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Issues Facing New Nuclear Build
Published in William J. Nuttall, Nuclear Renaissance, 2022
Fundamental to all commercial nuclear power is the process of nuclear fission; that is, the splitting of the atomic nucleus when it is hit by an incoming neutron. Fission occurs for only some of the heaviest elements such as uranium. It relies on the fact that the binding energy of the strong nuclear force in the largest atoms is larger than it would be in two separate atoms of roughly half the size. That is, by splitting the large, heavy uranium atom into two lighter atoms, such as barium and krypton, the difference in strong nuclear force binding energy is released. This is the energy associated with nuclear fission and all current nuclear power production.
The New Energy Reality
Published in Anco S. Blazev, Energy Security for The 21st Century, 2021
Nuclear power is a sustainable energy source that provides reliable power generation and reduces carbon emissions. Aside from the risks related to nuclear accidents—which also present a serious energy risk—nuclear power generation depends on a reliable fuel source.
Relationship between Nuclear Energy Consumption and Economic Growth
Published in Stephen A. Roosa, International Solutions to Sustainable Energy, Policies and Applications, 2020
Korhan Gokmenoglu, Mohamad Kaakeh
Spain imports 95% of the oil it requires. The country is sensitive to nonrenewable energy sources because of volatility in oil and gas prices, political risks in oil exporting countries, environmental concerns associated with increased carbon emissions, and dependency on imported oil. Authorities should consider other sustainable and reliable energy resources to overcome these problems including nuclear energy. It is a reliable energy source with plentiful raw material (uranium) that lacks the price volatility associated with oil and natural gas. Using nuclear power can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, decrease the cost of generated electricity, and minimize reliance on imported oil.
New Security Concepts for Advanced Reactors
Published in Nuclear Science and Engineering, 2023
Alan Evans, John L. Russell, Benjamin B. Cipiti
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulates the security, operations, and safeguards of nuclear power facilities and research reactors in the United States. The NRC is proposing new rulemaking language that will allow for a technology-inclusive and performance-based approach to regulate the security of ARs. The new options are meant to consider advanced technologies that allow for the improved detection, delay, and response of security incidents. This new shift in regulatory requirements is being developed in two stages, with the first being alternative physical security requirements2 and the second being a risk-informed, technology-inclusive regulatory framework for ARs through a new licensing framework in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 53 (Ref. 3).
Feasibility tests on ground granulated powders compiled from waste concrete for soil solidification
Published in European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering, 2022
Eun-A Seo, Hyun-Sub Yoon, Do-Gyeum Kim, Keun-Hyeok Yang, Van Tuan Nguyen
As nuclear power plant techniques take a major step forward, degradation in the structures and facilities of the plants have gradually become a serious issue in many parts of the world; this is because the deterioration of concrete elements or machine facilities of nuclear power plants can result in radiation exposure, which can be lethal to human safety. The dismantling and disposal techniques of nuclear power plants have recently emerged as global issues (Lee et al., 2016). Among the various types of waste generated during the dismantling of nuclear power plants, waste concrete accounts for the largest volume, and its volume is approximately more than 70% of the total volume of waste (Sasaki et al., 2009; Sawada et al., 2005). Because concrete structures in the plant barrier surrounding the reactor commonly experience radioactivation, recycling the waste concrete generated in nuclear power plants requires a safer process and more elaborate consideration than recycling conventional waste concrete (Koga et al., 1997; Tao et al., 2020). Therefore, the safe and effective recycling of radioactivated concrete waste has become a crucial challenge in the nuclear industry.
Comparison of flows and heat transfers in reactor cores with spherical-particle fuels and cylindrical-rod fuels
Published in Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 2021
Xu Liu, Nan Gui, Xingtuan Yang, Jiyuan Tu, Shengyao Jiang, Houjun Gong
In nuclear power plants, nuclear fuel releases a lot of heat, which is converted into electricity. At the same time, the coolant (such as water and helium) takes away this part of heat in time to ensure that the core temperature is within a reasonable range [1,2]. Different reactors have different fuel types: spherical, cylindrical etc [3–6]. From the point of view of flow and heat transfer, a lot of heat needs to be taken away when the fluid flows around nuclear fuel. It involves flow and heat transfer, fluid–structure interactions and so on [7]. Good flow and heat transfer effect are conducive to the safe and efficient operation of the reactor [8]. These show the importance of studying the flow and heat transfer characteristics about nuclear fuel (spherical particles and cylindrical rods).