Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Nuclear energy industry'

This study is an application of production-cost duality theory. Duality theory is reviewed for the competitive and rate-of-return regulated firm. The cost function is developed for the nuclear electric power generating industry of the United States using capital, fuel and labor factor inputs. A comparison is made between the Generalized Box-Cox (GBC) and Fourier Flexible (FF) functional forms. The GBC functional form nests the Generalized Leontief, Generalized Square Root Quadratic and Translog functional forms, and is based upon a second-order Taylor-series expansion. The FF form follows from a Fourier-series expansion in sine and cosine terms using the Sobolev norm as the goodness of fit measure. The Sobolev norm takes into account first and second derivatives. The cost function and two factor shares are estimated as a system of equations using maximum likehood techniques, with Additive Standard Normal and Logistic Normal error distributions. In summary, none of the special cases of the GBC function form are accepted. Homotheticity of the underlying production technology can be rejected for both the GBC and FF forms, leaving only the unrestricted versions supported by the data. Residual analysis indicates a slight improvement in skewness and kurtosis for univariate and multivariate cases when the Logistic Normal distribution is used.

The increasing demand for electrical energy to bring about development and social change has brought about renewed interest in the use of nuclear power as one of the sources of electrical energy. The nuclear power industry has had a few decades of low activity due to previous accidents which turned the public perception against the use of nuclear as an electrical power source. The low activity has resulted in the shortage of nuclear skills as the skill previously available is now aged and about to reach retirement. The South African Government has recently announced its commitment to having nuclear in the energy mix. This will require construction of new nuclear power plants. This research arises from the need to understand whether the required human capital will be available, looking specifically at technician level in the nuclear energy industry. The main research goal of the study was to find what training and development initiatives are currently being used in industry and what needs to be in place to ensure that the industry is ready for the nuclear new-build. The researcher than proposes training and development initiatives that should be put in place to meet the demand that will be created by the nuclear new-build.
Thesis (MSc (Engineering Sciences in Nuclear Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

This paper studies the nuclear technology and evaluates the most likely technical developments to come until 2030. It examines the features of Czech and French nuclear programs, compares the structures of nuclear sectors and estimates the advantages & drawbacks of further developments in both countries. The paper assesses if certain developments of the nuclear sector in one country can be used in the other country and vice-versa. Finally, proposes a set of recommendations for both countries regarding the development of their nuclear program.

Magister Legum - LLM
African states are interested in the development of nuclear power (also referred to as atomic power) for the generation of electricity and desalination. These include Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Tunisia, South Africa, and Uganda. The nuclear governance in South Africa has adopted principles into its legal system which require it to comply with the objectives of numerous resolutions, conventions, treaties, bilateral and multilateral agreements. Therefore, there is an obligation upon the government through ‘reasonable legislative and other measures’ to manage nuclear matters, such as nuclear accidents, in a manner that protects the general public, atomic industry workers as well as prevents the pollution of the surrounding environment. It has been seven years since the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident that occurred in Japan on 11 March 2011, when considerable amounts of radioactive material from the damaged plant released into the environment. Health hazards, associated with exposure to low levels of ionising radiation, are a significant concern following such an accident. A nuclear disaster can potentially violate not only the right to health of workers, but that of residents and evacuees alike, particularly pregnant women, older persons, and children. Regional and international human rights conventions impose obligations on state parties to “take whatever steps necessary to ensure that the right to the highest attainable standard of health is enjoyed by all as soon as possible”. In most cases, when a nuclear accident occurs, workers within the nuclear plant are expected to mitigate emergencies. The danger of this expectation is that it could violate their fundamental human rights.

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Technology (M Tech) Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2014
The increased demand for electricity has persuaded a number of countries world-wide to re-evaluate their strategies on energy production. These strategies largely focus on expanding the power generation capacity and adjustment of the amount of energy generated from various sources, in the light of global climate change, security of energy supply and fossil fuel price volatility (OECD report, 2010). In the United States of America (USA), for example, according to Ansolabehere & Konisky (2009), a projection of 40% rise in electricity demand is forecast over the next three decades presenting a need for diversifying the energy mix and expanding power generation capacity. The need for expanding energy supply is increasingly becoming more pronounced in a number of developing countries as well. The demand for energy warrants generation of energy from a variety of sources: coal-fired power plants, gas turbines, wind farms and nuclear power facilities. In order to transmit electricity efficiently these facilities need to be located near residential centres. The challenges associated with the construction of such centres are multi-fold. The option of nuclear power generation is a very divisive issue with as many opponents as supporters, and it has certainly been put back on the agenda in many countries including China, India and Russia, with over 250 nuclear projects in the pipeline globally. The construction of nuclear power plants is often masked with opposition from the public resulting in huge delays in completing the projects yet, nuclear energy is considered as one of the most comprehensive and cost-effective generating options which has the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, meet the ever-increasing demand for electricity as well as making a crucial contribution to energy independence and security of supply.

Résumé : Les ions hydronium (H3O + ) sont formés, à temps courts, dans les grappes ou le long des trajectoires de la radiolyse de l'eau par des rayonnements ionisants à faible transfert d’énergie linéaire (TEL) ou à TEL élevé. Cette formation in situ de H3O + rend la région des grappes/trajectoires du rayonnement temporairement plus acide que le milieu environnant. Bien que des preuves expérimentales de l’acidité d’une grappe aient déjà été signalées, il n'y a que des informations fragmentaires quant à son ampleur et sa dépendance en temps. Dans ce travail, nous déterminons les concentrations en H3O + et les valeurs de pH correspondantes en fonction du temps à partir des rendements de H3O + calculés à l’aide de simulations Monte Carlo de la chimie intervenant dans les trajectoires. Quatre ions incidents de différents TEL ont été sélectionnés et deux modèles de grappe/trajectoire ont été utilisés : 1) un modèle de grappe isolée "sphérique" (faible TEL) et 2) un modèle de trajectoire "cylindrique" (TEL élevé). Dans tous les cas étudiés, un effet de pH acide brusque transitoire, que nous appelons un effet de "pic acide", est observé immédiatement après l’irradiation. Cet effet ne semble pas avoir été exploré dans l'eau ou un milieu cellulaire soumis à un rayonnement ionisant, en particulier à haut TEL. À cet égard, ce travail soulève des questions sur les implications possibles de cet effet en radiobiologie, dont certaines sont évoquées brièvement. Nos calculs ont ensuite été étendus à l’étude de l'influence de la température, de 25 à 350 °C, sur la formation in situ d’ions H3O + et l’effet de pic acide qui intervient à temps courts lors de la radiolyse de l’eau à faible TEL. Les résultats montrent une augmentation marquée de la réponse de pic acide à hautes températures. Comme de nombreux processus intervenant dans le cœur d’un réacteur nucléaire refroidi à l'eau dépendent de façon critique du pH, la question ici est de savoir si ces fortes variations d’acidité, même si elles sont hautement localisées et transitoires, contribuent à la corrosion et l’endommagement des matériaux.
Abstract : Hydronium ions (H3O+) are formed within spurs or tracks of the low or high linear energy transfer (LET) radiolysis of pure, deaerated water at early times. The in situ radiolytic formation of H3O+ renders the spur and track regions temporarily more acid than the surrounding medium. Although experimental evidence for an acidic spur has already been reported, there is only fragmentary information on its magnitude and time dependence. In this work, spur or track H3O+ concentrations and the corresponding pH values are obtained from our calculated yields of H3O+ as a function of time, using Monte Carlo track chemistry simulations. We selected four impacting ions and we used two different spur and track models: 1) an isolated “spherical” spur model characteristic of low-LET radiation and 2) an axially homogeneous “cylindrical” track model for high-LET radiation. Very good agreement was found between our calculated time evolution of G(H3O+) in the radiolysis of pure, deaerated water by 300-MeV incident protons (which mimic 60Co gamma/fast electron irradiation) and the available experimental data at 25 °C. For all cases studied, an abrupt transient acid pH effect, which we call an “acid spike”, is observed during and shortly after the initial energy release. This acid-spike effect is virtually unexplored in water or in a cellular environment subject to the action of ionizing radiation, especially high-LET radiation. In this regard, this work raises a number of questions about the potential implications of this effect for radiobiology, some of which are briefly evoked. Our calculations were then extended to examine the effect of temperature from 25 to 350 °C on the yield of H3O+ ions that are formed in spurs of the low-LET radiolysis of water. The results showed an increasingly acidic spike response at higher temperatures. As many in-core processes in a water-cooled nuclear reactor critically depend on pH, the question here is whether these variations in acidity, even highly localized and transitory, contribute to material corrosion and damage.

The thesis deals with the analysis of possibilities for use of III. and IV. generation of nuclear reactors for the Czech Republic. Introduction deals with basic principles of nuclear energetics and fuel cycle which is closely associated with the issue and its development and application in practice will have a significant effect both for choice of future types of nuclear reactors of IV. generation and the matter of settlement with spent nuclear fuel. In other parts the thesis deals with the present state of nuclear energetics in the Czech Republic, compares concrete chosen types of nuclear power plants of III. generation and generally describes nuclear reactors and power plants of IV. generation. Final part of the work is focused on questions concerning the possibility of construction of new blocks of nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic and presents concrete recommendation from author´s point of view.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2006.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The International Energy Agency will for the first time in its 32 years history urge governments to speed up the construction of nuclear power plants. According to Fatih Birol, lEA chief economist, "the decision almost needs to be made tomorrow if we are going to act before we reach a point of no return in climate and security of supply." Nuclear energy, through the conversion and enrichment of uranium oxide, is one of the energy sources with the potential to make an immediate and substantial difference in the emission of greenhouse gasses. Uranium Oxide currently provides a cost effective and sustainable source of clean energy through nuclear power generation, directly comparable in price to gas and coal. With the growth of the world economy, comes a requirement for more energy. This can only be sustained through a number of sources, of which uranium and renewable sources of energy i.e. wind power generation, is part of. The supply of uranium oxide from production to conversion is key to the success of the uranium industry. The high energy potential of relative small quantities of uranium makes rt ideal to transport as the cost and handling is reduced. The transportation of uranium oxide is continuously increasing in complexity. This combined with a high price scenario, increased demand and supply shortages increases the risk associated with denial and delays of shipments.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Internasionale Energie Agentskap gaan vir die eerste keer in die organisasie se 32-jaar geskiedenis' regerings aanspoor om die konstruksie van kemkragsentrales te bespoedig. Volgens Fatih Birol, IEA se hoof-ekonoom, "moet die besluit amper more geneem word as ons gaan reageer voor ons 'n punt van geen omdraai bereik het ten opsigte van die klimaat en sekuriteit van aanbod." Kernkrag, deur die omskakeling en verryking van uraanoksied, is een van die energie bronne met die potensiaal om 'n onmiddelike en substansiele verskil in die vrylating van groenhuis-gasse te maak. Uraanoksied verskaf huidiglik 'n koste effektiewe en volhoudbare bron van skoon energie deur kernkrag opwekking, direk vergelykbaar met steenkool en gas. Met die groei in die wereld ekonomie, kom die vraag na meer energie. Dit kan slegs volhoudbaar wees uit 'n aantal bronne waarvan uraan en hernubare bronne soos windkrag-opwekking, deel is. Die verskaffing van uraanoksied van produksie tot verryking is die sleutel tot die sukses van die uraan industrie. Die hoe energie potensiaal van relatiewe klein hoeveelhede uraan, maak dit geskik vir vervoer omdat die koste van vervoer en hantering verminder word. Die transportering van uraan oksied is voortdurend besig om in kompleksiteit toe te neem. Gekombineerd met 'n hoe prys senario, verhoogde vraag na en aanbodtekorte, verhoog die risiko verbind met wyering en vertragings in verskeping.

Thesis (MTech (Quality)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2009
There is a South African Government initiative to use State-owned Enterprises (SOE’s) to roll out a programme for the development and stimulation of local small businesses in South Africa. The state has requested SOE’s to set targets on a voluntary basis to increase trade with small businesses, with the purpose of developing small enterprises to eventually enhance skills transfer, training and employment. However, when large customers such as Eskom Nuclear Generation require ISO certification as a prerequisite for a supplier to provide goods and/or services to them, most small businesses are unable to comply. The requirement of ISO9000 compliance inhibits the ability of most small businesses to compete with their larger counterparts. Small businesses constitute as much as 90% of most world economies. They have many advantages to offer customers, such as a high level of flexibility, innovation and responsiveness to customer needs. These attributes can introduce healthy competition to the supply chain. Small businesses, by their very nature experience more risks, such as a higher vulnerability to volatile market forces and skills loss. In addition, they are generally less specialised. They are under continuous competitive pressure, and are generally not able to provide assurance of a sustainable product over a longer period. Although there is an imperative to develop and use small suppliers, they introduce higher risk to the supply chain. The primary research objective of this dissertation is to develop a robust model to identify risks inherent to small businesses, and to propose measures to mitigate such risks. A classification of problems with small suppliers that have occurred at Koeberg Nuclear Power Station over a period of 3 years (from June 2005 to May 2008), will form the basis of the research methodology. The anticipated findings of the research include the following. _ Several common critical issues of failure will be identified in the internal processes of small suppliers, with variations between types of suppliers, which will indicate which elements within the context of ISO9000 can be applied to address shortcoming in the suppliers’ processes. _ A matrix will be compiled from this by which the customer can identify the type of supplier, the types of risks inherent to that supplier, and which elements of ISO9000 the customer should insist upon to be adopted into an elementary quality management system of that small supplier. This should be executed as part of a larger supplier development programme.

Using the IAEA as a case for focused study, this thesis argues that the construction and reconstruction of the Secretariat’s legitimacy has been dependant upon several different legitimating influences at different stages in the IAEA’s evolution. In brief, it will be demonstrated that early on, in the absence of clear non-proliferation norms, power wielded by critical and self-interested actors functioned as the primary legitimator – promoting early development and insulating the organization from outside pressures. However, based upon this particular case, I will also argue that state power alone is insufficient to guarantee legitimacy and the exercise of international public authority, especially in light of the degree to which these institutions are increasingly expected to challenge the territorial sovereignty of member states. In order for an organization to acquire adequate legitimacy to exercise public authority over the long term, it must develop beyond the point at which state power is instrumental, and assume a degree of organizational autonomy. This happened with the evolution of organizational expertise recognizing the IAEA’s bureaucracy as an authority, development of specific nonproliferation rules and norms that placed the IAEA in authority, and “right” processes within the bureaucracy that reinforced these and other substantive norms, positioning the Secretariat as a trusted agent within international society. Thus, the development of a professional identity, successful norms and rules, and the elaboration of a “right” process were key to the creation of legitimacy, and as a consequence, the Secretariat’s exercise of public authority in support of the safeguards regime.

La thèse s’intéresse au travail de conduite d’une industrie de process à risques,les centrales nucléaires, et aux marges de manoeuvre dont disposent les équipes dans l’application des procédures techniques. Celles-ci doivent en effet être adaptées aux situations rencontrées dans la réalité, qui sont toujours nouvelles et finalement uniques. En effet, la technologie concernée est si complexe que les situations ambiguës sont fréquentes. Les exploitants sont souvent confrontés à des décisions techniques qui cristallisent en elles la pluralité d’exigences auxquelles sont soumises les industries à risques : sûreté nucléaire, disponibilité et productivité, sécurité des travailleurs, respect de l’environnement, etc.Exploiter une centrale nucléaire implique donc d’arbitrer entre des exigences qui devraient en théorie être conciliables mais qui ne le sont pas en pratique, ou difficilement. En effet, chaque terme de la décision concrète comporte des avantages vis-à-vis de l’un des critères et des inconvénients vis-à-vis des autres critères en présence. Ainsi, décider revient toujours à renoncer, et la décision technique dans les organisations à risques implique une prise de risque professionnelle et personnelle pour les acteurs de terrain. La thèse s’interroge alors sur les facteurs qui participent de l’engagement des opérationnels dans l’action. Les théories utilitaristes et culturalistes ne parvenant pas à épuiser toute la complexité des cas rencontrés (implication d’agents pourtant peu carriéristes, disparités individuelles fortes au sein de groupes socio-professionnels supposés homogènes. . .), la recherche s’intéresse aux théories de la reconnaissance sociale et du don/contre-don comme explication première de la motivation et de la coopération au travail
This doctoral dissertation describes the running of a high-risk process industry,nuclear power plants, and the operators’ autonomy to apply technical procedures.The chosen procedures must fit the "real-life" situations, which are always new, andultimately unique. Nuclear power technology is so complex that ambiguous situations often arise. The operators have to make technical decisions that encompassall the demanding issues of high-risk industries : nuclear safety, plant availabilityand generation output, workers’ safety, environmental protection, etc.Operating a nuclear power plant thus involves trade-offs between theoretically compatible concerns that in practice are incompatible or difficult to reconcile.Each option in the actual decision will have advantages for certain criteria anddisadvantages for others. Deciding thus always means forgoing something, andtechnical decision-making in high-risk organizations forces the field workers totake professional and personal risks. The dissertation thus examines the factors explaining why operators are still interested in getting involved in the action.Self-interest and cultural theories cannot explain all the cases encountered in thefield (workers with high commitment but paradoxically little interest in career advancement, strong differences between individuals in a supposedly homogenoussocio-professional groups, etc.). The research focuses on social recognition andgift/countergift theories as the primary explanation for motivation and cooperation at work

La tesis estudia la evolución del parque de generación de energía eléctrica durante el franquismo (1940-1975). En este período comenzó la formación de un sistema unificado de explotación, y durante su desarrollo se pasó de 1.731Mw a 25.467Mw. El sistema que se denominó “autorregulación”, permitió la coexistencia de las empresas eléctricas privadas, agrupadas alrededor de UNESA y el INI en su vertiente eléctrica. Sin embargo, las decisiones y la política eléctrica, y más tarde energética, estuvo directamente influida por el gobierno. Se analiza la importancia de las fuentes (hidráulica, carbón, fuel oil, gas natura, nuclear) de energía primaria en la generación de energía eléctrica. Asimismo, se estudia, aunque no de manera exhaustiva el impacto del medio ambiente y sus consecuencias y efectos a largo plazo. Todo ello se desarrolla en el contexto histórico pertinente bajo una vertiente técnico-económica.
The thesis studies the evolution of the power generation system of electricity, during the Franco’s Regime (1940-1975). In this period, it began the construction of a unified system of exploitation, where the power installed was moved from 1.731Mw to 25.467Mw. The system was called "self regulation", allowing the coexistence of private electric companies, grouped around UNESA and the INI in its electrical aspect. However, the decisions and the power policy, and later on the energy, was directly influenced by the government. It discusses the importance of the primary energy sources (hydro, coal, fuel oil, natural gas, nuclear) in electric power generation. However, it is not intended to illustrate a comprenhensive explanation of the environmental impact and its consequences and effects long term. To sum up, all this takes place in the relevant historical context in a technical and economical perspective.

In a context of growing energy prices and climate change mitigation, the thesis addresses the issues of investments in power generation capacities and in particular nuclear capacities. Given that the Generation IV of nuclear reactors is supposed to be ready in 2040 for industrial deployment, the purpose of the thesis is to study the conditions for electricity investments in France and Europe within this horizon, in order to assess development perspectives for nuclear energy and for potential emergence of Generation IV on the European market. To do so, it is necessary to study the mechanisms at stake in investment choices taking into account all power generating technologies. Economic theory usually bases the choice on long-term economic rationality, which does not allow explain the actual choices observed in European electricity mix. The objective of the research work is thus to identify investment choice drivers and to propose an approach describing the behavior of investors in a more realistic way. A multidisciplinary approach was adopted to explore the question. It combines a historical analysis of drivers evolution according to historical context, a structural analysis of these drivers to identify favorable scenarios for future nuclear reactors, a value creation approach to replicate investors' preferences in those scenarios, and last, a value option approach focusing on nuclear technologies and comparing competitiveness of Generation IV reactors with current reactors. As a result, only strong climate policy combined to government support to nuclear energy could allow industrial development of Generation IV, while high progress of renewables does not lessen the attractiveness of nuclear energy.On a international level, such analysis could be broaden by taking into account the drivers specific to each area of the world, such as highly growing demand in developing countries.