December 2016

Nuclear Reactors 443 - MIT Researchers Develop New Technique For Measuring Metal Damage In Reactors

       One of the biggest problems with nuclear reactors is finding materials that can withstand the hostile environment of high temperatures, high pressures, and neutron bombardment. As neutrons penetrate the metal alloys that house the reactor core, they create dislocations in the crystalline lattice of the metal. These dislocations can migrate and collect, forming cavities that can combine into cracks.

1225 - Nuclear Reactors 442 - Likely Effects Of Trump Administration On Nuclear Industry

       There has been a lot of speculation about what effect the Trump election will have on the energy industry in the U.S. Some analysts have pointed out the Trump rejection of climate change would reduce concern about the low-carbon emissions of nuclear power. Other analysts say that Trump's promise to expand domestic energy production will probably include nuclear power.

Radioactive Waste 205 - Serious Problems At The U.K. Office For Nuclear Regulation

   One of my repeated themes in this blog is to complain about the failure of national nuclear regulatory agencies to properly enforce regulations on the nuclear industry in their country. I have documented many instances of such failures on the part of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in previous posts. Today I am going to focus on the Office For Nuclear Regulation (ONR) in the United Kingdom.

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