Characterization of Chlorination By-products in Cooling Effluents of Coastal Nuclear Power Stations

Abstract This case comment explores the relationship between two intertwined objectives – ensuring security of electricity supply and environmental protection – in the context of the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Inter-Environnement Wallonie ASBL and Bond Beter Leefmilieu Vlaanderen ASBL v. Conseil des ministres. The analysis focuses on the application of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive and the Habitats Directive to the facts of the case, which concerns the extension by a ten-year period of the operation of two Belgian nuclear power stations (Doel 1 and Doel 2) as part of a national energy policy strategy to ensure the security of Belgium's electricity supply. The case comment also considers the legal and practical implications that arise as a result of employing the ‘security of electricity supply’ exemption to enable derogation from the requirements of the aforementioned Directives in circumstances where a Member State considers the security of its electricity supply to be under threat.

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Analytical Characterization of Water-Soluble Constituents in Olive-Derived By-Products

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10061299 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 1299

Author(s):

Pablo Doménech ◽

Aleta Duque ◽

Isabel Higueras ◽

José Luis Fernández ◽

Paloma Manzanares

Keyword(s):

Olive Tree ◽

Mediterranean Area ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Olive Pomace ◽

Olive Leaves ◽

Olive Stone ◽

Olive Trees ◽

Tree Pruning ◽

By Products

Olive trees constitute one of the largest agroindustries in the Mediterranean area, and their cultivation generates a diverse pool of biomass by-products such as olive tree pruning (OTP), olive leaves (OL), olive stone (OS), and extracted olive pomace (EOP). These lignocellulosic materials have varying compositions and potential utilization strategies within a biorefinery context. The aim of this work was to carry out an integral analysis of the aqueous extractives fraction of these biomasses. Several analytical methods were applied in order to fully characterize this fraction to varying extents: a mass closure of >80% was reached for EOP, >76% for OTP, >65% for OS, and >52% for OL. Among the compounds detected, xylooligosaccharides, mannitol, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol, and hydroxytyrosol were noted as potential enhancers of the valorization of said by-products. The extraction of these compounds is expected to be more favorable for OTP, OL, and EOP, given their high extractives content, and is compatible with other utilization strategies such as the bioconversion of the lignocellulosic fraction into biofuels and bioproducts.

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“Real-World” Microscopy: Understanding Environment-Sensitive Behavior of Ni-Base Welds

Microscopy and Microanalysis ◽

10.1017/s1431927600022765 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 4 (S2) ◽

pp. 528-529

Author(s):

M. G. Burke ◽

R. J. Wehrer ◽

C.M. Brown

Keyword(s):

Nuclear Power ◽

Base Alloy ◽

Analytical Electron Microscopy ◽

Furnace Cool ◽

Environmental Embrittlement ◽

Reported Study ◽

Compositional Changes ◽

Insight Into ◽

Sensitive Behavior

Ni-base alloy welds such as EN82H weld metal are frequently employed in nuclear power applications where resistance to corrosion is required. Results of a recently reported study of the mechanical properties of EN82H welds show that this alloy is susceptible to low-temperature (∼100°C) environmental embrittlement (LTEE) in hydrogenated water. LTEE is a manifestation of hydrogen embrittlement in these alloys.1 Recent LTEE tests have demonstrated a beneficial effect of a high-temperature (∼1100°C) anneal and furnace-cool in alleviating the material's susceptibility to LTEE. Understanding the reason for the reduction in LTEE susceptibility requires detailed characterization of the microstructure so that the specific structural and compositional changes that have been induced by the solution-anneal can be identified. This study reports the results of light optical and analytical electron microscopy (AEM) characterization of the microstructures of as-fabricated and as-solution-annealed EN82H welds with the objective of providing insight into the observed LTEE behavior.

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Evaluation of the residual stress in stainless steel 304L hydraulically expanded joints

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part E Journal of Process Mechanical Engineering ◽

10.1177/0954408920964019 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 095440892096401

Author(s):

Ying Hong ◽

Xuesheng Wang ◽

Yan Wang ◽

Zhao Zhang ◽

Yong Han

Keyword(s):

Residual Stress ◽

Stainless Steel ◽

Yield Strength ◽

Residual Stresses ◽

Heat Exchangers ◽

Nuclear Power ◽

The Finite Element Method ◽

Power Stations ◽

Stainless Steel 304 ◽

Initial Clearance

Stainless steel 304 L tubes are commonly used in the fabrication of heat exchangers for nuclear power stations. The stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of 304 L tubes in hydraulically expanded tube-to-tubesheet joints is the main reason for the failure of heat exchangers. In this study, 304 L hydraulically expanded joint specimens were prepared and the residual stresses of a tube were evaluated with both an experimental method and the finite element method (FEM). The residual stresses in the outer and inner surfaces of the tube were measured by strain gauges. The expanding and unloading processes of the tube-to-tubesheet joints were simulated by the FEM. Furthermore, an SCC test was carried out to verify the results of the experimental measurement and the FEM. There was good agreement between the FEM and the experimental results. The distribution of the residual stress of the tube in the expanded joint was revealed by the FEM. The effects of the expansion pressure, initial tube-to-hole clearance, and yield strength of the tube on the residual stress in the transition zone that lay between the expanded and unexpanded region of the tube were investigated. The results showed that the residual stress of the expanded joint reached the maximum value when the initial clearance was eliminated. The residual stress level decreased with the decrease of the initial tube-to-hole clearance and yield strength. Finally, an effective method that would reduce the residual stress without losing tightness was proposed.

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Extraction and Mass Spectrometric Characterization of Terpenes Recovered from Olive Leaves Using a New Adsorbent-Assisted Supercritical CO2 Process

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10061301 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 1301

Author(s):

Zully J. Suárez Montenegro ◽

Gerardo Álvarez-Rivera ◽

Jose A. Mendiola ◽

Elena Ibáñez ◽

Alejandro Cifuentes

Keyword(s):

Aluminum Oxide ◽

Silica Gel ◽

Supercritical Co2 ◽

Olive Leaves ◽

Fractionation Process ◽

Selective Enrichment ◽

Adsorption Desorption ◽

First Time ◽

By Products

This work reports the use of GC-QTOF-MS to obtain a deep characterization of terpenoid compounds recovered from olive leaves, which is one of the largest by-products generated by the olive oil industry. This work includes an innovative supercritical CO2 fractionation process based on the online coupling of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and dynamic adsorption/desorption for the selective enrichment of terpenoids in the different olive leaves extracts. The selectivity of different commercial adsorbents such as silica gel, zeolite, and aluminum oxide was evaluated toward the different terpene families present in olive leaves. Operating at 30 MPa and 60 °C, an adsorbent-assisted fractionation was carried out every 20 min for a total time of 120 min. For the first time, GC-QTOF-MS allowed the identification of 40 terpenoids in olive leaves. The GC-QTOF-MS results indicate that silica gel is a suitable adsorbent to partially retain polyunsaturated C10 and C15 terpenes. In addition, aluminum oxide increases C20 recoveries, whereas crystalline zeolites favor C30 terpenes recoveries. The different healthy properties that have been described for terpenoids makes the current SFE-GC-QTOF-MS process especially interesting and suitable for their revalorization.

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47. On-load chelating agent treatments for conventional and nuclear power stations

WATER CHEMISTRY OF NUCLEAR REACTOR SYSTEMS ◽

10.1680/wconrs.00537.0054 ◽

1978 ◽

pp. 417-422

Author(s):

D. J. Turner

Keyword(s):

Nuclear Power ◽

Chelating Agent ◽

Power Stations

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Acoustic Characterization of Some Steel Industry Waste Materials

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11135924 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (13) ◽

pp. 5924

Author(s):

Elisa Levi ◽

Simona Sgarbi ◽

Edoardo Alessio Piana

Keyword(s):

Thermal Characteristic ◽

Environmental Benefits ◽

Acoustic Properties ◽

Physical Parameters ◽

Industry Waste ◽

Acoustic Characterization ◽

Minimization Procedure ◽

The Difference ◽

By Products

From a circular economy perspective, the acoustic characterization of steelwork by-products is a topic worth investigating, especially because little or no literature can be found on this subject. The possibility to reuse and add value to a large amount of this kind of waste material can lead to significant economic and environmental benefits. Once properly analyzed and optimized, these by-products can become a valuable alternative to conventional materials for noise control applications. The main acoustic properties of these materials can be investigated by means of a four-microphone impedance tube. Through an inverse technique, it is then possible to derive some non-acoustic properties of interest, useful to physically characterize the structure of the materials. The inverse method adopted in this paper is founded on the Johnson–Champoux–Allard model and uses a standard minimization procedure based on the difference between the sound absorption coefficients obtained experimentally and predicted by the Johnson–Champoux–Allard model. The results obtained are consistent with other literature data for similar materials. The knowledge of the physical parameters retrieved applying this technique (porosity, airflow resistivity, tortuosity, viscous and thermal characteristic length) is fundamental for the acoustic optimization of the porous materials in the case of future applications.

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