Showing papers on "Nuclear power published in 2008"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors screen 103 lifecycle studies of greenhouse gas-equivalent emissions for nuclear power plants to identify a subset of the most current, original, and transparent studies.
542 citations
TL;DR: The Generation-IV consortium seeks to develop a new generation of nuclear energy systems for commercial deployment by 2020-2030 as discussed by the authors, which include both the reactors and their fuel-cycle facilities.
389 citations
TL;DR: The authors report the results from a major British survey (n=1491) undertaken in the autumn of 2005 and conclude that while higher proportions of the British public are prepared to accept nuclear power if they believe it contributes to climate change mitigation, this is a highly conditional view, with very few actively preferring this over renewable sources given the choice.
Abstract: The UK is witnessing a new line in political debate around new nuclear energy generation as one potential feature of future energy policy, specifically for contributing to climate change mitigation alongside energy security. Little is known about how ordinary citizens might be responding to this reframing. This paper reports the results from a major British survey (n=1491) undertaken in the autumn of 2005. The consistent message is that while higher proportions of the British public are prepared to accept nuclear power if they believe it contributes to climate change mitigation, this is a highly conditional view, with very few actively preferring this over renewable sources given the choice. People see both climate change and nuclear power as problematic in terms of risks and express only a ‘reluctant acceptance’ of nuclear power as a ‘solution’ to climate change. The combined data from this survey can also be interpreted as an indication of the complexity surrounding beliefs about energy futures and the difficulty of undertaking simplistic risk–risk tradeoffs within any single framing of the issues; such as nuclear energy versus climate change. The results also indicate that it would be unwise, in the UK as elsewhere, to simplistically assume that there exists any single or stable public ‘opinion’ on such complex matters. We conclude with a discussion of the role and implications of the survey evidence for the policy process.
353 citations
TL;DR: A mixed-methods analysis of citizen views of climate change and radioactive waste and uses the term “reluctant acceptance” to describe how many focus group participants discursively re-negotiated their position on nuclear energy when it was positioned alongside climate change.
Abstract: In the past decade, human influence on the climate through increased use of fossil fuels has become widely acknowledged as one of the most pressing issues for the global community. For the United Kingdom, we suggest that these concerns have increasingly become manifest in a new strand of political debate around energy policy, which reframes nuclear power as part of the solution to the need for low-carbon energy options. A mixed-methods analysis of citizen views of climate change and radioactive waste is presented, integrating focus group data and a nationally representative survey. The data allow us to explore how UK citizens might now and in the future interpret and make sense of this new framing of nuclear power—which ultimately centers on a risk—risk trade-off scenario. We use the term “reluctant acceptance” to describe how, in complex ways, many focus group participants discursively re-negotiated their position on nuclear energy when it was positioned alongside climate change. In the concluding section of the paper, we reflect on the societal implications of the emerging discourse of new nuclear build as a means of delivering climate change mitigation and set an agenda for future research regarding the (re)framing of the nuclear energy debate in the UK and beyond.
287 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a linear multi-objective optimization model is formulated to optimize the operations of both the nuclear power generation and the corresponding induced-waste reverse logistics, considering factors such as the operational risks induced in both the power generating and reverse logistics processes.
Abstract: Built on the concepts of green supply chain management (G-SCM), this paper presents a multi-objective optimization programming approach to address the issue of nuclear power generation. In this study, a linear multi-objective optimization model is formulated to optimize the operations of both the nuclear power generation and the corresponding induced-waste reverse logistics. Factors such as the operational risks induced in both the power generation and reverse logistics processes are considered in the model formulation. Numerical results indicate that using the proposed approach, the induced environmental impact including the corresponding costs and risks can be improved up to 37.8%.
146 citations
TL;DR: In the context of global warming, nuclear energy is a carbon-free source of power and so is a meaningful option for energy production without CO2 emissions as discussed by the authors, and there are more than 440 commercial nuclear reactors, accounting for about 15% of electric power generation in the world.
135 citations
TL;DR: Nuclear power and renewable energy are the main options to bring down the carbon intensity of commercial energy supply as mentioned in this paper, but they are mutually exclusive on the five major directions of future power systems.
119 citations
TL;DR: The Thorium Molten Salt Nuclear Energy Synergetic System [THORIMS-NES] as mentioned in this paper is a symbiotic system, based on the thorium-uranium-233 cycle.
101 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a case study of the energy, water, and carbon costs of uranium mining and milling within the context of the nuclear energy chain, showing the sensitivity of sustainability assessments to the ore grade of the uranium deposit being mined.
Abstract: The mining of uranium has long been a controversial public issue, and a renewed debate has emerged on the potential for nuclear power to help mitigate against climate change. The central thesis of pro-nuclear advocates is the lower carbon intensity of nuclear energy compared to fossil fuels, although there remains very little detailed analysis of the true carbon costs of nuclear energy. In this paper, we compile and analyze a range of data on uranium mining and milling, including uranium resources as well as sustainability metrics such as energy and water consumption and carbon emissions with respect to uranium production-arguably the first time for modern projects. The extent of economically recoverable uranium resources is clearly linked to exploration, technology, and economics but also inextricably to environmental costs such as energy/water/chemicals consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and social issues. Overall, the data clearly show the sensitivity of sustainability assessments to the ore grade of the uranium deposit being mined and that significant gaps remain in complete sustainability reporting and accounting. This paper is a case study of the energy, water, and carbon costs of uranium mining and milling within the context of the nuclear energy chain.
98 citations
01 Jan 2008
91 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, an extension of the Fisher-Pry substitution model was used to account for the observed historical shifts of primary energy use from sources of wood, coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear.
TL;DR: The relationship between RD and that investments in improving Light Water Reactors have the greatest expected return was discussed in this article. But the relationship was not discussed in this paper, as it does in other works.
Abstract: The relationship between RD and that investments in improving Light Water Reactors have the greatest expected return.
TL;DR: In this paper, inert matrix fuels, possibly containing thoria, were used in a once-through cycle for nuclear power to meet the proliferation risk, and the results showed that these fuels are very well suited for direct disposal in a geological repository.
01 Jan 2008
TL;DR: The present chapter outlines in depth the PRA history, the essential elements of a PRA, today’s challenges, an outlook, and last but not least, some rational comments to trigger supplementary developments and further improvements in the P RA methodology and the related risk management process.
Abstract: Probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) is a systematic and comprehensive methodology to evaluate risks associated with a complex technological entity. PRAs for nuclear power plants have a more than 30 year old success story. The present chapter outlines in depth the PRA history, the essential elements of a PRA, today’s challenges, an outlook, and last but not least, some rational comments to trigger supplementary developments and further improvements in the PRA methodology and the related risk management process.
TL;DR: Data from a 2005 Eurobarometer survey of UK citizens is employed to examine the influence of both political preferences and knowledge in explaining support of nuclear power, revealing that attitudes about nuclear power are highly politically motivated while the influence about radioactive waste is dependent upon beliefs about the consequences of nuclear energy use.
Abstract: Attitudes toward the use of nuclear energy pose fundamental issues in the political debate about how to meet future energy needs. Development of new nuclear power facilities faces significant opposition both from knowledgeable individuals who display an understanding of the risks attached to various forms of power generation and those who follow strict politically based ideological dogmas. This article employs data from a 2005 Eurobarometer survey of UK citizens to examine the influence of both political preferences and knowledge in explaining support of nuclear power. Findings reveal that attitudes about nuclear power are highly politically motivated while the influence of knowledge about radioactive waste is dependent upon beliefs about the consequences of nuclear energy use. Perceptions of being informed about radioactive waste and trust in sources providing information about radioactive waste management also predict attitudes toward nuclear power generation.
TL;DR: In this paper, a multi-objective geographic information system (GIS) with ESRI ArcView GIS 3.x interface is developed to practically support the involved parties for such a multiobjective route selection problem in engineering practices.
Abstract: Nuclear power is widely used throughout the world today. Functioning nuclear power plants produce large quantities of radioactive wastes needing to be transported to safe sites for proper management. With public emphasis on environmental protection and concern for safe transport of nuclear wastes, the problem of selecting an appropriate route for transporting nuclear wastes is a vitally important issue. The aforementioned route selection problem involves conflicting objectives among interested parties; therefore, we develop a multi-objective geographic information system (GIS) with ESRI ArcView GIS 3.x interface to practically support the involved parties for such a multi-objective route selection problem in engineering practices. 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors quantified the contribution of Portuguese energy policies for total and marginal abatement costs (MAC) for CO2 emissions for 2020, using the TIMES_PT optimisation model.
TL;DR: The immediate thrust in the science and technology of nuclear materials is to realize a robust reactor technology with associated fuel cycle and ensure the cost competitiveness of nuclear power and to extend the service life of reactors to 100 years as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Global energy demand is expected to increase steeply, creating an urgent need to evolve a judicious global energy policy, exploiting the potential of all available energy resources, including nuclear energy. With increasing awareness of environmental issues, nuclear energy is expected to play an important role on the energy scenario in the coming decades. The immediate thrust in the science and technology of nuclear materials is to realize a robust reactor technology with associated fuel cycle and ensure the cost competitiveness of nuclear power and to extend the service life of reactors to 100 years. Accordingly, the present-generation materials need to be modified to meet the demands of prolonged exposure to irradiation and extended service life for the reactor. Emerging nuclear systems incorporate features to ensure environmental friendliness, effective waste management, enhanced safety, and proliferation resistance and require development of high-temperature materials and the associated technologies. Fusion, on a longer horizon of about fve decades, also requires the development of a new spectrum of materials. The development of next-generation materials technology is expected to occur in short times and is likely to be further accelerated by strong international collaborations.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine the political dynamics in China to show how the rival players and their competing interests shape the strategy of nuclear energy development, and show that nuclear energy issues have become openly contested between general economic and specific industry interests and between international and domestic perspectives and designs.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors demonstrate the potential for 19% system efficiency for 100 Weisotopic power sources at an integrated specific power source using a solar cell like multijunction approach in the near future.
Abstract: Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) energy conversion cells have made steady and, over the years, considerable progress since first evaluated by Lockheed Martin for direct conversion using nuclear power sources in the mid 1980s. The design trades and evaluations for application to the early defensive missile satellites of the Strategic Defense Initiative found the cell technology to be immature with unacceptably low cell efficiencies comparable to thermoelectric of <10%. Rapid advances in the epitaxial growth technology for ternary compound semiconductors, novel double heterostructure junctions, innovative monolithic integrated cell architecture, and bandpass tandem filter have, in concert, significantly improved cell efficiencies to 25% with the promise of 35% using a solar cell like multijunction approach in the near future. Recent NASA sponsored design and feasibility testing programs have demonstrated the potential for 19% system efficiency for 100 We radioisotopic power sources at an integrated specific power o...
01 Jan 2008
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a survey of the state of the art in the area of knowledge discovery, including the following words: "ACKNOWLEDGMENTS" and "ABBREVIATIONS".
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors showed that the limit of ore grade to offset greenhouse gas emissions is significantly higher than the purely thermodynamic limit set by energy payback times found in the literature.
Abstract: To both replace fossil-fuel-energy use and meet the future energy demands, nuclear energy production would have to increase by 10.5% per year from 2010 to 2050. This large growth rate creates a cannibalistic effect, where nuclear energy must be used to supply the energy for future nuclear power plants. This study showed that the limit of ore grade to offset greenhouse gas emissions is significantly higher than the purely thermodynamic limit set by energy payback times found in the literature. In addition, any use of nuclear energy directly contributes heat to the Earth, which the Earth must radiate into space by raising its temperature to maintain thermodynamic equilibrium. This is a relatively small effect, but as energy consumption grows it must be considered for a world powered by nuclear energy. The results of this study demand modesty in claims of 'emission-free nuclear energy' as a panacea for global climate destabilisation.
TL;DR: The U.S. emerged from World War II as the world's leading scientific and technological nation, consolidating its advantage for the next two or three decades as mentioned in this paper, and used the nation's dominance in the nuclear field, inherited from the Manhattan Project, to divert the resources of Western European states, notably France and Germany, into a civilian nuclear power program undertaken by a new supranational organization, Euratom.
Abstract: The U.S. emerged from World War II as the world's leading scientific and technological nation, consolidating its advantage for the next two or three decades. This paper describes how the State Department used the nation's dominance in the nuclear field, inherited from the Manhattan Project, to divert the resources of Western European states, notably France and Germany, into a civilian nuclear power program undertaken by a new supranational organization, Euratom. The determination on the continent to re-launch the European integration process in 1955, the Suez crisis in 1956, and the launch of the Sputniks in 1957 were opportunities ably exploited by officers in the State Department to use America's scientific, technological, and industrial depth in nuclear power as a political weapon. To this end they withheld the supply of enriched uranium for as long as possible from nations that wanted the fuel through bilateral agreements with the Atomic Energy Commission. In parallel they offered nuclear materials and know how, along with economic and political incentives, to encourage nations to commit to Euratom. This policy was strongly opposed by senior officials in the AEC and in the fledgling International Atomic Energy Agency, as well in Britain and in some continental countries, but to no avail. Though the State Department's efforts eventually bore little fruit, the paper clearly shows how U.S. leadership in science and technology was mobilized to promote America's foreign policy agenda in Western Europe in the early Cold War.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed a spatial design of an automatic nuclear aerosol monitoring network over the French territory, where each of the stations is able to automatically sample the air aerosol content and provide activity concentration measurements on several radionuclides.
TL;DR: Raj et al. as discussed by the authors proposed different strategies for the utilization of fssile nuclides, mainly 235U and 239Pu, and these different strategies have important implications for nuclear waste management and nuclear weapons proliferation.
Abstract: Every energy source has environmental impacts—positive and negative. Nuclear power is a carbon-free source of energy that can reduce CO2 emissions by displacing the use of fossil fuels. The present level of carbon displacement is approximately 0.5 gigatonnes of carbon per year (GtC/year), compared to the nearly 8 GtC/year emitted by the use of fossil fuels. However, there are three major negative environmental impacts of nuclear power: catastrophic accidents, nuclear weapons, and nuclear waste. The last two, weapons and waste, are directly tied to the type of nuclear fuel cycle (Figure 4 in the main nuclear article by Raj et al. in this issue). The different fuel cycles refect different strategies for the utilization of fssile nuclides, mainly 235U and 239Pu, and these different strategies have important implications for nuclear waste management and nuclear weapons proliferation.
TL;DR: In this article, an assessment system, including assessment performances, weighing coefficients and an assessment model, is established to quantify the status of public acceptance of nuclear power in China, using this system, quantitative indicators are derived, their trends over 5 years are described, the main factors influencing the public acceptance in China are derived and, accordingly, necessary improvements are suggested.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors extensively review the condition monitoring techniques using empirical models in an effort to reduce or eliminate unexpected downtimes in general industry, and to illustrate the feasibility of applying them to the nuclear industry.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluated the suitability of the SVBR-75/100 nuclear reactor for multi-purpose use in nuclear power plants, considering the inherent selfprotection and passive safety properties of this type of nuclear reactors.
01 May 2008
TL;DR: In this article, the authors assess the commercial viability of advanced nuclear technology as a means of meeting future demand for electricity by comparing the costs of producing electricity from different sources under varying circumstances.
Abstract: : This study assesses the commercial viability of advanced nuclear technology as a means of meeting future demand for electricity by comparing the costs of producing electricity from different sources under varying circumstances. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated the cost of producing electricity using a new generation of nuclear reactors and other base-load technologies under a variety of assumptions about prospective carbon dioxide charges, EPAct incentives, and future market conditions. This study compares the cost of advanced nuclear technology with that of other major sources of base-load capacity that are available throughout the country including both conventional and innovative fossil-fuel technologies. Because the study focuses only on technologies that can be used as base-load capacity in most parts of the country, it does not address renewable energy technologies that are intermittent (such as wind and solar power) or technologies that use resources readily available only in certain areas (such as geothermal or hydroelectric power).
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the processes for manufacture of hydrogen from nuclear heat, and the integration of nuclear-produced hydrogen into the transportation fuel system, in part via synergies with traditional oil, natural gas and coal, and/or synergies of nontraditional shale and tar sands.