UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Typically, modern economics has steered away from the analysis of sociological and psychological factors and has focused on narrow behavioural assumptions in which expectations are formed on the basis...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A fuel cycle economic analysis was performed on four fuel cycles to provide a baseline for initial cost comparison using the Gen IV Economic Modeling Work Group G4 ECON spreadsheet model, Decision Programming Language software, the 2006 Advanced Fuel Cycle Cost Basis report, industry cost data, international papers, the nuclear power related cost study from MIT, Harvard, and the University of Chicago. The analysis developed and compared the fuel cycle cost component of the total cost of energy for a wide range of fuel cycles including: once through, thermal with fast recycle, continuous fast recycle, and thermal recycle.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conoco`s Crosswell Reservoir Characterization (CRC) team is using Decision and Risk Analysis (D and RA) to evaluate the potential economic impact of the authors` projects. D and RA can be a useful tool for refining the direction of a project and communicating the value of information in economic terms. Initial studies show that CRC has high potential economic value. Three steps were used to analyze the value of the CRC project. A high-level, industry-wide model was developed to look at the technical, application, and commercialization success of the technology. The team considered an infill drilling decision in shallow shelf carbonates as a detailed case. For that case, fully integrating crosswell information with supporting data (well logs, cores, production information, etc.) leads to a three-fold increase in expected value. The third step, a portfolio ...

Science.gov (United States)

Behavioral economics has captured the interest of scholars and the general public by demonstrating ways in which individuals make decisions that appear irrational. While increasing attention is being focused on the implications of this research for the design of risk-reducing policies, less attention has been paid to how it affects the economic valuation of policy consequences. This article considers the latter issue, reviewing the behavioral economics literature and discussing its implications for the conduct of benefit-cost analysis, particularly in the context of environmental, health, and safety regulations. We explore three concerns: using estimates of willingness to pay or willingness to accept compensation for valuation, considering the psychological aspects of risk when valuing mortality-risk reductions, and discounting future consequences. In each case, we take the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The paper considers research carried out on the topic of life cycle (LC) modelling of industrial processes with emphasis upon energy utilisation and gaseous emissions. The aim of the work is to investigate existing LC assessment codes, in particular for their outputs and decision making potential, and to develop the characteristics of new software as appropriate. The paper focuses on a comparison of two methods for LC modelling: use of ''SimaPro 5'' with ECO-indicators and logical-information modelling. The considered approaches require attention to dynamic modelling having features for decision making; for example, in areas of costs, sensitivity analysis and optimisation of LC process parameters to economically reduce the total environmental load. Brick making is chosen as an energy intensive process for model application. (orig.)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An economic analysis of the potential advantages of alternatives for recycling and reusing equipment now stored in Building 865 at the Rocky Flats Plant (RFP) in Colorado has been conducted. The inventory considered in this analysis consists primarily of metallurgical and process equipment used before January 1992, during development and production of nuclear weapons components at the site. The economic analysis consists of a thorough building inventory and cost comparisons for four equipment dispositions alternatives. The first is a baseline option of disposal at a Low Level Waste (LLW) landfill. The three alternatives investigated are metal recycling, reuse with the government sector, and release for unrestricted use. This report provides item-by-item estimates of value, disposal cost, and decontamination cost. The economic evaluation methods documented here, ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Today, the analysis of renewable energy places the emphasis on the technological and economic attributes with social and environmental impact assessment providing for a rather static, narrow frame of analysis. The participation and response of social actors and other stakeholders is usually of a traditional type, with consultation documents and public meetings, collection of complaints and suggestion schemes. This often encourages parochialism and an over-concentration on relatively trivial issues. It is, therefore, imperative to establish a new participatory planning platform to incorporate the wider socio-economic aspects of renewable energy systems and to provide for an operational analytical decomposition of them. In this work the issue of decomposition analysis is clarified, and a new agenda for the societal and technological decomposition analysis of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The objective of SCK-CEN's R and D programme on decision strategy research are (1) to support and advise the Belgian authorities on specific problems concerning existing and potential hazards from exposure to ionising radiation, both in normal and emergency situations; (2) to perform research on relevant topics that might have an important impact on decision making related to nuclear applications, including social and economic sciences. Main achievements in this area in 1999 are described.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Summary Many important moral decisions, particularly at the policy level, require the evaluation of choices involving outcomes of variable magnitude and probability. Many economic decisions involve the same problem. It is not known whether and to what extent these structurally isomorphic decisions rely on common neural mechanisms. Subjects undergoing fMRI evaluated the moral acceptability of sacrificing a single life to save a larger group of variable size and probability of dying without action. Paralleling research on economic decision making, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum were specifically sensitive to the "expected moral value" of actions, i.e., the expected number of lives lost/saved. Likewise, the right anterior insula was specifically sensitive to outcome p...

Science.gov (United States)

External inefficiency in education--inequity between the characteristics of graduates and the job market--is a problem in Indonesia and many other countries. Job markets at the junior secondary level are very tight in Indonesia with low levels of unemployment at all ages, short job-search times, and high real rates of return. Unemployment, however, among the senior secondary vocational and senior secondary general school graduates is high, even though the real rates of return are also high. The same is true for college and university graduates. Rates decrease, however, as years pass after graduation. There are several reasons for this external inefficiency: underinvestment in secondary education, increased use of market signals for planning and annual budgeting decisions, excess"social demand" for higher education and insufficient resource recovery, inaccurate selection criteria, and inadequate educational financing methods. Several policy options could be ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Restructured power markets require concepts not only for extending the lifetime of existing plants, but also concepts for reducing the life-cycle costs of existing older steam power plants in order to remain competitive with the most modern and advanced power generation technology such as combined cycle power plants. Out of the broad range of methods to extend service life and increase availability, and to increase power output and efficiency, this paper focuses on full repowering. Full repowering replaces the old fired boiler with gas turbine(s) and heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG) as heat input to the existing bottoming cycle and reuses the steam turbine (ST) condenser and further balance of plant (BOP) equipment. The potential offered by this concept is demonstrated. Repowering and modernization projects are executed if they result in economic benefits for the operator. Investment decisions need to be prepared based on an estimate or ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The FFTF Standby Plan, Revision 0, provides changes to the major elements and project baselines to maintain the FFTF plant in a standby condition and to continue washing sodium from irradiated reactor fuel. The Plan is consistent with the Memorandum of Decision approved by the Secretary of Energy on January 17, 1997, which directed that FFTF be maintained in a standby condition to permit the Department to make a decision on whether the facility should play a future role in the Department of Energy`s dual track tritium production strategy. This decision would be made in parallel with the intended December 1998 decision on the selection of the primary, long- term source of tritium. This also allows the Department to review the economic and technical feasibility of using the FFTF to produce isotopes for the medical community. Formal direction has been received from DOE-RL and Fluor ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This publication presents seven national case studies from a coordinated research project on Indicators for Sustainable Energy Development conducted during the 2002-2005 time period. The project was led by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in cooperation with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). The case studies were developed by research organizations from Brazil, Cuba, Lithuania, Mexico, Russia, Slovakia and Thailand. This publication is being issued just prior to the 15th session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development for which energy for sustainable development is a major theme. The 15th session of the Commission will focus on policy decisions on practical measures and options to expedite implementation in selected clusters of energy issues. The application the energy indicator, especially their quantification, enables systematic monitoring of progress made towards the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential benefits of applying multiseam [well] completion (MSC) technology to the massive stack of low-rank coals in the Powder River Basin. As part of this, the study objectives are: Estimate how much additional CBM resource would become accessible and technically recoverable--compared to the current practice of drilling one well to drain a single coal seam; Determine whether there are economic benefits associated with MSC technology utilization (assuming its widespread, successful application) and if so, quantify the gains; Briefly examine why past attempts by Powder River Basin CBM operators to use MSC technology have been relatively unsuccessful; Provide the underpinnings to a decision whether a MSC technology development and/or demonstration effort is warranted by DOE. To a great extent, this assessment builds on the previously published study (DOE, 2002), which contains many of the key ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The present publication is based on facts, data, knowledge and projects, which have been incorporated in the development of an energy concept for the district Schmalkalden-Meiningen. The energy concept of a district is a concept oriented at action on and realisation of mid-term and long term decisions in the fields of energy policy, economy and ecology, which must be taken by municipal and economic decision-making bodies. The energy concept accords with the targets of the Agenda 21, the environmental targets of the Federal Republic of Germany and of the Land Thuringia. Accepting this energy concept the district Schmalkalden-Meiningen shows its willingness to contribute to a lasting development in all fields of economy and ecology and thus does justice to its increasing responsibility. (orig.) [German] Die vorliegende Veroeffentlichung baut auf Fakten, Daten, Erkenntnissen und Projekten auf, die in die Erarbeitung des ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Program decisions by symphony orchestra management are influenced by various factors. To examine these factors, we create an objective index of the propensity of a symphony orchestra to perform the standard repertoire. We use regression analysis to examine factors that influence programming decisions of 64 US symphony orchestras in 2006?2007, including public and private sources of funding. We find that increased funding from ticket sales, endowments, and local government increases the likelihood that an orchestra will perform nonstandard repertoire. In addition, the results suggest that a symphony orchestra?s music director does not have a significant impact on the degree of program conventionality.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In 1995, 25,8 % of the world electricity consumption was of nuclear origin, while in the EU this figure is increased up to 50,6 %. In order to maintain and even to increase its share in the electricity generation, Nuclear Energy needs to achieve a good economic performance as a base load source when compared with its competitors, basically coal and gas fired plants. Fossil-fired generation costs have declined over the past ten years, mainly due to lower fossil fuel prices. This factor together with the recently observed tendency of higher discount rates to be applied are challenging the attractiveness of the nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is a capital intensive option. Taken into account extensive standardization programs has been established aiming at cost reductions as well as to increase efficiency of nuclear energy utilization, among their main purposes. Externalities play an important role, as they are already internalized in nuclear generation costs. This is ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The aim of this report is to show how Energetic Planning and Territorial Policy should be working together for a better integration of Renewable Energies into Region. This Integration should to contemplate social, economic and environmental aspects of the territory. The report has been classified into 7 items: planning, energetic scenarios, technology transfer for Renewable Energies dissemination, barriers for this dissemination, environmental aspects, European Union Policy and Decision Support Systems (and specially GIS). (Author) 54 refs.

Wastenet

...book recommendations (46) brain (50) brilliant (32) bush (41) business (59) christianity (34) cia (348) cognitive psychology (40) cognitive science (60) cold war (100) communism (37) conspiracy (47) counterintelligence (61) covert operations (58) creativity (57) decision making (32) dvd (35) earth (155) economics (53) education (76) espionage (492) ethics (163) evolution (50) fbi (74) fiction (52) finance (32)...

Wastenet

... The main goal was the analysis of the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis for the Czech Republic. A paper by Bruha and Scasny, accepted to the European Society of Ecological Economics, ( Lisbon June 2005), analyses driving forces (including economic policy) on ...

Science.gov (United States)

This report estimates the economic and financial effects of compliance with the proposed effluent limitations guidelines and standards for the Centralized Waste Treatment (CWT) industry. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has measured these impacts...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Six patient assessment systems that have explicit decision rules for replicating team judgments on level of care patient placement were selected for analysis. The six were selected because of their...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The purpose of the study is to analyze the economic impacts that are likely to result from promulgation of the proposed best practicable control technology (BPT), best available technology economically achievable (BAT) and Best Conventional Technology (BCT) effluent limitations and standards on placer mining in the United States. The results of the economic impact analysis will help establish pollution control regulations that are economically achievable. The analysis examines how each of four alternative pollution control technologies affects the financial viability of placer mines in the United States. The impacts examined include reduced profitability, production cutbacks, mine closures, and employment and earning losses, as well as impacts to the local economies.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Objectives:Myocardial infarction (MI) is a leading cause of death in both the industrialized and developing countries globally. The economic evaluation of MI is undertaken...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Mixed Waste Integrated Program (MWIP) has as one of its tasks the identification of a decision methodology and key decision criteria for the selection methodology. The aim of a multicriteria analysis is to provide an instrument for a systematic evaluation of distinct alternative projects. Determination of this methodology will clarify (1) the factors used to evaluate these alternatives, (2) the evaluator`s view of the importance of the factors, and (3) the relative value of each alternative. The selected methodology must consider the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) decision-making criteria for application to the analysis technology subsystems developed by the DOE Office of Technology Development. This report contains a compilation of several decision methodologies developed in various ...

Science.gov (United States)

We describe the development of a fully coupled climate model configuration where the Community Climate System Model (CCSM) has been coupled with the VERDE (Visualizing Energy Resources Dynamically on the Earth) analysis modules that compute the response of the electric grid to temperature drivers. The VERDE model includes datasets characterizing the 26,500 sub-stations and 6,000 power generation stations fuel mix, efficiency, service areas, and future performance and these have been geo-located on a 1.4 degree latitude by 1.4 degree longitude CCSM grid (T85). The total electric customers have been computed using conversions derived from economic structure and population data. The carbon emissions per customer and the power generation in megawatts electric (MWe) have also been placed on reconciled 1 km, 4 km and the T85 climate model grid. The CCSM temperature for the present and future have been extracted from the climate model output and ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Background This study compares the expected 5-year costs for permanent sterilization in women between nonincisional hysteroscopic tubal occlusion with the Essure? system performed in an office setting and laparoscopic bilateral tubal ligation (LBTL). Study Design An economic decision tree is used to predict outcomes and costs to compare these two procedures from a US Medicaid perspective over a 5-year time horizon. Results Expected costs are $2367 for Essure? and $3545 for LBTL (Essure? saves $1178 or 33% of LBTL costs). Sensitivity analyses show Essure? has lower expected costs across all values considered. If the cost for a LBTL procedure were to decrease by 20% and the cost for Essure? to increase by 20%, Essure? would have still have lower expected costs. Conclusion Office-based steril...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Comments are made on the Public Inquiry into CEGB's proposal to construct a pressurized water reactor (PWR) at Sizewell, UK. Aspects discussed include: time elapsed and its possible effect on the result; economics of nuclear power plants compared with coal-fired power plants; changes in real sterling/dollar exchange rates; effect of mineworkers' strike; the UK electric power generating system; AGR reactors compared with PWR reactors; extension of Magnox reactor life; radioactive waste management; political decisions.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Ascochyta blight causes significant yield loss in pulse crops worldwide. Integrated disease management is essential to take advantage of cultivars with partial resistance to this disease. The most effective practices, established by decades of research, use a combination of disease-free seed, destruction or avoidance of inoculum sources, manipulation of sowing dates, seed and foliar fungicides, and cultivars with improved resistance. An understanding of the pathosystems and the inter-relationship between host, pathogen and the environment is essential to be able to make correct decisions for disease control without compromising the agronomic or economic ideal. For individual pathosystems, some components of the integrated management principles may need to be given greater consideration tha...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The use of reversible pump/turbine sets in pumped storage has created a requirement for rapid reversibility. Softstart technology, based on static frequency converters (SFC) has evolved to such an extent that it is now the best choice for serving this purpose, both from a technical and from an economic point of view. The objective of our paper is to give the owners of pumped storage plants and those persons responsible for the selection, the operation or the maintenance of the electrical equipment the necessary insight into the SFC functions, features and all other application related aspects, to facilitate their decision making process. Case studies are included.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Combined energy plants operating on the Brayton-Rankine cycle have gained wide acceptance as the most efficient energy conversion system. The technology is well proven and numerous research activities are underway to develop it further past its present plateau of performance. In developed and emerging economies alike, the current situation in the global economic market has caused the liberalisation of the energy industry in some countries, and in others it is causing a rethink of economic and energy policies. A result is that electric utility companies that have enjoyed a monopoly in power generation and distribution are seeing this privilege being eroded. This is opening up opportunities for independent power production and, consequently, for gas/steam turbine plants because of the technical merits of the technology and its ability to fill the vacuum being created in the energy industry. An economic model has been ...

Wastenet

...] 2002, Volume 2002, Issue 2-Summer 1-16 A Descriptive Analysis of the Irish Housing Market by Duffy, David [Downloadable!] 2002, Volume 2002, Issue 1-Spring 1-13 Interpreting Recent Developments in the Economy and Labour Market by Sexton J. J. [Downloadable!] 2001, Volume 2001, Issue 4-December 1-4 Budget 2002: Analysis of the Distributional Impact by Callan, Tim & Keeney, Mary ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Numbers of non-indigenous species--species introduced from elsewhere - are increasing rapidly worldwide, causing both environmental and economic damage. Rigorous quantitative risk-analysis frameworks,...Full Text Available

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract: We used socioeconomic models that included economic inequality to predict biodiversity loss, measured as the proportion of threatened plant and vertebrate species, across 50 countries. Our main goal was to evaluate whether economic inequality, measured as the Gini index of income distribution, improved the explanatory power of our statistical models. We compared four models that included the following: only population density, economic footprint (i.e., the size of the economy relative to the country area), economic footprint and income inequality (Gini index), and an index of environmental governance. We also tested the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis, but it was not supported by the data. Statistical comparisons of the models revealed that the model including both economi...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An economic evaluation is presented for the proposed plant for producing 11,414,000 gallons per year of fuel-grade alcohol from 150,000 tons of molasses. The project is economically attractive at a 1981 ethanol sales price of $2.00 per gallon, a 1981 molasses price of $85.00 per ton, and a plant capital investment of $27.45 MM. The evaluation description includes: investment, operating costs, revenues, and economic analysis. Included in appendices are detailed computer printouts for the following scenarios: the constant dollar, the uniform escalation, and the current dollar.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Documentation and use of various economic analysis tools, especially the SOLFIN 2, KRUNCH, LSAP, and SIPP computer programs, are provided. The report deals with the use of these tools to perform the social economic analysis which underlies building standards. A brief description of life-cycle cost methodology is presented. The documentation of SOLFIN 2 is included. Description of first cost calculations and life-cycle cost sensitivity analysis are given. A detailed account of the general description of how electricity costs are calculated is given in an appendix. Program listings for KRUNCH, SIPP, and LSAP are given in Appendix B. Fuel costs for low, medium, and high conservation scenarios are presented in Appendix C. (MCW)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In the universe there are two different kinds of uncertain phenomena: stochastic and fuzzy or vague. Both uncertain phenomena have been found in structural problems. Therefore, rational decisions concerning the design of marine structures cannot be made without resorting to the methods which can take the uncertainties into account. The fundamental concept of structural fuzzy reliability problems and the methods to give the fuzzy solution are introduced in the paper. Based on the principle of fuzzy decision-making the method to obtain the crisp solution of structural fuzzy reliability analysis is proposed by means of the Bound Search method. Illustrative numerical examples, ship bottom plates under slamming impact pressures are solved. The influence of variation of allowable tolerances in the fuzzy reliability indexes is discussed.

Science.gov (United States)

The report consist of the following appendices: A. Cost annualization model; B. Facility level analysis; C. Market model methodology; D. Summary of Demand and Supply Elasticity Literature; E. Sensitivity analysis; and F. Cost effectiveness analysis.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This article describes the utilization of plastic wastes in a blast furnace. The plastic waste is a substitution for petroleum and coal as a raw material for synthesis gas production. The synthesis gas is the reducing agent in the blast furnace for the reduction of iron ores. You can find here an ecological and economical analysis of this process in comparison to the utilization of petroleum and coal. (SR)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper establishes a standardization procedure in which results are presented in ready-to-use charts for the economic evaluation of biogas plants. It is hoped this work will alleviate controversial reports on cost-effectiveness of biogas systems. Also, it is found that these systems are the most economic among renewable energy systems using a standardized procedure for their comparison augmented by the generated spider diagrams wherein most probable costing production values for each system are directly compared. (author).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This study analyzes the economic impact that could result from the application of effluent standards and limitations issued under Sections 301, 304, 306, 307 of the Clean Water Act to the pulp, paper, and paperboard industry, including builders' paper and roofing felt manufacturing.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The engineering and economic feasibility of using the geothermal resources in East Mesa, California, in a new corn processing plant is evaluated. Institutional barriers were also identified and evaluated. Several alternative plant designs which used geothermal energy were developed. A capital cost estimate and rate of return type of economic analysis were performed to evaluate each alternative. (MHR)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Due to current social and economical framework, in last years many nuclear power plant owners started a program for the Long Term Operation (LTO)/PLIM (Plant Life Management) of their older nuclear facilities. PLIM/PLEX has already been implemented in many countries (USA, Russia, etc.). This process has many nuclear safety implications, other than strategic and political ones. The need for tailoring the available safety assessment tools to such applications has become urgent in recent years and triggered many research actions. In particular, a PLIM framework requires both a detailed review of the features of the main safety programs (Maintenance, ISI, Surveillance) and a complete integration of these programs into the general management system of the plant. New external factors, such as: large use of subcontractors, need for efficient management of spare parts, request for heavy plant refurbishment programs demand for updated techniques in the overall management of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An international conference on forestry research presented papers on topics including forest mensuration, growth and yield; growth/yield relationships; design, performance, and evaluation of experiments; forest resource inventory and monitoring techniques; forest management, planning, and managerial economics; forestry and rural development in developing countries; forestry in sustainable economic development; conceptual advances in multiple-use forestry evaluations; economic evaluation of forest damages; supply and demand of roundwood and forest industry products; forestry and rural development in industrialized countries; analysis and evaluation of forest policies; forest institutions and organizations; biological and economic considerations when harvesting young thinning stands; applied sector modelling; and structural changes of the forest sector in a global perspective. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

From the beginning of the 90s the analysis of the relationships between economic growth and environmental pressures has been influenced by the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis or inverted-U shaped relationship between environmental pressure and per capita income. Following this hypothesis, once achieved certain income level, more economic growth is followed by environmental quality improvement. In this paper, we analyse and discuss the theories that support this hypothesis as well as the empirical evidence on this subject. Further on we analyse the relationship between per capita income and the main environmental pollutants for the case does not support the hypothesis. The empirical evidence shows that economic growth, by itself, does not entail a pollution reduction. (Author) 35 refs.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The relations between nuclear energy availability and nuclear plant safety are analyzed in the particular cases of naval propulsion nuclear boilers (aircraft carriers, submarines): safety objectives, present and potential risk analysis, optimization of the availability-safety couple, at the design stage and during operation (procedural rules related to the boiler state, real time decisions). 6 fig., 1 tab.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Economic analysis was performed at KAERI with the assistance of US DOE to compare single reactor fuel cycle costs for a once-through option and a thermal recycle option to operate 1 GWe of a PWR plant for its lifetime. A reference fuel cycle cost was first calculated for each option with best estimated reference input data. Then a sensitivity analysis was performed changing each single value of such fuel cycle component costs as yellow cake price, enrichment charges, spent fuel storage cost, reprocessing cost, spent fuel disposal cost and reprocessing waste disposal cost. Savings due to thermal recycle in requirements of uranium, conversion, and enrichment were examined using formulas suggested by US DOE, while MOX fabrication penalty was accounted for. As a result of the reference fuel cycle cost analysis, it is calculated that the thermal recycle option is marginally more ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundWhite spot syndrome (WSS) is a viral disease that affects most of the commercially important shrimps and causes serious economic losses to the shrimp farming industry worldwide....Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Physical system conceptual models are developed to illustrate the various interconnecting pathways of metal flow. Economic use of mercury and cadmium, as representative toxic heavy metals, is inventoried,...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Senior Committee on Environmental, Safety, and Economic Aspects of Magnetic Fusion Energy (ESECOM) has assessed magnetic fusion energy's prospects for providing energy with economic, environmental, and safety characteristics that would be attractive compared with other energy sources (mainly fission) available in the year 2015 and beyond. ESECOM gives particular attention to the interaction of environmental, safety, and economic characteristics of a variety of magnetic fusion reactors, and compares them with a variety of fission cases. Eight fusion cases, two fusion-fission hybrid cases, and four fission cases are examined, using consistent economic and safety models. These models permit exploration of the environmental, safety, and economic potential of fusion concepts using a wide range of possible materials choices, power densities, power conversion schemes, and fuel ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The approval (2003) and enforcement (2005) of a smoking ban in Italy have been viewed by many as an unexpectedly successful example of policy change. The present paper, by applying a processualist approach, concentrates on two policy cycles between 2000 and 2005. These had opposing outcomes: an incomplete decisional stage and an authoritative decision, enforced two years later. Through the analysis of the different phases of agenda setting, alternative specification and decision making, we have compared the quality of participation of policy entrepreneurs in the two cycles, their political strategies and, in these, the relevance of issue image. The case allows us to direct the attention of scholars and practitioners to an early phase of the policy implementation process - which we have nam...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Customer churn means the loss of existing customers to a competitor. Accurately predicting customer behavior may help firms to minimize this loss by proactively building a lasting relationship with their customers. In this paper, the application of the factor analysis and the Variable Consistency Dominance-based Rough Set Approach (VC-DRSA) in the customer relationship management (CRM) of the airline market is introduced. A set of "ifthen" decision rules are used as the preference model to classify customers by a set of criteria and regular attributes. The proposed method can determine the competitive position of an airline by understanding the behavior of its customers based on their perception of choice, and so develop the appropriate marketing strategies. A large sample of customers fro...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The challenge for truck engine product engineering is not only to fulfill increasingly stringent emission requirements, but also to improve the engine's economical viability in its role as the backbone of our global economy. While societal impact and therefore emission limit values are to be reduced in big steps, continuous improvement is not enough but technological quantum leaps are necessary. The introduction and refinement of electronic control of all major engine systems has already been a quantum leap forward. Maximizing the benefits of these technologies to customers and society requires full use of parameter optimization and other enabling technologies. The next big step forward will be widespread use of exhaust aftertreatment on all transportation related diesel engines. While exhaust gas aftertreatment has been successfully established on gasoline (Otto cycle) engines, the introduction of exhaust aftertreatment especially for heavy-duty diesel ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In 1996 the actions of EDF in the domain of environment have recorded FF 4 billions (FF 3.5 billion in 1995), representing about 2% of the EDF's turnover. The EDF keeps on its efforts for reducing the impact of its activities upon environment. Several applications of an environment protective electricity generation are promoted by the company. The company brings services and technical solutions to its clients which meet their energy needs and conserving at the same time the life conditions. Furthermore, EDF participates in the activity of numerous national and international organisms, intervening in the environmental questions, in decision making, participating in studies and actions and following continually the direction of a durable economic and social development. The report is structured in three chapters: 1. an industrial responsibility; 2. services and techniques for environment; 3. action towards a durable development.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The history of the political process surrounding regulations is traced from the 1930s, when the natural gas industry and the Federal Power Commission were in their infancy. The author traces the changing mandate that Congress has provided the regulators and the instincts for self-preservation that these bureaucrats have manifested when they suspected a change in presidential administration or a new decision from the Supreme Court. Natural gas has been one political issue that has split Congress by region. The economic interests of producer and consumer states have often been at such odds that regulation has involved the question of redistribution of wealth among regions as well as between households and industry. The picture is complicated by the link between gas production and distribution and the production and distribution of coal and oil. 12 figures, 25 tables.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The study abstracted aims at analyzing the economic effects of energy policies using simulations. Emphasis is on assessing the effects of decisions in favour of an expanding electric power industry based on nuclear energy and hard coal. The study discusses alternative assumptions concerning the cost involved, pollution abatement measures, shutdown and dismantling costs etc. Input-output analyses make the simulation model a consistent vehicle. Besides, the model in question is characterized by its explaining the investment demand of the different sectors by referring to the continuous annual development of innovative technologies.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Technologies and practices that recover energy and materials from municipal solid waste present a technically and economically viable alternative to sanitary landfills and other solid waste disposal methods. However, community planners considering resource recovery should be aware of the potential environmental impacts of proposed projects. To assess these impacts, a planner should: identify the most significant types of impacts; establish boundaries beyond which impacts are not significant; characterize the environment as it would exist without the proposed project over the project's lifetime; predict the magnitude, and the distribution over time and space, of potential impacts; and relate the magnitude of predicted impacts to a scale of significance that will allow environmental values to be considered in decision-making. 24 references, 1 table.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Section 7 of the Atomic Energy Act (AtG), section 4 of the Federal Emission Control Act (BImSchG), the Nuclear Installations Licensing Ordinance (AtVfV), and the Ninth Ordinance on the Implementation of the BImSchG (Principles of the licensing procedure) require participation of the public in the procedure before administrative provisions or decisions are issued. The book presents the legally prescribed steps at which participation of the public is mandatory, for the simple case (only one license on the agenda), and for the multi-stage licensing procedure: preliminary negotiations / filling of applications for a license and filing of documents / public announcement of projects / access to files / objections / preclusion of delayed objections / public hearing and other expert discussions / termination of procedure, decision-making by the authorities / decisions on subdivision of procedure into defined stages / modification ...

CERN Document Server

Not long ago primary census data became available to publicity. It opened qualitatively new perspectives not only for researchers in demography and sociology, but also for those people, who somehow face processes occurring in society. In this paper authors propose using Data Mining methods for searching hidden patterns in census data. A novel clustering-based technique is described as well. It allows determining factors which influence people behavior, in particular decision-making process (as an example, a decision whether to have a baby or not). Proposed technique is based on clustering a set of respondents, for whom a certain event have already happened (for instance, a baby was born), and discovering clusters' prototypes from a set of respondents, for whom this event hasn't occurred yet. By means of analyzing clusters' and their prototypes' characteristics it is possible to identify which factors influence the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Disaster impact modeling and analysis uses huge volumes of image data that are produced immediately following a natural or an anthropogenic disaster event. Rapid damage assessment is the key to time critical decision support in disaster management to better utilize available response resources and accelerate recovery and relief efforts. But exploiting huge volumes of high resolution image data for identifying damaged areas with robust consistency in near real time is a challenging task. In this paper, we present an automated image analysis technique to identify areas of structural damage from high resolution optical satellite data using features based on image content.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This paper presents the results of a model for the impact of potential contamination produced by radionuclide leaking due to long-term physical, chemical and hydrogeological processes occurring in a LILW repository and in the natural environment. The analysis contains a deterministic and also a probabilistic approach for uncertainty assessment. The input function, i.e., the source term was evaluated by using AMBER code and the entire analysis was accomplished by using GOLDSIM, a powerful tool to support probabilistic simulation in management and decision-making in engineering and science. The results obtained were compared to previous simulations and uncertainty analyses (FEHM). (authors)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pumped storage plants participate in two structurally different markets: the market for scheduled energy (also known as spot market) and the reserve market. In order to achieve the best possible plant scheduling in terms of revenues the marketing of the available capacity from pumped storage plants needs to be optimised in both markets. Moreover, due to the abilities for providing reserve, pumped storage capacities within an existing power plant portfolio can lead to synergies for the whole portfolio. The optimised combined participation of a power plant in both spot and reserve market as well as the coherent portfolio effect are considered as particular challenges in energy economic assessments, e.g. in the light of investment decisions. Based on an extension project and in cooperation with RWTH Aachen University an optimised combined participation of a power plant in both markets was simulated for the first time, thereby applying an ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A thermal and economic study, carried on by using the first and second law of thermodynamics concepts demonstrated the economic feasibility of the cogeneration system, and proposed modifications to be done in the studied cryogenic plant, a typical T-240 NA MPL3 plant. The thermodynamic analysis showed that the second law efficiency of the processes could be improved, together with a 12% electric energy consumption reduction. Four cogeneration schemes were analyzed with both the first and second laws of thermodynamics and, then, the economic analysis was performed. Rankine, Brayton, Otto and Combined gas-steam basic cycles were used in this analysis.The combined gas-steam cycle was shown to be more economically feasible than others. Thermal and electric loads were well balanced, resulting in a higher second law efficiency. Although the ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundIn patients with Stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease who require renal replacement therapy a major decision concerns modality choice. However, many patients defer the decision...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

'Energy Nation Norway' looks at Norway as an energy nation from both a national and an international perspective. Its purpose is to provide a basis for political and industrial decisions relating to the petroleum industry. The report is particular concerned with the petroleum sector, besides considering the Norwegian energy cluster from a broader perspective. The energy cluster has been and will continue to be a crucial vehicle for economic growth and the development of wealth in Norway. These are the report's main conclusions: The petroleum industry has played a significant part in Norway's economic development, the side-effects of which have benefited the country's entire population. The world's economic growth and wealth development require energy. In the next few decades oil and gas will continue to form a large part of the world's ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper investigates the relationship between economic growth and pollutant emissions for a small and open developing country, Tunisia, during the period 1961-2004. The investigation is made on the basis of the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis, using time series data and cointegration analysis. Carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) and sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}) are used as the environmental indicators, and GDP as the economic indicator. Our results show that there is a long-run cointegrating relationship between the per capita emissions of two pollutants and the per capita GDP. An inverted U relationship between SO{sub 2} emissions and GDP has been found, with income turning point approximately equals to $1200 (constant 2000 prices) or to $3700 (in PPP, constant 2000 prices). However, a monotonically increasing relationship with GDP is found more appropriate for CO{sub 2} emissions. Furthermore, the causality results show ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper investigates the relationship between economic growth and pollutant emissions for a small and open developing country, Tunisia, during the period 1961-2004. The investigation is made on the basis of the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis, using time series data and cointegration analysis. Carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) and sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}) are used as the environmental indicators, and GDP as the economic indicator. Our results show that there is a long-run cointegrating relationship between the per capita emissions of two pollutants and the per capita GDP. An inverted U relationship between SO{sub 2} emissions and GDP has been found, with income turning point approximately equals to 1200 (constant 2000 prices) or to 3700 (in PPP, constant 2000 prices). However, a monotonically increasing relationship with GDP is found more appropriate for CO{sub 2} emissions. Furthermore, the causality results show that ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The major driver to enhance the efficiency of the simple gas turbine cycle has been the increase in process conditions through advancements in materials and cooling methods. Thermodynamic cycle developments or cycle integration are among the possible ways to further enhance performance. The current paper presents the possibilities and advantages from the LOTHECO natural gas-fired combined cycle concept. In the LOTHECO cycle, low-temperature waste heat or solar heat is used for the evaporation of injected water droplets in the compressed air entering the gas turbine's combustion chamber. Following a description of this innovative cycle, its advantages are demonstrated by comparison between different gas turbine power generation systems for small and large-scale applications, including thermodynamic and economic analysis. A commercial gas turbine (ALSTOM GT10C) has been selected and computed with the heat mass balance program ENBIPRO. The results ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The economic feasibility of the residential solar thermal (ST) cooling system designed in the companion article [1] is ascertained by comparing it with a solar electric (SE) cooling system, and also with the baseline (i.e., control case), a grid dependent, highest efficiency COPC=5.66 heat pump. The economic scenario is analyzed for 24 cities across the southern USA, south of the 37degreeN. The SE cooling system provides lifecycle (20 year) savings to the homeowner only where electric rates are high and it is heavily subsidized. The overall societal effect (sum of taxpayer funded rebate and homeowner savings) is actually an increased cost everywhere except the California Central Valley, where the net savings is $1500. In the same valley, The ST cooling system provides greater lifecycle sav...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The paper seeks to illuminate everyday work practices in the economic spaces of Malaysia's business process outsourcing (BPO) industry. It draws upon empirical evidence from call centre staff and promotes analytical sensitivity to the experience of labour and spatiotemporal relations within the offshore back offices of multinational corporations located in Cyberjaya, Malaysia. The analysis provides an empirical snapshot of how IT-facilitated work practices in the global information economy are embedded and socially reproduced in everyday settings. To this end, the paper engages anthropologically with BPO labour, and critiques -globalist- representations of economic and social transformation frequently articulated through an abstract, dehumanized space of networks and flows often seen to wa...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This study develops a framework for analysis and assessment of the cost of ownership and use of major cooking appliances. This involved an assessment of the monetary cost as well as the cost of human resources required to maintain and operate cooking systems. The goal was to provide information useful in making purchase decisions within a framework that can be used to organize information about cost beyond the initial purchase price. Five cooktops - conventional electric oil, induction, solid element with thermostatic control, solid element with thermal limiter, and gas - and a microwave oven were used to develop a decision-making matrix. Results were used to assign weights in the matrix used to develop a 10-point scale that represented the total cost of owning and using a cooking system in food preparation. Based on the matrix, the microwave oven received the highest score followed by gas, conventional electric coil, solid ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In light of the recent rapid increase in the fossil fuel prices it is meaningful to evaluate the impact of these price changes in the economics of dual-purpose desalination projects producing electricity and fresh water simultaneously. The price of crude oil and LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) has increased by about 200% and 100% during the past three or four years. The uranium price has also increased by nearly 500% during the same period. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and compare the economics of SMART (System-integrated Modular Advanced ReacTor) which is being developed as a small size PWR type and the LNG Combine Cycle coupled with MED (Multi-Effect Distillation) which are being acknowledged as promising energy sources for the future in Korea. The methods of analysis used in this paper are the lifetime leveled cost method for the power and water cost calculation and the power credit method for the total cost ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report documents results of a preliminary hazard analysis (PHA) covering the existing Crane Chempump and the new salt well pumping design. Three hazardous conditions were identified for the Chempump and ten hazardous conditions were identified for the new salt well pump design. This report also presents the results of the control decision/allocation process. A backflow preventer and associated limiting condition for operation were assigned to one hazardous condition with the new design.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Comparisons of the 60 Hz electric field exposures associated with high voltage transmission lines to those associated with common household sources can provide an important input to regulatory decisions that involve transmission line fields. Electric blankets are of interest in this context because the exposures they produce are among the most intense and prolonged of any of the household sources of 60 Hz electric field exposure. This paper presents a theoretical analysis of the body surface fields induced by electric blankets. Electric blanket exposure intensities are compared to those associated with transmission lines.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Approximately 8% of the spent nuclear fuel owned by the US Department of Energy is clad with aluminum alloys. The spent fuel must be either reprocessed or temporarily stored in wet or dry storage systems until a decision is made on final disposition in a repository. There are corrosion issues associated with the aluminum cladding regardless of the disposition pathway selected. This paper discusses those issues and provides data and analysis to demonstrate that control of corrosion induced degradation in aluminum clad spent fuels can be achieved through relatively simple engineering practices.

CERN Document Server

The subject of the 5th challenge proposed by the French Society of Operations Research and Decision Analysis (ROADEF) consists in scheduling technicians and interventions for telecommunications (http://www.g-scop.inpg.fr/ChallengeROADEF2007/ or http://www.roadef.org/). We detail the algorithm we proposed for this challenge which is a Greedy Randomized Adaptative Search Procedure (GRASP). Computational results led us to the 1st position in the Junior category and to the 4th position in All category of the Challenge ROADEF 2007.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The economics of renewable energy are the largest barrier to renewable penetration. Nevertheless, the strong desire to reduce environmental emissions is considered a great support for renewable energy sources. In this paper, a full analysis for the cost of the kWh of electricity generated from different systems actually used in Egypt is presented. Also renewable energy systems are proposed and their costs are analyzed. The analysis considers the external cost of emissions from different generating systems. A proposed large scale PV plant of 3.3 MW, and a wind farm 11.25 MW grid connected at different sites are investigated. A life cycle cost analysis for each system was performed using the present value criterion. The comparison results showed that wind energy generation has the lowest cost, followed by a combined cycle-natural gas fired system. A photovoltaic system still uses comparatively expensive ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This final report of the Manitoba Round Table on Environment and Economy (MRTEE) chronicles its history, objectives, accomplishments and ongoing challenges from 1988-1997. MRTEE`s mandate was to promote environmentally sustainable economic development in Manitoba through policies and programs that combine environmental concerns with economic decisions. The seven main objectives of the MRTEE were: (1) the implementation of a sustainable development strategy for Manitoba, (2) the design of a communications program on environment-economy integration and an action plan to upgrade environmental education, (3) implementation of market-driven and incentive programs to promote environmental protection by business, agriculture and resource users, (4) implementation of sustainable development within the public sector, (5) encouragement of individual businesses, farms and resource users to adopt codes of environmental practice, (6) ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This paper discusses the economics of legumes irradiation such as Chickpea,Lupin,Kidny Bean and broad and the effect of various parameters on unit processing costs. It provides a model for calculating specific unit processing costs by correlating known capital costs with annual operation cost an annual throughputs. We analysed the cost-benefit of the proposed grain irradiation facility. We took into account the cost of the capital investment, operation and other additional parameters and then estimated the unit processing cost. The investment criteria utilized for commercial evaluation were internal rate of return (I.I.R), pay back period (P.B.P), and average rate of return (A.R.R). The irradiation cost and the additional income are also discussed. The results of this analysis showed that the installation of an irradiation unit for legumes processing in Egypt would be economically feasible.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This study looks at the land use impact of the biofuels expansion on both the intensive and extensive margin, and its environmental consequences. We link economic, geographical and environmental models by using spatially explicit common units of analysis and use remote sensing crop cover maps and digitized soils data as inputs. Land use changes are predicted via economic analysis of crop rotation choice and tillage under alternative crop prices, and the Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) model is used to predict corresponding environmental impacts. The study focuses on Iowa, which is the leading biofuels hotspot in the U.S. due to intensive corn production and the high concentration of ethanol plants that comprise 28% of total U.S. production. We consider the impact of the biof...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata, represents an important economic resource for Mediterranean aquaculture. In spite of its wide geographic distribution and economic importance, only recently studies have been carried out on the genetic composition of natural populations, which have revealed a picture of a heterogeneous degree of genetic differentiation among S. aurata populations. In this study an allozyme analysis of samples from six different collecting sites along the Italian and Croatian coasts was carried out, covering an area in the Central Mediterranean sea that has yet to be investigated through gene-enzyme systems. Data on 26 gene loci, 10 of which are polymorphic, indicate a slight but significant genetic structure (FST = 0.0167) of the species. A hierarchical analysis of pop...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Postulated impacts of large energy releases were examined in the light of existing technical information. The magnitudes of direct atmospheric modifications were estimated, and the ecological and economic implications of the modifications were explored. Energy releases from energy centers (10 to 40 power plants at a single site) and individual power plant clusters (1 to 4 power plants) were considered. In the atmosphere the energy will exist initially as increased temperature (sensible heat), moisture (latent heat), and air motion (kinetic energy). Addition of energy could result in increased cloudiness and fog, and changed precipitation patterns. A framework for economic analysis of the impacts of the postulated atmospheric modifications was established on the basis of costs and benefits. Willingness-to-pay was selected as the appropriate measure for valuing each impact. The primary and secondary atmospheric modifications ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The main objective of this paper is to identify conditions which affect public concern (either increase or decrease) and political acceptance for developing and implementing programmes for geologic disposal of long-lived radioactive waste. It also looks how citizens and relevant actors can be associated in the decision making process in such a way that their input is enriching the outcome towards a more socially robust and sustainable solution. Finally, it aims at learning from the interaction how to optimise risk management addressing needs and expectations of the public and of other relevant stakeholders. In order to meet these objectives, factors of relevance for societal acceptance conditions are identified, described and analysed. Subsequently these factors are looked for in the real world of nuclear waste management through cases in several countries. The analysis is conducted for six stages of a repository programme and implementation ...

Science.gov (United States)

We report results of measurements and analysis of the heat capacity of MnSi. The measurements included data collection at a magnetic field of 4T, which suppresses strongly the longitudinal spin fluctuations and the phase transition. To analyze the experimental data, calculations of the phonon spectrum and phonon density of states in MnSi were performed. Inelastic neutron scattering with a polycrystalline sample of MnSi was used to validate the computational results. The combination of the experimental and theoretical data turned out to be decisive in revealing some hidden features of the thermal excitations in MnSi. In particular, the analysis of the available data led conclusively to the existence of a negative contribution to the heat capacity and entropy in MnSi at T>Tc, implying that a specific spin ordering process did occur in the paramagnet phase of MnSi.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study for any project is a time- consuming process because it has a large number of dependent and independent variables that must be taken into account. Although EIAs are dependent on geo-spatial information in order to make an assessment, there are no standard rules for conducting an environmental assessment. In addition, each assessment objective is case-dependent, based on what information is available. This paper presents a new framework for the analysis phase of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for projects, based on the integration between remote sensing technology, geographic information systems, and spatial modeling. The framework comprehensively analyzes the environmental vulnerability around the project areas and its impact on the...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The analysis described demonstrates the use of benefit/cost sensitivity analysis in examining the wide range of potential damages and savings associated with converting oil-fired electric utility boilers to burn coal in Florida. This model, for the first time incorporates, in quantitative terms, environmental economic externalities into a benefit/cost ratio sensitivity analysis framework. Five different dose-response estimates of morbidity and mortality costs, property devaluation, and willing-to-pay estimates are used in combination with four acid rain dose-response models to estimate the net present worth of externality costs. The model estimates the net present worth of benefits by incorporating into a dynamic framework all relevant construction, O + M, and fuel costs of converting an electrical generation facility from using oil to coal. These benefits of fuel savings are then weighted against ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This decision document presents the selected remedial action for the Ruston/North Tacoma Study Area, in Ruston and Tacoma, Washington. The EPA has divided the Commencement Bay/Nearshore Tideflats Superfund site into seven operable units (OU's) in order to facilitate the investigation, analysis, and cleanup of this very large site. Four of these OU's are associated with the Asarco smelter: OU 02 - Asarco Tacoma Smelter; OU 04 - Asarco Off-Property (Ruston/North Tacoma Study Area); OU 06 - Asarco Sediments; and OU 07 - Asarco Demolition. The remedy described in this ROD addresses OU 04 and involves the cleanup of arsenic and lead contaminated soils and slag in the Study Area, the residential community surrounding the smelter. This remedy will address the principal threat posed by conditions at the site, which is the ingestion of contaminated soil and dust.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Waste is a cost of doing business. This cost can be considered in terms of the potential adverse health and environmental impacts, or the waste management costs associated with avoiding, minimizing, and controlling those impacts. There is an anticipated increase in the cost of waste management as a result of the increasing requirements for regulatory compliance. To meet the total waste management capacity needs of the organization and the compliance requirements, low-level radioactive, hazardous, and mixed waste management will need demonstrated technologies strategically managed as a technology portfolio. The role of the decision maker is to select the optimum mix of technologies and facilities to provide the waste management capacity needed for the next twenty years. The waste management system resulting from this mix includes multiple small-scale fixed facilities, large-scale centralized facilities, and waste management subcontracts. This study was conducted to ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This conference was attended by decision makers throughout the supply chain in the natural gas industry who face the continuing challenges of changes in market mechanisms, pricing options, and transmission alternatives. It provided an opportunity to review issues affecting producers, shippers, marketers, and end-users in an environment of tight energy markets and high, inelastic demand. The constraints on adequate energy supplies are influenced by economic factors, current and future resources, materials, equipment, skilled labour, technology and financial capital. The 8 sessions of the conference dealt with the tight North American gas supply; the slow development of new supplies; resource access issues, including politics and supply security; the geopolitics of natural gas; impacts of high prices on the North American economy; energy industry impacts of high natural gas prices; domestic politics and high natural gas prices; and, radical ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this paper the problem of developing optimal bidding strategies for the participants of oligopolistic energy markets is studied. Special attention is given to the impacts of suppliers' emission of pollutants on their bidding strategies. The proposed methodology employs supply function equilibrium (SFE) model to represent the strategic behavior of each supplier and locational marginal pricing mechanism for the market clearing. The optimal bidding strategies are developed mathematically using a bilevel optimization problem where the upper-level subproblem maximizes individual supplier payoff and the lower-level subproblem solves the Independent System Operator's market clearing problem. In order to solve market clearing mechanism the multiobjective optimal power flow is used with supplier emission of pollutants, as an extra objective, subject to the supplier physical constraints. This paper uses normal boundary intersection (NBI) approach for generating Pareto ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report presents a reassessment of the design of Resistive Cryogenic Cable Systems with regard to dielectric material selection, thermal insulation selection, conductor design, and refrigeration subsystem design. An algorithm using test data generated as part of the program and available from the literature was developed and used to assess the driving parameters for system cost analysis. The results of this cost sensitivity analysis are presented. An electric utility, Public Service Electric and Gas of New Jersey (PSE and G), performed an economic viability evaluation comparing two selected Resistive Cryogenic Cable Systems to a conventional cable system (high pressure oil-filled). The comparison was made for a 35-mile network application on the PSE and G transmission system scheduled to be placed in service in 1995. Consideration was given to equipment capital, installation, and operating costs. It was concluded that a ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In cooperation with NRPB, the specifications of the mainframe COSYMA version 95/1 and the PC COSYMA version 2.0 were prepared and the corresponding modifications implemented. Important improvements are dose-rate dependent models for deterministic health effects, the time dependent efficiency of stable iodine tablets, the extension of data bases for the inclusion of activation products, and supplementary evaluation programs. PC COSYMA has been completed by an economics module, further options in the ingestion pathways, and a graphics package for presenting assessment results. COSYMA has been applied for probabilistic dose assessments within paramter studies and special investigations of EPR concepts. RODOS, the real-time on-line decision support system for nuclear emergency management, has been further developed with the aim of the first pilot version 2.0 for pre-operational application in the second half of 1995. At present, some 20 institutes ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The set of activities performed by SENTECH, Inc. addressed the specific recommendations provided to the Department of Energy (DOE) by its advisors, including the Hydrogen Technical Advisory Panel and the review panel members of the DOE Annual Hydrogen Program Review. SENTECH`s efforts were conducted under five tasks: Task 1: Technology and Process Analysis; Task 2: Hydrogen Information Development and Transfer; Task 3: Educational Products; Task 4: Systems Analysis; and Task 5: Life Cycle Costs. SENTECH activities were executed in two broad areas--analysis and technology transfer. The analytical tasks undertaken in FY97 were focused on two types of analysis--systems analysis and technical/economic assessments. These analytical activities benefit DOE by providing data that allow it to define the strategic goals of the hydrogen R and D program. By collecting ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Design considerations of a combined photovoltaic-thermal (PV-T) system for a particular site and application must include thermal and electrical tradeoffs. A simplified technique for determining preliminary design and economic analyses would minimize costly computer simulation and indicate feasibility. To that end, nomographs that size an array to meet a specific annual load and determine the subsequent cost savings have been developed, and are presented in this paper.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cellulose raw materials costs must be considered in order to obtain a minimized hexose cost. In recognition of this fact, it may be economically advantageous to operate at less than maximum hexose concentration in the reactor and to recycle unreacted cellulose. The objective of this article is to optimize a cellulose-recycle reactor system for producing hexose at minimum cost. A sensitivity analysis of the important variables in the mathematical model of this system is also discussed.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A final report is presented on the design, environmental characteristics, performance and maintainability, and economic analysis of a commercial 663 MWe coal-fired combined cycle power plant using pressurized fluidized bed combustion, and advanced technology in the hot gas cleanup system and gas turbines. Experimental data on the performance of each of the major components are included. (LCL)

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This paper examines how robust economic, political, and demographic variables are related to water and air pollution. Employing Bayesian Averaging of Classical Estimates (BACE) for a cross section of 47 countries, 34 variables and 3 proxies for air and water pollution over a period from 1980 to 2000 we confirm the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis and highlight the relevance of variables that are not directly related to production.

Science.gov (United States)

Suggests that knowledge work is a useful way of characterizing important changes in the nature of work across a range of different occupational and professional groups. Discusses the implications through a conflict-based analysis that highlights the inherent conflict between "knowing" as part of the work experience and "knowledge" as an economic commodity. (Author/CCM)

Wastenet

...-such as the EU -suggests a considerably larger effect of such agreements on membersrsquo; trade than typical ex ante CGE models and traditional cross-section empirical analyses (using traditional ldquo;gravity equationsrdquo;). These larger estimated effects are more consistent with the active role of national governments ...

Science.gov (United States)

This document provides a technical basis for the revision of chemical effluent limitations guidelines for the Steam Electric Power Industry reflecting the Best Available Technology Economically Achievable (BATEA) for existing sources, New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and Pretreatment Standards. The analysis of pollutants and the technologies applicable to their control has been based on specific waste streams of concern.

Science.gov (United States)

EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative was established to assist states, site planners and other community stakeholders to work together to assess, cleanup and sustainably reuse brownfields sites. EPA has developed a series of guides to help these parties effectively...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This book is not a traditional handbook. Engineers in industry need up-to-date, accessible information on the applications of heat and mass transfer. This book is the answer. Contents include: (1) emphasis on applications in thermal design and computer solutions of thermal engineering problems; (2) an introduction to the use of the Second Law of Thermodynamics in analysis, optimization, and economics; (3) information on topics of current interest--in a form convenient and accessible to the average engineer; (4) three chapters of background material--enough to review the basic principles needed to understand specific thermal applications; and (5) extensive treatment of computational tools and numerical analysis.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lead-acid batteries, one of eight types, account for about 70% of annualized control costs facing the battery manufacturing industry as a result of EPA's guidelines. This report is the industry's response. It makes counter recommendations for effluent limitations, discusses selected control technologies and effluent limitations, makes control cost estimates, and provides an economic impact analysis and a benefits effectiveness analysis.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Many electric power utilities are currently employing machine condition monitoring technologies as a means of reducing forced outages and controlling repair costs. These condition monitoring technologies are a set of {open_quotes}tools{close_quotes} to help maintenance and operations personnel identify and repair machinery problems before catastrophic failure occurs. In this way, the analysis of this data becomes a vital link in the daily operation of the plant. Machinery vibration analysis, machinery balancing and alignment, motor current testing, periodic thermography surveys, analysis of lubrication oil samples, performance monitoring, chemistry monitoring, ultrasonic leak detection surveys, and non-destructive inspections are some of the technologies available to perform this condition monitoring. However, even for a small or medium size plant, the sheer volume of data provided by applying all or some of these ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report is the culmination of approximately three and one-half years of research on the design and demonstration of a mineral endowment appraisal system which has as its foundation a formalization of geological decisions within a probabilistic framework. Basically, the probabilistic decision structure of a geologist or team of geologists is captured in a system of computer programs which can be used by a geologist for the estimation of the magnitude of uranium endowment by providing information to this system about the states of earth processes and geologic conditions that pertain to that region being evaluated. Research performed under this contract had two main objectives: demonstration of the endowment appraisal system on the San Juan Basin of New Mexico; a comparison of estimates by the appraisal system with estimates made using other methodologies. The scope of this report is restricted to a demonstration of the appraisal system and ...

Science.gov (United States)

The article draws on interpretive frameworks from diffusion research and social network analysis to explore one particular "travelling reform"--outcomes-based education--that went global. The argument is made that by virtue of studying late adopters of a travelling reform one is examining globalisation. The cases in point for late adoption are Central Asian education systems (in particular Mongolia and Kyrgyz Republic) that borrowed outcomes-based education reforms at a time when the popularity of similar reforms were already in decline in other countries, notably in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. The emphasis of this study is on the timing of policy borrowing, and it is suggested that more attention is given to the economics of policy borrowing. (Contains 3 notes.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The strategy for the Korean nuclear power plant lifetime management (PLIM) program, which has been developed over the last 3 years, is introduced, together with descriptions of recent events and related maintenance activities. This leading Korean PLIM project has been focused on such areas as a plant data survey, screening and prioritization of systems, structures and components (SSCs), aging evaluation of major components, economic analysis and regulatory issues. The current status is outlined in terms of major tasks including aging evaluation of 13 major components. The future long-term plan which eventually aims at maximizing the economic benefit for both the utility and its customers is presented. Also described is the technical development required for plant life extension. (orig.).

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In this paper we show that the recent model by Gilles Duranton [Duranton, G., 2007. Urban evolutions: The fast, the slow, and the still. American Economic Review 97, 197-221] performs remarkably well in replicating the city size distribution of West Germany, much better than the simple rank-size rule known as Zipfs law. The main mechanism of this theoretical framework is the "churning" of industries across cities. Little is known in urban economics about the determinants of local industry turnover so far. We present an empirical analysis of the excess churning index for West German cities, which describes the strength of intra-city industry reallocations over time. We find that urban growth and industry turnover are not notably correlated: Some, but not all fast-growing cities have notably...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Clin. Otolaryngol. 2009, 34, 438-446. Objective: To determine whether economic costs associated with a conservative management strategy for unilateral acoustic neuroma offer an economic advantage over active management options. Design: Cost and sensitivity analysis on a prospective cohort. Setting: Single centre study within a tertiary referral centre in Toronto, Canada. Participants: 72 patients (32 males, 40 females) aged 36 to 78 years with unilateral acoustic neuroma were assigned initially to a conservative management strategy. Entry criteria were small tumour size (less than 15mm in the cerebellopontine angle), patient preference and/or significant co-morbidity. Interventions: MRI scanning was performed every 6 months for the first year, annually subsequently and then every 2-3 years...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

From out of the numerous technical alternatives the manual develops a waste management concept with emphasis on methods which can be coordinated for maximum ecological use and minimum economic costs. A clear-cut analysis of the present state of waste utilization and waste disposal in the Federal Republic of Germany (chapter 1) is followed by a detailed description of conventional and modern state-of-the-art waste utilization methods based on ecological evaluation criteria (chapter 3). An optimum waste utilization concept for defined quantities of wastes is derived from the ecological and economic comparison of waste utilization techniques given in chapter 3. Chapter 4 points out different variants of waste utilization and waste disposal methods and shows how to determine the optimum variant of the optimum concept for a particular area or community. (orig.).

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In this article we evaluate a US Forest Service plan to mitigate damages from an invasive insect on public, forested land. We develop a dynamic model of infestation and control to explicitly account for biological interactions, baseline conditions, and uncertainty, thus creating a more complete picture of policy impacts than a static cost benefit analysis could provide. We combine the results of the dynamic model with an empirical study of nonmarket forest benefits to create a bioeconomic model of ecosystem management. Estimating the empirical model in a Bayesian framework allows us to treat the economic coefficients of the dynamic model as random variables. We specify distributions for the biological parameters and examine the effects of both biological and economic uncertainty on the pre...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The IAEA attaches great importance to the dissemination of information that can assist Member States with the development, implementation, maintenance and continuous improvement of systems, programmes and activities that support the nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear applications, including management of the legacy of past practices and accidents. In this connection, the IAEA has initiated a comprehensive programme of work covering all aspects of environmental remediation: - Technical and non-technical factors, including costs, that influence environmental remediation strategies and pertinent decision making; - Site characterization techniques and strategies; - Assessment of remediation technologies; - Techniques and strategies for post-remediation compliance monitoring; - Special issues such as the remediation of sites with dispersed radioactive contamination or mixed contamination by hazardous and radioactive substances. Experience in Member States has shown that ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

No abstract prepared.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Sustainable development of geothermal resources is the key to prolong the commercial life of geothermal fields. This paper uses two well-known geothermal fields in China, with long histories of production, to demonstrate how sustainability can be quantitatively evaluated, and to highlight the essential differences between sustainable and non-sustainable development schemes. After examining the complex nature of sustainability evaluation, fuzzy synthetic evaluation is applied as a tool for the quantitative sustainability rating of geothermal reservoirs. The evaluation procedures include systemic criteria selection, weighing, individual criterion evaluation and finally final multi-criterion decision analysis evaluation. The sustainability of a limestone reservoir in the urban sector of Tianj...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Objective: To describe the meaning of the theme of empowerment from research on health promotion in nursing from the perspective of nurses participating in the study. Methods: Manual data analysis and QSR NUD*IST Vivo were used to analyse the data generated by individual and focus group interviews and the critical incident technique with 32 qualified nurses working in an acute hospital setting in the UK. Results: The participants identified a number of issues related to the theme of empowerment. These included the nurse as patient informer, psychological supporter and rapport builder and the concepts of informed choice/decision making, gatekeeping, coping, patient assertiveness, self-esteem and confidence. Conclusion: Empowerment is a complex, multi-dimensional, contested concept which can...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract The aim of this paper is to provide an explanation to why the degree of informal employment may vary substantially between different regions within a country. In Brazil, 45% of workers in the urban labor force are employed informally. The degree of informal employment, however, varies substantially across regions, with some cities having 20% and others having 80% or more of their labor force in the informal sector. The hypothesis assessed here is that the quality of local governance-or government effectiveness-affects the decisions of workers and businesses as to whether to participate in the formal or the informal sector. The empirical analysis, based on data from 5500 Brazilian municipalities, shows that informal employment is lower in regions with better governance, higher aver...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

BACKGROUND.The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) covers the direct clinical costs of breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic follow-up for medically underserved, low-income women. Personal costs are not covered. In this report, the authors estimated personal costs per woman participating in NBCCEDP mammography screening by race/ethnicity and also estimated lifetime personal costs (ages 50-74 years).METHODS.A decision analysis model was constructed and parameterized by using empiric data from a retrospective cohort survey of mammography rescreening among women ages 50 years to 64 years who participated in the NBCCEDP. Data from 1870 women were collected from 1999 to 2000. The model simulated the flow of resources incurred by a woman participat...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A pipeless batch plant is a batch processing production system using mobile vessels. The plant performances depend on both hardware of equipment and software of operation. So the plant includes many design factors such as number of vessels, stations and AGVS, layout of stations, vessel moving rules, job scheduling and so on. In this paper, the characteristics of pipeless batch plant design are considered to handle the problem by the systems engineering approach. Then, a practical design method known as design-by-analysis is applied to solve such a complex design problem. Based on this concept, a design support system composed of modeling, simulation and evaluation subsystems is developed. This system enables rational decision making through performance evaluation for proposed design of a pipeless batch plant. The usefulness of the system is illustrated by industrial examples. 12 refs., 8 figs., 6 tabs.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Restructuring of power system has changed the traditional planning objectives and introduced challenges in the field of Transmission Expansion Planning (TEP). Due to these changes, new approaches and criteria are needed for transmission planning in deregulated environment. Therefore, in this paper, a dynamic expansion methodology is presented using a multi-objective optimization framework. Investment cost, congestion cost and reliability are considered in the optimization as three objectives. To overcome the difficulties in solving the non-convex and mixed integer nature of the optimization problems, a Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA II) approach is used followed by a fuzzy decision making analysis to obtain the final optimal solution. The planning methodology has been demonstrated on the IEEE 24-bus test system and north-east of Iran national 400 kV transmission grid to show the feasibility and capabilities of the proposed ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Research and experimental development comprise innovative and creative work undertaken systematically to increase the stock of knowledge of science, engineering, and society. This knowledge reserve is used to improve living conditions and standards, including economic growth. Research and development (R&D) expenditures are useful measures of the scale and direction of technological innovation within a country, industry, or scientific field. Administrators concerned with economic growth and performance rely on R&D statistics as one possible type of indicator of technological change. R&D statistics are an essential tool in many government programs and evaluations (OECD 1993). The objective of the analysis was to identify and evaluate R&D funding sources, levels, and trends in the energy sectors of selected industrialized countries (Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, ...

Science.gov (United States)

Background: Accountability demands are increasingly pushing school leaders to explore more data and do more sophisticated analyses. Data-driven decision making (DDDM) has become an emerging field of practice for school leadership and a central focus of education policy and practice. Purpose: This study examined principals' DDDM practices and identified the factors influencing DDDM using the theoretical frame of information use environments. Participants: Participants were 183 public high school principals in a Midwestern state. Research Design: The research design was cross-sectional survey research. Data Collection and Analysis: Survey instruments were developed and administered to principals. Structural equation modeling was conducted to determine what factors significantly affect principals' DDDM practices in different leadership dimensions. Findings: Principals used data more frequently in instructional and organization operational ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) is an emerging technology with features that are potentially attractive in electric utility applications. This study evaluates the potential for SMES technology in the generation, transmission, distribution, and use of electric energy; the time frame of the assessment is through the year 2030. Comparisons are made with other technology options, including both commercially available and advanced systems such as various peaking generation technologies, transmission stability improvement technologies, and power quality enhancement devices. The methodology used for this study focused on the needs of the market place, the capabilities of S and the characteristics of the competing technologies. There is widespread interest within utilities for the development of SMES technology, but there is no general consensus regarding the most attractive size. Considerable uncertainty exists regarding the eventual costs and benefits of commercial SMES ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Many environmental impact statements (EIS) fail to predict environmental impacts, organize information about those impacts in a concise, logical way, and communicate that information intelligibly. This paper presents a systematic, auxiliary ''language'' for environmental analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), in an attempt to correct this problem. The approach improves communication among disciplinary specialists, between an interdisciplinary team and a decision-maker, and between a federal agency and the general public by helping to identify important issues and impacts, and by reducing time, effort, cost, and paperwork. The basis for the approach is found in the principal aims of the NEPA regulations and other criteria. The interdisciplinary language for environmental analysis consists of a small vocabulary, used in conjuction with a simple ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The purpose of this research is to clarify how psychological factors' impact on public acceptance of nuclear energy varies with where they live and their degree of knowledge. For this purpose, we carried out questionnaire survey about nuclear energy at three urban areas and two nuclear power plant siting areas. After collecting data, we applied factor analysis to the data, and found four factors which construct cognitive structure of nuclear energy. Using multiple regression analysis, we evaluated the impact of the four factors on two issues: the decision for or against nuclear policy and the reaction to nuclear power plant siting, and compared changes of the impact by where respondents live and their degree of knowledge. Consequently, we found that the impact of all four factors on the two issues varies with where respondents live. We also found that the impact of respondents' degree of knowledge to four factors varies ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report presents the results of an assessment of uranium in situ leach mining costs through the application of process engineering and discounted cash flow analysis procedures. A computerized costing technique was developed to facilitate rapid cost analyses. Applications of the cost model will generate mine life capital and operating costs as well as solve for economic production cost per pound U/sub 3/O/sub 8/. Conversely, rate of return may be determined subject to a known selling price. The data bases of the cost model were designed to reflect variations in Texas versus Wyoming site applications. The results of applying the model under numerous ore deposit, operating, well field, and extraction plant conditions for Texas and Wyoming are summarized in the report. Sensitivity analysis of changes in key project parameters have also been tested and are included.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The proposed ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-1989R contains updated requirements for pipe insulation thicknesses developed on the basis of technical and economic principles. These requirements were determined based on computer simulations of the annual energy loss through the insulation, first cost assumptions for the insulation, and economic assumptions of discount rate and energy escalation rate. In later work, the same tools were used to analyze the sensitivity of the cost-effective insulation level for piping insulation to variations in operating hours, ambient temperature, fluid temperature, and economic assumptions. These analyses were carried out using cost data for pipe insulation averaged across several sources. The results of the sensitivity study showed that system operating hours is a critical parameter in determining the cost-effective pipe insulation thicknesses. Although there is a lack of reliable sources of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In developing severe accident management strategies, an engineering decision would be made based on the available data and information that are vague, imprecise and uncertain by nature. These sorts of vagueness and uncertainty are due to lack of knowledge for the severe accident sequences of interest. The fuzzy set theory offers a possibility of handling these sorts of data and information. In this paper, the possibility to apply the decision-making method based on fuzzy set theory to the evaluation of the accident management strategies at a nuclear power plant is scrutinized. The fuzzy decision-making method uses linguistic variables and fuzzy numbers to represent the decision-maker's subjective assessments for the decision alternatives according to the decision criteria. The fuzzy mean operator is used to aggregate the ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Supercritical fluid extraction from dried banana peel (Musa spp., subgroup Prata, genomic group AAB, popularly known in Brazil as Enxerto) was studied. The aspects investigated were: overall extraction curve (OEC), mass transfer modeling of the yield curves, economical analysis of the process and phase equilibrium data for the pseudo-ternary system of banana peel extract, carbon dioxide and ethanol. The extraction operating conditions evaluated were: pressure ranging from 100bar to 300bar, temperature from 40 to 50^oC and constant solvent flow rate of 5.0gCO2/min. Experimental extraction data were correlated using three kinetic models based on mass transfer equations (logistic, diffusion and Esquivel models). Phase equilibrium measurements were performed using pressure from 64.9bar to 239....

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Electric utilities are actively seeking ways of optimizing the economics of their operations by improving productivity and reducing time and money spent on maintenance. Iberdrola, a Spanish utility, is using advanced machine condition-monitoring technology to centralize control and maintenance of its hydropower projects as a means of achieving those goals. The company is using a blend of technologies to supervise their projects from a regional control center. The monitoring scheme makes use of data from on-line, machine-condition monitors, displays from in-plant audio asnd video equipment, and analysis from the control center`s SCADA system.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Some aspects of metrological provision of X-ray radiometric analyzers for mineral raw composition and gamma-gamma-logging equipment are considered. Standard samples (SS) based on the phenol-formaldehyde resin with the introduced quantities calculated of element compositions in the form of oxides and salts are described. Principles of metrological provision developed are used when carrying out state acceptance tests of X-ray radiometric analyzer RAL-M-102 ''Ehkran'' and gamma-gamma-logging equipmnt RSK-102. Economic benefit from introduction of an SS set is #approx# 60-100 thousand roubles per year.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This report issued by the Energy Economics Group and the Laboratory for Energy Systems Analysis at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) analyses current and future trends in the area of energy and mobility on a global, European level as well as with respect to the German-speaking countries Austria, Germany and Switzerland. In a first step, developments with regard to how mobility is achieved and the energy consumption involved are examined and the impact of business-as-usual trends on global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and future fuel consumption is discussed. In a second step, the paper outlines potential alternative futures in terms of energy and mobility. Finally, the paper derives and presents recommendations for policy-makers.

Wastenet

... (restricted)] 319-341 The value of container terminal investment to ocean carrier strategy by Thomas Pawlik & Lars Stemmler & Alfred J Baird ... (restricted)] 142-173 Prediction of arrival times and human resources allocation for container terminal by Gianfranco Fancello & Claudia Pani & Marco Pisano ... (restricted)] 347-369 Analysis of berth allocation and inspection operations in a container terminal by Yongpei Guan & Kang-hung Yang [Downloadable! (... (restricted)] 237-262 Container terminal concessions: A game theory application to the case of the ports of Pakistan by Naima Saeed & Odd ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Energy savings in the synthetic fiber industry could be realized by using autoclave reactor condensate and boiler flue gas heat recovery. The non-cellulose (polyester) production process analysis shows that condensate returning from the reactor to the steam boiler raises inlet temperature, giving a reduced fuel requirement of about 8%. Also, boiler flue gas with a sufficiently high outlet temperature for boiler feed water and combustion air preheating results in further fuel savings. The process with an economizer saves up to 8.44%, and with a combustion air preheater, 6.25%. (Author)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This paper presents the results of the experimental investigation on heat transfer and fluid friction characteristics of a class of spiral spring coil used as a tube side forced convection heat transfer augmentation devices. Based on a lot of experimental data, the heat transfer correlation and fluid friction correlation revised by temperature were reached in terms of linear regression. At the same time, proper criteria were used to evaluate the economic performance of the spiral spring inserted tube according to the demand of practical application and some probing analysis were made.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

ExternE is a pan{sub E}uropean project aimed at identifying and quantifying external effects from different energy production technologies around Europe. The Swedish implementation carried out case studies on a biomass plant, a coal plant and a hydro power plant. The conventional approach within the ExternE project is to estimate impacts for each priority pathway associated with the fuel cycle, and then economic methods to obtain estimates for the economic damage of each particular impact pathway. However, in the case of hydro power, it is generally not possible to estimate the most important impacts quantitatively. Therefore, a contingent valuation (CV) study was initiated. In a typical CV-study, a selection of individuals are asked to state their willingness to pay for a certain environmental improvement or to avoid an environmental damage. Welfare economic theory suggests that the well-being effects on people from a ...

Science.gov (United States)

The Predictive Capability Maturity Model (PCMM) is a new model that can be used to assess the level of maturity of computational modeling and simulation (M&S) efforts. The development of the model is based on both the authors experience and their analysis of similar investigations in the past. The perspective taken in this report is one of judging the usefulness of a predictive capability that relies on the numerical solution to partial differential equations to better inform and improve decision making. The review of past investigations, such as the Software Engineering Institute's Capability Maturity Model Integration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Department of Defense Technology Readiness Levels, indicates that a more restricted, more interpretable method is needed to assess the maturity of an M&S effort. The PCMM addresses six contributing elements to M&S: (1) representation and geometric ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The purpose of this research is to clarify how psychological factor's impact on public acceptance of nuclear energy varies with people's degree of knowledge. For this purpose, we carried out questionnaire survey about nuclear energy at Suginami ward, Tokyo. After collecting data, we applied factor analysis to the data, and found 4 factors: Trust in the Authorities, Superiority of Nuclear Power Generation, Benefit for Nuclear Power Plants' Siting Areas, and Risk Perception about Nuclear Technology. In addition, using multiple regression analysis, we evaluated the impact of the 4 factors on 2 issues: the decision for or against nuclear policy and the reaction to nuclear power plant siting. Consequently, we found the change of impact of all 4 factors on the 2 issues. Especially, the impact of the 4 factors to the reaction to nuclear power plant siting was drastically changed by respondent's ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this paper an analysis will be performed to assess the economical competitiveness of Nuclear Power against other base load technologies. There are several plans to build more nuclear power plants in western countries; these plans are result among other things of the fossil fuel high prices and the concern for the global warming. France started the construction of one EPR at Flamanville in 2007 and at the end of 2008 there were 17 applications before NRC for construction and operation licenses (COL) to build as much as 26 new reactor units in USA, among the designs selected are the US-EPR, APWR, ESBWR, ABWR and AP1000. Currently, there is a lot of uncertainty about what is the overnight cost for a new generation III nuclear power plant and the vendors are not providing too much information. However, it is expected that under the new economy conditions the overnight cost will be between 2500 and 3500 USD/kW, the output electricity power of the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

By analogy with the concepts of human learning, we show and introduce a new method to obtain least product cost and price that includes the effect of innovation and technological learning in manufacturing and production. This key result is a new paradigm instead of the usual economic 'power law' formulation. The new analysis is based on extensive analysis of many technological systems, and is directly related to the presence of learning as experience is accumulated. The results agree with the observed data. By using a consistent basis, the method replaces previous empirical 'power law' descriptions of the technological learning curve with a new 'marginal minimum cost equation' (MCE). (author)

Science.gov (United States)

The economic benefits of supplemental fuel injections depend, in part, on the coke replacement ratio. An assessment of the accuracy with which blast furnace coke rate may be measured and a determination of the key drivers of coke rate uncertainty are offered, to provide guidance for experiments in high-rate gas injection. Using statistical analysis tools, an expression for the measurement error associated with the various terms of blast furnace carbon balance is developed. Coke rate calculations based on the material balance are most sensitive to coke carbon content and to proper tracking of hot metal tapping schedule.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Mentougou District acts as a crucial component in the ecological buffer in western Beijing mountainous areas, Beijing, China. Using two Landsat MSS/TM images acquired on July 14, 1979 and July 23, 2005, the vegetation coverage of Mentougou District was calculated based on normalized difference vegetation index and spectral mixture analysis (NDVI-SMA) model. Its temporal and spatial changes were analyzed according to digital elevation model (DEM) image, social and economic data. The results showed that the vegetation coverage decreased from 76.4% in 1979 to 72.7% in 2005. Vegetation degradation was probably the result of human disturbance, such as outspreading of resident areas, and coal and stone mining activities, while vegetation restoration might be contributed by the combined effects o...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

As part of The International Northern Sea Route Programme (INSROP), Subprogram III, Trade and Commercial Shipping, a study has been made concerning seaborne export of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the Northern Russia, especially the West Siberian fields in Tyumen. The main purpose of the total project III.0703, part 2 and this study is to evaluate the economic viability of seaborne export from this area to the European region, mainly with the use of a special ice-strengthened LPG vessel, constructed and designed for such seaborne operations. This study concentrates on both seaborne LPG transportation, the demand and supply for seaborne LPG in the world and marine transportation of LPG from the West Siberian fields. Another purpose is to see which regions are potential exporters, importers and buyers of seaborne export of LPG from Tyumen. Currently large quantities of liquefied gas are flared off at the West Siberian fields due to insufficient infrastructure, ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Patient decision support systems have a promising role in the delivery of health care. However, the best approach for further development of these systems is a matter of speculation. To help chart a...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundThe aim of this study is to examine how clinicians and patients negotiate clinical need and treatment decisions within a context of finite resources. Dental implant treatment...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report includes the issuances received during the specified period from the Commission (CLI), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Boards (LBP), the Administrative Law Judges (ALJ), the Directors Decisions (DD), and the Decisions on Petitions for Rulemaking (DPRM).

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

One of the major decisions that germ cells make during their development is whether to differentiate into oocytes or sperm. In mice, the germ cells’ decision to develop as male or female depends...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

PURPOSE The Wells rule is widely used for clinical assessment of patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT), especially in the secondary care setting. Recently a new clinical decision...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Incorporation of clinical decision support (CDS) capabilities is required to realize the greatest benefits from computerized provider order entry (CPOE) systems. Discussions at a conference on CDS in...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper presents a decision approach, and associated computer software tools, for prioritizing and selecting among technology development activities. The approach elicits and then summarizes technology development preferences from stakeholders, and then integrates preferences into a set of funding recommendations. By formalizing the technology review process, the decision approach builds consensus and clarifies the basis for final budget decisions. The software development was conducted jointly by Pacific Northwest Laboratory and Decisions Science Associates, Incorporated. The Underground Storage Tank Integrated Demonstration funded the task; however, the approach should also be valuable to the US Department of Energy Office of Technology Development, the Office of Waste Management, and the Office of Environmental Restoration.

KoreaScience (Korea)

Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) must account for legally protected and endangered species. Uncertainties relating to the validity and sensitivity of EIA arise from predictions and valuation of effects on these species. This paper presents a validity and sensitivity analysis of a model (BIO-SAFE) for assessment of impacts of land use changes and physical reconstruction measures on legally protected and endangered river species. The assessment is based on links between species (higher plants, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, butterflies and dragon- and damselflies) and ecotopes (landscape ecological units, e.g., river dune, soft wood alluvial forests), and on value assignment to protected and endangered species using different valuation criteria (i.e., EU Habitats and Birds directive, Conventions of Bern and Bonn and Red Lists). The validity of BIO-SAFE has been tested by comparing predicted effects of landscape changes on the diversity of protected and ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This is a short version of a scenario study concerning the possibilities to reach an Environmentally Sustainable Transport system in Sweden in a perspective of 30 years. The aim of the scenario study has been to describe one of several possible paths from today`s transport system to an environmentally adopted one. However, this does not imply that the task is to predict how such a transformation can be accomplished. The aim is rather to illustrate what such transformation require in the form of political decisions. The transformation of the transport system in to an environmentally adopted one, is primarily treated as a political problem, and a political perspective has accordingly been chosen for the study. In this English version of the scenario, the carbon dioxide problem is used to illuminate the many conflicts in goals and other problem that will attend an environmental adoption of the Swedish transport system, and to highlight the analytical points of ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Information technology plays an important role in medicine because of the advanced decision support systems (DSS) it can provide. We provide an overview of the building blocks necessary for a medical decision support system and introduce seven research articles in this special issue that describe the development and evaluation of individual medical DSS building blocks or complete medical DSS.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The strategy for building SASOL plants reflects a commitment to long-range planning. The first plant, which represented a large investment for a moderate production capacity, was built to establish a technology for reducing South Africa's dependence on imported motor fuels. After the success of the plant, SASOL made plans for a larger plant, which had to be justified solely on economic grounds. At that time, petroleum crude was cheap and plentiful, and the second plant was cancelled. But when OPEC formed and the price of petroleum crude was increased, the South African government reconsidered the plans for another SASOL plant. Furthermore, because the cost of fuels produced at Sasol I proved to be significantly insensitive to inflation and future OPEC price increases were expected, SASOL projected that a new, larger plant should make a profit within a few years after its initial operation. But OPEC prices and inflation have risen even faster than ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The research project's objective is to create a decision help for owners of residential buildings for several families regarding the renewal of decentralized heating and warm water preparation systems in the flats. The focus lies on a comparison of the costs of typical systems on the basis of a full cost calculation. This is done by taking into consideration the intentions of residential building companies like the reduction of additional costs to be paid by the tenants (both for social reasons and to make the flats easier to rent), low investment costs, low maintenance costs, energy saving, tenants' claims for comfort and acceptance by the tenants, economical reasons, especially regarding flats fully amortized (activation in the balance sheet). In addition to the quantitative comparison, the advantages and disadvantages of the different systems were also compared to one another from the qualitative point of view. [German] ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Climate change is no longer questioned. Meeting growing global energy needs - while limiting the rate of climate change over the long term - will require both developed and developing countries to move to fuels with lower emissions of greenhouse gases and to adopt more energy-efficient technologies. Investment decisions made today will be pivotal in determining the path of global energy consumption for decades to come. Energy markets, financial markets, and the markets in which greenhouse gas emissions are traded - the so-called 'carbon markets' - together determine which technologies are adopted, and how quickly. Over the next half-century, energy demand will grow almost four times as rapidly in developing countries as in developed countries. Consequently, finding ways to increase investment in cleaner energy technologies in rapidly-growing economies in the developing world will be an essential component of global efforts to alter the path of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Full text: Certain groups of patients have been excluded from ventilation lung scanning due to their inability to comply with instruction. Tetley Manufacturing have recently developed a Positive Ventilation Delivery System (PVDS) which assists in delivering Technegas to patients who are unable to cooperate fully. The aim of this study is to evaluate the PVDS in the clinical setting. Fifteen frail aged and psychogeriatric patients (n=l 5), mean age 78 years (range 60-93), were ventilated with Technegas using the PVDS. The decision to ventilate the patient with the PVDS was based on an initial assessment of the patients ability to comply with instructions, or failure of the conventional ventilation method, to produce an adequate count rate. Technegas was prepared in the usual manner and then delivered to the patients lungs by squeezing a black anesthetic bag synchronously with the patients breathing, until a count rate of approximately 1000 counts/second was ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Once again Brazil faces the possibility of an electricity shortage in the near future. The low level of rain and the consequent reduction of hydroelectric reservoirs (hydroelectric energy represents almost 80% the total Brazilian electricity generation) led to the dispatch of thermal plants based on natural gas and/or fuel oil. However, the recent crisis regarding the Bolivian natural gas supply to Brazil increased the risk of a shortage of this energy source. Hence, the uncertainty of the electricity supply scenario is pushing the electricity prices up in the near future. A possible alternative to increase the electricity supply is the maximization of the electricity surplus in sugarcane mills. Back in 1970's and 1980's, cogeneration plants in sugarcane mills were primarily designed to consume all bagasse, and produce steam and electricity to the process. The plants used medium pressure steam boilers (21 bar and 300 deg C) and back pressure steam turbines. Some ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This document gathers the presentations given at the first French national meetings of solar energy for the development of solar systems in buildings. The meeting was organized over two days. The first day comprises 4 workshops about: urbanism and planning, cultural acceptability of solar energy in buildings (the OPAC 38 housing association, point of view on an energy information point, the Freiburg (Germany) solar region and marketing examples), technical integration to the structure (Clipsol solutions), and economical criteria (compared impacts of R and D public photovoltaic programs (USA, Japan, Germany, France, Italy), financing of rehabilitation projects, global approach of solar photovoltaic energy, technical solutions and strategy of products development, why and how to make an economical analysis of solar energy applications in the building industry). The second day comprises a plenary session and a round table: ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The hydro-generators suffer during its operative useful life a combination of stresses of nature thermal, electric, mechanics and environmental. With the time, they are going losing the capacity to support those stresses and the power plants suffer, more and more frequently, undesirable stops for repair services and maintenance. In function of the high costs incurred with these stopped, the operation of the power plant can be economically impracticable. That unavailability of the generation for the electric system, it results in reduction of the reliability, burdening the politics of load ruling. The re-potentiation is a proposal that seeks to extend the useful life of hydro-generators, at the same time that it try to rescue the reliability and the readiness of the plant, with larger power. The power increase is usually made possible, or for the surplus of the hydro resources in excess, or for the reduction of the losses of all the components of the energy flow. ...

Science.gov (United States)

Hydrocarbon Research, Inc. (HRI) has been actively involved in the development of a low-severity two-stage coal liquefaction process. Since inception of the concept of low-temperature, first-stage hydrogenation followed by a higher temperature second-stage hydrocracking operation, in 1982, efforts have been concentrated on this process. This final report covers development efforts under both contracts from October 1983 to March 1988. The major objective was to reduce process severity and improve economics. Studies were conducted on Illinois No. 6 and Ohio No. 5/6 bitumen coals and included several process variable experiments, catalyst testing, use of cleaned coal and evaluation process recycle options. The total effort included 277 days onstream of continuous bench-scale operations, and data analysis and process modeling, and engineering design and economic studies are reported herein. 13 refs., 15 figs., 40 tabs.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The purpose of this study is to analyze the safeties and the economics for Co-60 production from Wolsung PHWR and to verify the feasibility on the manufacturing of the final Co-60 source for industrial irradiation. The feasibility of reactor conversion was carried out with KEPCO collaboration. Through the site survey on the experience of Gentililly-2 in Canada, a feasibility of plant conversion, changes in design, equipment and tools for Co-60 production was verified. It was estimated that the reactor conversion would not impose adverse impact on plant safety. For the encapsulation of radiation source and storage of the final products, a modification of concrete hot cell at KAERI was primary concerns. The installation and improvement of facilities are needed to avoid cross contamination and extra radiation exposure. Main items for these are pressure gauge, separated HEPA filter the ceiling separation, extra-shielding and ceiling hoist system. At present, storage ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scenarios are developed for spent fuel that is taken out of the nuclear reactor and stored for 20 years before reprocessing, and three storage techniques which use a water pool, dry cask or vault are compared with respect to their costs. The storage price (storage cost per kilogram of spent fuel), which is employed as the economic index, is calculated on the assumption that all the charge is paid when the spent fuel is brought in the storage facilities. Four scenarios are assumed for spent PWR and BWR fuels to be stored in at-reactor (AT) or away-from-reactor (AFR) facilities. The capital costs cover the buildings of the storage facilities, equipment, decommissioning, casks for transportation and storage (for cask storage) and casks for transportation (for water pool or vault storage). Costs for operation and maintenance of the facilities are also considered in evaluating these methods. Evaluation results show that the dry cask method is the most advantageous for ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A generic reactor model is used to examine the economic viability of electricity generation by magnetic fusion. The simple model uses components which are representative of those used in previous reactor studies of deuterium-tritium burning tokamaks, stellarators, bumpy tori, reverse field pinches and tandem mirrors. Conservative costing assumptions are made. The generic reactor is not a tokamak but rather it is intended to emphasize what is common to all magnetic fusion reactors. The reactor uses a superconducting toroidal coil set to produce the dominant magnetic field. To this extent it is a less good approximation to systems, such as the reversed field pinch in which the main field is produced by a plasma current. The main output of the study is the cost of electricity as a function of the weight and size of the fusion core - blanket, shield, structure and coils. The model shows that a 1200 MW/sub e/ power plant with a fusion core weight of about 10,000 tonnes ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Given that fossil fuel fired power plants are among the largest and most concentrated producers of CO{sub 2} emissions, recovery and sequestration of CO{sub 2} from the flue gas of such plants has been identified as one of the primary means for reducing anthropogenic CO{sub 2} emissions. In this study, ALSTOM Power Inc. (ALSTOM) has investigated several coal fired power plant configurations designed to capture CO{sub 2} from effluent gas streams for use or sequestration. Burning fossil fuels in mixtures of oxygen and recirculated flue gas (made principally of CO{sub 2}) essentially eliminates the presence of atmospheric nitrogen in the flue gas. The resulting flue gas is comprised primarily of CO{sub 2}. Oxygen firing in utility scale Pulverized Coal (PC) fired boilers has been shown to be a more economical method for CO{sub 2} capture than amine scrubbing (Bozzuto, et al., 2001). Additionally, oxygen firing in Circulating Fluid Bed Boilers (CFB's) can be ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report describes the results of a large project conducted in a corporation between Statistics Denmark and the Danish National Environmental Research Institute. The main objective of the project has been to analyse the possibilities of prescribing the development in the Danish freight transport in a more appropriate and precise way than it is done by existing models. A secondary objective of the project was to develop a model based on the findings of the analysis. The intention was to be able to describe all areas of freight transport. The analysis has proven it impossible to improve the existing calculations in some areas of transport. Hence, the project has been narrowed down to focus exclusively on road freight transport. The developed model distinguishes itself from existing models by a much higher level of detail in the calculations. This enables the model to describe the structural relations between transport and ...

Science.gov (United States)

In Slovenia two superb vegetable oils with high added nutritional value are produced: "Ekstra devisko oljcno olje Slovenske Istre (extra virgin olive oil from Slovene Istra)" and "Stajersko prekmursko bucno olje (pumpkin seed oil from Slovenia)". Their quality and genuineness must be monitored as adulteration can easily be undertaken. Olive oil genuineness determination experiences can show how analyses following an experience data-driven decision tree gathering several chemical determinations (fatty acids, (E)-isomers of fatty acids, sterol and tocopherol determinations) may be helpful in assessing the pumpkin seed oil from Slovenia genuineness. In the present work a set of HPLC triacylglycerol determinations was performed, based on the nine main triacylglycerols (LLLn, LLL, PLL, LOO, PLO, OOO, POO, SPL, and SLS) on a limited number of different pumpkin seed oils from northeastern Slovenia. The performed determinations showed that stereospecific analyses of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allowed outage time (AOT), which is required by the technical specification of nuclear power plants (NPPs), has been determined on the basis of deterministic analysis or engineering judgment. AOT is defined as the time for which safety related components can remain inoperable before a plant state is changed. Recently, plants' operating experiences and probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) results show that the AOT could be optimized. Foreign NPPs licensees have changed their technical specifications including AOT using PSA techniques. In 1998, U.S. NRC issued the regulatory guides on risk informed decision-making and technical specification changes, and these are Reg. Guide 1.174, and 1.177. The US NRC accepted AOT extension proposals including the safety injection tank (SIT) and low pressure safety injection system (LPSI) for the ABB-CE designed plants. This paper discusses interim results of AOT changes of the SIT, LPSI, CSS (Containment ...

Science.gov (United States)

The financial evaluation of capital and operating cost estimates for a dry coke quenching facility installation indicates a marginal return on investment if the evaluation is based exclusively on steam credits. However, the potential improvements in environmental emissions and reported, but unverified, blast furnace operations may justify the expenditure. The Russian and Japanese claim of 2 to 4% reduction in blast furnace coke usage with up to 4% increase in iron production has not been demonstrated in the domestic steel industry and, therefore, is not included in the financial analysis. A 2% coke reduction represents a savings of approximately $0.81 per ton of hot metal produced or an additional annual credit of $1,800,000 for dry coke quenching, exclusive of productivity gains. Additional credit of this magnitude would increase the estimated discounted cash flow return from 10% to approximately 16% for the estimated capital expenditure of $21,742,652. The ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The Loose Parts Monitoring System (LPMS) provides information on the location of a loosened or detached metal impacted onto the inner surface of a primary pressure boundary and on a mass or energy of the impact signal. For the conventional system, it is popular to employ the group delay among the sensors installed within 3 ft range from the impact source in a collection zone as stated in the Reg. Guide 1.133. However, there exist inherent errors for the estimation of the true location of the impact since it is highly dependent on the plant personnel's decision to determine the arrival time differences of the generated wave group among the neighbouring sensors. To overcome this problem in this study, the two-dimensional approach has been proposed and applied to effectively estimate the arrival time differences of the impact signal by using continuous wavelet transform which is one of the linear time-frequency analysis methods. The experiment has ...

CERN Document Server

Spatio-temporal preferences and encounter statistics provide realistic measures to understand mobile user's behavioral preferences and transfer opportunities in Delay Tolerant Networks (DTNs). The time dependent behavior and periodic reappearances at specific locations can approximate future online presence while encounter statistics can aid to forward the routing decisions. It is theoretically shown that such characteristics heavily affect the performance of routing protocols. Therefore, mobility models demonstrating such characteristics are also expected to show identical routing performance. However, we argue models despite capturing these properties deviate from their expected routing performance. We use realistic traces to validate this observation on two mobility models. Our empirical results for epidemic routing show those models' largely differ (delay 67% & reachability 79%) from the observed values. This in-turn call for two important activities: (i) ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Energy and exergy studies were conducted in an orange juice manufacturing industry in Nigeria to determine the energy consumption pattern and methods of energy optimization in the company. An adaptation of the process analysis method of energy accounting was used to evaluate the energy requirement for each of the eight defined unit operations. The types of energy used in the manufacturing of orange juice were electrical, steam and manual with the respective proportions of 18.51%, 80.91% and 0.58% of the total energy. It was estimated that an average energy intensity of 1.12 MJ/kg was required for the manufacturing of orange juice. The most energy intensive operation was identified as the pasteurizer followed by packaging unit with energy intensities of 0.932 and 0.119 MJ/kg, respectively. The exergy analysis revealed that the pasteurizer was responsible for most of the inefficiency (over 90%) followed by packaging (6.60%). It was suggested that ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) bottom ash contains economically significant levels of silver and gold. Bottom ashes from incinerators at Amsterdam and Ludwigshafen were sampled, processed, and analyzed to determine the composition, size, and mass distribution of the precious metals. In order to establish accurate statistics of the gold particles, a sample of heavy non-ferrous metals produced from 15 tons of wet processed Amsterdam ash was analyzed by a new technology called magnetic density separation (MDS). Amsterdam's bottom ash contains approximately 10 ppm of silver and 0.4 ppm of gold, which was found in particulate form in all size fractions below 20 mm. The sample from Ludwigshafen was too small to give accurate values on the gold content, but the silver content was found to be identical to the value measured for the Amsterdam ash. Precious metal value in particles smaller than 2 mm seems to derive mainly from waste of electrical and ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Production costs for commercial-sized Populus plantations were developed from a series of research programs sponsored by the US Department of Energy's Short Rotation Woody Crops Program. Populus hybrid planted on good quality agricultural sites at a density of 2100 cuttings ha{sup {minus}1} was projected to yield an average of 16 Mg (OD) ha{sup {minus}1}yr{sup {minus}1}. Discounted cash flow analysis of multiple rotations showed pre-harvest production costs of $17 (US) Mg{sup {minus}1}(OD). 19 refs., 1 fig., 3 tabs.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The evaluation methodology utilized in deciding to change over Oyster Creek plant operation from chemical regeneration of condensate demineralizer resin beds to throwaway of this spent resin is presented. Both the economic and operational aspects considered are discussed. The evaluation shows that potential savings in the $1.1M range are feasible over a 5 year cycle. Cost sensitivity analysis results define the throwaway versus regeneration breakeven point to be 47 condensate demineralization beds per 5 year cycle. The evaluation also discusses the trade off between resin and evaporator concentrates burial volumes. Analyses are given which show that the burial volume cost equivalency of resin to solidified concentrates is 150 ft./sup 3/ of resin equals 400 ft./sup 3/ of concentrates. Based on one year of power operation in the throwaway mode, the savings and operational value anticipated in the initial study are being realized.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buses, operating within a Florence (Italy) municipal transportation system, and equipped with Otto cycle engines, were selected for retrofitting taking into account the suitability of each vehicle`s specific routing and service requirements. Cost benefit analyses indicated that it wouldn`t be economically feasible to retrofit buses equipped with diesel engines. A computerized refuelling system was set up at the fleet`s central service station which was hooked up to the natural gas utility`s supply line. This paper tables the cost benefit analysis data comparing gasoline and methane operation and reflecting the cost savings which are expected to be accrued through this methanization program over a span of 14 years.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An Oil Shale Mining Economic Model (OSMEM) was developed and executed for mining scenarios representative of commercially feasible mining operations. Mining systems were evaluated for candidate sites in the Piceance Creek Basin. Mining methods selected included: (1) room-and-pillar; (2) chamber-and-pillar, with spent shale backfilling; (3) sublevel stopping; and (4) sublevel stopping, with spent shale backfilling. Mines were designed to extract oil shale resources to support a 50,000 barrels-per-day surface processing facility. Costs developed for each mining scenario included all capital and operating expenses associated with the underground mining methods. Parametric and sensitivity analyses were performed to determine the sensitivity of mining cost to changes in capital cost, operating cost, return on investment, and cost escalation.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The first U.S. demonstration of the NGK sodium/sulfur battery technology was launched in August 2002 when a prototype system was installed at a commercial office building in Gahanna, Ohio. American Electric Power served as the host utility that provided the office space and technical support throughout the project. The system was used to both reduce demand peaks (peak-shaving operation) and to mitigate grid power disturbances (power quality operation) at the demonstration site. This report documents the results of the demonstration, provides an economic analysis of a commercial sodium/sulfur battery energy storage system at a typical site, and describes a side-by-side demonstration of the capabilities of the sodium/sulfur battery system, a lead-acid battery system, and a flywheel-based energy storage system in a power quality application.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The costs of greenhouse gas emission-reductions vary among countries depending on emission levels, technologies used, past emission-reduction achievements, path of economic development, fuel mix, and initial endowment of hydrocarbon resources. The criterion of cost-effectiveness therefore suggests that the ways should be found to encourage emission reductions in the countries where the required costs of reduction of additional unit of emissions are the lowest. These countries usually face crucial capital constraints and have other development priorities than investing in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Developed countries could invest their resources in the former Soviet Union and the east European countries to achieve the same level of reduction of greenhouse gases with lower costs than they could in their own countries.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The adoption of a cogenerator integrated system is described. The dry kernel, a woody residue of olive pressing, is produced in very large quantities and could therefore be used in high pressure condensing-extraction team turbines to supply on-site electricity and steam needs. This system is becoming more and more interesting since it produces an excess of electricity which could be sold, e.g. to the electric utility. Such a cogeneration system is discussed in terms of efficiency, capital cost, near-time commercial viability and power-to-fuel costs. The economical analysis is presented for olive press-cake processing plants and can be extrapolated to biomass-based industries having the same characteristics. An energy audit has been carried out on 16 plants. (Author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Often oil/gas and other hydrocarbons discovered and produced offshore are transported to onshore facilities via submarine pipelines. The route of such pipelines traverses through coastal/shore approach regions. For a rational/economic design, safe installation and subsequent operation it is of utmost importance to review, evaluate and finalize various environmental hazard such as winds, waves, currents, seabed topography, seabed and sub-bottom soils, seabed erosion and soil accretion. This paper addresses the above described environmental hazards, their assessment and techniques to prepare design parameters which must be used for stability analysis, installation methods, long term operation and maintenance for the shore approaches. Additionally, various proven pipeline installation and stabilization techniques for the shore approach region are detailed. As case histories, three approaches installed in the Dutch North Sea are described.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

What Wallerstein described as European universalism dominated media and communication theory until the end of the twentieth century. The three-tier divide of the global economic system (center, semi-periphery, and periphery) explicated in world-system analysis was equally applicable to the global academic/scholarship structure. The non-traditional fields of study, such as media and (mass) communication, inherited the full flavor of European universalism because they originated in the academic institutions of the center countries. The turn of the century saw a dramatic reaction to the Euro-American rhetoric of power. Organized groups of scholars have begun to question the presumption of European universalism in media and communication theory, encompassing its axiology, epistemology/methodol...

Science.gov (United States)

A declaration for achieving universal basic education adopted by the World Conference on Education for All in Jomtien, Thailand, as it relates to Latin America is discussed in this paper. The document then offers an examination of educational expansion in Latin America, a discussion of disproportionate educational budget cuts, and an analysis of challenges that stem from two trends: (1) the growing gap between population growth and educational expansion; and (2) low educational quality and high repetition rates. Proposals are offered for major, gradual educational reforms based on an increased level of fiscal resources, and a change in resource management responsive to economic needs. The major obstacle to implementation is argued to be the political economy of education and of adjustment. International support of local initiatives is important in achieving basic educational equity. (33 references) (LMI)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The study discussed relates to the design and development of a process consisting of combining a reversible geothermal heat pump with thermal solar collectors for building heating and cooling and the production of domestic hot water. The proposed process, called GEOSOL, has been installed in a 180 m{sup 2} private residence in 2004. This installation is the subject of long-term experimental follow-up to analyse the energy-related behavior of the installation at all times of the year. In addition, different configurations of this combined system (geothermal heat pump and thermal solar collectors) have been defined and will be simulated numerically using TRNSYS software. A comparative analysis of these different alternative versions will be conducted to determine the best configuration(s) of the GEOSOL process in terms of energy, economical and environmental performances. (author)

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) affects health and quality of life and it has great impact on both health-care costs and costs to the society. Objectives The objective of this study was to develop a model to analyse the cost-effectiveness of a barrier-strengthening moisturizing cream as maintenance therapy compared with no treatment after initial treatment with betamethasone valerate in adult patients with AD in Sweden. A further aim was to apply a similar health-economic analysis for Denmark, Norway and Finland. Methods A Markov simulation model was developed including data from three sources: (i) efficacy data from a randomized controlled trial including patients with moderate AD treated with either a moisturizing cream or no treatment, (ii) resource utilization and quality of...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)