency are described, with special emphasis to radiation damage experience.

The Gerbil Jar: A Basic Home Experience in Operant Conditioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Plant, L.

1980-01-01

Explains how a teaching method such as allowing students to raise gerbils at home can encourage students to gain experience with the fundamental techniques of operant conditioning which are otherwise generally unavailable to students in large introductory psychology courses. (DB)

Student agreement regarding adequacy of didactic content and practical experiences of vaccination clinic business operations.

Science.gov (United States)

George, David L; Johnson, Eric J; O'Neal, Katherine S; Smith, Michael J

2018-04-01

To report student perceived adequacy regarding didactic content and practical experiences of vaccination clinic business operations. Didactic content, a case study, and practical experiences regarding vaccination clinic business operations were implemented in related lectures of a Pharmacy Business and Entrepreneurship (PBE) elective and the college of pharmacy sponsored vaccination clinics. An online survey was used to evaluate student perceived adequacy of didactic content and practical experiences of vaccination clinic business operations. Mean scaled agreement was compared between students in the PBE elective versus those not in the elective. Student confidence in performing business operations was also assessed. Students in the PBE had higher mean confidence than non-elective students regarding staff management (3.23 vs. 2.73, p = 0.04). Success of the interventions may be attributed to students in the PBE elective that reported a higher mean perceived adequacy of content and practical experiences and confidence in performing nearly all business operations. Still, further evaluation of interventions is being considered to assess effectiveness of learning. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Evaluation of operating experience for service life of components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulz, H.; Sunder, R.

1987-01-01

The evaluation of the operating experience of German light-water reactor components based on licensee event reports indicates that a large part of the defects and failures are caused by fatigue and/or corrosion type mechanisms. Actions have been taken to eliminate the causes by redesigning systems, replacement of components and change of operating procedures. The interaction of fatigue and corrosion mechanisms are not understood in all details today, further research is still necessary. To establish a more realistic data base of the local loading and water chemistry condition for all loading conditions the application of advanced monitoring systems is proposed. The benefits of these systems are that the operating procedures can be further optimized, the actual used life time fraction can be calculated regularly and the data base can be used for life time extension. (orig.) [de

Operating experience with PWR in the FRG (Federal Republic of Germany)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cramer, H.

1980-01-01

Operating experiences with PWR's in the Federal Republic of Germany has been exclusively with KWU turnkey power plants with U tube steam generators. Such experience started with the 345 MW Obrigheim plant in 1968 and includes the 670 MW Stade plant, the 1200/1300 MW Biblis plants, The 900 MW Neckarwestheim and the 1300 MW Unterweser plants. (E.G.) [pt

Operating experience and maintenance at the TRIGA Mark II LENA reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cingoli, F.; Meloni, S.; Alloni, L.

1986-01-01

A summary of reactor operation and maintenance in the time period 1982-1986 is presented and discussed. Some problems occurred from instrumentated aluminum cladded elements. Both of them presented damage in the cable tubes and one element showed a protuberance in the cladding. They were replaced with stainless - steel cladded ones. Both elements were sealed up in stainless - steel tubes and put away in wells, 3 meters deep, in the reactor room floor. Some minor problems, correlated to the quite aid instrumentation of the console, are reported. The reactor activity in the last four years was conditioned by the developing of the n - n-bar oscillation NADIR experiment. The thermal column was dismantled and rebuilt in consideration of the Nadir experiment necessities and this job is described in detail. The building containing, the target and the void pipe, presented in 1982 Conference, are now completely operating and the experiment is running. (author)

Cernavoda NPP Unit 1: Operating experience program and plant specific performance indicators (level 2)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teodor, Vasile; Popa, Viorel

1998-01-01

The basis for the Operating Experience Program was set in place since early stages of the commissioning phase (1993), when a system based on the Canadian approach was implemented for reporting, reviewing, assessing and establishing of the necessary corrective action for unplanned events. This system provided excellent opportunity to train staff in unplanned event assessment methodology, and prepare the station for the formal reporting process following criticality in accordance with the licensing requirements. The formal process, set in place after criticality is described in Station Instruction Procedure SI-01365-P13 'Unplanned Event Report' and was developed under the supervision of Safety and Compliance Department. In parallel, a program for information exchange and trending of performance indicators was developed by Technical Services Department. The WANO recommendations following August 1997 Peer Review provided the opportunity for a better understanding and reconsideration of the Operating Experience Program. As a result, all the activities related to this topic were assigned to a new structure, within Safety and Compliance Department. As such an Operating Experience Group was created and a new program is now being developed in an integrated and centralized manner. The content of the paper is the following: - Overview; - Operating Experience Program; - Event Analysis (Unplanned Events Assessment System - UEIR Process- and Systematic Analysis of Operational Events - ACR Process); - Information Exchange Program; - Monitoring of Operating Experience - Plant Specific Performance Indicators; - Purpose; - Level 2 Performance Indicators. Four appendices are added containing: - A. Station performance indicators/targets (Level 2); - B. SPI (Station Performance Indicators - Level 2) - Graphics; - C. UEIR, LRS (Safety and Licensing Review Sheet), UEFR (Unplanned Event Follow-up Report), ACR and OPEX forms. (authors)

Operating experience review for nuclear power plants in the Systematic Evaluation Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mays, G.T.; Harrington, K.H.

1982-01-01

The Systematic Evaluation Program Branch (SEPB) of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is conducting the Systematic Evaluation Program (SEP) whose purpose is to determine the safety margins of the design and operation of the eleven oldest operating commercial nuclear power plants in the United States. This paper describes the methodology and results of the operational experience review portion of the SEP evaluation. SEPB will combine the results from these operational reviews with other safety topic evaluations to perform an integrated assessment of the SEP plants

Humic Acid Complexation of Th, Hf and Zr in Ligand Competition Experiments: Metal Loading and Ph Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Stern, Jennifer C.; Foustoukos, Dionysis I.; Sonke, Jeroen E.; Salters, Vincent J. M.

2014-01-01

The mobility of metals in soils and subsurface aquifers is strongly affected by sorption and complexation with dissolved organic matter, oxyhydroxides, clay minerals, and inorganic ligands. Humic substances (HS) are organic macromolecules with functional groups that have a strong affinity for binding metals, such as actinides. Thorium, often studied as an analog for tetravalent actinides, has also been shown to strongly associate with dissolved and colloidal HS in natural waters. The effects of HS on the mobilization dynamics of actinides are of particular interest in risk assessment of nuclear waste repositories. Here, we present conditional equilibrium binding constants (Kc, MHA) of thorium, hafnium, and zirconium-humic acid complexes from ligand competition experiments using capillary electrophoresis coupled with ICP-MS (CE- ICP-MS). Equilibrium dialysis ligand exchange (EDLE) experiments using size exclusion via a 1000 Damembrane were also performed to validate the CE-ICP-MS analysis. Experiments were performed at pH 3.5-7 with solutions containing one tetravalent metal (Th, Hf, or Zr), Elliot soil humic acid (EHA) or Pahokee peat humic acid (PHA), and EDTA. CE-ICP-MS and EDLE experiments yielded nearly identical binding constants for the metal- humic acid complexes, indicating that both methods are appropriate for examining metal speciation at conditions lower than neutral pH. We find that tetravalent metals form strong complexes with humic acids, with Kc, MHA several orders of magnitude above REE-humic complexes. Experiments were conducted at a range of dissolved HA concentrations to examine the effect of [HA]/[Th] molar ratio on Kc, MHA. At low metal loading conditions (i.e. elevated [HA]/[Th] ratios) the ThHA binding constant reached values that were not affected by the relative abundance of humic acid and thorium. The importance of [HA]/[Th] molar ratios on constraining the equilibrium of MHA complexation is apparent when our estimated Kc, MHA values

Application of ASSET methodology and operational experience feedback of NPPs in China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lan, Ziyong [The National Nuclear Safety Administration, Beijing (China)

1997-10-01

The introductive presentation of ASSET methodology to China started in March 1992, 3 experts from the IAEA held the ASSET Seminar in Wuhan, China. Three years later, an IAEA seminar on ASSET Method and Operational Experience Feedback proceeded in Beijing on 20-24 March 1995. Another ASSET seminar on Self-Assessment and Operational Experience Feedback was held at Guangdong NPP site on 2-6 December 1996, The NNSA and the GNPP hosted the seminar, 2 IAEA experts, 55 participants from the NPPs, research institutes, the regulatory body (NNSA) and its regional offices attended the seminar. 3 figs, 5 tabs.

Application of ASSET methodology and operational experience feedback of NPPs in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ziyong Lan

1997-01-01

The introductive presentation of ASSET methodology to China started in March 1992, 3 experts from the IAEA held the ASSET Seminar in Wuhan, China. Three years later, an IAEA seminar on ASSET Method and Operational Experience Feedback proceeded in Beijing on 20-24 March 1995. Another ASSET seminar on Self-Assessment and Operational Experience Feedback was held at Guangdong NPP site on 2-6 December 1996, The NNSA and the GNPP hosted the seminar, 2 IAEA experts, 55 participants from the NPPs, research institutes, the regulatory body (NNSA) and its regional offices attended the seminar. 3 figs, 5 tabs

ATLAS Operations: Experience and Evolution in the Data Taking Era

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ueda, I

2011-01-01

This paper summarises the operational experience and improvements of the ATLAS hierarchical multi-tier computing infrastructure in the past year leading to taking and processing of the first collisions in 2009 and 2010. Special focus will be given to the Tier-0 which is responsible, among other things, for a prompt processing of the raw data coming from the online DAQ system and is thus a critical part of the chain. We will give an overview of the Tier-0 architecture, and improvements based on the operational experience. Emphasis will be put on the new developments, namely the Task Management System opening Tier-0 to expert users and Web 2.0 monitoring and management suite. We then overview the achieved performances with the distributed computing system, discuss observed data access patterns over the grid and describe how we used this information to improve analysis rates.

Operating experience with nuclear power stations in Member States in 2005

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-10-01

This report is the thirty-seventh in the Agency's series of annual reports on operating experience with nuclear power stations in Member States. For the first time it is issued purely in an electronic version. The report is a direct output from the Agency's Power Reactor Information System (PRIS), whose databank contains all operating experience data published in the Agency's operating experience annual reports since 1970 and basic information on power reactors, including design data. It presents operating experience data for all worldwide nuclear power plants after starting commercial operation. The PRIS databank is available free of charge to IAEA Member States through its two services: PRIS-PC, and PRIS CD-ROM. The PRIS-PC allows direct access to the database through the Internet. The PRIS-PC on CD-ROM only includes data for reactors in operation, under construction and shutdown. It keeps the same feature as in the current front-end-tool PRIS-PC interface. This front-end-tool interface allows to search and query through pre-designed statistics. The PRIS-PC on CD-ROM contains mapping interface including a view of the world map with zooming features to country, region and site map and links to PRIS database to retrieve related (nuclear power plant) information. PRIS data and related indicators are also available on the PRIS Website: www.iaea.org/programmes/a2. It contains publicly available information about reactor units and nuclear industry results. Load, operation and availability factors are used as the basic performance indicators. Energy unavailability factors, separate for planned and unplanned unavailability, due either to causes under plant management control or external causes out of plant management control, are used as a measure of energy lost through a unit not being available. However, some ambiguity remains in the operators' reports of the unavailability data, resulting in inconsistencies in these factors. It is recognized that there is an inherent

Operating experience with nuclear power stations in Member States in 2006

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-08-01

This report is the thirty-eighth in the Agency's series of annual reports on operating experience with nuclear power stations in Member States. For the second time it is issued purely in an electronic version. The report is a direct output from the Agency's Power Reactor Information System (PRIS), whose databank contains all operating experience data published in the Agency's operating experience annual reports since 1970 and basic information on power reactors, including design data. It presents operating experience data for all worldwide nuclear power plants after starting commercial operation. The PRIS databank is available free of charge to IAEA Member States through its services: web-based PRIS-Statistics (http://prisweb.iaea.org/statistics/), PRIS-PC, PRIS CD-ROM and PRIS Website. The PRIS-Statistics and PRIS-PC allow direct access to the database through the Internet. The PRIS-PC on CD-ROM only includes data for reactors in operation, under construction and shutdown. It keeps the same feature as in the current front-end-tool PRIS-PC interface. This front-endtool interface allows to search and query through pre-designed statistics. PRIS data and related indicators are also available on the PRIS Website: www.iaea.org/programmes/a2. It contains publicly available information about reactor units and nuclear industry results. Load, operation and availability factors are used as the basic performance indicators. Energy unavailability factors, separate for planned and unplanned unavailability, due either to causes under plant management control or external causes out of plant management control, are used as a measure of energy lost through a unit not being available. However, some ambiguity remains in the operators' reports of the unavailability data, resulting in inconsistencies in these factors. It is recognized that there is an inherent difficulty in reporting unavailability in energy due to external causes with relation to energy losses due to load following

Acid digestion studies at AEE Winfrith

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Capp, P.D.; Nichols, A.L.; Snelling, K.W.; Stride, R.

1983-02-01

Acid digestion is a chemical combustion process which could be applied to the treatment of low- and medium-level radioactive waste. The present paper describes experiments on the topic carried out at AEE Winfrith in the period 1979-1982. This work has included laboratory-scale studies of the basic chemistry of the process, the design and operation of a 5:1 scale rig and investigations into methods of residue treatment and acid recovery. A review of acid digestion work carried out at other locations throughout the world and a summary of the results of a design study carried out by external consultants are also presented. (author)

Operating experience with superconducting cavities at the TESLA test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moeller, Wolf-Dietrich

2003-01-01

A description of the TESLA Test Facility, which has been set up at DESY by the TeV Energy Superconducting Accelerator (TESLA) collaboration, will be given as it is now after five years of installation and operation. The experience with the first three modules, each containing 8 superconducting 9-cell cavities, installed and operated in the TTF-linac will be described. The measurements in the vertical and horizontal cryostats as well as in the modules will be compared. Recent results of the operation at the TESLA design current, macropulses of 800 μsec with bunches of 3.2 nC at a rate of 2.25 MHz are given. New measurement results of the higher order modes (HOM) will be presented. The operation and optimisation of the TTF Free Electron Laser (TTF-FEL) will also be covered in this paper. (author)

Operating Experience with Nuclear Power Stations in Member States in 2012. 2013 Edition (CD-ROM)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-07-01

This report is the forty-fourth in the IAEA’s series of annual reports on operating experience with nuclear power stations in Member States. This report provides annual performance data and outage information for individual nuclear power plants from around the world. Summaries of historical performance and outages during the lifetimes of those plants are also included. Additionally, in order to provide a broad picture of nuclear power usage, this report contains six figures that illustrate global operational statistics through 2012. The report is a direct output from the IAEA’s Power Reactor Information System (PRIS), whose databank contains all operating experience data published in the IAEA’s operating experience annual reports since 1970 and basic information on power reactors, including design data. It presents operating experience data for all worldwide nuclear power plants after starting commercial operation. The PRIS databank is available free of charge to IAEA Member States through its public website and on-line application PRIS-Statistics. The web-site www.iaea.org/pris contains publicly available information about reactor units and nuclear industry results. The PRIS-Statistics (http://pris.iaea.org) allows direct access to the database through the Internet. This application allows registered users report generation through pre-designed reports and filters

Phenolic Acids from Wheat Show Different Absorption Profiles in Plasma: A Model Experiment with Catheterized Pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørskov, Natalja; Hedemann, Mette Skou; Theil, Peter Kappel

2013-01-01

The concentration and absorption of the nine phenolic acids of wheat were measured in a model experiment with catheterized pigs fed whole grain wheat and wheat aleurone diets. Six pigs in a repeated crossover design were fitted with catheters in the portal vein and mesenteric artery to study...... the absorption of phenolic acids. The difference between the artery and the vein for all phenolic acids was small, indicating that the release of phenolic acids in the large intestine was not sufficient to create a porto-arterial concentration difference. Although, the porto-arterial difference was small...... consumed. Benzoic acid derivatives showed low concentration in the plasma (phenolic acids, likely because it is an intermediate in the phenolic acid metabolism...

Impact of scaling on the nitric-glycolic acid flowsheet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lambert, D. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)

2016-02-01

Savannah River Remediation (SRR) is considering using glycolic acid as a replacement for formic acid in Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT) processing in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF). Catalytic decomposition of formic acid is responsible for the generation of hydrogen, a potentially flammable gas, during processing. To prevent the formation of a flammable mixture in the offgas, an air purge is used to dilute the hydrogen concentration below the 60% of the Composite Lower Flammability Limit (CLFL). The offgas is continuously monitored for hydrogen using Gas Chromatographs (GCs). Since formic acid is much more volatile and toxic than glycolic acid, a formic acid spill would lead to the release of much larger quantities to the environment. Switching from formic acid to glycolic acid is expected to eliminate the hydrogen flammability hazard leading to lower air purges, thus downgrading of Safety Significant GCs to Process Support GCs, and minimizing the consequence of a glycolic acid tank leak in DWPF. Overall this leads to a reduction in process operation costs and an increase in safety margin. Experiments were completed at three different scales to demonstrate that the nitric-glycolic acid flowsheet scales from the 4-L lab scale to the 22-L bench scale and 220-L engineering scale. Ten process demonstrations of the sludge-only flowsheet for SRAT and Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME) cycles were performed using Sludge Batch 8 (SB8)-Tank 40 simulant. No Actinide Removal Process (ARP) product or strip effluent was added during the runs. Six experiments were completed at the 4-L scale, two experiments were completed at the 22-L scale, and two experiments were completed at the 220-L scale. Experiments completed at the 4-L scale (100 and 110% acid stoichiometry) were repeated at the 22-L and 220-L scale for scale comparisons.

Experience gained in enhancing operational safety at ComEd`s nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elias, D [Commonwealth Edison Co. (United States)

1997-09-01

The following aspects of experience gained in enhancing operational safety at Comed`s nuclear power plants are discussed: nuclear safety policy; centralization/decentralization; typical nuclear operating organization; safety review boards; human performance enhancement; elements of effective nuclear oversight.

Operating practical experience at Argentina; Experiencia practica operativa en la Argentina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quihillalt, Oscar [Nucleoelectria Argentina S.A., Buenos Aires (Argentina)

1998-12-31

Operating experiences of Atucha-1 and Embalse Nuclear Power Plants were discussed in this work. The technical and economic aspects, such as reliability, availability, personnel training, operating costs, prices and market, which exercise influence upon Argentina nuclear energy policy, mainly on the power electric generation by nuclear power plants were considered. Finally the current status of the nucleoelectric sector in Argentina and forecasting were analysed. 3 figs., 5 tabs.

Primordial Synthesis of Amines and Amino Acids in a 1958 Miller H2S-Rich Spark Discharge Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Eric T.; Cleaves, Henderson J.; Dworkin, Jason P.; Glavin, Daniel P.; Callahan, Michael; Aubrey, Andrew; Lazcano, Antonio; Bada, Jeffrey L.

2011-01-01

Archived samples from a previously unreported 1958 Stanley Miller electric discharge experiment containing hydrogen sulfide (H2S) were recently discovered and analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. We report here the detection and quantification of primary amine-containing compounds in the original sample residues, which were produced via spark discharge using a gaseous mixture of H2S, CH4, NH3, and CO2. A total of 23 amino acids and 4 amines, including 7 organosulfur compounds, were detected in these samples. The major amino acids with chiral centers are racemic within the accuracy of the measurements, indicating that they are not contaminants introduced during sample storage. This experiment marks the first synthesis of sulfur amino acids from spark discharge experiments designed to imitate primordia! environments. The relative yield of some amino acids, in particular the isomers of aminobutyric acid, are the highest ever found in a spark discharge experiment. The simulated primordial conditions used by Miller may serve as a model for early volcanic plume chemistry and provide insight to the possible roles such plumes may have played in abiotic organic synthesis. Additionally, the overall abundances of the synthesized amino acids in the presence of H2S are very similar to the abundances found in some carbonaceous meteorites, suggesting that H2S may have played an important role in prebiotic reactions in early solar system environments.

Operational experience gained from the Central Brae subsea field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sapp, S.J.; Gomersall, S.D.

1994-01-01

The size of the field discoveries made in the North Sea in recent years has declined dramatically. With the low oil price many small fields are not viable stand alone developments. The North Sea has a large, well developed infrastructure of production facilities and pipelines. With many platforms now operating below optimum production rate, subsea tieback of these small fields utilizing the available processing capacity is the most economically attractive means of development. This paper presents a history of such a field development. The Central Brae field is located within the Brae complex of fields, 155 miles north east of Aberdeen, and has been developed by means of a subsea facility tied back to the Brae Alpha platform. A great deal of experience has been gained through the field development, not only in subsea operations but also in completion and template design and operating philosophy

SUPERCONDUCTING RADIO-FREQUENCY MODULES TEST FACILITY OPERATING EXPERIENCE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soyars, W.; Bossert, R.; Darve, C.; Degraff, B.; Klebaner, A.; Martinez, A.; Pei, L.; Theilacker, J.

2008-01-01

Fermilab is heavily engaged and making strong technical contributions to the superconducting radio-frequency research and development program (SRF R and D). Four major SRF test areas are being constructed to enable vertical and horizontal cavity testing, as well as cryomodule testing. The existing Fermilab cryogenic infrastructure has been modified to service the SRF R and D needs. The project's first stage has been successfully completed, which allows for distribution of cryogens for a single-cavity cryomodule using the existing Cryogenic Test Facility (CTF) that houses three Tevatron satellite refrigerators. The cooling capacity available for cryomodule testing at Meson Detector Building (MDB) results from the liquefaction capacity of the CTF cryogenic system. The cryogenic system for a single 9-cell cryomodule is currently operational. The paper describes the status, challenges and operational experience of the initial phase of the project

Determination of the Acid Dissociation Constant of a Phenolic Acid by High Performance Liquid Chromatography: An Experiment for the Upper Level Analytical Chemistry Laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Raboh, Ghada

2018-01-01

A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) experiment for the upper level analytical chemistry laboratory is described. The students consider the effect of mobile-phase composition and pH on the retention times of ionizable compounds in order to determine the acid dissociation constant, K[subscript a], of a phenolic acid. Results are analyzed…

INEL experience and capabilities in design, operation, and maintenance of nuclear systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leatham, J.; Masson, L.S.

1982-07-01

This study provides an overview of the experience, hardware, and managerial expertise available at the INEL for design, fabrication, and operation of tools and facilities for remote maintenance. The survey demonstrates that the INEL's fission reactor experience is directly applicable to the design of remote handling hardware which must be developed for fusion reactors, and that the experience and facilities are available at INEL to begin that work

JET-ISX-B beryllium limiter experiment safety analysis report and operational safety requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edmonds, P.H.

1985-09-01

An experiment to evaluate the suitability of beryllium as a limiter material has been completed on the ISX-B tokamak. The experiment consisted of two phases: (1) the initial operation and characterization in the ISX experiment, and a period of continued operation to the specified surface fluence (10 22 atoms/cm 2 ) of hydrogen ions; and (2) the disassembly, decontamination, or disposal of the ISX facility. During these two phases of the project, the possibility existed for beryllium and/or beryllium oxide powder to be produced inside the vacuum vessel. Beryllium dust is a highly toxic material, and extensive precautions are required to prevent the release of the beryllium into the experimental work area and to prevent the contamination of personnel working on the device. Details of the health hazards associated with beryllium and the appropriate precautions are presented. Also described in appendixes to this report are the various operational safety requirements for the project

Operating experiences on ammonia water exchange system at Heavy Water Plant, Talcher (paper No. 6.12)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Venkat Ram, D.; Sharma, A.K.

1992-01-01

The Heavy Water Plant at Talcher employs bithermal ammonia hydrogen exchange process for the production of heavy water. The paper describes about the existing ammonia water exchange column, its start-up, operating experience and the problems encountered in operation of the column. The operating experiences gained and the data collected over the last few years can be utilised for design and operation of new ammonia water exchange column. (V.R). 2 figs

Clinical efficacy ofω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in perioperative period of radical operation for gastric cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei-Xue Li

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To study the regulating effect of application of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in perioperative period of radical surgery for gastric cancer on patients’ nutritional status, inflammatory response and immune function. Methods: A total of 86 cases of patients receiving radical operation for gastric cancer in our hospital were selected for study and randomly divided into two groups, ω-3 PUFAs group received ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids combined with conventional intravenous nutritional support and control group only received conventional intravenous nutritional support. Serum nutrition indicators of two groups were detected before and after surgery, and inflammation indicators in serum as well as immune molecules in tumor tissue of tow groups were detected after surgery. Results: 1d before operation and 3 d after operation, serum RBP, PA, RTF, PEPT1 and ghrelin contents of ω-3 PUFAs group were significantly higher than those of control group; 3 d after operation, serum CC16, α-MSH and HSP70 contents of ω-3 PUFAs group were significantly higher than those of control group, and LBP and sCD14 contents were significantly lower than those of control group; B7-H1, B7-H4, CD157 and CD133 contents in tumor tissue of ω-3 PUFAs group were significantly lower than those of control group, and CD11c content was significantly higher than that of control group. Conclusion: Application of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in perioperative period of radical operation for gastric cancer can improve patients’ nutritional status, reduce postoperative inflammatory response caused by surgical trauma and regulate the expression of immune molecules in tumor tissue.

Evaluation of the performance degradation at PAFC effect of operating conditions on acid loss

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miyoshi, Hideaki; Uchida, Hiroyuki; Watanabe, Masahiro [Yamanashi Univ., Kofu (Japan)] [and others

1996-12-31

As a complimentary research project to the demonstration project of 5MW and 1 MW PAFC plants, the mechanism and rate of deterioration of the cells and stacks have been studied from 1995 FY conducted by NEDO, with the objective of establishing an estimation method for the service life-time of the cell stacks. As part of this project, this work has been performed to clarify basic phenomena of the performance degradation at PAFCs jointly by Yamanashi University, PAFC-TRA and PAFC manufacturers. The acid loss into exhaust gases is one of life limiting factors in PAFCs. To design the cells of long-life, it is important to estimate the phosphoric acid loss and to contrive ideas eliminating it. With the objective of obtaining basic data for simulating the acid loss in the large size cells, the effect of the operating conditions on the acid loss into exhaust gases has been studied experimentally by using a single cell with an active electrode area of 100 cm{sup 2}.

[Experience with games in operative groups as part of health education for diabetics].

Science.gov (United States)

Torres, Heloisa de Carvalho; Hortale, Virginia Alonso; Schall, Virginia

2003-01-01

This paper presents and discusses an educational strategy implemented in a specialized hospital clinic. The goal was to stimulate individuals to reflect on their everyday lifestyles as related to their disease, specifically diabetes mellitus. The strategy can be characterized as an educational tool from the perspective of health promotion and disease prevention and control. The experience was implemented on an interactive basis (health professionals and individual patients) with educational games in operative groups. Pedagogical techniques were used: orientation concerning diabetes mellitus, individual consultation, the operative group, and educational games (communications and learning). The techniques enabled participants to improve knowledge and exchange experiences. In addition, the health professionals gained a better understanding of the participants' experience with their illness.

Liquid radwaste processing, operational experience utilizing Duratek Mobile Process System (MPS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunkele, W.; Jensen, C.E.; Duratek Corp., Beltsville, MD)

1985-01-01

The use of Duratek's Mobile Process System (MPS) employing sluiceable pressure vessels and improved operational techniques generates operational efficiencies including volume reduction (VR), reduced personnel labor and exposure and higher flowrates for cleanup of liquid radwaste streams in an operating nuclear power plant (Salem Generating Station). Significant additional VR is achievable based on laboratory and on-site experience utilizing Durasil 70. Under high conductivity, actual waste stream conditions, this proprietary media has demonstrated through-puts of a magnitude 15 times higher than organic cation resin. A long-term problem, cobalt species removal, is mitigated by this media

Operating experience with the new TRIUMF RF control system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fong, K.; Laverty, M.; Fang, S.

1995-06-01

The 23 MHz rf control of the TRIUMF cyclotron has been replaced by a new VXI control system based on digital signal processing. It provides amplitude and phase regulation of the cyclotron dee voltage, as well as other functions such as power-up sequencing, spark and high VSWR protection. Modularity of the hardware is achieved by the VXI architecture, and in the software by Object Oriented Programming. It is expected that this will result in a considerably longer MTBF, and shorter fault diagnosis and repair times, than the equipment it replaces. The new system has now been in operation for over two months. The results of commissioning, testing, and early operating experience are presented. (author). 4 refs., 5 figs

Operational experience, availability and reliability of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kueffer, K.

1980-01-01

This lecture - presents a survey on nuclear power production and plant performance in the Western World covering all reactor types and light-water reactors in particular and discusses key parameters such as load factors and non-availability analysis. - outlines the main reasons for the reliable performance of Swiss nuclear power plants - quality equipment - operator qualification and training - engineering know how on site - maintenance philosophy and outage planning - information system and feedback of experience - explains the management functions as applied at the Beznau Nuclear Power Station to ensure high power productivity and reliability - improvement - a feedback control system - analysis of production losses - optimization in shut-down planning - minimizing disturbances during plant operation - optimizing personnel qualification and efficiency. (orig.)

Determination of the Fatty Acid Content of Biological Membranes: A Highly Versatile GC-MS Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Schultz, Emeric; Pugh, Michael Eugene

2001-07-01

The experiment involves the GC-MS of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) obtained from bacterial membranes. It takes about 2 h, from cell harvest to injection. This experiment is done in a lab course for non-science majors and in biochemistry. For non-science majors the focus is on GC-MS as a technique for fingerprinting and on the underlying basis of that fingerprinting. In biochemistry the focus is on the composition of membranes and how this changes with temperature--specifically how the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids changes to maintain constant cell fluidity. Combined with a parallel DNA experiment, the two major types of intermolecular forces important for the structure and function of biomolecules are compared. How this versatile experiment could be adapted in other chemistry courses is presented. The experiment has obvious appeal to biology majors, can be used to develop several important chemistry concepts, involves teamwork, and employs an important instrument. It could be used in the laboratory portion of a course other than biochemistry to fulfill the new ACS biochemistry requirement.

Operation experiences with a 30 kV/100 MVA high temperature superconducting cable system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tønnesen, Ole; Däumling, Manfred; Jensen, Kim Høj

2004-01-01

of this demonstration project is to gain experience with HTS cables under realistic conditions in a live distribution network. Approximately 50 000 utility customers have their electric power supplied through the HTS cable. The cable system has delivered 226 GW h of energy and reached a maximum operating current......A superconducting cable based on Bi-2223 tape technology has been developed, installed and operated in the public network of Copenhagen Energy in a two-year period between May 2001 and May 2003. This paper gives a brief overview of the system and analyses some of the operation experiences. The aim...

Operational Experience with the ATLAS Pixel Detector

CERN Document Server

Lantzsch, Kerstin; The ATLAS collaboration

2016-01-01

Run 2 of the LHC is providing new challenges to track and vertex reconstruction with higher energies, denser jets and higher rates. Therefore the ATLAS experiment has constructed the first 4-layer Pixel detector in HEP, installing a new Pixel layer, also called Insertable B-Layer (IBL). In addition the Pixel detector was refurbished with new service quarter panels to recover about 3% of defective modules lost during run 1 and a new optical readout system to readout the data at higher speed while reducing the occupancy when running with increased luminosity. The commissioning, operation and performance of the 4-layer Pixel Detector will be presented.

Summary of facility and operating experience on helium engineering demonstration loop (HENDEL)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ouchi, Yoshihiro; Fujisaki, Katsuo; Kobayashi, Toshiaki; Kato, Michio; Ota, Yukimaru; Watanabe, Syuji; Kobayashi, Hideki; Mogi, Haruyoshi [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Oarai, Ibaraki (Japan). Oarai Research Establishment

1996-07-01

The HENDEL is a test facility to perform full scale demonstration tests on the core internals and high temperature components for the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor(HTTR). The main systems consist of Mother(M) and Adapter(A), fuel stack Test(T{sub 1}) and in-core structure Test(T{sub 2}) sections. The (M+A) section can supply high temperature helium gas to the test section. The M+A section completed in March 1982 has been operated for about 22900 hours till February 1995. The T{sub 1} and T{sub 2} sections, completed in March 1983 and June 1986, have been operated for about 19400 and 16700 hours, respectively. In this period, a large number of tests have been conducted to verify the performance and safety features of the HTTR components. The results obtained from these tests have been effectively applied to the detailed design, licensing procedures and construction of the HTTR. The operating experience of the HENDEL for more than 10 years also brought us establishment of the technique of operation of a large scale helium gas loop, handling of helium gas and maintenance of high temperature facilities. The technique will be available for the operation of the HTTR. This paper mainly describes the summary of plant facirities, operating experience and maintenance on the HENDEL. (author)

Hydrogen production from formic acid in pH-stat fed-batch operation for direct supply to fuel cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Jong-Hwan; Yoon, Jong Hyun; Lee, Seung Hoon; Park, Tai Hyun

2010-01-01

Enterobacter asburiae SNU-1 harvested after cultivation was used as a whole cell biocatalyst, for the production of hydrogen. Formic acid was efficiently converted to hydrogen using the harvested cells with an initial hydrogen production rate and total hydrogen production of 491 ml/l/h and 6668 ml/l, respectively, when 1 g/l of whole cell enzyme was used. Moreover, new pH-stat fed-batch operation was conducted, and total hydrogen production was 1.4 times higher than that of batch operation. For practical application, bio-hydrogen produced from formic acid using harvested cells was directly applied to PEMFC for power generation.

Operational experience with a high speed video data acquisition system in Fermilab experiment E-687

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baumbaugh, A.E.; Knickerbocker, K.L.; Baumbaugh, B.; Ruchti, R.

1987-01-01

Operation of a high speed, triggerable, Video Data Acquisition System (VDAS) including a hardware data compactor and a 16 megabyte First-In-First-Out buffer memory (FIFO) will be discussed. Active target imaging techniques for High Energy Physics are described and preliminary experimental data is reported.. The hardware architecture for the imaging system and experiment will be discussed as well as other applications for the imaging system. Data rates for the compactor is over 30 megabytes/sec and the FIFO has been run at 100 megabytes/sec. The system can be operated at standard video rates or at any rate up to 30 million pixels/second. 7 refs., 3 figs

Safety and operating experience at EBR-II: lessons for the future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sackett, J.I.; Golden, G.H.

1981-01-01

EBR-II is a small LMFBR power plant that has performed safely and reliably for 16 years. Much has been learned from operating it to facilitate the design, licensing, and operation of large commercial LMFBR power plants in the US. EBR-II has been found relatively easy to keep in conformity with evolving safety requirements, largely because of inherent safety features of the plant. Such features reduce dependence on active safety systems to protect against accidents. EBR-II has experienced a number of plant-transient incidents, some planned, others inadvertent; none has resulted in any significant plant damage. The operating experience with EBR-II has led to the formulation of an Operational Reliability Test Program (ORTP), aimed at showing inherently safe performance of fuel and plant systems

Operating experience feedback report - Solenoid-operated valve problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ornstein, H.L.

1991-02-01

This report highlights significant operating events involving observed or potential common-mode failures of solenoid-operated valves (SOVs) in US plants. These events resulted in degradation or malfunction of multiple trains of safety systems as well as of multiple safety systems. On the basis of the evaluation of these events, the Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data (AEOD) of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) concludes that the problems with solenoid-operated valves are an important issue that needs additional NRC and industry attention. This report also provides AEOD's recommendations for actions to reduce the occurrence of SOV common-mode failures. 115 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs

Proceedings of the NEA/CSNI-UNIPEDE Specialist Meeting on Operating Experience with Steam Generators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1991-07-01

The long history of operating experience with pressurized water reactors has indicated that the steam generators are of primary importance in nuclear power plant design and operation; this is furthermore confirmed by analyzing the data of the Incident Reporting System (IRS). It is for this reason that the OECD/NEA Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations organizes, in cooperation with UNIPEDE, a Specialist Meeting on 'Operating Experience with Steam Generators'. This Specialist Meeting, held in Brussels, Belgium, in September 1991, is hosted by the Belgian Government and AIB-Vincotte Nuclear. In addition to being a follow-up to the October 1984 meeting (organized by the CSNI and UNIPEDE in Stockholm, Sweden), this Meeting reviews the current state-of-the-art of steam generator technology thus providing a forum for the exchange of related experience in operation, inspection, maintenance, repair, modifications, replacement, and licensing requirements pertaining to steam generators. Forty-seven papers are presented in eight sessions entitled: Operating Experience (two sessions), Structural Integrity and Licensing Issues, Analysis and Prediction of Degradation Mechanisms, Inservice Inspection Methods, Preventive and Corrective Actions (two sessions) and Replacement of Steam Generators. There are furthermore two panel sessions entitled 'Observed Degradation Mechanisms and Licensing Positions', and 'Inspection, Repair and Replacement Strategies'. These proceedings consist of a compilation of the papers presented at the Meeting, which is attended by more than one hundred and fifty participants from fifteen countries and several international organisations.

Two-year experience of the Loviisa-1 nuclear power plant operation in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palmgren, A.; Simola, P.; Skyutta, P.; Malkov, Yu.V.; Mal'tsev, B.K.; Shasharin, G.A.

1979-01-01

The description of experience of creation and operation of the Loviisa-1 nuclear power plant in Finland is presented. The main stages of power block development were the following: functional tests of systems and equipment, hydraulic tests of the reactor and primary circuit, inspection of equipment, hot testing, testing of protective envelope, second inspection, reactor assembling and fuel loading, physical and power start-up of the reactor, testing of the plant as a whole. Tests of the APP operation on load were particularly extensive. These tests were carried out on the 5, 15, 30, 50, 75 and 92 % thermal power levels of the reactor and covered: physical reactor tests, electric and dynamic tests of the power unit, tests with failures in equipment operation, chemical tests, studies of shielding effectiveness, thermal and guarantee tests. The positive experience of the Loviisa-1 nuclear power plant operation, reactor reliability, fuel element tightness, high efficiency (33.9 %) and satisfactory operation of turbo-generator confirm the success of the Loviisa-1 NPP project

Operating experience and aging-seismic assessment of electric motors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subudhi, M.; Burns, E.L.; Taylor, J.H.

1985-06-01

Objectives of this program are to identify concerns related to the aging and service wear of equipment operating in nuclear power plants, to assess their possible impact on plant safety, to identify effective inspection surveillance and monitoring methods and to recommend suitable maintenance practices for mitigating aging related concerns and diminish the rate of degradation due to aging and service wear. Motor design and materials of construction are reviewed to identify age-sensitive components. Operational and accidental stressors are determined, and their effect on promoting aging degradation is assessed. Failure modes, mechanisms, and causes have been reviewed from operating experiences and existing data banks. The study has also included consideration for the seismic correlation of age-degraded motor components. The aforementioned reviews and assessments were assimilated to characterize the dielectric, rotational, and mechanical hazards on motor performance and operational readiness. The functional indicators which can be monitored to assess motor component deterioration due to aging or other accidental stressors are identified. Conforming with the NPAR strategy as outlined in the program plan, the study also includes a preliminary discussion of current standards and guides, maintenance programs, and research activities pertaining to nuclear power plant safety-related electric motors

Predictions on an HTR coolant composition after operational experience with experimental reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieder, R.

1981-01-01

Long-term operational experience of the HTR experimental reactors Dragon (1966 - 1975), Peach Bottom (1967 - 1974) and AVR (since 1967) has yielded a large number of common quantitative and qualitative results about the sources and behaviour of helium impurities in the primary circuits. Additional information has also been obtained from experiments made at the three reactors. The results at the AVR are particularly interesting because the gas outlet temperature can be varied from 770 0 C to 950 0 C when the reactor power is kept constant. Hence they can be studied according to the temperature dependence of all chemical reactions. It should be possible to apply the results from the operating measurements and experiments made at the reactors, in particular the interrelation of the impurity concentrations, to future reactors. The absolute values of these impurity concentrations are obtained first and foremost by the corresponding helium purification constants

Operating Experience of MACSTOR Modules at CANDU 6 Stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beaudoin, Robert R.

2005-01-01

Over the last three decades, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) has contributed to the technology development and implementation of dry spent fuel management facilities in Canada, Korea and Romania During that period, AECL has developed a number of concrete canister models and the MACSTOR200 module, a medium size air-cooled vault with a 228 MgU (Mega grams of Uranium) capacity. AECL's dry storage technologies were used for the construction of eight large-scale above ground dry storage facilities for CANDU spent fuel. As of 2005, those facilities have an installed capacity in excess of 5,000 MgU. Since 1995, the two newest dry storage installations built for CANDU 6 reactors at Gentilly 2 (Canada) and Cernavoda (Romania) used the MACSTOR 200 module. Seven such modules have been built at Gentilly 2 during the 1995 to 2004 period and one at Cernavoda in 2003. The construction and operating experience of those modules is reviewed in this paper. The MACSTOR 200 modules were initially designed for a 50-year service life, with recent units at Gentilly 2 licensed for a 100-year service life in a rural (non-maritime) climate. During the 1995-2005 period, six of the eight modules were loaded with fuel. Their operation has brought a significant amount of experience on loading operations, performance of fuel handling equipment, radiation shielding, heat transfer, monitoring of the two confinement boundaries and radiation dose to personnel. Heat dissipation performance of the MACSTOR 200 was initially licensed using values derived from full scale tests made at AECL's Whiteshell Research Laboratories, that were backed-up by temperature measurements made on the first two modules. Results and computer models developed for the MACSTOR 200 module are described. Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) and its subsidiary Nuclear Environment Technology Institute (NETEC), in collaboration with Hyundai Engineering Company Ltd. (HEC) and AECL, are developing a new dry storage module to

Operational experience with synchrotron light interferometers for CEBAF experimental beam lines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pavel Chevtsov

2006-10-24

Beam size and energy spread monitoring systems based on Synchrotron Light Interferometers (SLI) have been in operations at Jefferson Lab for several years. A non-invasive nature and a very high (a few mm) resolution of SLI make these instruments valuable beam diagnostic tools for the CEBAF accelerator. This presentation describes the evolution of the Synchrotron Light Interferometer at Jefferson Lab and highlights our extensive experience in the installation and operation of the SLI for CEBAF experimental beam lines.

Operating experience with steam generator water chemistry in Japanese PWR plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onimura, K.; Hattori, T.

1991-01-01

Since the first PWR plant in Japan started its commercial operation in 1970, seventeen plants are operating as of the end of 1990. First three units initially applied phosphate treatment as secondary water chemistry control and then changed to all volatile treatment (AVT) due to phosphate induced wastage of steam generator tubing. The other fourteen units operate exclusively under AVT. In Japan, several corrosion phenomena of steam generator tubing, resulted from secondary water chemistry, have been experienced, but occurrence of those phenomena has decreased by means of improvement on impurity management, boric acid treatment and high hydrazine operation. Recently secondary water chemistry in Japanese plants are well maintained in every stage of operation. This paper introduces brief summary of the present status of steam generators and secondary water chemistry in Japan and ongoing activities of investigation for future improvement of reliability of steam generator. History and present status of secondary water chemistry in Japanese PWRs were introduced. In order to get improved water chemistry, the integrity of secondary system equipments is essential and the improvement in water chemistry has been achieved with the improvement in equipments and their usage. As a result of those efforts, present status of secondary water is excellent. However, further development for crevice chemistry monitoring technique and an advanced water chemistry data management system is desired for the purpose of future improvement of reliability of steam generator

Operational experience with the Fermilab 150 GeV injection kicker

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trendler, R.C.

1985-01-01

The Fermilab E17 injection kicker has been in operation for more than 12000 filament hours and has logged almost 350,000 pulses since commissioning without major failure. The kicker system uses EEV 1193B and 1193C double-ended thyratrons in the MAIN, CLIP and DUMP configuration. In typical operation, the pulser produces 4800 A, 20 μs pulses at a charging voltage of 60kV and is capable of operating at a 80kV charging voltage. Any failure of the injection process can cause the Tevatron cryogenic magnets to quench. This includes any misfires of the injection kicker. Considerable effort was made to maximize reliability and provide interlocks to limit the problems that could happen from injection kicker misfires. The operating experience and reliability of the EEV thyratron will be discussed. Also, the use of the fiber optics, unique charging power supplies, and unusual digital interlocks and the role they play in improved reliability will be discussed

Radioactive Acid Digestion Test Unit (RADTU), 1980

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, C.R.

1980-01-01

The Radioactive Acid Digestion Test Unit (RADTU) was constructed at the Hanford Site, Richland, WA to demonstrate application of the acid digestion process for treating combustible transuranic wastes and scrap materials. Using its original tray digester vessel, RADTU recently completed a six-month campaign of processing potentially contaminated non-glovebox wastes from a Hanford plutonium facility. During the campaign, 2100 kg of largely cellulosic wastes were processed at an average sustained processing rate of 3 kg/h (limited by the acid-waste contact and the water boiloff rate from the acid feeds). On-line operating efficiency was nearly 50%, averaged over 12 hours/day, for five days/week. After shutdown, a new annular high-rate digester was installed for testing that demonstrated a sustained capacity of 8 kg/h to 10 kg/h with greatly improved contact between the digestion acid and the waste. The new unit began processing low-level waste from Hanford's z-Plant during June 1980. Plutonium levels in the waste processed will be increased gradually as operating experience has been gained. Processing recoverable scrap is expected to begin in the last quarter of CY 1980

Operation and maintenance experience at the General Atomic Company's TRIGA reactor facility at San Diego, California

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whittemore, W.L.; Stout, W.A.; Shoptaugh, J.R.; Chesworth, R.H.

1982-01-01

Since the startup of the original 250 kW TRIGA Mark I reactor in 1958, General Atomic Company has accumulated nearly 24 years of operation and maintenance experience with this type of reactor. In addition to the nearly 24 years of experience gained on the Mark I, GA has operated the 1.5 MW Advanced Prototype Test Reactor (Mark F) for 22 years and operated a 2 MW below-ground TRIGA Mark III for five years. Information obtained from normal and abnormal operation are presented. (author)

Perioperative nurses' experiences of communication in a multicultural operating theatre: A qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Clayton, Judy; Isaacs, Anton Neville; Ellender, Isabel

2016-02-01

To explore the lived experiences of perioperative nurses in a multicultural operating theatre in Melbourne, Australia. Multiculturalism has become the norm in the health workforce of several developed countries due mostly to immigration. Within an operating theatre setting where good communication is paramount, the presence of nurses and doctors from multiple cultures and different training backgrounds could pose a major challenge. Using a qualitative research methodology underpinned by phenomenology, we interviewed fourteen nurses from different sections of an operating theatre. From the lived experiences of the participants, difficulties in communication emerged as the major theme. Difficulties in communication affected patient care and the working atmosphere. In addition, social integration appeared to improve communication. Addressing the needs of patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in the operating theatre continues to be challenging. However, developing a sense of camaraderie and fostering good relationships between staff through regular social gatherings can improve communication and the working atmosphere. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An operating nuclear utility's experience with the ALARA design of a new nuclear unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodgers, R.C.

1985-01-01

This talk presents a review of how operating experience at Northeast Utilities has been factored into the design of a new nuclear unit and the development and management of the radiation protection program. Their operational experience has indicated that there are two facets to keeping radiation exposures ALARA. The first is the proper ALARA design of the unit. The other facet is the design of a comprehensive radiation protection program. The author discusses these facets in some detail

Small sodium valve design and operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abramson, R.; Elie, X.; Vercasson, M.; Nedelec, J.

1974-01-01

Conventionally, valves for sodium pipes smaller than 125 mm in diameter are called ''small sodium valves''. However, this limit should rather be considered as the lower limit o ''large sodium valves''. In fact, both the largest sizes of small valves and the smallest of large valves can be found in the range of 125-300 mm in diameter. Thus what is said about small valves also applies, for a few valve types, above the 125 mm limit. Sodium valves are described here in a general manner, with no manufacturing details except when necessary for understanding valve behavior. Operating experience is pointed out wherever possible. Finally, some information is given about ongoing or proposed development plans. (U.S.)

The adsorption of amino acids and cations onto goethite: a prebiotic chemistry experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Farias, Ana Paula S F; Carneiro, Cristine E A; de Batista Fonseca, Inês C; Zaia, Cássia T B V; Zaia, Dimas A M

2016-06-01

Few prebiotic chemistry experiments have assessed the adsorption of biomolecules by iron oxide-hydroxides. The present work investigated the effects of cations in artificial seawaters on the adsorption of Gly, α-Ala and β-Ala onto goethite, and vice versa. Goethite served to concentrate K and Mg cations from solution; these effects could have played important roles in peptide nucleoside formation. Goethite showed low adsorption of Gly and α-Ala. On the other hand, β-Ala (a non-protein amino acid) was highly adsorbed by goethite. Because Gly and α-Ala are the most common amino acids in living beings, and iron oxide-hydroxides are widespread on Earth, additional iron oxides should be studied. Increased ionic strength in artificial seawaters decreased the adsorption of amino acids by goethite. Because Na was highly abundant in the artificial seawater, it showed the highest effect on amino acid adsorption. β-Ala increased the adsorption of K and Ca by goethite, this effect could have been important for peptide synthesis.

CCN activation experiments with adipic acid: effect of particle phase and adipic acid coatings on soluble and insoluble particles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. S. Hings

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Slightly soluble atmospherically relevant organic compounds may influence particle CCN activity and therefore cloud formation. Adipic acid is a frequently employed surrogate for such slightly soluble organic materials. The 11 published experimental studies on the CCN activity of adipic acid particles are not consistent with each other nor do they, in most cases, agree with the Köhler theory. The CCN activity of adipic acid aerosol particles was studied over a significantly wider range of conditions than in any previous single study. The work spans the conditions of the previous studies and also provides alternate methods for producing "wet" (deliquesced solution droplets and dry adipic acid particles without the need to produce them by atomization of aqueous solutions. The experiments suggest that the scatter in the previously published CCN measurements is most likely due to the difficulty of producing uncontaminated adipic acid particles by atomization of solutions and possibly also due to uncertainties in the calibration of the instruments. The CCN activation of the small (d_m<150 nm initially dry particles is subject to a deliquescence barrier, while for the larger particles the activation follows the Köhler curve. Wet adipic acid particles follow the Köhler curve over the full range of particle diameters studied. In addition, the effect of adipic acid coatings on the CCN activity of both soluble and insoluble particles has also been studied. When a water-soluble core is coated by adipic acid, the CCN-hindering effect of particle phase is eliminated. An adipic acid coating on hydrophobic soot yields a CCN active particle. If the soot particle is relatively small (d_core≤102 nm, the CCN activity of the coated particles approaches the deliquescence line of adipic acid, suggesting that the total size of the particle determines CCN activation and the soot core acts as a scaffold.

New method for the temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) of ammonia experiment for characterization of zeolite acidity: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Niwa, Miki; Katada, Naonobu

2013-10-01

In this review, a method for the temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) of ammonia experiment for the characterization of zeolite acidity and its improvement by simultaneous IR measurement and DFT calculation are described. First, various methods of ammonia TPD are explained, since the measurements have been conducted under the concepts of kinetics, equilibrium, or diffusion control. It is however emphasized that the ubiquitous TPD experiment is governed by the equilibrium between ammonia molecules in the gas phase and on the surface. Therefore, a method to measure quantitatively the strength of the acid site (∆H upon ammonia desorption) under equilibrium-controlled conditions is elucidated. Then, a quantitative relationship between ∆H and H0 function is proposed, based on which the acid strength ∆H can be converted into the H0 function. The identification of the desorption peaks and the quantitative measurement of the number of acid sites are then explained. In order to overcome a serious disadvantage of the method (i.e., no information is provided about the structure of acid sites), the simultaneous measurement of IR spectroscopy with ammonia TPD, named IRMS-TPD (infrared spectroscopy/mass spectrometry-temperature-programmed desorption), is proposed. Based on this improved measurement, Brønsted and Lewis acid sites were differentiated and the distribution of Brønsted OH was revealed. The acidity characterized by IRMS-TPD was further supported by the theoretical DFT calculation. Thus, the advanced study of zeolite acidity at the molecular level was made possible. Advantages and disadvantages of the ammonia TPD experiment are discussed, and understanding of the catalytic cracking activity based on the derived acidic profile is explained. Copyright © 2013 The Chemical Society of Japan and Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

National symposium on commissioning and operating experiences in heavy water plants and associated chemical industries [Preprint volume

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-02-01

A symposium on commissioning and operating experiences in heavy water plants and associated chemical industries (SCOPEX-92) was organised to share the experience and exchange the ideas among plant operators, designers, consultants and vendors in the areas of operation, commissioning and equipment performance. This pre-print volume has been brought out as an integrated source of information on commissioning and operation of heavy water plants. The following aspects of heavy water plants are covered: commissioning and operation, instrumentation and control, and safety and environment. (V.R.)

48{sup th} Annual meeting on nuclear technology (AMNT 2017). Key topic / Enhanced safety and operation excellence. Focus session: International operational experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohrbach, Ludger [VGB PowerTech e.V., Essen (Germany). Abteilung ' ' N' ' ; Gottschling, Helge

2017-11-15

Summary report on the Key Topic Enhanced Safety and Operation Excellence: Focus Session: International Operational Experience and the Nuclear Energy Campus of the 48{sup th} Annual Meeting on Nuclear Technology (AMNT 2017) held in Berlin, 16 to 17 May 2017.

Vascular Trauma Operative Experience is Inadequate in General Surgery Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Huan; Maximus, Steven; Koopmann, Matthew; Keeley, Jessica; Smith, Brian; Virgilio, Christian de; Kim, Dennis Y

2016-05-01

Vascular injuries may be challenging, particularly for surgeons who have not received formal vascular surgery fellowship training. Lack of experience and improper technique can result in significant complications. The objective of this study was to examine changes in resident experience with operative vascular trauma over time. A retrospective review was performed using Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) case logs of general surgery residents graduating between 2004 and 2014 at 2 academic, university-affiliated institutions associated with level 1 trauma centers. The primary outcome was number of reported vascular trauma operations, stratified by year of graduation and institution. A total of 112 residents graduated in the study period with a median 7 (interquartile range 4.5-13.5) vascular trauma cases per resident. Fasciotomy and exposure and/or repair of peripheral vessels constituted the bulk of the operative volume. Linear regression showed no significant trend in cases with respect to year of graduation (P = 0.266). Residents from program A (n = 53) reported a significantly higher number of vascular trauma cases when compared with program B (n = 59): 12.0 vs. 5.0 cases, respectively (P < 0.001). Level 1 trauma center verification does not guarantee sufficient exposure to vascular trauma. The operative exposure in program B is reflective of the national average of 4.0 cases per resident as reported by the ACGME, and this trend is unlikely to change in the near future. Fellowship training may be critical for surgeons who plan to work in a trauma setting, particularly in areas lacking vascular surgeons. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How to ensure the safety of extended operations: Practice and experience of Paks NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovacs, J.

2005-01-01

The Paks Nuclear Power Plant strategy is to extend the operational lifetime of the plant and renew the operational license for 20 years over the designed and licensed lifetime. In the paper the preconditions of long-term operation are discussed and the basic findings and experience of the license renewal works are also presented. The further plans fo NPP Paks for ensuring safe operation in long-term are discussed. (author)

CMS tier structure and operation of the experiment-specific tasks in Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nowack, A

2008-01-01

In Germany, several university institutes and research centres take part in the CMS experiment. Concerning the data analysis, a couple of computing centres at different Tier levels, ranging from Tier 1 to Tier 3, exists at these places. The German Tier 1 centre GridKa at the research centre at Karlsruhe serves all four LHC experiments as well as four non-LHC experiments. With respect to the CMS experiment, GridKa is mainly involved in central tasks. The Tier 2 centre in Germany consists of two sites, one at the research centre DESY at Hamburg and one at RWTH Aachen University, forming a federated Tier 2 centre. Both parts cover different aspects of a Tier 2 centre. The German Tier 3 centres are located at the research centre DESY at Hamburg, at RWTH Aachen University, and at the University of Karlsruhe. Furthermore the building of a German user analysis facility is planned. Since the CMS community in German is rather small, a good cooperation between the different sites is essential. This cooperation includes physical topics as well as technical and operational issues. All available communication channels such as email, phone, monthly video conferences, and regular personal meetings are used. For example, the distribution of data sets is coordinated globally within Germany. Also the CMS-specific services such as the data transfer tool PhEDEx or the Monte Carlo production are operated by people from different sites in order to spread the knowledge widely and increase the redundancy in terms of operators

Operational experience with the CMS Data Acquisition System

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2012-01-01

The data-acquisition (DAQ) system of the CMS experiment at the LHC performs the read-out and assembly of events accepted by the first level hardware trigger. Assembled events are made available to the high-level trigger (HLT), which selects interesting events for offline storage and analysis. The system is designed to handle a maximum input rate of 100 kHz and an aggregated throughput of 100 GB/s originating from approximately 500 sources and 10^8 electronic channels. An overview of the architecture and design of the hardware and software of the DAQ system is given. We report on the performance and operational experience of the DAQ and its Run Control System in the first two years of collider run of the LHC, both in proton-proton and Pb-Pb collisions. We present an analysis of the current performance, its limitations, and the most common failure modes and discuss the ongoing evolution of the HLT capability needed to match the luminosity ramp-up of the LHC.

Strategies for reducing the environmental impact of gaseous detector operation at the CERN LHC experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Capeans, M.; Guida, R.; Mandelli, B., E-mail: beatrice.mandelli@cern.ch

2017-02-11

A wide range of gas mixtures is used for the operation of different gaseous detectors at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments. Nowadays some of these gases, as C{sub 2}H{sub 2}F{sub 4}, CF{sub 4} and SF{sub 6}, are indicated as greenhouse gases (GHG) and dominate the overall GHG emission from particle detectors at the LHC experiments. The release of GHG is an important subject for the design of future particle detectors as well as for the operation of the current experiments. Different strategies have been adopted at CERN for reducing the GHG emissions. The standard approach is the recirculation of the gas mixture with complex gas systems where system stability and the possible accumulation of impurities need to be attentively evaluated for the good operation and safety of the detectors. A second approach is based on the recuperation of the gas mixture exiting the detectors and the separation of its gas components for re-use. At long-term, the use of less invasive gases is being investigated, especially for the Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC) systems. Operation of RPC with environmentally friendly gas mixtures is demonstrated for streamer mode while avalanche mode operation needs more complex gas mixtures. - Highlights: • Greenhouse gases (GHG) emission in the LHC experiments and detectors. • Strategies to reduce the GHG emissions: gas recirculation and recuperation systems. • GHG emission: achievements from LHC Run1 to Run2. • Resistive Plate Chambers operation with new environmentally friendly gases.

Operational experience with the JET beryllium evaporators in the J1W test bed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peacock, A.T.; Dietz, K.J.; Israel, G.; Jensen, H.S.; Johnson, A.; Pick, M.A.; Saibene, G.; Sartori, R.

1989-01-01

Four beryllium evaporators were fitted onto the JET vessel during March 1989. These evaporators are planned to give the first introduction of beryllium into the JET machine to study the effect of using beryllium as a first wall material. Over 200 hours operational experience with such an evaporator had been gained on a test bed facility in which the evaporation rate, radial evaporant distribution and head operating temperature had been determined. The results obtained on this facility with two different heat materials, sintered S-65B and vacuum cast beryllium are described. The test vessel has also been used to conduct beryllium wall pumping experiments using the ''Langmuir effect''. The initial results of these experiments will be described. (author)

An overview of KANUPP operating experience in chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashmi, T.

2010-01-01

KANUPP is a small CANDU® type PHWR (137MWe), commissioned in 1972 and now operating after life extension (PLEX) since 2004. This paper contains an overview of the plant operating experience in chemistry control over the past year including life extension period. Emphasis is on: Success story; Practices; Future improvements in chemistry programs. Considerable efforts are underway to maintain plant equipment and systems to mitigate the effect of plant ageing. The improvements that have been made at the station are as under: Heat transport system (HTS) chemistry, its effects on construction material; Feed water chemistry on secondary side (considering the condenser leaks). Strict chemistry control is being exercised for the heat transport system (HTS) for its better chemistry control. For short term, the changes are limited to pH adjustments of HTS. This change decreases the rate of thinning of outlet feeders as noted in some CANDUs® due to flow accelerated corrosion (FAC). Water Treatment Plant has been refurbished to get very low total dissolved solids (TDS) de-mineralized water for secondary side systems of the plant. Experience of steam generators flushing before startup, sludge pile analyses mapping, verification of pH from different sampling points of SGs, are the short term mitigating actions to address sludge pile problem in steam generators (SGs). The R and D on HTS and SGs is multifaceted and is aimed at achieving optimum chemistry control. Study is being conducted for improving chemistry control for the material, equipment and systems of the plant. (author)

BWR and PWR chemistry operating experience and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fruzzetti, K.; Garcia, S.; Lynch, N.; Reid, R.

2014-01-01

It is well recognized that proper control of water chemistry plays a critical role in ensuring the safe and reliable operation of Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs) and Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs). State-of-the-art water chemistry programs reduce general and localized corrosion of reactor coolant system, steam cycle equipment, and fuel cladding materials; ensure continued integrity of cycle components; and reduce radiation fields. Once a particular nuclear plant component has been installed or plant system constructed, proper water chemistry provides a global tool to mitigate materials degradation problems, thereby reducing the need for costly repairs or replacements. Recognizing the importance of proper chemistry control and the value in understanding the relationship between chemistry guidance and actual operating experience, EPRI continues to collect, monitor, and evaluate operating data from BWRs and PWRs around the world. More than 900 cycles of valuable BWR and PWR operating chemistry data has been collected, including online, startup and shutdown chemistry data over more than 10 years (> 20 years for BWRs). This paper will provide an overview of current trends in BWR and PWR chemistry, focusing on plants in the U.S.. Important chemistry parameters will be highlighted and discussed in the context of the EPRI Water Chemistry Guidelines requirements (i.e., those parameters considered to be of key importance as related to the major goals identified in the EPRI Guidelines: materials integrity; fuel integrity; and minimizing plant radiation fields). Perspectives will be provided in light of recent industry initiatives and changes in the EPRI BWR and PWR Water Chemistry Guidelines. (author)

Performance and operation experience of the ATLAS SemiConductor Tracker

CERN Document Server

Robichaud Veronneau, A; The ATLAS collaboration

2014-01-01

After more than 3 years of successful operation at the LHC, we report on the operation and performance of the SemiConductor Tracker (SCT) functioning in a high luminosity, high radiation environment. The SCT is part of the ATLAS experiment at CERN and is constructed of 4088 silicon detector modules for a total of 6.3 million strips. Each module is designed, constructed and tested to operate as a stand-alone unit, mechanically, electrically, optically and thermally. The modules are mounted into two types of structures: one barrel (4 cylinders) and two end-cap systems (9 disks on each end of the barrel). The SCT silicon micro-strip sensors were produced in the planar p-in-n technology. The signals are processed in the front-end ABCD3TA ASICs, which use a binary readout architecture. Data is transferred to the off-detector readout electronics via optical fibers. We find 99.3% of the SCT modules are operational, noise occupancy and hit efficiency exceed the design specifications; the alignment is very close to th...

Aspects on testing methods for acid attacks on concrete - further experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romben, L.

1980-01-01

The report presents a number of control experiments which have been performed to verify test procedures of the resistance of concrete and concrete products. A more detailed study of the calcium dissolution and the layer dissolution process has been performed. The mechanisms which control the rate of attack in the long term are discussed. The proposed method is intended for use in studying the resistance to attacks by acid water solutions. (G.B.)

Pretreatment of phosphoric acid of Annaba

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kada, R.

1990-03-01

The most important step in the process of uranium recovery from phosphoric acid is the pretreatment operation. In this study, the adsorption of organic matters on activated carbon was carried out in a batch process and in a fixed bed column. First, the chemical and physical characterization of phosphoric acid, activated carbon and gypsum were performed. In addition, the organic matters were qualitatively analysed and a new and original quantitative method was experimented. Next, the various operating parameters such as agitation speed, granulometry, temperature, solid/liquid ratio, initial concentration, acid flowrate, and bed height were optimized. The experimental equilibrium isotherm was compared to the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Redlich-Peterson theoretical isotherms. It was noticed that the three models did not fit the experimental isotherm in the total concentration range. Thus, an original bilinear model was proposed. The influence of the operating conditions on the adsorption kinetics was also investigated. As a result of that, a new mathematical model was proposed to determine both the liquid and solid phases mass transfer and the solid phase diffusion coefficient. Finally, adsorption of organic matters on a fixed bed process allowed computation of the number of transfer units (NTU), the height of adsorption zone and the degree of saturation of activated carbon

High Burnup Fuel: Implications and Operational Experience. Proceedings of a Technical Meeting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-08-01

This publication reports on the outcome of a technical meeting on high burnup fuel experience and economics, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2013. The purpose of the meeting was to revisit and update the current operational experience and economic conditions associated with high burnup fuel. International experts with significant experience in experimental programmes on high burnup fuel discussed and evaluated physical limitations at pellet, cladding and structural component levels, with a wide focus including fabrication, core behaviour, transport and intermediate storage for most types of commercial nuclear power plants

Variable Operative Experience in Hand Surgery for Plastic Surgery Residents.

Science.gov (United States)

Silvestre, Jason; Lin, Ines C; Levin, Lawrence Scott; Chang, Benjamin

Efforts to standardize hand surgery training during plastic surgery residency remain challenging. We analyze the variability of operative hand experience at U.S. plastic surgery residency programs. Operative case logs of chief residents in accredited U.S. plastic surgery residency programs were analyzed (2011-2015). Trends in fold differences of hand surgery case volume between the 10th and 90th percentiles of residents were assessed graphically. Percentile data were used to calculate the number of residents achieving case minimums in hand surgery for 2015. Case logs from 818 plastic surgery residents were analyzed of which a minority were from integrated (35.7%) versus independent/combined (64.3%) residents. Trend analysis of fold differences in case volume demonstrated decreasing variability among procedure categories over time. By 2015, fold differences for hand reconstruction, tendon cases, nerve cases, arthroplasty/arthrodesis, amputation, arterial repair, Dupuytren release, and neoplasm cases were below 10-fold. Congenital deformity cases among independent/combined residents was the sole category that exceeded 10-fold by 2015. Percentile data suggested that approximately 10% of independent/combined residents did not meet case minimums for arterial repair and congenital deformity in 2015. Variable operative experience during plastic surgery residency may limit adequate exposure to hand surgery for certain residents. Future studies should establish empiric case minimums for plastic surgery residents to ensure hand surgery competency upon graduation. Copyright © 2017 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.