When Braking Causes Acceleration
In the original RBMK design, initial insertion of fully withdrawn control and safety rods could…
Mining and Milling
How is uranium ore processed into the concentrate known as yellowcake? Part 2 of From…
How Integrity and Leak Tightness Are Actually Demonstrated
Successful leak testing is not the only evidence that a containment system will retain its…
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…
A Map of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle
The journey of nuclear fuel begins with uranium extraction and continues well beyond its use…
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…
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…
When Braking Causes Acceleration
In the original RBMK design, initial insertion of fully withdrawn control and safety rods could introduce positive reactivity locally. Drawing on INSAG-7, this article examines the physics of positive SCRAM,…
Mining and Milling
How is uranium ore processed into the concentrate known as yellowcake? Part 2 of From Ore to Energy explores uranium mining, in situ recovery and ore processing. It explains the…
A Map of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle
The journey of nuclear fuel begins with uranium extraction and continues well beyond its use in a reactor. This introductory article in the "From Ore to Energy" series outlines the…
How Integrity and Leak Tightness Are Actually Demonstrated
Successful leak testing is not the only evidence that a containment system will retain its function under demanding conditions. The publicly documented example of Krško Nuclear Power Plant shows how…
Hydrogen Is Not Just a Matter of Pressure
Steam condensation in containment helps reduce pressure, but it does not remove hydrogen. The hydrogen fraction in the gas mixture may even increase. Part 4 of the series explains hydrogen…
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…