Nuclear Fuel Services

Nuclear Fuel Services

Nuclear Fuel Services Inc. is an American company that has been a major supplier of fuel for the United States Navy's fleet of nuclear-powered vessels since the 1960s. In recent years it has also processed weapons-grade uranium into nuclear reactor fuel. It operates a 65-acre (260,000 m2) gated complex in Erwin, Tennessee.[1]

The company has emerged as America's leader in converting surplus weapons-grade uranium from U.S. Cold War stockpiles into valuable low-enriched uranium fuel material to power commercial nuclear power plants. Known as downblending, the proprietary NFS process is currently being used to covert about 40 metric tons of highly enriched uranium (HEU) into fuel material for the Tennessee Valley Authority. In 2007, the company was also awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration to convert 17.4 metric tons of HEU into material for America's Reliable Fuel Supply Program.

The company's downblending is also an important resource for the round up of other nuclear materials around the world to reduce the chance of proliferation by rogue nations or terrorists. NFS is also engaged as a team member at important nuclear projects at other DOE sites, such as the Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility at Savannah River and the clean up of an old laboratory at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Recent NRC Events

On May 11, 2008, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission released information on emergency notification of two 2006 incidents at the Erwin plant. The first incident involved a leak of liquid containing highly enriched uranium, which could have resulted in a criticality incident. [2]

The second incident involved an unmanaged 'accumulation point' - where a critical mass of uranium could have accumulated - was discovered while reacting to the first incident. In other words, no system protections were in place to prevent a solution leak from entering the bottom of an elevator shaft in the plant. The result of material accumulated in a confined space could be a criticality incident [3]

References

  1. ^ Mansfield, Duncan (August 20, 2007). "Tenn. Nuclear Fuel Problems Kept Secret". The Guardian (London). Archived from the original on 2007-10-30. http://web.archive.org/web/20071030125346/http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6863800,00.html. Retrieved 2007-08-21. 
  2. ^ Nuclear Regulatory Commission, United States (May 12, 2008). "NRC Event Notification Report 42393 for May 12, 2008". http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/2008/20080512en.html#en42393. Retrieved 2009-06-07. 
  3. ^ Nuclear Regulatory Commission, United States (May 12, 2008). "NRC Event Notification Report 42411 for May 12, 2008". http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/2008/20080512en.html#en42411. Retrieved 2009-06-07. 

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Nuclear Fuel Services — Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc. Rechtsform Privat Gründung 1957 Sitz …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Nuclear fuel cycle — The nuclear fuel cycle, also called nuclear fuel chain, is the progression of nuclear fuel through a series of differing stages. It consists of steps in the front end, which are the preparation of the fuel, steps in the service period in which… …   Wikipedia

  • Nuclear fuel bank — A nuclear fuel bank is a proposed approach to provide countries access to enriched nuclear fuel, without the need for them to possess enrichment technology. The basic concept is that countries who do have enrichment technology would donate… …   Wikipedia

  • Nuclear reprocessing — technology was developed to chemically separate and recover fissionable plutonium from irradiated nuclear fuel.[1] Reprocessing serves multiple purposes, whose relative importance has changed over time. Originally reprocessing was used solely to… …   Wikipedia

  • Nuclear power accidents by country — The abandoned city of Pripyat, Ukraine with the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the distance. 57 accidents have occurred since the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. Two thirds of these mishaps occurred in the US.[1] The French Atomic Energy Agency… …   Wikipedia

  • Nuclear and radiation accidents — This article is about nuclear and radiation accidents in general. For a list of military nuclear accidents, see List of military nuclear accidents. For a list of civilian nuclear accidents, see List of civilian nuclear accidents. For a discussion …   Wikipedia

  • Nuclear reactor accidents in the United States — According to a 2010 survey of energy accidents, there have been at least 56 accidents near nuclear reactors in the United States (defined as incidents that either resulted in the loss of human life or more than US$50,000 of property damage). The… …   Wikipedia

  • Nuclear power in India — Nuclear power is the fourth largest source of electricity in India after thermal, hydroelectric and renewable sources of electricity.[1] As of 2010, India has 20 nuclear reactors in operation in six nuclear power plants, generating… …   Wikipedia

  • Nuclear engineering — is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of the breakdown (fission) as well as the fusion of atomic nuclei and/or the application of other sub atomic physics, based on the principles of nuclear physics. In the sub field of… …   Wikipedia

  • nuclear reactor — Physics. reactor (def. 4). Also called nuclear pile. [1940 45] * * * Device that can initiate and control a self sustaining series of nuclear fission reactions. Neutrons released in one fission reaction may strike other heavy nuclei, causing them …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”