What Happens Inside Containment During a LOCA
During a LOCA, the containment system receives mass and energy released from the damaged reactor…
NuScale SMR: A Nine-Month Reconstruction
A nine-month, documentation-driven reconstruction of the NuScale Power Module progressed from a single fuel assembly…
Communication Infarction
Communication infarction occurs when a channel exists and a message has been sent, yet the…
Inspection Without Disturbance: NDT in Nuclear Maintenance
Non-destructive testing is not only about finding defects. In nuclear maintenance, it is part of…
Absorbing Neutrons, Shaping Time
Boron and gadolinium do not produce energy in a reactor. They help define the conditions…
Follow the Heat, Not the Headline
When heat constrains the operation of a nuclear power plant, the reason is usually not…
The Bridge Above the Blue
The blue glow may be the spectacle, but the bridge above it shows responsibility. A…
NuScale SMR: A Nine-Month Reconstruction
A nine-month, documentation-driven reconstruction of the NuScale Power Module progressed from a single fuel assembly…
Reconstructing the NuScale SMR Containment Vessel
An FSAR-based 3D reconstruction of the NuScale SMR containment vessel, focusing on the documented CNV…
Reconstructing the Cooling Tower
A natural-draft cooling tower is easy to recognize from a distance. Understanding it is something…
Reconstructing an SMR RPV from the Inside Out
A documentation-driven reconstruction of a NuScale SMR reactor pressure vessel, based on publicly available FSAR…
What Happens Inside Containment During a LOCA
During a LOCA, the containment system receives mass and energy released from the damaged reactor coolant system. This article follows the initial pressure response, condensation, water collection, recirculation and long-term…
NuScale SMR: A Nine-Month Reconstruction
A nine-month, documentation-driven reconstruction of the NuScale Power Module progressed from a single fuel assembly to an integrated 3D cutaway of the complete module. It shows how components become a…
Same Function, Different Outline
In a typical pressurised water reactor with a large dry containment, a substantial containment volume surrounds a spatially distributed reactor coolant system. In boiling water reactors with Mark I or…
Reactor Building vs Containment: Not the Same Thing
In public discussions, the reactor building and containment are often treated as though they were the same thing. In technical usage, they are not. Containment is defined by its credited…
When the Cold Sink Is No Longer So Cold
A nuclear power plant does not end at the reactor. Heat that is not converted into electricity must be reliably rejected to the environment. What happens when water, air, and…
Follow the Heat, Not the Headline
When heat constrains the operation of a nuclear power plant, the reason is usually not an overheating reactor. The limitation may instead be the amount of heat that can be…
Communication Infarction
Communication infarction occurs when a channel exists and a message has been sent, yet the information is not received, understood, confirmed or acted upon. In projects, it causes delays, poor…