Nuclear Power Construction Research Articles

Gamma radiation shielding simulation for thermoplastic elastomer and silicon rubber/alloy dopant with functional nanoparticle

With the global energy crisis worsening, the research and application of new energy have become a strategic objective for the major countries’ long-term development in the twenty-first century. Nuclear energy technology development and application have become central to new energy development. Numerous types of high-energy radiation (such as X-rays, gamma rays, and neutron rays) produced by nuclear materials not only impose stricter requirements on the radiation-resistant materials used in the reactor but also risk causing significant environmental pollution (nuclear pollution) and serious harm to human life and health if a leak does not form. As a result, the prudent control and protection of nuclear radiation have become critical issues in the development of nuclear energy. With the rapid development of nuclear power today, it is necessary to seek new nuclear radiation protection materials, particularly those with high energy, penetrating ability, and other neutron-protective material characteristics. This is a new type of nuclear power design and construction of critical materials. In this study, WinXCom software is used to simulate the shielding properties of the used functional shielding element, compounds of metal oxide, and the mixture of RTV and TPE with the functional nanoparticle and observe the K-edge absorption of the material used. Based on the simulation, the shielding performance of the selected element of Sm was observed to have the smallest weak gap absorption zone of 40-47 MeV in common medical radiation of 30-150 KeV. Different sets of combinations of shielding material were simulated and found that the combination of WO3 with Sm2O3 gave the most pronounced radiation shielding performance with two strong absorption peaks at 46.8 KeV and 69.5 KeV. RTV composite (Sm2O3+RTV+ WO3) with WO3 as matrix gave the best shielding performance and was used as a reference for the manufacture of the new type of shielding materials.

Development of Heat-Resistant Composite Foam Material

The paper is devoted to the research results dealing with the development of heat-resistant composite cellularmaterial, where polymer matrix is based on10% polycarbosilanesolution in xylene, hollow microspheres and fibrous mineral material are used as fillers. In this study, the used hollow microspheres are corundum and aluminosilicate microspheres, and fibrous filler is quartz fiber. According to the experiments, the best results refer to thecomposite foam samples, containing hollow corundum microspheres as filler. The developed composite foam is characterized with low thermal conductivity and density, good physical and mechanical properties,when polymer binder content was 20-70% wt., corundum hollow microspheres - 20-60% wt., and quartz fiber material - 10-50% wt. Thus, the developed composite foam might be recommended for the applicationin high-tech industries, including heat and power engineering, nuclear power and aircraft construction as high-temperature thermal insulation material.

Reliability of construction of nuclear power facilities in the global energy market

Purpose: development of conceptual provisions, methodical approaches and practical recommendations about modeling and integrated management at a pre-investment stage of nuclear power construction facilities in the international energy construction market. Materials and methods: a set of the interrelated methodological approaches based on the theory of complex systems life cycle, methods of abstraction, comparison, analysis, synthesis, opposition, modeling, forecasting, expert assessments, risk theory and others. The research is conducted with the use of open data resources of the International Energy Agency (IEA), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), World Nuclear Association (WNA), Nuclear Energy Agency under OECD and ROSATOM State Corporation open statistical data. Results: Features of the modern global world market of nuclear power construction, as well as the role and place of Russia in it, are considered. A comprehensive review of the literature on the studied problems is accomplished. A methodology for modeling the organizational and economic reliability (OER) of complex systems is suggested. Modeling of the structural components of the life cycle (hereinafter LCi-j) of an investment project for the NPP construction on the international market in the conditions of high competition is proposed.

Potential Impacts of Fukushima Nuclear Leakage on China’s Carbon Neutrality—an Investigation on Nuclear Power Avoidance and Regional Heterogeneity

Ten years have passed since the Fukushima nuclear accident, but its impact on the environment and energy consumption structure has continued up to now. This accident delayed the process of China’s nuclear power construction and may have a certain potential impact on China’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2060. This paper aims to properly understand the negative impact of the Fukushima nuclear leakage on China’s nuclear power industry, to reawaken the attention of Chinese academic and governmental departments to nuclear energy, and to explore a reasonable path to achieve carbon neutrality. Based on the idea of a quasi-natural experiment, this paper collected the carbon emissions data of 30 provinces and cities in China from 2000 to 2017, and explored the accident impact and mechanism on carbon emissions in the provinces with nuclear power. The research results showed that the Fukushima nuclear accident had different impacts on China’s nuclear power provinces. Due to the large proportion of manufacturing industry and high dependence on energy, the carbon emissions in Jiangsu Province rose after being impacted by the incident, in contrast, the research results in Guangdong and Zhejiang provinces were opposite. Through the mechanism test, it was found that the incident impact had reduced the carbon emissions of Guangdong and Zhejiang by improving the industrial structure and energy efficiency, with the explanation ratios of 10.45 and 15.1%, respectively. Technological innovation had obscured the emission reduction effect of the incident impact, and the innovation driving force for green development in nuclear power base provinces was insufficient. These findings are helpful to analyze the regional layout of China’s nuclear power and have implications for achieving carbon neutrality. Finally, this study offers relevant policy recommendations.

Technical Points of Water-Draw and Discharge Impact Analysis in Guidelines for Water Resource Assessment of Coastal Nuclear Power Plants

Nowadays, cleaner production is getting more and more attention, and nuclear power has been widely used due to its low energy consumption and lower pollution. Most nuclear power plants in China, including those under construction and constructed ones, are coastal. For a nuclear power plant, however, its large amount of water consumption and high guarantee rate of water quality will have impacts on the regional water-resource allocation in the site area. During the water-discharge process, low-level radioactive wastewater and warm water will be discharged, while medium or even highly radioactive wastewater will be generated in an accident, both of which will affect the environment of the receiving water. In 2016, the Chinese government began to work on the Guidelines for Water Resources Assessment of Coastal Nuclear Power Plant Projects. The compilation work, led mainly by the Ministry of Water Resources, focused on analyzing key technical points of the impacts of water intake, wastewater discharge, and their reduction measures, as well as water-protection measures. In this study, the technical requirements for impact analysis of water-draw, wastewater discharge, and their remedial measures for coastal nuclear power construction projects in different periods were put forward. Lastly, the measures for water conservation, protection, and management were given. All the technical requirements and measures gave a research basis and technical support for the formulation of the guidelines.

Reengineering of organizational and technological processes of NPP construction

Nuclear power construction is characterized by high capital costs, a significant number of participants in the design and construction processes. One of the most significant factors of the efficiency of NPP projects implementation is the adopted technology for the construction. An analysis of the Soviet and modern experience in the NPPs construction allows to assert that the piece reinforcing application leads to an increase in the project implementation time. The technology of large-block assembling of NPP structures and equipment have been widely used by the world leaders in NPPs construction, but the implementation of this technology required significant costs for the organization of the necessary infrastructure. In the context of the rapid development of computing systems, instrumentation and mechanical engineering, it is proposed to fundamentally rethink the processes of NPP construction. It is proposed to return to the technologies of large-block installation of NPP structures by switching from rail lifting mechanisms to pneumatic wheels, by robotizing the processes of enlargement and installation of structures and equipment. The functions of managing and making organizational and technological decisions can be partially transferred to a specially developed neural network that has access to an array of data on previously implemented projects. This approach allows us to consider the NPP construction project as a cyber-physical system and opens the way to a whole range of areas of fundamental and applied research in the field of technology, organization and management of the construction of NPP.

Analysis and Research on Standard System and Technical Requirements of Jib Crane

Jib crane is one of the most important crane types. It has been widely used in lifting heavy load in ports, shipbuilding, hydropower construction, nuclear power construction, equipment manufacturing, railway, construction and metallurgy industries and so on. China is a leading manufacturer, user and exporter of jib crane, therefore this research will compare, analyze and study the standard system and technical requirements of jib crane between China, other countries or regions as well as international field.

Fuzzy fault tree analysis for controlling robot-related accidents involving humans in industrial plants: a case study

PurposeIn recent years, the application of robots in different industrial sectors such as nuclear power generation, construction, automobile, firefighting and medicine, etc. is increasing day by day. In large industrial plants generally humans and robots work together to accomplish several tasks and lead to the problem of safety and reliability because any malfunction event of robots may cause human injury or even death. To access the reliability of a robot, sufficient amount of failure data is required which is sometimes very difficult to collect due to rare events of any robot failures. Also, different types of their failure pattern increase the difficulty which finally leads to the problem of uncertainty. To overcome these difficulties, this paper presents a case study by assessing fuzzy fault tree analysis (FFTA) to control robot-related accidents to provide safe working environment to human beings in any industrial plant.Design/methodology/approachPresented FFTA method uses different fuzzy membership functions to quantify different uncertainty factors and applies alpha-cut coupled weakest t-norm () based approximate fuzzy arithmetic operations to obtain fuzzy failure probability of robot-human interaction fault event which is the main contribution of the paper.FindingsThe result obtained from presented FFTA method is compared with other listing approaches. Critical basic events are also ranked using V-index for making suitable action plan to control robot-related accidents. Study indicates that the presented FFTA is a good alternative method to analyze fault in robot-human interaction for providing safe working environment in an industrial plant.Originality/valueExisting fuzzy reliability assessment techniques designed for robots mainly use triangular fuzzy numbers (TFNs), triangle vague sets (TVS) or triangle intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFS) to quantify data uncertainty. Present study overcomes this shortcoming and generalizes the idea of fuzzy reliability assessment for robots by adopting different IFS to control robot-related accidents to provide safe working environment to human. This is the main contribution of the paper.

Structural Changes to Nuclear Energy Industries and the Economic Effects Resulting from Energy Transition Policies in South Korea

The world’s aging fleet of nuclear power reactors faces decommissioning. Because decommissioning is implemented through a series of procedures, and this process changes the links between some industries, its economic impact needs to be investigated. This study compared the economic impacts of three nuclear industry sectors—nuclear generation, nuclear power construction, and nuclear decommissioning—using input-output analysis in South Korea, the first Asian country that has declared a nuclear phaseout. The study also traced changes in the structure of the nuclear industry during the Korean nuclear phaseout and the consequent economic impacts. The study found that the implementation of the nuclear phaseout will lead to a decrease in the induced outputs and the value added of nuclear industries in South Korea; however, this would be offset by deploying more renewable energy. In addition, the temporal impacts on individual sectors vary depending on changes in the number of reactors being decommissioned and the expenditure profile of the nuclear decommissioning sector. The findings call for policy measures that support a soft landing for nuclear industry sectors and related stakeholders, timely development of necessary technologies, and transparency in public communication. This study provides a methodological approach and input structure that can be used for studies in other countries.

Study on Risk Assessment of Inland Nuclear Power Investment Construction Projects by Kazakhstan

This article is the first attempt to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of Kazakhstan’s inland nuclear power investment construction projects. Based on the summary of existing research results of scholars at home and abroad, a systematic analysis of the sustainable development model is made from the following four aspects to conduct safety evaluation research on domestic nuclear power construction in Kazakhstan: 1) Probabilistic safety evaluation for Kazakhstan’s inland nuclear power construction; 2) Public perceived risk evaluation for nuclear power construction in Kazakhstan; 3) Economic evaluation for recirculating systems of spent fuel; 4) Benefit risk evaluation for Kazakhstan’s inland nuclear power construction. Based on China’s multi-criteria decision analysis of dynamic system modeling, we add noise to the uncertain factors of the safety evaluation of Kazakhstan nuclear power investment projects and then perform noise reduction to refine our evaluation results. First of all, due to the non-convex optimization of tensor decomposition, there is no guarantee that the factorization will be determined by optimization. In addition, tensor decomposition can converge to different local optimal values corresponding to different initial values of the two tensors. Therefore, if the initialization value is set correctly, the result will be approximately optimal compared to the case where the initial value is far from the global optimal value.

The economic organization of nuclear power construction projects: Organizational models for production and financing

In order to limit the rise in global average temperature to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, international organizations such as the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggest an increasing role for new nuclear power plants. Their pathways entail a large number of new builds by 2050. Given the projected large-scale deployment of new nuclear reactors, it is therefore essential to analyse the existing organizational models. This paper provides an institutional economic analysis of the organizational models for the production and financing of new nuclear power plants. A particular focus is on private sector involvement and competition. In this regard, the paper looks at the division of tasks between state and private actors in financing and production, the governance structures of the companies involved, their market shares, and their degree of vertical integration. The rate of nuclear expansion proposed under the IEA and IPPC scenarios is higher than has ever been achieved in the history of the industry, which has been in decline and contracting since the 1980s. Since the turn of the century, the nuclear sector has been dominated by Russia, while traditional reactor vendors are continually on the brink of bankruptcy and have more or less abandoned reactor exports. Heavy forging capacity for reactor pressure vessels continues to constrain the supply chain, although some new production capacity has been added. Small modular reactors would not alleviate this situation. On the contrary, they would also rely on heavy forges in Russia and Asia. Government support is required for new nuclear power plants (NPPs), be it in liberalized markets or coordinated economies. In liberalized markets support can take the form of federal loans, or power purchase agreements. Countries with regulated markets and a state-owned nuclear industry such as China, Russia or India will probably continue to build NPPs. However, expansion is slowing down even in these countries, while the share of renewables is on the rise.

公众理解科学：中国核电建设公众接受的实证研究

公众理解科学：中国核电建设公众接受的实证研究

Better late than never, but never late is better: Risk assessment of nuclear power construction projects

This work seeks to evaluate overnight construction costs (OCC) and lead-time escalation of nuclear power construction projects from 1955 to 2016. To this end, a comprehensive database of commercial Light Water Reactors (LWR) was developed and a statistical analysis was conducted. Findings reveal a significant delay in lead-time, especially for the last generation reactors constructed from 2010s, with ¾ of the sample showing significant construction delays. This results in an escalation of capital costs rather than in a decline. Average OCC of newer reactors is 60% higher than the ones implemented in the earlier stages of the nuclear era. This suggests a discontinuity of the learning curve for both OCC and lead-time, which threats the market and financial sustainability of current and future nuclear energy projects. Although this is a general trend, this discontinuity is country specific and, thus, induced by national policies and regulatory frameworks. Therefore, the role of nuclear technology as an alternative to cope with the need for a decarbonisation of the power sector must be better evaluated, taking into account the real cost impacts of nuclear technology implementation.

Risk Analysis and Control Strategies for the Assembly of Major Structure Module in AP1000 Nuclear Power Project

Modular construction is used as the main construction technique in AP1000 nuclear power construction project. The technique can reduce installation workload in nuclear island, reduce cross operation relative to the traditional construction method, and shorten the construction period. While in the assembly process of large structure modules, there are frequent high risky operations including lifting, scaffolding, intensive welding & cutting, and so on. Accidents can be triggered and project schedule could be delayed if the control for the construction process is not sufficient. In this paper, the CA01 module assembly is taken to study as an example. The potential risks during the construction process of CA01 module are analyzed through Job Hazard Analysis, then the technical and management measures are put forward, which include construction scheme review & approval, safety and technical briefing, personnel training, special tradesman management, management system of mechanical equipment, work permit management on high risk work, construction housekeeping.

Historical construction costs of global nuclear power reactors

The existing literature on the construction costs of nuclear power reactors has focused almost exclusively on trends in construction costs in only two countries, the United States and France, and during two decades, the 1970s and 1980s. These analyses, Koomey and Hultman (2007); Grubler (2010), and Escobar-Rangel and Lévêque (2015), study only 26% of reactors built globally between 1960 and 2010, providing an incomplete picture of the economic evolution of nuclear power construction. This study curates historical reactor-specific overnight construction cost (OCC) data that broaden the scope of study substantially, covering the full cost history for 349 reactors in the US, France, Canada, West Germany, Japan, India, and South Korea, encompassing 58% of all reactors built globally. We find that trends in costs have varied significantly in magnitude and in structure by era, country, and experience. In contrast to the rapid cost escalation that characterized nuclear construction in the United States, we find evidence of much milder cost escalation in many countries, including absolute cost declines in some countries and specific eras. Our new findings suggest that there is no inherent cost escalation trend associated with nuclear technology.

Study on the Quality Control Method of Nuclear Power Plant Project

Nuclear power plant engineering quality is the security of nuclear safety. The main danger source of nuclear power plants is the nuclear island. Once the project quality uncontrollable, radioactive nuclear fuel could be harm to human and environmental in the nuclear power station trial operation or production cycle. So this paper analysis the effect factors of the nuclear power construction quality, and concludes it must to be control strictly the project construction quality of the nuclear power plant, and use the prevention and control method to set up quality defensive barrier to eliminate the problems of engineering quality.

Prediction of Nuclear Power Project Cost Based on Improved Non-Equidistant GM (1,1) Model and Exponential Regression Model

Today, faced with the problem of international energy supply difficulties, due to the nuclear power’s fewer of its resources consumption, little environmental pollution and other advantages, it has become one of the essential pillars of the electricity supply. This paper analyzed from a comprehensive localization of nuclear power plants, then use the non-equidistant GM (1,1) model and the exponential regression model to predict the construction cost of nuclear power, and do the error analysis. The conclusion that by increasing the degree of localization of domestic nuclear power construction, which can effectively reduce the cost of building nuclear power plants conclusions.

Some Thoughts on Coastal Nuclear Power Construction’s Safety

This article firstly describes the backgrounds and status of coastal nuclear power construction restarts, analyzing problems in coastal nuclear power construction’s safety, proposing safety strategies to reduce the risk of coastal nuclear power construction, and promotes economic development in coastal areas.

Risk, Regulation, and Rhetorical Boundaries: Claims and Challenges Surrounding a Purported Nuclear Renaissance

This study examines the efforts of individuals and advocacy groups seeking to influence a state utilities commission's decisions regarding a large corporate merger and a nuclear power construction project. Such local engagements have wider significance as the nuclear industry attempts to expand its role in the global energy economy. Utilizing participatory field work and analysis of public documents, we extend the concept of rhetorical boundary work by examining two challenges faced by opponents of the merger and the nuclear project. First, the utilities commission's regulatory mandate is limited to economic risks rather than environmental, health, and safety risks. Second, expert authority is consistently privileged over local, vernacular arguments. We explore the rhetorical negotiation of these boundaries and the effects produced.

The Schedule Control of Nuclear Power Construction Phase of Project Approval and Administrative Licensing

As a clean and economic power, nuclear power has become an important part in China’s power structure. Nuclear power plant project has the characteristics of large investment and long period, thus requiring a strict schedule control. This paper deeply studied the work contents of China’s nuclear power project approval and administrative license, selectively analyzed the required supporting documents for this phase, and simplified the work into several phases. According to the feature of each phase, we created the “laddering” model; controlled the schedule in three respects, including: nuclear power connected to grid related supportive documents, nuclear power construction related supportive documents, and the nuclear power security and environmental protection related supportive documents. By realizing the schedule control of the phase in nuclear power project in this paper, we hope to further enhance the level of China’s nuclear power construction project managements, ensure the economic and security of nuclear power projects and better promoted nuclear power projects.