Browse Topic: Nuclear energy
Researchers have demonstrated a new technique that uses lasers to create ceramics that can withstand ultra-high temperatures, with applications ranging from nuclear power technologies to spacecraft and jet exhaust systems. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC A new technique that leverages the concept of sintering, can be used to create ceramic coatings, tiles or complex three-dimensional structures, which allows for increased versatility when engineering new devices and technologies. “Sintering is the process by which raw materials - either powders or liquids - are converted into a ceramic material,” says Cheryl Xu, co-corresponding author of a paper on this research and a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at North Carolina State University (NCSU). “For this work, we focused on an ultrahigh temperature ceramic called hafnium carbide (HfC). Traditionally, sintering HfC requires placing the raw materials in a furnace that can reach temperatures of at least 2,200 degrees Celsius - a process that is time-consuming and energy intensive.
Recent advances are reducing the cost of space launch, high specific power solar cells, and the production of satellite systems. Modular architectures with no moving parts and distributed power systems would minimize assembly and maintenance costs. Together, this may enable space-based solar power to provide decarbonized dispatchable power at a lower cost than equivalent technologies such as nuclear power stations. Space-based Solar Power for Instantaneously Dispatchable Renewable Power on Earth discusses the advances in emerging technologies, like thin film solar cells, reusable launch vehicles, and mass-produced modular satellite systems that would make economic space power feasible. Click here to access the full SAE EDGETM Research Report portfolio.
To expand the availability of electricity generated from nuclear power, several countries have started developing designs for small modular reactors (SMRs), which could take less time and money to construct compared to existing reactors.
There are many industries where safety is a major, if not the primary, concern, such as aviation and nuclear power. These industries rely on many layers of standards for designing, developing, and deploying safety critical systems and technologies. While unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operations and UAS Traffic Management (UTM) are often touted as “safety critical”, the systems and technologies are not being held to the same standards as traditional aviation, with its long pedigree of safety. There are multiple reasons for this dichotomy. One such reason is that design assurance standards, such as DO-178 for software, do not fit with modern technology such as web-based communication and machine learning. At the architecture level, the federated approach to UTM has led to a void in the Systems Engineering process. Nobody “owns” the entire system and therefore nobody owns the Systems Engineering process where many safety related design decisions are traditionally made. Without certification to design assurance standards, the UTM industry will instead need to look towards higher level performance-based standards. Safety levels for the ecosystem will be encapsulated by risk ratios and target level of safety metrics. Standards groups, such as ASTM, are looking at how risk ratios trace to performance requirements such as Detect and Avoid (DAA). While these endeavors are necessary to begin defining some level of UTM performance requirements, the gap in the Systems Engineering process remains.
The road transport is diverging towards electrical drive solutions from the current IC engine powertrain. The vision for zero CO2 emissions has led to stringent laws that look promising to achieve through electric powertrain compared to the conventional powertrain. The current vehicles can be equipped with an IC engine, electric or hybrid powertrain for lesser emissions, better performance in power, or energy consumption. The automotive industry still upholds the possibility of IC engine powertrain because of available infrastructure, resources, and easy availability. Meanwhile, the electric powertrain commits to zero emissions, zero dependencies on the direct use of fossil fuels, energy regeneration, and less energy consumption. The switching to electrical powertrains will require enough energy generation capability through sustainable mediums like solar, bioenergy and wind generation sources. Whereas the energy generation through conventional ways like fossil fuels, nuclear energy might lead to more emissions compared to the IC engine powertrain emissions on the road. Hence, this research analyses the energy availability and difference in energy requirement for a growing number of electric vehicles in four major markets: EU, China, USA, and India. The research also includes the impact of the electric powertrain on CO2 emissions emitted during the electricity generation required for it. The research shows the difference between the same vehicle's energy consumption at three different modes: conventional, electric, and hybrid, using a Simulink model. The life cycle assessment is also performed for all three modes of the powertrain to understand their impact on greenhouse gas emissions during production, driving, and recycling phases.
The field called System Safety evolved to satisfy the demand for an organized approach to safety management of complex new aerospace systems being developed in the 1960s. As technology has advanced and complexity has increased, its application spread to aviation, rail transportation, weapons, nuclear power, medical devices, oil and gas production, and almost every area of life where complex systems could lead to events having high consequences. System Safety is often defined as the application of engineering and management principles, criteria, and techniques to achieve acceptable mishap risks within the constraints of operational effectiveness, time, and cost throughout all phases of the system life cycle. The International System Safety Society states that for almost any system, product, or service, the most effective means of limiting product liability and accident risks is to implement an organized system safety function beginning in the conceptual design phase, and continuing through to its development, fabrication, testing, production, use, and ultimate disposal.
Both the economy and energy demand increase rapidly in China. The government is facing severe problems from energy security, carbon emissions and environmental issues. The past trends and future plans of energy will have great influence on the transportation, construction and industry development. This paper summarizes the present and future energy structure in China. Conventional fossil energy, nuclear energy and renewable energy are all included. Electricity will account for more proportion in total energy consumption in the future, and the structure of electricity will be cleaner. That will promote the development of electric vehicles and the transformation of China’s automotive industry. The optimization of energy structure will accelerate the low-carbon development in China. China’s energy development will enter a new stage from the expansion of total quantity to the upgrading of quality and efficiency. In order to realize the Paris Climate Agreement, China must steadily control the total energy consumption. The energy consumption in China will be in a period of slow growth. Constantly optimizing the energy structure and promoting renewable energy will both ease the energy crisis and ensure that China’s goal of reducing CO2 emissions can be achieved. China will further strengthen international cooperation in energy projects in the future. Through the cooperation, the energy structure in China will be further optimized. The efficient technology research & development and infrastructure construction of energy storage and remote power transfer will be vital to energy development. It will have influence on the future promotion of various renewable energy resources. The government will propel the reform of the oil and gas industry, and gradually open the market to the social capital. This measure will emphasize the role of the market in the energy development.
In 1951, the first nuclear reactor in Idaho was built, starting a legacy at what is now Idaho National Laboratory (INL). INL is the site where 52 pioneering nuclear reactors were designed and constructed, including the first reactor to generate usable amounts of electricity. It was here that nuclear-generated electricity first powered an American community.
Wind energy is clean and renewable source of energy that is an attractive alternative to non-conventional sources of energy. Due to rapid increase in global energy requirements, this form of energy is gaining its share of importance. Unlike nuclear power or tar sand oils, wind energy does not leave a long-term toxic legacy. Using MATLAB algorithms, multi-optimization of wind turbine design can be achieved. Therefore, an aerodynamic mathematical model is developed to obtain the optimal chord length and twist angle distribution along the blade span. Further, a promising generic blade design is used to initialize a detailed structure optimization wherein leading edge panel (LEP), Spar cap, Shear web, Trailing edge panel (TEP) reinforcement are sized using composite laminates so that the blade is according to the intended design standard. Initially blade airfoils are analyzed on 2D platform and then the results are used to construct 3D model of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT) blade. The 3D designing of composite HAWT blade is done by CAD software Solidworks v16.0 through different airfoil for root, primary and tip and optimization of material thickness and overall mass reduction by the use of composite material through optimization of skin thickness of wind turbine is achieved. This paper is focused on the importance of structural design for optimization of HAWT blade. On further analysis, an increase in aerodynamic power generation as well as marked improvements in overall blade deformation and tip deflection characteristics is observed.
Technique can be used to distinguish between commercial nuclear reactor fuel cycles, fuel cycles for weapons grade plutonium, and products from nuclear weapons explosions. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, Virginia The objective of this work is to identify isotopic ratios suitable for analysis via mass spectrometry that distinguish between commercial nuclear reactor fuel cycles, fuel cycles for weapons grade plutonium, and products from nuclear weapons explosions. Methods will also be determined to distinguish the above from medical and industrial radionuclide sources. There are many sources for radionuclides in our environment. These include natural sources, the commercial nuclear industry, nuclear weapons, the medical industry, and other sources. Often times, the source of the radionuclide may be determined through just identification of the radionuclide. If radionuclides are produced through different sources, the identification of the source is complex. In order to ascertain a specific source for attribution, radionuclide ratios are often employed.
At 14:46 JST on March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake hit the northeastern coast of Japan. The magnitude of the earthquake was 9.0 (Mw). It was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japanese history. The earthquake triggered a deadly tsunami and swept away thousands of houses and lives. At the same time, the Fukushima Dai-ichi (No1) nuclear power plant was struck by the tsunami and the reactor took serious damage. This caused reactors to have a core meltdown and explode. There had been a radiation leak in the nuclear power plant. On March 15, the Japanese government set the restricted area within 30 km from the Fukushima nuclear power plant due to the radiation leakage. On March 17, two Japan Self Defense Force (JSDF) CH-47J helicopters dropped water to cool the failing reactor. The mission was successful, and the radiation around the reactor was gradually decreased, allowing for further operations. On April 14, one month after the disaster, the Japanese government requested the dispatchment of the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) for a search and rescue mission within the restricted area. This was the first search and rescue mission held at sea within a radioactive-contaminated environment in Japan, for which nine patrol boats, two airplanes, and three helicopters were sent for the mission. This paper describes the general outline about the cooling, thermo-monitoring, and the search and rescue missions as well as the equipment used, maximum permissible dose of radiation, and the mission environment. Then it compares this data with the helicopter operations during the Chernobyl accident. The purpose of this paper is to expand readers' knowledge about helicopter operations during nuclear disasters with the hopes for it to be a useful material for future missions. The story of this paper is based on the author's experience as a dispatched Japanese Coast Guard helicopter pilot.
Minimally invasive surgery depends on small, flexible tools with reliable actuation and consistent performance. Robotic devices have entered the operating room as assistants to procedures requiring hours of standing on the part of the surgeon. But many robotic surgery devices are expensive, bulky, and exhausting to operate. Christine Rotinat, researcher at the Systems and Technologies Integration Laboratory of the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA LIST) Gif-sur-Yvette, France, has sought to create an alternative. By making miniature robotic manipulators easier to build and operate, she hopes to offer a less expensive actuator than those currently used in surgical devices.
Space exploration is the present inevitable challenge for researchers. Various theoretical propulsion concepts have been evolved over the past years for space missions. Their potential remains as a key factor for the spacecraft to travel deeper into space in a shorter mission duration. The propulsion concept UNIT is an integrated nuclear propulsion technique that provides high entry, descent and landing (EDL) performance in such short duration to conquer other galaxies. This paper describes the theoretical approach of the UNIT propulsion system in detail. UNIT produces the highest energy possible by consuming nuclear fuel and possess the highest potential that opens new opportunities for space exploration. The principle is that the neutrons from the fusion are deliberately allowed to induce fission. It uses National Ignition Facility's laser beam for inertial confinement fusion followed by utilizing the power from tubular solid fuel cell. Thus, the net thrust is produced from the expansion of the combined plasma of the nuclear fusion and nuclear fission reactions through the nozzle.
The safe operation of technical systems is a mandatory basic requirement for the entire industry. However, there are specific industries where the safety of operation is critical and is considered as a required characteristic. These types of industries include the aerospace, military, civil aviation, nuclear power, as well as chemical and automotive industries. Safety is everyone's responsibility but engineering plays the most important role in the course of achieving a safe product operation. There are two specific phases of the product life cycle where the safety characteristics should be addressed by engineering activities: the design and development and operation phases. Modern engineering education is oriented to provide future engineers with a sufficient background to be able to Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate. The emphasis of this approach is on the achievement of dual objectives; first to teach the students a large spectrum of technologies and second to develop their personal and interpersonal capabilities in order for them to be able to build complex engineering systems. A university-level engineering curriculum very rarely includes topics related to safety and security of technical systems. Engineering programs mainly focus on the product performance knowledge domains and the safety of a product is covered in a somewhat underwhelming way. This paper provides an overview of selected university-level educational programs focusing on the topic of technical systems' safety. The synopsis of the educational safety initiative is described as a combination of university and industry integrated approach to enhance the safety knowledge and to create a safety-oriented culture for the new generation of engineers. A few examples of implemented programs from the aerospace industry are provided.
PROMOTING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY WILL BENEFIT THE WELFARE OF HUMANKIND. WITH THE QUICKLY DEPLETING FOSSIL FUEL reserve and increasing environmental hazards due to their burning, alternative energy sources have been highly debated and researched in the past decade. A cause of concern for the transportation industry is that the transportation industry not only uses a high percentage of petroleum products produced, but it also contributes a significant amount to carbon and climate problems. The beginning of the 21st century has brought high investments in climate-change and carbon-control areas by various governments, which have been at the center of world politics, resulting in a variety of alternative energies being researched around the world. The Kyoto Protocol is currently the most important climate-change agreement among the world's various countries, with climate change and carbon control the focus of much research.
In a world where oil production is declining, and where both nuclear energy plant and spent-fuel storage safety have proven to be inadequate, there is increased pressure on solar power generation to fill the gap. In response to the increased demands for energy, the photovoltaic manufacturing industry has focused on two primary objectives: driving down the cost of solar panels and increasing panel efficiency.
Automakers streamline production to reduce the price premium for lightweight carbon fiber. The 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show was a virtual carbon fiber industry expo, as automakers rolled out numerous concepts heavily featuring carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) components. The appearance of carbon fiber in supercars such as the Lamborghini Aventador or McLaren MP4-12C is no surprise, but automakers are increasingly aiming to exploit the lightweight material's advantages in small fuel-saving models.
With their race and rally expertise, company leaders such as Christian Chehab, General Manager of Transmissions and Hybrid Projects, understand the importance of developing technologies to reach the environmental podium. Christian Chehab's summary of PSA Peugeot Citroën's overarching technology priority is straightforward: “Our overall engineering philosophy is now everything that touches upon fuel efficiency-that's mainly powertrain, materials in body structures, and aerodynamics.” It means that Chehab, General Manager of Transmissions and Hybrid Projects at PSA, is a very busy man. Although focused particularly on powertrain, he takes a strategic view of all aspects of reducing the carbon footprint of Peugeot and Citroën vehicles, including the auto industry's enduring challenge of weight reduction.
A Royal Academy of Engineering panel says that EVs will do for cities and most commutes, but many British motorists will still need plug-in hybrids for longer trips. Recent legislation passed by the British Parliament has committed the U.K. to new, more stringent limits on emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The new law mandates at least a 26% cut by 2020 (compared to 1990 levels) and an 80% reduction by 2050. Soon afterwards, an independent expert panel of Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) members was tasked with ascertaining how best to alter the road vehicle fleet of the Michigan-size nation to meet the challenge posed by climate-change scientists. Roger Kemp of the University of Lancaster is the chairman of the panel, which consists of nine top automotive industry consultants, university researchers, and engineers from leading technology firms such as Ricardo and Prodrive. The initial question of the panel, he said, was, “How the heck are we going to do this?”
Materials science and engineering will continue to play a major role in realizing new energy opportunities. Jeff Wadsworth, President and CEO of the private nonprofit R&D company Battelle Memorial Institute, relies on two clichés to neatly sum up the energy topic. The first is that there is no silver bullet. “Although we started to hear that there might be silver buckshot,” he added, eliciting laughter from attendees of a “Powering the Future” session during the 2009 Materials Science and Technology (MS&T) Conference, held in Pittsburgh, PA. The second is there's no free lunch. “What I mean by ‘no free lunch’ is it's very tempting to say nuclear energy's a problem because of the waste. But every energy supply source has problems-there are no free lunches,” Wadsworth said. For example, solar and wind power may offer zero net carbon generation, but they also require “massive areas” for generation at scale, he noted. And electric vehicles-being heavily pursued for their promise of reduced point-of-use emissions and oil dependence-require, obviously, electricity.
Materials science and engineering will continue to play a major role in realizing new energy opportunities. Jeff Wadsworth, President and CEO of the private nonprofit R&D company Battelle Memorial Institute, relies on two clichés to neatly sum up the energy topic. The first is that there is no silver bullet. “Although we started to hear that there might be silver buckshot,” he added, eliciting laughter from attendees of a “Powering the Future” session during the 2009 Materials Science and Technology (MS&T) Conference, held in Pittsburgh, PA. The second is there's no free lunch. “What I mean by ‘no free lunch’ is it's very tempting to say nuclear energy's a problem because of the waste. But every energy supply source has problems-there are no free lunches,” Wadsworth said.
An ever-increasing reliance on software control has meant that many companies from non-aerospace business sectors (automotive, nuclear power, MRI scanners, financial systems) that do not have a traditional requirement for sophisticated software development processes now find themselves compelled to undertake safety-critical and safety-related analysis and testing. With the need for increased software quality across different industries, a tendency has emerged for companies to look outside their own market sector for best practice approaches, techniques or standards. Examples of such industry crossover have been seen in the automotive and avionics industries with the adoption of elements of the DO-178B standard by the former and a similar adoption of the Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) standards by the latter.
A report presents a design concept for an instrumented robotic vehicle (rover) to be used on a future mission of exploration of the planet Mars. The design incorporates a nuclear fission power system to provide long range, long life, and high power capabilities unachievable through the use of alternative solar or radioisotope power systems. The concept described in the report draws on previous rover designs developed for the 2009 Mars Science laboratory (MSL) mission to minimize the need for new technology developments.
Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd., a subcontractor of Societatea Nationala Nucleoelectrica S.A. (SNN) of Romania, contracted Badger Meter to model, test, and produce a set of precision valves for Cernavoda Unit 2, the second nuclear power plant in Cernavoda, Romania. The main concern for the construction and operation of the valves was their survivability and continued functioning after enduring an earthquake. In nuclear power plants, such valves control the cooling of the nuclear reactors where continued flow of water around the nuclear core is essential for safety. After the earthquake that precipitated the eruption of Mt. Saint Helens in 1980, testing criteria for valves routinely has included their capability to ensure the safe functioning of the reactor after seismic events, at least in terms of cooling capacity.
Accelerometers used for shock and vibration measurement in extreme environments require special consideration in the design and manufacturing process. Certain unique applications can require the same accelerometer to function from -54 to 649 °C (-65 to 1,200 ° F). This might include such applications as vibration measurement on gas turbine engines, in flight, or in test cells; rocket motor vibration measurements; and thruster vibration. These accelerometers also may need to function in nuclear radiation environments, and possibly in a combination of temperature extremes and radiation. This might include nuclear power generation or space vehicle applications. Materials and construction must then be selected not only to enhance high temperature performance, but also to allow operation in the presence of gamma and neutron radiation
Like the electrical-resistance heaters used heretofore for such testing, the dielectric heaters would be inserted in the reactors in place of nuclear fuel rods. A typical heater according to the proposal would consist of a rod of lossy dielectric material sized and shaped like a fuel rod and containing an electrically conductive rod along its center line. Exploiting the dielectric loss mechanism that is usually considered a nuisance in other applications, an RF signal, typically at a frequency =50 MHz and an amplitude between 2 and 5 kV, would be applied to the central conductor to heat the dielectric material. The main advantage of the proposal is that the wiring needed for the RF dielectric heating would be simpler and easier to fabricate than is the wiring needed for resistance heating. In some applications, it might be possible to eliminate all heater wiring and, instead, beam the RF heating power into the dielectric rods from external antennas.
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