scholarly journals Nuclear Power: Time to Start Again

Author(s):  
William D. Rezak

One of America’s best kept secrets is the success of its nuclear electric power industry. This paper presents data which support the construction and operating successes enjoyed by energy companies that operate nuclear power plants in the US. The result—the US nuclear industry is alive and well. Perhaps it’s time to start anew the building of nuclear power plants. Let’s take the wraps off the major successes achieved in the nuclear power industry. Over 20% of the electricity generated in the United States comes from nuclear power plants. An adequate, reliable supply of reasonably priced electric energy is not a consequence of an expanding economy and gross national product; it is an absolute necessity before such expansion can occur. It is hard to imagine any aspect of our business or personal lives not, in some way, dependent upon electricity. All over the world (in 34 countries) nuclear power is a low-cost, secure, safe, dependable, and environmentally friendly form of electric power generation. Nuclear plants in these countries are built in six to eight years using technology developed in the US, with good performance and safety records. This treatise addresses the success experienced by the US nuclear industry over the last 40 years, and makes the case that this reliable, cost-competitive source of electric power can help support the economic engine of the country and help prevent experiences like the recent crisis in California. Traditionally, the evaluation of electric power generation facility performance has focused on the ability of plants to produce at design capacity for high percentages of the time. Successful operation of nuclear facilities is determined by examining capacity or load factors. Load factor is the percentage of design generating capacity that a power plant actually produces over the course of a year’s operation. This paper makes the case that these operating performance indicators warrant renewed consideration of the nuclear option. Usage of electricity in the US now approaches total generating capacity. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has pre-approved construction and operating licenses for several nuclear plant designs. State public service commissions are beginning to understand that dramatic reform is required. The economy is recovering and inflation is minimal. It’s time, once more, to turn to the safe, reliable, environmentally friendly nuclear power alternative.

Author(s):  
William D. Rezak

One of America’s best kept secrets is the success of its nuclear electric power industry. This paper presents data which support the construction and operating successes enjoyed by energy companies that operate nuclear power plants in the US. The result—the US nuclear industry is alive and well. Perhaps it’s time to start anew the building of nuclear power plants. Let’s take the wraps off the major successes achieved in the nuclear power industry. Over 20% of the electricity generated in the United States comes from nuclear power plants. An adequate, reliable supply of reasonably priced electric energy is not a consequence of an expanding economy and gross national product; it is an absolute necessity before such expansion can occur. It is hard to imagine any aspect of our business or personal lives not, in some way, dependent upon electricity. All over the world (in over 30 countries) nuclear power is a low-cost, secure, safe, dependable, and environmentally friendly form of electric power generation. Nuclear plants in these countries are built in six to eight years using technology developed in the US, with good performance and safety records. This treatise addresses the success experienced by the US nuclear industry over the last 40 years, and makes the case that this reliable, cost-competitive source of electric power can help support the economic engine of the country and help prevent experiences like the recent crises in California and the Northeast. Traditionally, the evaluation of electric power generation facility performance has focused on the ability of plants to produce at design capacity for high percentages of the time. Successful operation of nuclear facilities is determined by examining capacity or load factors. Load factor is the percentage of design generating capacity that a power plant actually produces over the course of a year’s operation. This paper makes the case that these operating performance indicators warrant renewed consideration of the nuclear option. Usage of electricity in the US now approaches total generating capacity. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has pre-approved construction and operating licenses for several nuclear plant designs. State public service commissions are beginning to understand that dramatic reform is required. The economy is recovering and inflation is minimal. It’s time, once more, to turn to the safe, reliable, environmentally friendly nuclear power alternative.


Heritage ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 2054-2080
Author(s):  
Dirk H. R. Spennemann

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the German nuclear power industry came under considerable socio-political pressure from the growing environmental and anti-nuclear movement. As part of a diversified public relations strategy, the Kraftwerk Union (KWU, later Siemens) as the main manufacturer of nuclear power plants distributed pre-printed QSL cards to amateur radio enthusiasts. These cards carried images of the latest nuclear power plants built by KWU. This paper examines the history, iconography and distribution of these QSL cards in the context of the heritage of the German nuclear power industry. It is the first study of its kind to examine the heritage significance of QSL cards.


Author(s):  
Alexey Arzhaev

The energy obtained at nuclear power plants is considered environmentally friendly, so an increase in the number of nuclear power plants is inevitable both in Russia and abroad. But the memory of accidents and incidents at nuclear power plants, their causes and destructive consequences should force all responsible participants in the process to follow the basic principles of defense in depth and safety culture. Analysis of the factors considered in the article indicates that the approach to the implementation of the principle of safety culture on the part of officials of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom and the world's second operating organization, Rosenergoatom Concern JSC, is subject to emasculation to the greatest extent. This indicates that the lessons of past accidents at nuclear power plants are not fully absorbed in the nuclear industry of the Russian Federation and the existing bureaucratic nihilism in relation to the fulfillment of the requirements of federal norms and rules requires urgent overcoming.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 5270
Author(s):  
SungSig Bang ◽  
SangYun Park

The Korean Government has been implementing a nuclear phase-out policy since 2017. Nuclear power plants accounted for 30.0% of the total power generation in 2016; this figure fell to 25.9% at the end of 2019, and the average Capacity Factor (CF) of a nuclear power plant approximately dropped from 89.1% to 69.2%. The nuclear phase-out policy presents severe consequences for the sustainable management of the nuclear power industry. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of a decrease in the nuclear capacity factor under the nuclear phase-out policy on the depreciation cost per unit using the Straight-Line Method (SLM) and Decelerated Depreciation Method (DDM) and to provide recommendations from a sustainable management perspective. The results show that the decrease in CF of nuclear power plants has a negative impact on sustainable development of the nuclear power industry. DDM is more beneficial than the SLM during this initial stage of depreciation under the nuclear phase-out policy. In addition, in the early stages of projects or immediately after attracting large-scale investments, DDM can offer more positive signs for stockholders by calculating a smaller net loss or a higher net profit.


Author(s):  
Hoonseok Byun ◽  
Seogchan Yoon ◽  
Jonghae Kim ◽  
Samchul Lee

Korea Electric Power Industry Code (KEPIC), a set of integrated standards applicable to the design, construction and operation of electric power facilities including nuclear power plants, has been developed on the basis of referring to the prevailing U.S. codes and standards which had been applied to the electric power facilities in Korea. Being the developing and managing organization of KEPIC, Korea Electric Association (KEA) published its first edition in 1995, the second in 2000 and the latest in 2005. KEPIC has been applied to the construction of nuclear power plants since 1997 in Korea. Along with the effectuation of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) in 1995, the international trend related to codes and standards is changing rapidly. KEA is, therefore, making its utmost efforts so as for KEPIC to keep abreast with the changing environment in international arena. KEA notified ISO/IEC Information Centre of its acceptance of the Code of Good Practice in the Agreement on TBT. Also the 2005 edition of KEPIC was published to be retrofitted according to the ISO/IEC Guide 21-Adoption of International Standards as regional or national standards. On the other hand, KEA is continuously performing to study on the improvement of KEPIC requirements. Such KEA’s efforts will help KEPIC correspond with international standards such as ISO/IEC standards, and internationally recognized standards such as ASME codes and standards. Furthermore KEA will expedite the publication of the bilingual edition of KEPIC at 2010 as per the globalization plan and KEA hopes that KEPIC can assist Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (KHNP) in exportation of Korea Standard Nuclear Power Plant (KSNP) such as OPR-1000 and APR-1400 by the bilingual edition.


Author(s):  
Richard J. Gradle ◽  
Floyd A. Bensinger

Flowserve and its heritage companies have supplied valves for many of the critical applications within commercial nuclear power generation plants since the beginning of commercial nuclear power generation. Two of these highly critical applications are the Main Steam Isolation Valves (MSIVs) and the Main Feedwater Isolation Valves (MFIVs). As the requirements of these two applications have evolved, so have the applicable valve and actuator designs and their qualifications. Although functional qualification standards (ASME QME-1) for power operated valve applications have been developed within the US nuclear industry, their use is relatively new within the US. In order to globally supply these valves, Flowserve has functionally qualified its MSIVs and MFIVs to this standard. In addition to the valves, the actuators have also evolved. Flowserve’s type A, gas / hydraulic actuator has been updated to improve its reliability and provide better performance for the power plants. The updated Flowserve type A, type A, gas / hydraulic actuator has completed the Environmental Qualification testing in accordance with the requirements of IEEE 323, 344 and 382. The Flowserve MSIV and MFIV designs have been selected for installation in many of the new Generation 3 and Generation 3+ nuclear power generation plants. This paper briefly discusses: • The history of the MSIV and MFIV valve applications within the nuclear power generation plants and • The Flowserve MSIV and MFIV, ASME QME-1 functional qualifications. Major paper emphasis is placed on: • The latest updates to the Flowserve type A, type A, gas / hydraulic actuator design, and • The latest results of the Flowserve type A, gas hydraulic actuator environmental qualification to IEEE 323, 344 and 382.


Author(s):  
Ronald C. Lippy

The nuclear industry is preparing for the licensing and construction of new nuclear power plants in the United States. Several new designs have been developed and approved, including the “traditional” reactor designs, the passive safe shutdown designs and the small modular reactors (SMRs). The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) provides specific Codes used to perform preservice inspection/testing and inservice inspection/testing for many of the components used in the new reactor designs. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews information provided by applicants related to inservice testing (IST) programs for Design Certifications and Combined Licenses (COLs) under Part 52, “Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants,” in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 52) (Reference 1). The 2012 Edition of the ASME OM Code defines a post-2000 plant as a nuclear power plant that was issued (or will be issued) its construction permit, or combined license for construction and operation, by the applicable regulatory authority on or following January 1, 2000. The New Reactors OM Code (NROMC) Task Group (TG) of the ASME Code for Operation and Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants (NROMC TG) is assigned the task of ensuring that the preservice testing (PST) and IST provisions in the ASME OM Code to address pumps, valves, and dynamic restraints (snubbers) in post-2000 nuclear power plants are adequate to provide reasonable assurance that the components will operate as needed when called upon. Currently, the NROMC TG is preparing proposed guidance for the treatment of active pumps, valves, and dynamic restraints with high safety significance in non-safety systems in passive post-2000 reactors including SMRs.


2018 ◽  
Vol 183 (4) ◽  
pp. 503-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tae Young Kong ◽  
Gamal Akabani ◽  
John W Poston

Abstract One of the most important issues in the nuclear power industry is the implementation of the 2007 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) published in ICRP Publication 103. These recommendations include the implementation of the concept of dose constraints for occupationally exposed workers at nuclear power plants (NPPs). When considering these changes from a cost–benefit standpoint, the implementation of dose constraints is still highly controversial. This study analysed annual occupational dose distributions to determine whether a dose constraint is needed for occupationally exposed workers at the US NPPs. Results of the analysis showed that the use of dose constraints had no positive impact on radiation safety of workers at NPPs in the USA. In fact, it appears that the implementation of dose constraints will impose an unnecessary regulatory burden on licensees. Based on these results, implementation of dose constraints is not recommended.


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