Field Of Nuclear Energy Research Articles

Nuclear-Physical Foundation of Atomic Energy

The current status of the nuclear database used for engineering calculations in the field of nuclear energy is reported. It is shown that the nuclear database and its attendant computational methods, stabilization, and transmission to the next generation of specialists who will have to solve the problems of the future development of nuclear power must be improved and updated.

International cooperation of states in the field of nuclear energy at the present stage

International cooperation of states in the field of nuclear energy at the present stage

Ni–Mn LDH-decorated 3D Fe-inserted and N-doped carbon framework composites for efficient uranium(vi) removal

Extraction of uranium from seawater is of great interest because of its potential applications in the nuclear energy field.

Polypyrrole modified Fe0-loaded graphene oxide for the enrichment of uranium(vi) from simulated seawater.

Extraction of uranium(vi) from seawater has attracted much attention for its potential use in the nuclear energy field. In this work, we synthesized graphene oxide-polypyrrole (GO-PPy) through pyrrole monomer polymerization on graphene oxide (GO) with an aqueous solution at low temperature and prepared reduced graphene oxide-polypyrrole-zero-valent iron (rGO-PPy-Fe0) composites by chemical deposition. We characterized rGO-PPy-Fe0 using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The rGO-PPy-Fe0 composites were investigated for the removal of uranium from aqueous solution and simulated seawater. The experimental results demonstrated that the rGO-PPy-Fe0 adsorbent possessed a superior capacity for the adsorption of uranium at mg g-1 and μg g-1 at the pH value of seawater. The adsorption process conformed to the pseudo-second-order rate equation and the Langmuir isotherm model. Based on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), we revealed the possible adsorption mechanism of uranium onto rGO-PPy-Fe0, which simulated a prospective potential of the adsorbent in seawater.

Acquis Communautaire in the Field of Nuclear and Radiation Safety and Ukrainian Legislation: Prospects and Challenges of Harmonization

Since the Chernobyl disaster, special attention is paid in Ukraine to legislation in the field of nuclear energy and radiation safety. A new stage of enhancing Ukrainian nuclear and radiation safety legislation began with the signing in 2014 of the Association Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Ukraine, of the other. In addition, the Ordinance of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of 17 September 2014 on the implementation of the Association Agreement on atomic energy between Ukraine from one side and the European Union, the European Community and its member-countries from another side, provided for the development and adoption of new regulations in the energy sector (including nuclear) in order to implement Directives: 1) Council Directive 2014/87/Euratom of 8 July 2014 amending Directive 2009/71/Euratom establishing a Community framework for the nuclear safety of nuclear installations, 2) Council Directive 2006/117/Euratom of 20 November 2006 on the supervision and control of shipments of radioactive waste and spent fuel, 3) Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom of 5 December 2013 laying down basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionizing radiation. Implementation of EU legislation in the field of nuclear and radiation safety will reveal major shortcomings of the current state of affairs and, at the same time, mechanisms to improve Ukraine’s national legislation with the aim of preventing another Chernobyl disaster in the future.

Quantification of gas phase methyl iodide using H3O+ as the reagent ion in the PTR-MS technique

In this work, the proton transfer reaction between the hydronium ion (H3O+) and methyl iodide (CH3I) is studied to investigate if consistent quantification of the gas phase CH3I is possible in humid air. The neutral CH3I molecule was chosen because this compound is of environmental importance in the field of nuclear power plant safety and nuclear energy. Water was used as a reagent ion source in a conventional Insbruck PTR-MS to produce H3O+ reagent ions. The use of H3O+ ions allows for fast, sensitive and specific detection of gas phase CH3I via a proton-transfer reaction H3O++CH3I→[CH3I-H]++H2O. The instrument response was linear in the tested 5–96ppbV range and the PTR-MS sensitivity was observed to be humidity dependent. The observed sensitivity was in found to range between 1.6 and 3.3cps/ppb at relative humidity between 63 and 15% at T=23°C. A typical H3O+ primary ion signal was 107cps and the normalized sensitivity was in the range between 0.16 and 0.33ncps/ppb. The instrument CH3IH+ ion background rate was 6.8±1.4cps and the dwell time was 1s. The detection limit was calculated as 3 times the standard deviation of the background level and ranged between 1.3 and 3.8ppb. The theoretical collision rate based on the dipole moment and molecular polarizability is calculated. The theoretical collision rate is compared with the experimentally obtained values. The results indicate that the PTR-MS technique is a good analytical method to detect and quantify gas phase CH3I concentrations.

The criteria of optimization of training specialists for the nuclear power industry and its implementation in the educational process

The nuclear industry is one of the most important and high-tech spheres of human activity in Russia. The main cause of accidents in the nuclear industry is the human factor. In this connection, the need to constantly analyze the system of training of specialists and its optimization in order to improve safety at nuclear industry enterprises. To do this, you must analyze the international experience in the field of training in the field of nuclear energy leading countries. Based on the analysis criteria have been formulated to optimize the educational process of training specialists for the nuclear power industry and test their effectiveness. The most effective and promising is the introduction of modern information technologies of training of students, such as real-time simulators, electronic educational resources, etc.

Design of polymer-derived SiC for nuclear applications from the perspective of heterogeneous interfaces

Polymer-derived SiC ceramics have been increasingly used in the field of nuclear energy. Herein, we synthetized polymer-derived SiCs with varying SiC/C heterogeneous interfacial properties by pyrolyzing the ceramics at different temperatures. Subsequently, we studied the effect of these interfacial properties on the irradiation behavior (i.e., volume swelling, amorphization, and mechanical properties) of the SiC ceramics. In the case of crystalline ceramics (pyrolyzed at 1150–1500°C), the presence of a nano-crystalline graphite (NC-G) phase with sp3/sp2 hybridization ratios of 0.40–1.27 further enhanced the swelling resistance of nano-SiC by increasing the defect trapping capability of the interfaces. In contrast, amorphous ceramics (pyrolyzed at 900–1100°C) showed low penetration depths and superior stabilities upon irradiation. These strong ion cascade blocking characteristics may result from the atomic short-range order of these materials. This approach allows optimum design of polymer-derived SiC with superior swelling resistance and stability under room-temperature irradiation.

Hydrogen Isotope Separation By Using Alkaline Fuel Cell

Introduction The heavy hydrogen isotopes, deuterium (D) and tritium (T) are important materials in the field of nuclear energy. Particularly in recent years, development of new effective separation method is required for the water contaminated by the T. Every day the enormous volume is accumulating in Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The water electrolysis, which is the industrially most general separation method, has disadvantage that consume energy is tremendous. To solve this point, we have investigated novel hydrogen isotope separation system named Combined Electrolysis Fuel Cell (CEFC) [1]. In this system, hydrogen and oxygen produced by electrolysis is used for power generation in fuel cell. From this, we can save energy and get further isotope effect by electrochemical reaction in fuel cell. Actually we reported that the D isotope was enriched in water phase by fuel cells with anion or cation conducting polymer [2, 3]. Here, we newly focused on another type of fuel cell, Alkaline Fuel Cell (AFC), and investigated the separation mechanism by several electrochemical methods. Experimental The anode was Ru catalyst supported by carbon and the cathode was Pt one. The electrolyte was 30 wt.% KOH solution. Pure H2­­ or D2 gas was supplied to anode and air was did to cathode. The reference electrode was Hg/HgO. Linear sweep amperometry was measured at the scan rate of 20 mA/sec until the cell voltage reached 0.4 V. Simultaneously electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was carried out by frequency analyzer. The frequency range was from 0.1 Hz to 1 x 104 Hz. The experimental temperature was 50 ºC. 3．Results Figure 1 shows the cell voltage-current curves of AFC. The same values of cell voltage at 0 A did not clearly demonstrate that the equilibrium potential of hydrogen oxidation reaction depended on the isotopes. The activation overvoltage, which can be detected as the voltage drop when the current was applied, was about 0.2 V for both gases. On the one hand, the cell voltage decreased linearly until the current reached 1400 mA when H2 gas was used. On the other hand, the voltage of D2 result was remarkably fallen at 1160 mA. The difference of the cell voltage was mainly attributed to the anode potential. This result suggested that the H2 gas transportation in the gas diffusion layer was faster than that of D2 probably. In the meeting, we report the separation factor of the D in a ddition to the EIS results. [1] H. Matsushima, T. Nohira, T. Kitabata, Y. Ito, Energy. 30 (2005) 2413. [2] S. Shibuya, H. Matsushima, M. Ueda, J. Electrochem. Soc. 163 (2016) F704 [3] R. Ogawa, H. Matsushima, M. Ueda, Electrochem. Commun. 70 (2016) 5. Figure 1

Radiofobia w świecie plotki. Katastrofa w Czarnobylu a wybuchy paniki we współczesnej Polsce

In this paper I examine traces of radiophobia in gossips as a manifestation of culture in the shadow of an atomic bomb. This study aims to recognize main social functions of this kind of folktales. The field of research is narrowed down mainly to folktales disseminated in Poland. The methods employed during an investigation include an analysis of narratives published in the Internet and newspaper news. The study shows that some of these gossips provide both simplified records of past experience of humanity in the field of nuclear energy, and certain guidelines helping to cope with basic risks involved.

International and Supranational Aspects of Nuclear Liability

The Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage and the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy as the fundamental international conventions regulating the issues of liability for damages caused as a result of a nuclear incident have promoted a special regime (nuclear liability regime based on the system of civil law) founded on several principles. The paper deals with the current nuclear liability framework, analysing the basic principles which had become binding rules for respective contracting parties (states) over the preceding half-century and commitments arising from the international nuclear liability conventions. Further, the paper points out major challenges for the future development in this field, in particular taking the normative activity and other forms of EU actions into regard.

Expected roles for nursing staff working in the fields of medical and nuclear energy

Expected roles for nursing staff working in the fields of medical and nuclear energy

Demineralization of Turkish Tosya lignite coal by boric acid leaching

ABSTRACTBoric acid is a weak inorganic acid type which is generally being used in glass, ceramics, detergents, agriculture, nuclear energy, and medicine fields, which has white crystal color and which can easily dissolve in water. Boric acid is being produced from colemanite which is a boron mineral having wide reserves in Turkey. In recent years, intense studies have been performed on the alternative usage areas of boric acid in Turkey. In this study, boric acid was used as a leaching reagent for the demineralization of coal with high ash content. For the accurate determination of the success of boric acid in dissolving mineral matter, first a series of leaching tests were performed with boric acid, and then studies for removing mineral matter with strong acids such as hydrofluoric acid (HF), HCl, and H2SO4 were performed.

Discrete breathers in alpha-uranium

Uranium is an important radioactive material used in the field of nuclear energy and it is interesting from the scientific point of view because it possesses unique structure and properties. There exist several experimental reports on anomalies of physical properties of uranium that have not been yet explained. Manley et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 125501 (2006); Phys. Rev. B 77, 214305 (2008)] speculate that the excitation of discrete breathers (DBs) could be the reason for anisotropy of thermal expansion and for the deviation of heat capacity from the theoretical prediction in the high temperature range. In the present work, with the use of molecular dynamics, the existence of DBs in α-uranium is demonstrated and their properties are studied. It is found that DB frequency lies above the phonon band and increases with DB amplitude. DB is localized on half a dozen of atoms belonging to a straight atomic chain. DB in uranium, unlike DBs in fcc, bcc and hcp metals, is almost immobile. Thus, the DB reported in this study cannot contribute to thermal conductivity and the search for other types of DBs in α-uranium should be continued. Our results demonstrate that even metals with low-symmetry crystal lattices such as the orthorhombic lattice of α-uranium can support DBs.

Rosyjsko-indyjska współpraca w dziedzinie nauki i eksploracji kosmosu

Friendship between New Delhi and Moscow began during the Cold War. Many of the Indian scientific and technological achievements (especially in the field of space research and nuclear energy) became possible thanks to the strong support of the Soviet Union. The purpose of this article is to present two areas of cooperation between India and Russia, which are not so popular in publications – science & technology and space cooperation. Both of these areas prove that the Russia-India cooperation goes beyond the export of military equipment and political statements. It also shows that both countries cooperate with each other on the basis of equal partnership and share technological achievements.

Moral Crumple Zones: Cautionary Tales in Human-Robot Interaction (WeRobot 2016)

A prevailing rhetoric in human-robot interaction is that automated systems will help humans do their jobs better. Robots will not replace humans, but rather work alongside and supplement human work. Even when most of a system will be automated, the concept of keeping a “human in the loop” assures that human judgment will always be able to trump automation. This rhetoric emphasizes fluid cooperation and shared control. In practice, the dynamics of shared control between human and robot are more complicated, especially with respect to issues of accountability.As control has become distributed across multiple actors, our social and legal conceptions of responsibility remain generally about an individual. If there's an accident, we intuitively — and our laws, in practice — want someone to take the blame. The result of this ambiguity is that humans may emerge as “moral crumple zones.” Just as the crumple zone in a car is designed to absorb the force of impact in a crash, the human in a robotic system may become simply a component — accidentally or intentionally — that is intended to bear the brunt of the moral and legal penalties when the overall system fails.This paper employs the concept of “moral crumple zones” within human-machine systems as a lens through which to think about the limitations of current frameworks for accountability in human-machine or robot systems. The paper examines two historical cases of “moral crumple zones” in the fields of aviation and nuclear energy and articulates the dimensions of distributed control at stake while also mapping the degree to which this control of and responsibility for an action are proportionate. The argument suggests that an analysis of the dimensions of accountability in automated and robotic systems must contend with how and why accountability may be misapplied and how structural conditions enable this misunderstanding. How do non-human actors in a system effectively deflect accountability onto other human actors? And how might future models of robotic accountability require this deflection to be controlled? At stake is the potential ultimately to protect against new forms of consumer and worker harm.This paper presents the concept of the “moral crumple zone” as both a challenge to and an opportunity for the design and regulation of human-robot systems. By articulating mismatches between control and responsibility, we argue for an updated framework of accountability in human-robot systems, one that can contend with the complicated dimensions of cooperation between human and robot.

火山現象に対する原子力発電所の安全確保について（その2）

Japan is one of the countries with abundant active volcanoes. In the field of nuclear energy, it is necessary to assess safety against volcanic hazards, and voluntary guidelines were published as JEAG4625 in 2009 to set up the requirements of site assessments and the basic designs of nuclear power plants (NPPs). Revised guidelines were published in 2014, which stated the need to examine volcanic phenomena and concrete countermeasures in the detailed designs of NPPs. A further revision included the requirement of the safety assessment of equipment used for measures in a severe accident. This paper focuses on the background and technical basis of the revision of the voluntary guidelines and shows the basic policy on the concept of defence-in-depth for protecting NPPs against volcanic phenomena and the requirements of equipment to perform measures in the case of a severe accident to prevent nuclear hazards due to volcanic phenomena and the maintenance program after an volcanic eruption.

Deuterium Storage of Ti39Zr38Ni17Pd6 Icosahedral Quasi-crystal

Abstract Ti-Zr-Ni-based icosahedral quasicrystals (IQCs) are a type of hydrogen storage materials with promising application in the fields of hydrogen energy and nuclear fusion energy. In the present paper, the preparation of Ti39Zr38Ni17Pd6 IQC and its deuterium storage properties were investigated by XRD, TEM, XPS analysis and a gas-solid reaction system. Results show that the saturation concentration of absorbing deuterium for the alloy at room temperature reaches near 11 mmol·D2/g·M (D2 means deuterium molecular and M the metal), exceeding those of Zr2Fe and ZrCo alloys. After a few absorption/desorption cycles, no phase transformation is observed, but the quasilattice displays a remarkable expansion of 6.37% after full D intake. The binding energy rise of 0.2 eV for Ti and 0.6 eV for Zr, caused by the introduction of saturated deuterium atoms, provides the evidence of the preferential location of deuterium near Zr and Ti in quasicrystals of this kind. The possible existence of a lower D desorption equilibrium pressure with

Preliminary safety analysis of the PWR with accident-tolerant fuels during severe accident conditions

Experience gained in decades of nuclear safety research and previous nuclear accidents direct to the investigation of passive safety system design and accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) system which is now becoming a hot research point in the nuclear energy field. The ATF system is aimed at upgrading safety characteristics of the nuclear fuel and cladding in a reactor core where active cooling has been lost, and is preferable or comparable to the current UO2–Zr system when the reactor is in normal operation. By virtue of advanced materials with improved properties, the ATF system will obviously slow down the progression of accidents, allowing wider margin of time for the mitigation measures to work. Specifically, the simulation and analysis of a large break loss of coolant accident (LBLOCA) without ECCS and extended station blackout (SBO) severe accident are performed for a pressurized water reactor (PWR) loaded with ATF candidates, to reflect the accident-tolerance of ATF.

한국 원자력 분야 정책추진체계 연구 - 고리원전추가건설사례로 본 위험거버넌스 구축 측면에서 -

The purpose of this study is to find ways to build a desirable risk governance to respond to these uncertainties like such as increased risk due to the rapid development of modern science and technology in S. Korea. This study is about model of risk communication with scientific technology for additional construction of nuclear power plants. This study analyzed risk communication with scientific technology through new explanatory models between approval opinions of scientific professional group and opposition opinions of the public with Kori nuclear power plant of S. Korea. And then This study investigated related system for policy promotion in the field of nuclear energy of the current S. Korea. Consequently, Governance to strengthen the negotiations on nuclear technology at the time of the interaction in risk communication have been identified and the future of policy direction of the Korean Standard Nuclear Power Plant was detected.