• Title/Summary/Keyword: Nuclear Energy

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Conceptual design study on Plutonium-238 production in a multi-purpose high flux reactor

  • Jian Li;Jing Zhao;Zhihong Liu;Ding She;Heng Xie;Lei Shi
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.56 no.1
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    • pp.147-159
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    • 2024
  • Plutonium-238 has always been considered as the one of the promising radioisotopes for space nuclear power supply, which has long half-life, low radiation protection level, high power density, and stable fuel form at high temperatures. The industrial-scale production of 238Pu mainly depends on irradiating solid 237NpO2 target in high flux reactors, however the production process faces problems such as large fission loss and high requirements for product quality control. In this paper, a conceptual design study of producing 238Pu in a multi-purpose high flux reactor was evaluated and analyzed, which includes a sensitivity analysis on 238Pu production and a further study on the irradiation scheme. It demonstrated that the target structure and its location in the reactor, as well as the operation scheme has an impact on 238Pu amount and product quality. Furthermore, the production efficiency could be improved by optimizing target material concentration, target locations in the core and reflector. This work provides technical support for irradiation production of 238Pu in high flux reactors.

Heavy metal assessment of marine sediment in selected coastal districts of the Western Region, Ghana

  • Kuranchie-Mensah, Harriet;Osei, Juliet;Atiemo, Sampson M.;Nyarko, Benjamin J.B.;Osae, Shiloh K.;Laar, Cynthia;Ackah, Michael;Buah-Kwofie, Archibold;Blankson-Arthur, Sara;Adeti, Prince J.
    • Advances in environmental research
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    • v.2 no.2
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    • pp.155-166
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    • 2013
  • A preliminary investigation to establish the status of contamination of trace metals in the Western coast of Ghana was conducted prior to the commercial production of crude oil in the area. The study revealed the presence of heavy metals such as Pb (4.00-79.64 mg/kg), As (8.81-236 mg/kg), Cu (12.86-108.06 mg/kg), V (28.07-953.32 mg/kg), Zn (7.08-264.25 mg/kg), Cr (101.69-1366.62 mg/kg), Ni (42.41-451.43 mg/kg), Mn (16.77-1890.45mg/kg), Br (7.66-142.78 mg/kg), Ti (542.03-19960 mg/kg) and Fe (7472.88-97120 mg/kg) at six sites sampled along the coast. With the exception of Ti and Fe which showed no variation in metal concentration, the rest of the metals varied significantly among the sampled locations. Potential ecological risk of metals particularly of Co, As and Br which exhibited extreme enrichment of the sediments indicates considerable metal pollution in the studied areas. The degree of contamination is of particular concern especially to benthic biota that inhabit this environment for survival.

The Impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident on People's Perception of Disaster Risks and Attitudes Toward Nuclear Energy Policy

  • Iwai, Noriko;Shishido, Kuniaki
    • Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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    • v.2 no.3
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    • pp.172-195
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    • 2015
  • Multiple nationwide opinion surveys, carried out by the government (cabinet office), major media (national newspapers and NHK), the National Institute for Environmental Studies, and the Atomic Energy Society of Japan, have revealed that the Fukushima nuclear accident has heightened people's perception of disaster risks, fear of nuclear accidents, and increased recognition of pollution issues, and has changed public opinion on nuclear energy policy. The opinion gap on nuclear energy policy between specialists and lay people has widened since the disaster. The results of the Japanese General Social Survey data show that objections to the promotion of nuclear energy are strong among females, and weaker among young males and the supporters of the LDP. These findings are similar to the data collected after the Chernobyl accident. People who live in a 70km radius of nuclear plants tend to evaluate nuclear disaster risks higher. Distance from nuclear plants and the perception of earthquake risk interactively correlate with opinions on nuclear issues. Among people whose evaluation of earthquake risk is low, those who live nearer to the plants are more likely to object to the abolishment of nuclear plants. It was also found that the nuclear disaster has changed people's behavior; they now try to save electricity. The level of commitment to energy saving is found to relate to opinions on nuclear issues.

The role of tolerance and self-sufficiency in a nation's adoption of nuclear power generation: A search for a quick and simple indicator

  • Roh, Seungkook
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.51 no.3
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    • pp.904-907
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    • 2019
  • Nuclear energy remains one of the world's major energy sources, making up over 10% of global electricity generation in 2017. Public acceptance of nuclear energy is essential for its adoption. From a practical perspective, it is beneficial to have a simple indicator that can predict the actual adoption of nuclear energy. Based on practical experience, the authors suggest tolerance and self-sufficiency as potential indicators that may predict the adoption of nuclear energy. By evaluating the cross-sectional data of 18 countries in 2013, this research assesses the actual impact of tolerance and self-sufficiency on public acceptance in order to identify the validity of the two variables. The results indicate that the two variables are statistically significant, while public acceptance is insignificant in explaining national adoption of nuclear energy. This may be because tolerance reflects national willingness to accept potential risk, while self-sufficiency explains a government's likelihood of developing non-carbon energy sources.