- Industry: Government
- Number of terms: 11131
- Number of blossaries: 0
- Company Profile:
An independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil. FERC also regulates and oversees hydropower projects, and the construction of liquefied natural gas terminals and interstate natural gas pipelines. FERC protects the economic, environmental, and safety interests of the American public, while working abundant, reliable energy in a fair, competitive market.
Industry:Energy
A component of U. S. Department of Homeland Security responsible for protecting the nation and reducing the loss of life and property from all hazards, such as natural disasters and acts of terrorism. FEMA leads and supports a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation. FEMA also administers the National Flood Insurance Program.
Industry:Energy
A fault tree identifies all of the pathways that lead to a system failure. Toward that end, the fault tree starts with the top event, as defined by the event tree, and identifies (using the AND, OR, M out of N logic connectors) what equipment and operator actions, if failed, would prevent successful operation of the system. All components and operator actions that are necessary for system function are considered. Thus, the fault tree is developed to a point where data are available for the failure rate of the modeled component or operator action. For additional information, see Probabilistic Risk Assessment.
Industry:Energy
A neutron with kinetic energy greater than its surroundings when released during fission.
Industry:Energy
The hands, forearms, elbows, feet, knees, leg below the knees, and ankles. Permissible radiation exposures in these regions are generally greater than those for whole body exposure because the extremities contain fewer blood-forming organs and have smaller volumes for energy absorption.
Industry:Energy
Fission of a "heavy" atom (such as uranium-238) when it absorbs a fast (high energy) neutron. Most fissionable materials need slow (thermal) neutrons in order to fission.
Industry:Energy
Exposure to ionizing radiation when the radiation source is located outside the body.
Industry:Energy
Absorption of ionizing radiation or ingestion of a radioisotope. Acute exposure is a large exposure received over a short period of time. Chronic exposure is exposure received over a long period of time, such as during a lifetime. The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) estimates that an average person in the United States receives a total annual dose of about 0. 62 rem (620 millirem) from all radiations sources, a level that has not been shown to cause humans any harm. Of this total, natural background sources of radiation—including radon and thoron gas, natural radiation from soil and rocks, radiation from space and radiation sources that are found naturally within the human body—account for approximately 50 percent. Medical procedures such as computed tomography (CT scans) and nuclear medicine account approximately for another 48 percent. Other small contributors of exposure to the U. S. Population includes consumer products and activities, industrial and research uses, and occupational tasks. The maximum permissible yearly dose for a person working with or around nuclear material is 5 rem.
Industry:Energy
A sudden, very rapid rise in the power level of a reactor caused by supercriticality. Excursions are usually quickly suppressed by the moderator temperature coefficient, the fuel temperature coefficient, or the void coefficient of reactivity (depending upon reactor design), or by rapid insertion of control rods.
Industry:Energy
The area surrounding the reactor where the reactor licensee has the authority to determine all activities, including exclusion or removal of personnel and property.
Industry:Energy
