Development Of Nuclear Plants Research Articles

Analyzing the economic aspects of small and medium capacity nuclear plant development in Russia

Analyzing the economic aspects of small and medium capacity nuclear plant development in Russia

Nuclear Power Prospects in the USA: The Continuing Problem of the Waste Issue

This paper addresses two questions concerning the economics and prospects for nuclear power in the USA: 1) What is the long term economic future of nuclear energy? 2) Is the inability to solve the nuclear waste issue a factor that will limit new nuclear plant development? With respect to the first question, we find that the long term economic future of nuclear energy is uncertain, at best. Despite recent interest in a “nuclear renaissance,” objective, rigorous studies have concluded that, at present, new nuclear power plants are not economically competitive with coal or natural gas for electricity generation and will not be for the foreseeable future. With respect to the second question, we find that the inability to solve the nuclear waste issue will likely limit new nuclear plant development. Nuclear waste disposal poses a serous, seemingly intractable problem for the future of nuclear power, and the waste issue could be a show stopper for new nuclear plants. Thus, while some new nuclear power plants will likely be built in the U.S. over the next two decades, a major “nuclear renaissance” is unlikely.

Nuclear power economics and prospects in the USA

This paper addresses three questions concerning the economics of and prospects for nuclear power in the USA: (1) What is the long-term economic future of nuclear energy? (2) Is the inability to resolve the nuclear waste issue a factor that will limit new nuclear plant development? (3) Are the new designs for nuclear plants an advance over current designs? With respect to the first question, we find that the long-term economic future of nuclear energy is uncertain, at best. Despite recent interest in a 'nuclear renaissance', objective, rigorous studies have concluded that at present, new nuclear power plants are not economically competitive with coal or natural gas for electricity generation and will not be for the foreseeable future. With respect to the second question, we find that the inability to resolve the nuclear waste issue will likely limit new nuclear plant development. Nuclear waste disposal poses a serious, seemingly intractable problem for the future of nuclear power and the waste issue could be a showstopper for new nuclear plants. With respect to the third question, the new designs for nuclear plants are an advance over current designs, but only marginally. Thus, while some new nuclear power plants will likely be built in the USA over the next two decades, a major 'nuclear renaissance' is unlikely.

Laser melting of uranium carbides

In the context of the material research aimed at supporting the development of nuclear plants of the fourth Generation, renewed interest has recently arisen in carbide fuels. A profound understanding of the behaviour of nuclear materials in extreme conditions is of prime importance for the analysis of the operation limits of nuclear fuels, and prediction of possible nuclear reactor accidents. In this context, the main goal of the present paper is to demonstrate the feasibility of laser induced melting experiments on stoichiometric uranium carbides; UC, UC1.5 and UC2. Measurements were performed, at temperatures around 3000K, under a few bars of inert gas in order to minimise vaporisation and oxidation effects, which may occur at these temperatures. Moreover, a recently developed investigation method has been employed, based on in situ analysis of the sample surface reflectivity evolution during melting. Current results, 2781K for the melting point of UC, 2665K for the solidus and 2681K for the liquidus of U2C3, 2754K for the solidus and 2770K for the liquidus of UC2, are in fair agreement with early publications where the melting behaviour of uranium carbides was investigated by traditional furnace melting methods. Further information has been obtained in the current research about the non-congruent (solidus–liquidus) melting of certain carbides, which suggest that a solidus–liquidus scheme is followed by higher ratio carbides, possibly even for UC2.

On the basic scientific-research, design, and practical work on atomic energy performed in 1947

Unique archival material of the Kurchatov Institute takes us back to the unforgettable, days of intense work on the development of nuclear weapons in the USSR. In his report, Igor Vasil'evich Kurchatov summarizes the work on the development of an atomic bomb which was performed in our country in 1947. The report expounds in detail the results of work on the design and development of nuclear plants for different purposes, the construction of combines, the development of nuclear weapons, and fundamental research in nuclear physics. The report was typed from Igor Vasil’evich Kurchatov’s handwritten text.

Plutonium Transport: Past, Present and Future

The transport of radioactive materials dates back to the beginning of the nuclear industry. The development of nuclear plants and the international trade in fuel cycle services has led to a transport infrastructure to service the industry. Advances in radioactive material package design and technology have been led by increasing emphasis on safety assurance and compliance with transport regulations which in many cases exceed those applied to other dangerous goods. In the case of certain materials security during transport has equal emphasis with safety, and plutoniwn. in its many forms, attracts the most onerous security requirements during transport. BNFL has safely and efficiently transported plutonium both nationally and internationally for 30 years. The Company is committed to the continuation of maintaining such transports in a safe, secure and cost effective manner.

Environmentalists' and business executives' attitudes and information about the nuclear power controversy

To validate a baseline for an exercise dealing with the controversy over nuclear power, 38 environmentalists and 64 business executives completed a 24‐item questionnaire of 12 attitudinal and 12 information items. Reliabilities were .87 and .56 respectively. Environmentalists were strongly unfavourable to further nuclear plant development but business executives were neutral to favourable revealing some degree of social concern. Environmentalists were better informed and executives more uncertain but attitude and information were independent if group effects were held constant. An additional sample of 49 college seniors in business administration responded like business executives. Their attitudes and information could be predicted (R = .60) from their tendency to keep up with current news and their personal assertiveness.