Nuclear Energy Sources Research Articles

Investigation of the Hydrogen Gas Production by Using Solar Energy

Hydrogen is an energy source that offers both environmental benefits and reliability, making it a promising solution for promoting sustainable growth in various sectors worldwide. As businesses and societies increasingly seek sustainable alternatives, hydrogen has emerged as a key player in the transition to a low-carbon economy based on renewable energy sources. Consequently, hydrogen production holds immense potential for replacing traditional energy sources such as petroleum, natural gas, and non-renewable energy. Various methods can be employed for hydrogen production, including fossil fuel-based processes, nuclear energy, and renewable energy sources. To achieve the goal of zero emissions, the focus has shifted towards utilizing renewable energy, specifically through photovoltaic electrolysis, to generate hydrogen gas. Photovoltaic electrolysis employs solar energy to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. However, the efficiency of this method is currently quite low. Temperature plays a crucial role in increasing the efficiency of water electrolysis, making it an important factor to consider in enhancing hydrogen gas production through photovoltaic electrolysis. Therefore, there is significant value in investigating the impact of temperature on the efficiency of hydrogen gas production in photovoltaic electrolysis. In summary, hydrogen energy production has emerged as a promising solution for sustainable growth, and renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic electrolysis hold great potential for achieving zero emissions. Exploring the influence of temperature on the efficiency of hydrogen gas production in photovoltaic electrolysis is of considerable interest, aiming to improve the overall process and enhance the viability of hydrogen as a sustainable energy source.

Fluoride-Salt-cooled high-Temperature Advanced Reactor (FuSTAR): An integrated nuclear-based energy production and conversion system

Based on the analysis of energy structure and the development trends of advanced nuclear energy technology, combining the complementary advantages of nuclear energy and other energy sources in China, the Fluoride-Salt-cooled high-Temperature Advanced Reactor (FuSTAR) system has been proposed. FuSTAR system is designed to address production capacity issues in areas with energy shortages or resource concentration and can be combined with high-temperature process heat to achieve high-value-added processes such as hydrogen production. In this paper, the Tri-structural isotropic fuel combined with helical cruciform elements has been studied in detail on the neutron physics and thermal-hydraulic properties, and the flow and heat transfer experiment is carried out for the first time. The multilayer nonlinear programming method has been applied to the design of thermal transport systems. Then the optimal parameters and configuration of the thermoelectric conversion system are obtained by the superstructure optimization method. The inherent safety of FuSTAR is demonstrated through deterministic safety analysis. In addition, the iodine-sulfur cycle technology and the characteristics of tritium production are also analyzed. This study highlights the significant potential of integrating nuclear energy with other energy sources in an optimized energy-production system.

Future Polish Zero-Carbon Energy Mix Combining Renewable and Nuclear Energy Sources

Future Polish Zero-Carbon Energy Mix Combining Renewable and Nuclear Energy Sources

The Necessity of Laws on Third-Party and Civil Liability for Industrial Nuclear Damages Caused by Installations: Health Assurance Compensation

With the modern requisites of humankind, energy has become the most depleting resource due to waste and lack of sources. In the present world, nuclear energy sources play a vital role in producing energy by fueling radioactive elements. The most significant feature of atomic energy is that a small amount of radioactive substances can release a tremendous amount of energy. Most developed and developing countries use nuclear energy as a power-making resource for public and private purposes. Therefore, it is imperative that a developing country like Sri Lanka adopt nuclear power technologies and the laws governing nuclear operations. This research discusses international nuclear laws and the need for a legal framework to manage the liability of nuclear damages in terms of people's health and potential harm to health, past experiences of exposure to ionizing radiation are discussed with statistics to find out the necessity of laws on nuclear liability in terms of health compensation. The scrutiny supplies a directive authority to make domestic legislation without being dependent on international instruments, as the paper also discusses the drawbacks of international nuclear liability regimes against principles of nuclear law and the essentials of a nuclear liability regime. The primary objective of the study is to find out directive measures for a nuclear liability regime in terms of health assurance. In addition, this research also discusses directive principles to make equitable compensation liability schemes from the victims' perspective. The books, research papers, international conventions, and domestic legislation were the primary sources of the research. Sri Lanka's legal framework needs improvement as an independent law, aligning with the Vienna Convention on nuclear liability, as international law lacks equitable aspects.

The Impact of state policies on electric vehicle adoption -A panel data analysis

Using data from fifty U.S. states between 2012 and 2020, the impacts of three types of state level policies on electric vehicles (EV) adoption are examined: 1) policies that mitigate the environmental impacts from energy production, 2) policies that provide financial incentives to consumers for EV purchase, and 3) policies that provide publicly available EV charging infrastructure. With a dependent variable of EV registration per 100,000 population, impacts are assessed with a panel data, fixed effects model. Statistically significant coefficient results are found for environmental, financial, and charging infrastructure policies. Computations of policy changes across four states with low environmental performance and no financial incentives show that increasing renewable and/or nuclear energy sources in the energy mix or reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from electricity generation have larger impacts on EV adoption than either financial incentives or publicly available charging infrastructure. This research demonstrates the need to both coordinate and nationalize policies that enhance low GHG energy sources in order to uniformly improve EV adoption across all states.

Application of Tool Empowerment in the Teaching Process of Thermal Power Plants in the Era of Artificial Intelligence

The Thermal Power Plant course involves a wide range of energy sources, including the utilization of coal, gas, nuclear energy, and other energy sources, and introduces the theoretical and practical knowledge of using various energy sources to generate high-temperature and high-pressure steam to drive steam turbines for power generation. The course design can not only help students better understand and master the design principles of thermal power generation systems, but also cultivates their ability to analyze, design, and solve problems. Traditional teaching methods cannot stimulate students' interest in learning and help them better understand principles and methods. In the era of artificial intelligence, various intelligent tools can be widely applied in the teaching process of courses to enhance students' understanding of knowledge, interest in learning, mastery of technology and comprehensive problem-solving ability.

Alternative Energy Exploitation of Agricultural Biomass Using SPSS Statistics

Alternative Energy Exploitation, Introduction: Renewable energy is created from resources which can be recovered in a reasonable length of time. Sunlight, wind, water, bio fuels, and geothermal energy are all examples of renewable energy sources. Renewable is a subset of sources that, while connected to renewable energy, has the best impact on the planet. Nuclear energy and renewable energy sources are two instances of renewable sources of energy with low carbon emissions. Electricity and heat have been generated from sources of clean energy for the majority of human history. Certain semi-empirical source models and different parametric source models are used to model individual noise components. Renewable fuel comes from sources other than fossil fuels, and as a result, it emits little or no greenhouse emissions like dioxide (CO2). As a result, energy generated from non-traditional sources doesn't really help produce the greenhouse effect which is responsible for climate change. SPSS statistics is a data management, advanced analytics, multivariate analytics, business intelligence, and criminal investigation developed by IBM for a statistical software package. A long time, spa inc. was created by, IBM purchased it in 2009. The brand name for the most recent versions is IBM SPSS statistics. Energy Demand Module, Resupply module, Scenarios module, Multicricriteria analysis module, Conflict analysis module The result of Cronbach's Alpha Reliability. The model's total Cronbach's Alpha value is.486 and suggests a 48% dependability level. The 52% Cronbach's Alpha are shown can be used for analysis based on the literature review. the outcome of Cronbach's Alpha Reliability. The model's total Cronbach's Alpha score is .486, which denotes a 48% dependability level. The 52% Cronbach's Alpha value model mentioned above from the literature review may be used for analysis.

Structural and electronic phase transitions of thorium monoxide from first-principles calculations

Because of the innovative concepts for creating the thorium fuel cycle as an alternative nuclear energy source, thorium and its compounds have attracted a lot of attention. It is essential to study the physical properties that are necessary for the basic understanding and practical application of these materials. Thorium monoxide has already drawn researchers' attention as a metal oxide. Under different pressure conditions, the crystal structures, electronic band structures, phonon dispersions, mechanical properties, and thermodynamic properties of ThO have been determined using a particle swarm optimization structure prediction method in conjunction with first-principles calculations. Previous experiments agree with our results for the lattice constants of the phase of Fm3‾m. Moreover, a novel structure of R-3m is predicted to be thermally stable at a pressure of roughly 22 GPa. The phase is then also mechanically and dynamically stable, according to the findings of our computed elastic constants and phonon dispersion. The phase change from Fm3‾m to R-3m has not, however, been associated with any electronic transitions, and as both phases are mental, they may have excellent thermal conductivity. We further calculated the results of the Helmholtz free energy, entropy, specific heat, internal energy, bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, and Debye temperature based on the stable dynamics and mechanical properties, which reveal that they all could be good fuel. The results provide key insights into understanding the structural and electronic behaviors of ThO under the condition of external pressure.

Investigation of Chelating Agents for the Removal of Thorium from Human Teeth upon Nuclear Contamination.

Thorium-232 (232Th) is a radioactive heavy metal that is of increasing interest as a source of nuclear energy. However, upon nuclear incidents, the ingestion or inhalation of Th in major quantities can contribute to chemical and radiological health problems, including accumulation in the bone tissue and an increased risk of developing pancreatic, lung, and hematopoietic cancers. The major mineral component of the bone is hydroxyapatite (HAP)─also the major mineral component of the teeth. As such, the teeth are the first site of exposure upon oral ingestion of Th-contaminated materials, and Th can pose a potential risk to teeth development. In essence, in the case of human contamination, it is critical to identify effective chelating agents capable of removing Th. Using a batch study methodology, this present work investigates the uptake and the removal of Th from synthetic HAP and from teeth samples by diethylenetriamine pentaacetate (DTPA), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and other promising chelating agents. Th uptake over synthetic HAP exceeds 98% at physiological pH with <1 min of contact time and uptake exceeds 90% across the entire pH range. Regarding teeth, over 1 mg Th uptaken per gram of tooth is observed after 24 h. The overall effectiveness of chelating agents for the removal of Th from is as follows: DTPA > EDTA > NaF/mouthwash/3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO); this trend was observed both in synthetic HAP and Th-impregnated teeth samples.

The production scheduling problem employing non-identical parallel machines with due dates considering carbon emissions and multiple types of energy sources

This paper addresses the production scheduling problem with non-identical parallel machines in a high-mix, low-volume production environment with due dates, considering carbon emissions savings and diverse types of energy sources for machine operation. To this end, we present a bi-objective mixed-integer programming model that minimizes both the total production-related cost and the total carbon emissions in the production process to determine the optimal production strategy. For each machine, we consider various types of energy sources with different electricity generation costs and different amounts of carbon emissions. The proposed model is validated with an application to a manufacturer in Ulsan, the industrial capital of the Republic of Korea. Our results showcase the potential use of non-identical parallel machines to minimize the total cost and carbon emissions in green manufacturing. Furthermore, the results identify the trade-off between different energy sources and the total cost under different carbon emissions limits. Generally, as the carbon emissions limit increases, our proposed model tends to replace natural gas with coal to minimize the total cost. Also, we perform sensitivity analyses with respect to the energy price of different types of energy sources combined with nuclear and renewable energy sources. We find that coal provides more stability than natural gas in terms of the total cost, particularly when there are fluctuations in the price for coal and natural gas. Additionally, we determine the optimal combination of energy sources for various carbon emissions limits, aiming to minimize the total cost while simultaneously satisfying all production-related and environmental constraints.

Assessment of the integration of a switched nuclear isomer material with a kinematic Stirling engine

Presently, power systems are limited by the source and energy density of the chemical fuels that are currently in use. In response to this challenge, nuclear energy sources are being developed. Metastable nuclear states, or isomers, have an intrinsic energy density that is many orders of magnitude larger than chemical fuels. Through isomer depletion (or switching), these materials can be transformed from a long-lived half-life energy-storage state to a shorter-lived half-life energy-releasing state. The abundance of energy released by switched nuclear isomer (SNI) materials introduces unique engineering challenges for the power conversion system. Once an SNI material has been switched, its heat output decays with time. In contrast to hydrocarbon-based fuels, which can be throttled, generating constant power from an SNI system requires sufficient material based on duration of use and system efficiency. Despite these challenges, SNI materials could be used to replace chemical fuels for relatively high-power applications providing months of power from a compact energy source.The purpose of this work is to explore the coupling of an SNI heat source to a kinematic Stirling engine in order to assess the potential of such a system. First, the characteristics of a reference SNI material are discussed in the context of the conversion efficiency and power density of the power conversion system that it is coupled to. Second, the integration of an SNI with a kinematic Stirling engine is explored at two power levels, 6 kWe and 60 kWe, in order to explore the feasibility and efficiency of such a power system. In order to carry out this study, a second-order Stirling engine model (the Stirling Engine Trade-space Tool, or SETT) has been developed. The potential of the SETT tool to predict performance trends has been shown through comparison of the predicted to the measured performance for two baseline, well-documented Stirling engines: the GPU-3 (nominally 6 kW) and Mod II (nominally 60 kW) engines. The SETT model is then used to optimize the design of the integration heat exchanger that is used to thermally couple a Stirling engine to the SNI and evaluate the performance characteristics of this energy conversion system. The resulting model is also used to show that the kinematic Stirling engine has advantages related to its inherent ability to modulate its output through speed or inventory control, allowing it to effectively deal with the time varying rate of heat transfer that is inevitably provided by the SNI. This work shows that the kinematic Stirling engine is an attractive power conversion system to use with SNI material as it can achieve high conversion efficiency, high power density, and provides inherent modulation capability.

Small modular reactors for green remote mining: A multi-objective optimization from a sustainability perspective

Nuclear energy sources, in particular the small modular reactor (SMR), are being recognized as low-emission clean energy sources. The development of SMRs has focused on minimizing their carbon footprint while ensuring that energy is generated in a safe and cost-competitive manner, which leads to a worldwide growing interest in SMR deployments. In addition, there is a strong demand for renewable energy sources; however, their output can be influenced significantly by weather and location. Therefore, integration of renewable energy sources with SMRs and an energy storage system, which results in a nuclear renewable hybrid energy system (NR-HES), is required to improve power generation reliability. NR-HES represents a promising energy system solution for off-grid communities and industries, especially those involving remote mining sites. In the present study, an off-grid NR-HES to meet electrical and thermal demands is considered for the Victor mine site in northern Ontario, Canada. Off-grid remote mines in Canada primarily rely on diesel generators. The proposed NR-HES is composed of SMR units with a thermal capacity of 15 MWth each, two wind turbines with a capacity of 2.3 MWe each, a two-tank molten salt thermal storage system, a hydrogen storage facility, and peaking diesel generators. To achieve a near-zero-emission mining site, electric vehicles are proposed in the mining site energy demand structure. A transient thermodynamics model is developed to simulate the NR-HES and generate hourly variation of sustainability performance parameters that include power cycle efficiency, SMR capacity factor, round-trip efficiency of the storage systems, thermal storage state of charging, and greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, an economic analysis is performed to determine the additional annualized cost of the system relative to a baseline site. The simulation has a test matrix of 16 runs with various combinations of design input parameters, namely SMR thermal power, storage duration (e.g., daily, seasonally, or monthly), and thermal storage system volume. Grey relational analysis (GRA) is used as a level-based multi-objective optimization technique to determine the nearest optimal design parameter (e.g., decision variable) combination within the test matrix and thus the optimal configuration. In addition, the GRA ranks the design input parameters based on how significantly each parameter can affect the overall performance of the NR-HES. Results revealed that optimal sustainable perspectives have a significant influence on the overall system parameters and performance. For instance, the results showed that there is an opportunity to achieve a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 94.8% with a minimal impact to system annualized cost if the cost and environmental effect objectives were prioritized over other sustainability performance parameters.

Sublethal whole-body irradiation induces permanent loss and dysfunction in pathogen-specific circulating memory CD8 T cell populations

The increasing use of nuclear energy sources inevitably raises the risk of accidental or deliberate radiation exposure and associated immune dysfunction. However, the extent to which radiation exposure impacts memory CD8 T cells, potent mediators of immunity to recurring intracellular infections and malignancies, remains understudied. Using P14 CD8 T cell chimeric mice (P14 chimeras) with an lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection model, we observed that sublethal (5Gy) whole-body irradiation (WBI) induced a rapid decline in the number of naive (TN) and P14 circulating memory CD8 T cells (TCIRCM), with the former being more susceptible to radiation-induced numeric loss. While TN cell numbers rapidly recovered, as previously described, the number of P14 TCIRCM cells remained low at least 9 mo after radiation exposure. Additionally, the remaining P14 TCIRCM in irradiated hosts exhibited an inefficient transition to a central memory (CD62L+) phenotype compared to nonirradiated P14 chimeras. WBI also resulted in long-lasting T cell intrinsic deficits in memory CD8 T cells, including diminished cytokine and chemokine production along with impaired secondary expansion upon cognate Ag reencounter. Irradiated P14 chimeras displayed significantly higher bacterial burden after challenge with Listeria monocytogenes expressing the LCMV GP33-41 epitope relative to nonirradiated controls, likely due to radiation-induced numerical and functional impairments. Taken together, our findings suggest that sublethal radiation exposure caused a long-term numerical, impaired differentiation, and functional dysregulation in preexisting TCIRCM, rendering previously protected hosts susceptible to reinfection.

Determination of Country-Specific Criteria Weights for Long-Term Energy Planning in Europe

Energy strategies and decision-making studies rely heavily on a system of criteria and their weights of importance, typically determined through stakeholder involvement or surveys. However, the methodology presented in this study considers a reverse approach, as the importance weights are computed based on historical data of each European country’s prevailing decisions on pre-defined aspects. An in-house-developed model was applied to analyze data from the ENTSO-E database for the determination of optimal criteria weights with combination of a linear programming task and Monte Carlo simulations. Applying the new model, the importance weights of seven selected criteria could be calculated for all European countries. The Eastern European region demonstrated exceptional sensitivity towards investment costs, while countries relying heavily on renewable or nuclear energy sources, such as Denmark, Greece, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, and the United Kingdom, exhibited a dominant influence of environmental factors. Moreover, it was observed that the flexibility criterion aligned well with the installed generation capacities. However, the geopolitical factor and the risk of accidents criteria introduced nuances to the overall rating, indicating a somewhat reduced dependence on production data.

Design and Harmonic Elimination of sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM) Based Five Level Cascaded H-Bridge Multilevel Inverter for Photovoltaic System for Educational Purposes

In this modern era, the electrical power system faces a shortage of fossil fuel-based energy sources. To overcome this problem, people more focus on giving towards renewable energy sources like solar energy, wind energy, and nuclear energy sources. This also can be used to overcome global warming and reduce pollution by fossil fuels. This study used a photovoltaic (PV) array to give supply to the Multilevel Inverter (MLI) with different irradiance values, which can be used for educational purposes. The sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM) method is used here to control the converter. SPWM technique is the easiest technique than the other types of pulse width modulation (PWM) technique. In this technique the switching loss is very low, therefore efficiency is high. After the simulation, the output waveforms are similar to the sinusoidal waveform for the resistive load. In this topology, after simulation, the total harmonic distortion (THD) contents were found to be less by using an LC filter. The model is simulated in MATLAB/Simulink. The analysis of output voltage waveforms is discussed with the reduced THD.

Sublethal whole-body irradiation induces permanent loss and dysfunction in pre-existing pathogen-specific memory CD8 T cell populations

Abstract The increasing use of nuclear energy sources inevitably increases the risk of accidental or deliberate radiation-exposure. However, the extent to which radiation-exposure impacts memory CD8 T cells, potent mediators of immunity to recurring intracellular infections and malignancies, remains understudied. Using P14 LCMV immune chimeric mice (P14 chimeras), we observed that sublethal (5Gy) whole body irradiation (WBI) induced a rapid decline in the number of naive (T N) and P14 circulatory memory CD8 T cells (T CIRCM) with the former being more susceptible to radiation-induced death. While T Ncell numbers rapidly recovered, the number of P14 T CIRCMcells remained low at least nine months after radiation-exposure. Additionally, the remaining P14 T CIRCMin irradiated hosts exhibited an inefficient transition to a central memory (CD62L hi) phenotype compared to non-irradiated P14 chimeras. WBI also resulted in long-lasting T-cell intrinsic deficits including diminished cytokine and chemokine production in response to antigen-stimulation along with impaired secondary expansion upon cognate Ag re-encounter. Irradiated P14 chimeras displayed significantly higher bacterial burden after challenge with L. monocytogenes expressing GP33 compared with the non-irradiated controls, likely due to radiation-induced numerical and functional impairments. Taken together, our findings suggest that sublethal radiation-exposure caused long-term numerical decline, impaired differentiation, and functional dysregulation in pre-existing T CIRCM, which rendered previously-protected hosts susceptible to re-infections. Supported by NIH Grants GM134880, AI114543, The Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at The University of Iowa and its National Cancer Institute Award P30CA086862

Computational analysis of nuclear desalination system under various configurations

Abstract The research addressed the economic evaluation of nuclear energy, coal, oil and natural gas in various cycle configurations with different distillation technologies. A comparison between fossil and nuclear energy sources is discussed. A comprehensive review of all desalination plants using fossil and nuclear energy with cogeneration is also included and discussed. Computational model was used to evaluate nuclear and non-nuclear desalination plants. Four possibilities were discussed. In this first case, a nuclear gas cycle integrated with a MED desalination plant was found to have the lowest cost in the gas cycle. While the nuclear steam cycle integrated with RO has the lowest cost compared to oil and natural gas. In the third case, the combined nuclear cycle was discussed and it was found that the combined nuclear cycle associated with RO has the lowest cost. In the last case, the evaluation of a heat-only desalination plant was conducted among all sources, and it was found that the nuclear plant with RO and MED has the lowest cost. In addition, the completed nuclear desalination plant was subjected to five scenarios to calculate and estimate at which capacity the plant provides the best values. The results show that nuclear desalination with gas cycle is the most economical among the oil and natural gas options.

Managing Fusion Radioactive Materials: Approaches and Challenges Facing Fusion in the 21st Century

In recent decades, fusion designers have become increasingly aware of the large amount of mildly radioactive materials that fusion generates in comparison to their fission counterpart, which is a problem that was overlooked in early fusion studies. This radioactive waste (radwaste) problem could influence public acceptability of fusion and will certainly become a significant issue in the immediate future as fusion moves forward toward commercialization. There is a growing appreciation to revisit the 1960s decision that relegated all radwaste to the back end as only a disposal issue. In light of the challenges facing fusion in the 21st century, a thoughtful alternate approach that promotes recycling and clearance of all fusion radioactive materials is considered to stress the environmental value of fusion in utilizing natural assets efficiently, assert the fundamental premise of fusion as a nuclear energy source with minimal environmental impact, and gain public acceptability for fusion. This strategy helps to reach the common goal of several organizations that recommend recycling and clearing as much radioactive material as practically possible to reduce final radwaste burdens/risks and to maximize the use of natural resources. Recognizing the relatively early stages of commercial fusion maturity, lessons learned and worldwide industrial experiences from other nuclear fields are valuable resources for the fusion recycling/clearance approach. To make such an approach a reality, the global fusion program should be set up to accommodate the new strategy at an early stage of fusion designs and address the identified issues and needs with directed research and development programs. The absence of official fusion regulatory guidelines has been recognized for several decades, but some progress has been made in recent years, recognizing that fusion is different from fission and has a different radionuclide profile.

The development options of nuclear power under carbon dioxide emissions constraints

The aim of the work is forecasting the development of nuclear power in Russia and the world for the period up to 2050 under various scenarios of constraints on carbon dioxide emissions. A brief comparative analysis of the main characteristics of the forecasts of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has been carried out. Additionally, calculations were performed using the mathematical models of the world energy system GEM and GEM-Dyn developed at the ISEM SB RAS. The optimal ratio of nuclear and non-nuclear energy sources has been determined. It is shown that nuclear power, including nuclear power plants operating on a closed fuel cycle, along with renewable energy sources, is an effective technology that can solve the problem of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Calculations have shown that in the sustainable development scenario, the capacity of nuclear power plants in Russia in the period from 2020 to 2050 can increase by 2.7 times, and their share in electricity generation can reach 21–25% in 2030 and 26–35% in 2050. The average annual growth rate (for 30 years) of the installed capacity of nuclear power plants in Russia in the sustainable development scenario is 3.1% compared to 2.7% for the world as a whole. In the GEM and GEM-Dyn calculations performed by the authors, the scale of nuclear energy use turned out to be about 30% higher than in the scenarios of the International Energy Agency due to more conservative estimates of the opportunities for improving the performance of renewable energy sources and taking into account the need to back-up their capacity.

Nuclear Fusion impact on the requirements of power infrastructure assets in a decarbonized electricity system

Electrification of final energy use and electricity generation by low-carbon technologies are key points of the path toward carbon-neutrality. Carbon free electricity can be generated by both nuclear and renewable energy sources. Nevertheless, although all of them can be economically viable in terms of ‘Levelized Cost Of Energy‘, their exploitation involve variable renewables, so as to require power system upgrades with adequate energy storage systems, dispatchable generation capacity and transmission/distribution grid enhancements (power infrastructure assets) that may lead to relevant additional system costs. To this respect, each power system is almost unique, due to its peculiarities as far as renewable potentials is concerned. In order to find the least cost feasible and reliable generation mix, detailed hourly simulations are necessary. In this paper, long term power generation scenarios will be simulated with the COMESE code, a dispatch model able to perform detailed regional power systems analysis. Carbon-free Italian power system long term scenarios are simulated, with high share of photovoltaic and to less extent wind electricity together with a possible contribution of nuclear fusion power plants. The operation of the transmission grid is simulated, through a transport model, in order to assess the necessary grid enhancement and to estimate the related costs. In this context the impact of fusion will be assessed in terms of mitigation of the overall system cost of electricity.