Effective Integration of Life Cycle Engineering in Education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oude Luttikhuis, Ellen; Toxopeus, Marten E.; Lutters, Diederick

2015-01-01

In practice, applying life cycle engineering in product design and development requires an integrated approach, because of the many stakeholders and variables (e.g. cost, environmental impact, energy, safety, quality) involved in a complete product life cycle. In educating young engineers, the same

Oil and gas platforms with steam bottoming cycles: System integration and thermoenvironomic evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nguyen, Tuong-Van; Tock, Laurence; Breuhaus, Peter

2014-01-01

The integration of steam bottoming cycles on oil and gas platforms is currently regarded as the most promising option for improving the performance of these energy-intensive systems. In this paper, a North Sea platform is taken as case study, and a systematic analysis of its energy requirements...... cooling utility, and (iv) the weight limitations on the platform are quantitatively assessed. The results illustrate the benefits of converting the gas turbine process into a combined cycle, since the fuel gas consumption and the total CO2-emissions can be reduced by more than 15 %. Using the cooling...... water from the processing plant reveals to be more profitable than using seawater, as the additional pumping power outweighs the benefit of using a cooling medium at a temperature of about 8 °C lower. This study highlights thereby the importance of analysing energy savings and recovery options...

Technical Feasibility Study of Thermal Energy Storage Integration into the Conventional Power Plant Cycle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacek D. Wojcik

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The current load balance in the grid is managed mainly through peaking fossil-fuelled power plants that respond passively to the load changes. Intermittency, which comes from renewable energy sources, imposes additional requirements for even more flexible and faster responses from conventional power plants. A major challenge is to keep conventional generation running closest to the design condition with higher load factors and to avoid switching off periods if possible. Thermal energy storage (TES integration into the power plant process cycle is considered as a possible solution for this issue. In this article, a technical feasibility study of TES integration into a 375-MW subcritical oil-fired conventional power plant is presented. Retrofitting is considered in order to avoid major changes in the power plant process cycle. The concept is tested based on the complete power plant model implemented in the ProTRAX software environment. Steam and water parameters are assessed for different TES integration scenarios as a function of the plant load level. The best candidate points for heat extraction in the TES charging and discharging processes are evaluated. The results demonstrate that the integration of TES with power plant cycle is feasible and provide a provisional guidance for the design of the TES system that will result in the minimal influence on the power plant cycle.

The future of integrated coal gasification combined cycle power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, R.; Termuehlen, H.

1991-01-01

This paper examines the future of integrated coal gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plants as affected by various technical, economical and environmental trends in power generation. The topics of the paper include a description of natural gas-fired combined cycle power plants, IGCC plants, coal gasifier concepts, integration of gasifiers into combined cycle power plants, efficiency, environmental impacts, co-products of IGCC power plants, economics of IGCC power plants, and a review of IGCC power plant projects

Multidimensional evaluation on FR cycle systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakai, Ryodai; Fujii, Sumio; Takakuma, Katsuyuki; Katoh, Atsushi; Ono, Kiyoshi; Ohtaki, Akira; Shiotani, Hiroki

2004-01-01

This report explains some results of the multidimensional evaluation on various fast reactor cycle system concepts from an interim report of the 2nd phase of ''Feasibility Study on Commercialized FR Cycle System''. This method is designed to give more objective and more quantitative evaluations to clarify commercialized system candidate concepts. Here we brief current evaluation method from the five viewpoints of safety, economy, environment, resource and non-proliferation, with some trial evaluation results for some cycles consist of promising technologies in reactor, core and fuel, reprocessing and fuel manufacture. Moreover, we describe FR cycle deployment scenarios which describe advantages and disadvantages of the cycles from the viewpoints of uranium resource and radioactive waste based on long-term nuclear material mass flow analyses and advantages of the deployment of FR cycle itself from the viewpoints of the comparison with alternative power supplies as well as cost and benefit. (author)

INTEGRATED PYROLYSIS COMBINED CYCLE BIOMASS POWER SYSTEM CONCEPT DEFINITION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandvig, Eric; Walling, Gary; Brown, Robert C.; Pletka, Ryan; Radlein, Desmond; Johnson, Warren

2003-01-01

Advanced power systems based on integrated gasification/combined cycles (IGCC) are often presented as a solution to the present shortcomings of biomass as fuel. Although IGCC has been technically demonstrated at full scale, it has not been adopted for commercial power generation. Part of the reason for this situation is the continuing low price for coal. However, another significant barrier to IGCC is the high level of integration of this technology: the gas output from the gasifier must be perfectly matched to the energy demand of the gas turbine cycle. We are developing an alternative to IGCC for biomass power: the integrated (fast) pyrolysis/ combined cycle (IPCC). In this system solid biomass is converted into liquid rather than gaseous fuel. This liquid fuel, called bio-oil, is a mixture of oxygenated organic compounds and water that serves as fuel for a gas turbine topping cycle. Waste heat from the gas turbine provides thermal energy to the steam turbine bottoming cycle. Advantages of the biomass-fueled IPCC system include: combined cycle efficiency exceeding 37 percent efficiency for a system as small as 7.6 MW e ; absence of high pressure thermal reactors; decoupling of fuel processing and power generation; and opportunities for recovering value-added products from the bio-oil. This report provides a technical overview of the system including pyrolyzer design, fuel clean-up strategies, pyrolysate condenser design, opportunities for recovering pyrolysis byproducts, gas turbine cycle design, and Rankine steam cycle. The report also reviews the potential biomass fuel supply in Iowa, provide and economic analysis, and present a summery of benefits from the proposed system

INTEGRATED PYROLYSIS COMBINED CYCLE BIOMASS POWER SYSTEM CONCEPT DEFINITION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eric Sandvig; Gary Walling; Robert C. Brown; Ryan Pletka; Desmond Radlein; Warren Johnson

2003-03-01

Advanced power systems based on integrated gasification/combined cycles (IGCC) are often presented as a solution to the present shortcomings of biomass as fuel. Although IGCC has been technically demonstrated at full scale, it has not been adopted for commercial power generation. Part of the reason for this situation is the continuing low price for coal. However, another significant barrier to IGCC is the high level of integration of this technology: the gas output from the gasifier must be perfectly matched to the energy demand of the gas turbine cycle. We are developing an alternative to IGCC for biomass power: the integrated (fast) pyrolysis/ combined cycle (IPCC). In this system solid biomass is converted into liquid rather than gaseous fuel. This liquid fuel, called bio-oil, is a mixture of oxygenated organic compounds and water that serves as fuel for a gas turbine topping cycle. Waste heat from the gas turbine provides thermal energy to the steam turbine bottoming cycle. Advantages of the biomass-fueled IPCC system include: combined cycle efficiency exceeding 37 percent efficiency for a system as small as 7.6 MW{sub e}; absence of high pressure thermal reactors; decoupling of fuel processing and power generation; and opportunities for recovering value-added products from the bio-oil. This report provides a technical overview of the system including pyrolyzer design, fuel clean-up strategies, pyrolysate condenser design, opportunities for recovering pyrolysis byproducts, gas turbine cycle design, and Rankine steam cycle. The report also reviews the potential biomass fuel supply in Iowa, provide and economic analysis, and present a summery of benefits from the proposed system.

Integrated Metrics for Improving the Life Cycle Approach to Assessing Product System Sustainability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wesley Ingwersen

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Life cycle approaches are critical for identifying and reducing environmental burdens of products. While these methods can indicate potential environmental impacts of a product, current Life Cycle Assessment (LCA methods fail to integrate the multiple impacts of a system into unified measures of social, economic or environmental performance related to sustainability. Integrated metrics that combine multiple aspects of system performance based on a common scientific or economic principle have proven to be valuable for sustainability evaluation. In this work, we propose methods of adapting four integrated metrics for use with LCAs of product systems: ecological footprint, emergy, green net value added, and Fisher information. These metrics provide information on the full product system in land, energy, monetary equivalents, and as a unitless information index; each bundled with one or more indicators for reporting. When used together and for relative comparison, integrated metrics provide a broader coverage of sustainability aspects from multiple theoretical perspectives that is more likely to illuminate potential issues than individual impact indicators. These integrated metrics are recommended for use in combination with traditional indicators used in LCA. Future work will test and demonstrate the value of using these integrated metrics and combinations to assess product system sustainability.

Evaluation of undeveloped rocket engine cycle applications to advanced transportation

Science.gov (United States)

1990-01-01

Undeveloped pump-fed, liquid propellant rocket engine cycles were assessed and evaluated for application to Next Manned Transportation System (NMTS) vehicles, which would include the evolving Space Transportation System (STS Evolution), the Personnel Launch System (PLS), and the Advanced Manned Launch System (AMLS). Undeveloped engine cycles selected for further analysis had potential for increased reliability, more maintainability, reduced cost, and improved (or possibly level) performance when compared to the existing SSME and proposed STME engines. The split expander (SX) cycle, the full flow staged combustion (FFSC) cycle, and a hybrid version of the FFSC, which has a LOX expander drive for the LOX pump, were selected for definition and analysis. Technology requirements and issues were identified and analyses of vehicle systems weight deltas using the SX and FFSC cycles in AMLS vehicles were performed. A strawman schedule and cost estimate for FFSC subsystem technology developments and integrated engine system demonstration was also provided.

Evaluation of Environmental Impacts for Rice Agroecosystems using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

OpenAIRE

S. Khoramdel; J. Shabahang; A. Amin Ghafouri

2017-01-01

In order to evaluate life cycle assessment (LCA) for rice agroecosystems based on mean of nitrogen fertilizer levels (less than 190, 190-200, 200-210, 210-220 and more than 220 kg N ha) during 1999-2012, an experiment was conducted. Four steps includung goal definition and scoping, inventory analysis, life cycle impact assessment and integration and interpretation were computed. Functional unit was considered as one tone paddy. Impact categories were acidification, eutrophication in aquatic a...

Integration of the military and civilian nuclear fuel cycles in Russia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bukharin, O.

1994-01-01

This paper describes the close integration of the civil and military nuclear fuel cycles in Russia. Individual processing facilities, as well as the flow of nuclear material, are described as they existed in the 1980s and as they exist today. The end of the Cold War and the breakup of the Soviet Union weakened the ties between the two nuclear fuel cycles, but did not separate them. Separation of the military and civilian nuclear fuel cycles would facilitate Russia's integration into the world's nuclear fuel cycle and its participation in international non-proliferation regimes

Simulated first operating campaign for the Integral Fast Reactor fuel cycle demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goff, K.M.; Mariani, R.D.; Benedict, R.W.; Park, K.H.; Ackerman, J.P.

1993-01-01

This report discusses the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) which is an innovative liquid-metal-cooled reactor concept that is being developed by Argonne National Laboratory. It takes advantage of the properties of metallic fuel and liquid-metal cooling to offer significant improvements in reactor safety, operation, fuel cycle-economics, environmental protection, and safeguards. Over the next few years, the IFR fuel cycle will be demonstrated at Argonne-West in Idaho. Spent fuel from the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) win be processed in its associated Fuel Cycle Facility (FCF) using a pyrochemical method that employs molten salts and liquid metals in an electrorefining operation. As part of the preparation for the fuel cycle demonstration, a computer code, PYRO, was developed at Argonne to model the electrorefining operation using thermodynamic and empirical data. This code has been used extensively to evaluate various operating strategies for the fuel cycle demonstration. The modeled results from the first operating campaign are presented. This campaign is capable of processing more than enough material to refuel completely the EBR-II core

Historical Business Cycles and Market Integration: Evidence from Comovement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Uebele, Martin

2009-01-01

This thesis addresses historical business cycles and market integration in Europe and America in the 19th and 20th centuries. For the analysis of historical business cycles, the widely used methodology of historical national accounting is complemented with a dynamic factor model that allows for

Integrated gasification and Cu-Cl cycle for trigeneration of hydrogen, steam and electricity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aghahosseini, S; Dincer, I; Naterer, G F [University of Ontario, Oshawa, ON (Canada). Institute of Technology

2011-02-15

This paper develops and analyzes an integrated process model of an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) and a thermochemical copper-chlorine (Cu-Cl) cycle for trigeneration of hydrogen, steam and electricity. The process model is developed with Aspen HYSYS software. By using oxygen instead of air for the gasification process, where oxygen is provided by the integrated Cu-Cl cycle, it is found that the hydrogen content of produced syngas increases by about 20%, due to improvement of the gasification combustion efficiency and reduction of syngas NOx emissions. Moreover, about 60% of external heat required for the integrated Cu-Cl cycle can be provided by the IGCC plant, with minor modifications of the steam cycle, and a slight decrease of IGCC overall efficiency. Integration of gasification and thermochemical hydrogen production can provide significant improvements in the overall hydrogen, steam and electricity output, when compared against the processes each operating separately and independently of each other.

Life Cycle Based Evaluation of Environmental and Economic Impacts of Agricultural Productions in the Mediterranean Area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Tamburini

2015-03-01

Full Text Available In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA applied to estimate the cradle-to-grave environmental impact of agricultural products or processes. Furthermore, including in the analysis an economic evaluation, from the perspective of an integrated life cycle approach, appears nowadays as a fundamental improvement. In particular, Life Cycle Costing (LCC, is a method that could integrate financial data and cost information with metrics of life cycle approaches. In this study, LCA in conjunction with LCC methods were used, with the aim to evaluate the main cost drivers—environmental and economic—of five widely diffused and market-valued agricultural productions (organic tomato and pear, integrated wheat, apple and chicory and to combine the results in order to understand the long-term externalities impacts of agricultural productions. Data obtained in local assessment show a wide margin of improvement of resources management at farms level in the short-term, but also allow for the investigation of future effects of environmental impacts not expressed in product price on the market. Reaching a real sustainable model for agriculture could be a value added approach firstly for farmers, but also for all the people who live in rural areas or use agricultural products.

Management Cycle: from Planning to Evaluation

OpenAIRE

Kova?i?, Luka; Jakši?, Želimir

2008-01-01

The planning process in health care known as management cycle or cycle of organization and management is described. The cycle is divided in four main elements: planning, organization, implementation and evaluation. Each element is defined and described.

Thermodynamic Analyses of Biomass Gasification Integrated Externally Fired, Post-Firing and Dual-Fuel Combined Cycles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saeed Soltani

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In the present work, the results are reported of the energy and exergy analyses of three biomass-related processes for electricity generation: the biomass gasification integrated externally fired combined cycle, the biomass gasification integrated dual-fuel combined cycle, and the biomass gasification integrated post-firing combined cycle. The energy efficiency for the biomass gasification integrated post-firing combined cycle is 3% to 6% points higher than for the other cycles. Although the efficiency of the externally fired biomass combined cycle is the lowest, it has an advantage in that it only uses biomass. The energy and exergy efficiencies are maximized for the three configurations at particular values of compressor pressure ratios, and increase with gas turbine inlet temperature. As pressure ratio increases, the mass of air per mass of steam decreases for the biomass gasification integrated post-firing combined cycle, but the pressure ratio has little influence on the ratio of mass of air per mass of steam for the other cycles. The gas turbine exergy efficiency is the highest for the three configurations. The combustion chamber for the dual-fuel cycle exhibits the highest exergy efficiency and that for the post-firing cycle the lowest. Another benefit of the biomass gasification integrated externally fired combined cycle is that it exhibits the highest air preheater and heat recovery steam generator exergy efficiencies.

Space-Charge Simulation of Integrable Rapid Cycling Synchrotron

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eldred, Jeffery [Fermilab; Valishev, Alexander [Fermilab

2017-05-01

Integrable optics is an innovation in particle accelerator design that enables strong nonlinear focusing without generating parametric resonances. We use a Synergia space-charge simulation to investigate the application of integrable optics to a high-intensity hadron ring that could replace the Fermilab Booster. We find that incorporating integrability into the design suppresses the beam halo generated by a mismatched KV beam. Our integrable rapid cycling synchrotron (iRCS) design includes other features of modern ring design such as low momentum compaction factor and harmonically canceling sextupoles. Experimental tests of high-intensity beams in integrable lattices will take place over the next several years at the Fermilab Integrable Optics Test Accelerator (IOTA) and the University of Maryland Electron Ring (UMER).

Energy and exergy analysis of integrated system of ammonia–water Kalina–Rankine cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Yaping; Guo, Zhanwei; Wu, Jiafeng; Zhang, Zhi; Hua, Junye

2015-01-01

The integrated system of AWKRC (ammonia–water Kalina–Rankine cycle) is a novel cycle operated on KC (Kalina cycle) for power generation in non-heating seasons and on AWRC (ammonia–water Rankine cycle) for cogeneration of power and heating water in winter. The influences of inlet temperatures of both heat resource and cooling water on system efficiencies were analyzed based on the first law and the second law of thermodynamics. The calculation is based on following conditions that the heat resource temperature keeps 300 °C, the cooling water temperature for the KC or AWRC is respectively 25 °C or 15 °C; and the temperatures of heating water and backwater are respectively 90 °C and 40 °C. The results show that the evaluation indexes of the power recovery efficiency and the exergy efficiency of KC were respectively 18.2% and 41.9%, while the composite power recovery efficiency and the composite exergy efficiency of AWRC are respectively 21.1% and 43.0% accounting both power and equivalent power of cogenerated heating capacity, including 54.5% heating recovery ratio or 12.4% heating water exergy efficiency. The inventory flow diagrams of both energy and exergy gains and losses of the components operating on KC or AWRC are also demonstrated. - Highlights: • An integrated system of AWKRC (ammonia–water Kalina–Rankine cycle) is investigated. • NH_3–H_2O Rankine cycle is operated for cogenerating power and heating-water in winter. • Heating water with 90 °C and capacity of 54% total reclaimed heat load is cogenerated. • Kalina cycle is operated for power generation in other seasons with high efficiency. • Energy and exergy analysis draw similar results in optimizing the system parameters.

Comparative evaluation of a natural gas expansion plant integrated with an IC engine and an organic Rankine cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostowski, Wojciech J.; Usón, Sergio

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Comparison of natural gas expansion systems integrated with gas boiler, ICE and ORC. • Expansion systems replace the throttling process in pressure regulating stations. • 5 System performance indicators based on the 1st and 2nd law are defined. • Exergy efficiency was calculated from the fuel-product approach. • ORC system yields highest exergy efficiency 52.6% and performance ratio of 0.771. - Abstract: The aim of the paper is to propose and evaluate an innovative exergy recovery system for natural gas expansion, based on the integration of an internal combustion engine (ICE) and an organic Rankine cycle (ORC), and to compare it with other alternatives. Natural gas expansion plants are a substantial improvement to the conventional gas pressure reduction stations, based on the throttling process, since the available physical exergy of pressurized gas is converted into mechanical energy by means of an expansion machine (turbine or piston expander) instead of being lost in the throttling process. However, due to the hydrate formation problem the gas has to be pre-heated prior to the expansion, which diminishes the system performance. An efficient method for performing this pre-heating is by the proposed system that comprises an ICE and an ORC: Pre-heating of natural gas is carried out partially directly by the co-generation module, via the engine cooling cycle, and partially indirectly, by means of the engine exhaust gases, which supply heat for the ORC, while the ORC condenser is connected with the lowest stage of natural gas pre-heating. Other alternatives are the use of an ICE without ORC, the use of a boiler, and even expansion in a throttling valve. The paper evaluates the performance of the aforementioned four configurations by means of both energy and exergy analysis. Several alternative performance indicators have been defined, calculated and discussed. Sources of irreversibilities have been identified by means of exergy analysis

Simulation of an integrated gasification combined cycle with chemical-looping combustion and carbon dioxide sequestration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiménez Álvaro, Ángel; López Paniagua, Ignacio; González Fernández, Celina; Rodríguez Martín, Javier; Nieto Carlier, Rafael

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A chemical-looping combustion based integrated gasification combined cycle is simulated. • The energetic performance of the plant is analyzed. • Different hydrogen-content synthesis gases are under study. • Energy savings accounting carbon dioxide sequestration and storage are quantified. • A notable increase on thermal efficiency up to 7% is found. - Abstract: Chemical-looping combustion is an interesting technique that makes it possible to integrate power generation from fuels combustion and sequestration of carbon dioxide without energy penalty. In addition, the combustion chemical reaction occurs with a lower irreversibility compared to a conventional combustion, leading to attain a somewhat higher overall thermal efficiency in gas turbine systems. This paper provides results about the energetic performance of an integrated gasification combined cycle power plant based on chemical-looping combustion of synthesis gas. A real understanding of the behavior of this concept of power plant implies a complete thermodynamic analysis, involving several interrelated aspects as the integration of energy flows between the gasifier and the combined cycle, the restrictions in relation with heat balances and chemical equilibrium in reactors and the performance of the gas turbines and the downstream steam cycle. An accurate thermodynamic modeling is required for the optimization of several design parameters. Simulations to evaluate the energetic efficiency of this chemical-looping-combustion based power plant under diverse working conditions have been carried out, and a comparison with a conventional integrated gasification power plant with precombustion capture of carbon dioxide has been made. Two different synthesis gas compositions have been tried to check its influence on the results. The energy saved in carbon capture and storage is found to be significant and even notable, inducing an improvement of the overall power plant thermal efficiency of

Vertical integration in the nuclear fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mommsen, J.T.

1977-01-01

Vertical integration in the nuclear fuel cycle and its contribution to market power of integrated fuel suppliers were studied. The industry subdivision analyzed is the uranium raw materials sector. The hypotheses demonstrated are that (1) this sector of the industry is trending toward vertical integration between production of uranium raw materials and the manufacture of nuclear fuel elements, and (2) this vertical integration confers upon integrated firms a significant market advantage over non-integrated fuel manufacturers. Under microeconomic concepts the rationale for vertical integration is the pursuit of efficiency, and it is beneficial because it increases physical output and decreases price. The Market Advantage Model developed is an arithmetical statement of the relative market power (in terms of price) between non-integrated nuclear fuel manufacturers and integrated raw material/fuel suppliers, based on the concept of the ''squeeze.'' In operation, the model compares net profit and return on sales of nuclear fuel elements between the competitors, under different price and cost circumstances. The model shows that, if integrated and non-integrated competitors sell their final product at identical prices, the non-integrated manufacturer returns a net profit only 17% of the integrated firm. Also, the integrated supplier can price his product 35% below the non-integrated producer's price and still return the same net profit. Vertical integration confers a definite market advantage to the integrated supplier, and the basic source of that advantage is the cost-price differential of the raw material, uranium

Optimal integration of organic Rankine cycles with industrial processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hipólito-Valencia, Brígido J.; Rubio-Castro, Eusiel; Ponce-Ortega, José M.; Serna-González, Medardo; Nápoles-Rivera, Fabricio; El-Halwagi, Mahmoud M.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • An optimization approach for heat integration is proposed. • A new general superstructure for heat integration is proposed. • Heat process streams are simultaneously integrated with an organic Rankine cycle. • Better results can be obtained respect to other previously reported methodologies. - Abstract: This paper presents a procedure for simultaneously handling the problem of optimal integration of regenerative organic Rankine cycles (ORCs) with overall processes. ORCs may allow the recovery of an important fraction of the low-temperature process excess heat (i.e., waste heat from industrial processes) in the form of mechanical energy. An integrated stagewise superstructure is proposed for representing the interconnections and interactions between the HEN and ORC for fixed data of process streams. Based on the integrated superstructure, the optimization problem is formulated as a mixed integer nonlinear programming problem to simultaneously account for the capital and operating costs including the revenue from the sale of the shaft power produced by the integrated system. The application of this method is illustrated with three example problems. Results show that the proposed procedure provides significantly better results than an earlier developed method for discovering optimal integrated systems using a sequential approach, due to the fact that it accounts simultaneously for the tradeoffs between the capital and operating costs as well as the sale of the produced energy. Also, the proposed method is an improvement over the previously reported methods for solving the synthesis problem of heat exchanger networks without the option of integration with an ORC (i.e., stand-alone heat exchanger networks)

Evaluation of advanced coal gasification combined-cycle systems under uncertainty

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frey, H.C.; Rubin, E.S.

1992-01-01

Advanced integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) systems have not been commercially demonstrated, and uncertainties remain regarding their commercial-scale performance and cost. Therefore, a probabilistic evaluation method has been developed and applied to explicitly consider these uncertainties. The insights afforded by this method are illustrated for an IGCC design featuring a fixed-bed gasifier and a hot gas cleanup system. Detailed case studies are conducted to characterize uncertainties in key measures of process performance and cost, evaluate design trade-offs under uncertainty, identify research priorities, evaluate the potential benefits of additional research, compare results for different uncertainty assumptions, and compare the advanced IGCC system to a conventional system under uncertainty. The implications of probabilistic results for research planning and technology selection are discussed in this paper

Integrated design strategy for product life-cycle management

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, G. Patrick

2001-02-01

Two major trends suggest new considerations for environmentally conscious manufacturing (ECM) -- the continuation of dematerialization and the growing trend toward goods becoming services. A diversity of existing research could be integrated around those trends in ways that can enhance ECM. Major research-based achievements in information, computation, and communications systems, sophisticated and inexpensive sensing capabilities, highly automated and precise manufacturing technologies, and new materials continue to drive the phenomenon of dematerialization - the reduction of the material and energy content of per capita GDP. Knowledge is also growing about the sociology, economics, mathematics, management and organization of complex socio-economic systems. And that has driven a trend towards goods evolving into services. But even with these significant trends, the value of material, energy, information and human resources incorporated into the manufacture, use and disposal of modern products and services often far exceeds the benefits realized. Multi-disciplinary research integrating these drivers with advances in ECM concepts could be the basis for a new strategy of production. It is argued that a strategy of integrating information resources with physical and human resources over product life cycles, together with considering products as streams of service over time, could lead to significant economic payoff. That strategy leads to an overall design concept to minimize costs of all resources over the product life cycle to more fully capture benefits of all resources incorporated into modern products. It is possible by including life cycle monitoring, periodic component replacement, re-manufacture, salvage and human factor skill enhancement into initial design.

Outside-in control -Does plant cell wall integrity regulate cell cycle progression?

Science.gov (United States)

Gigli-Bisceglia, Nora; Hamann, Thorsten

2018-04-13

During recent years it has become accepted that plant cell walls are not inert objects surrounding all plant cells but are instead highly dynamic, plastic structures. They are involved in a large number of cell biological processes and contribute actively to plant growth, development and interaction with environment. Therefore, it is not surprising that cellular processes can control plant cell wall integrity while, simultaneously, cell wall integrity can influence cellular processes. In yeast and animal cells such a bi-directional relationship also exists between the yeast/animal extra-cellular matrices and the cell cycle. In yeast, the cell wall integrity maintenance mechanism and a dedicated plasmamembrane integrity checkpoint are mediating this relationship. Recent research has yielded insights into the mechanism controlling plant cell wall metabolism during cytokinesis. However, knowledge regarding putative regulatory pathways controlling adaptive modifications in plant cell cycle activity in response to changes in the state of the plant cell wall are not yet identified. In this review, we summarize similarities and differences in regulatory mechanisms coordinating extra cellular matrices and cell cycle activity in animal and yeast cells, discuss the available evidence supporting the existence of such a mechanism in plants and suggest that the plant cell wall integrity maintenance mechanism might also control cell cycle activity in plant cells. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

National Options for a Sustainable Nuclear Energy System: MCDM Evaluation Using an Improved Integrated Weighting Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruxing Gao

2017-12-01

Full Text Available While the prospects look bright for nuclear energy development in China, no consensus about an optimum transitional path towards sustainability of the nuclear fuel cycle has been achieved. Herein, we present a preliminary study of decision making for China’s future nuclear energy systems, combined with a dynamic analysis model. In terms of sustainability assessment based on environmental, economic, and social considerations, we compared and ranked the four candidate options of nuclear fuel cycles combined with an integrated evaluation analysis using the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM method. An improved integrated weighting method was first applied in the nuclear fuel cycle evaluation study. This method synthesizes diverse subjective/objective weighting methods to evaluate conflicting criteria among the competing decision makers at different levels of expertise and experience. The results suggest that the fuel cycle option of direct recycling of spent fuel through fast reactors is the most competitive candidate, while the fuel cycle option of direct disposal of all spent fuel without recycling is the least attractive for China, from a sustainability perspective. In summary, this study provided a well-informed decision-making tool to support the development of national nuclear energy strategies.

Optimised heat recovery steam generators for integrated solar combined cycle plants

Science.gov (United States)

Peterseim, Jürgen H.; Huschka, Karsten

2017-06-01

The cost of concentrating solar power (CSP) plants is decreasing but, due to the cost differences and the currently limited value of energy storage, implementation of new facilities is still slow compared to photovoltaic systems. One recognized option to lower cost instantly is the hybridization of CSP with other energy sources, such as natural gas or biomass. Various references exist for the combination of CSP with natural gas in combined cycle plants, also known as Integrated Solar Combined Cycle (ISCC) plants. One problem with current ISCC concepts is the so called ISCC crisis, which occurs when CSP is not contributing and cycle efficiency falls below efficiency levels of solely natural gas only fired combined cycle plants. This paper analyses current ISCC concepts and compares them with two optimised designs. The comparison is based on a Kuraymat type ISCC plant and shows that cycle optimization enables a net capacity increase of 1.4% and additional daily generation of up to 7.9%. The specific investment of the optimised Integrated Solar Combined Cycle plant results in a 0.4% cost increase, which is below the additional net capacity and daily generation increase.

Thermo-economic assessment of the integration of steam cycles on offshore platforms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nguyen, Tuong-Van; Tock, Laurence; Breuhaus, Peter

2014-01-01

thermodynamic and economic performance indicators. The results illustrate the benefits of converting the gas turbines into a combined cycle. Using seawater results in smaller power generation and greater CO2-emissions than using process water, as the additional power generation in the combined cycle......The integration of steam bottoming cycles on oil platforms is often seen as a possible route to mitigate the CO2-emissions offshore. In this paper, a North Sea platform and its energy requirements are systematically analysed. The site-scale integration of steam networks is assessed by using...... is compensated by the significant pumping demand. This work emphasises that energy improvement efforts should be analysed at the scale of the overall site and not solely at the level of the combined cycle....

The integral fast reactor fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Y.I.

1990-01-01

The liquid-metal reactor (LMR) has the potential to extend the uranium resource by a factor of 50 to 100 over current commercial light water reactors (LWRs). In the integral fast reactor (IFR) development program, the entire reactor system - reactor, fuel cycle, and waste process - is being developed and optimized at the same time as a single integral entity. A key feature of the IFR concept is the metallic fuel. The lead irradiation tests on the new U-Pu-Zr metallic fuel in the Experimental Breeder Reactor II have surpassed 185000 MWd/t burnup, and its high burnup capability has now been fully demonstrated. The metallic fuel also allows a radically improved fuel cycle technology. Pyroprocessing, which utilizes high temperatures and molten salt and molten metal solvents, can be advantageously utilized for processing metal fuels because the product is metal suitable for fabrication into new fuel elements. Direct production of a metal product avoids expensive and cumbersome chemical conversion steps that would result from use of the conventional Purex solvent extraction process. The key step in the IFR process is electrorefining, which provides for recovery of the valuable fuel constituents, uranium and plutonium, and for removal of fission products. A notable feature of the IFR process is that the actinide elements accompany plutonium through the process. This results in a major advantage in the high-level waste management

Life Cycle Assessment, ExternE and Comprehensive Analysis for an integrated evaluation of the environmental impact of anthropogenic activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pietrapertosa, F.; Cosmi, C. [National Research Council, Institute of Methodologies for Environmental Analysis C.N.R.-I.M.A.A. C.da S.Loja, I-85050 Tito Scalo (PZ) (Italy); National Research Council, National Institute for the Physics of Matter, C.N.R.-I.N.F.M. Via Cinthia, I-80126 Naples (Italy); Macchiato, M. [Federico II University, Department of Physical Sciences, Via Cinthia, I-80126 Naples (Italy); National Research Council, National Institute for the Physics of Matter, C.N.R.-I.N.F.M. Via Cinthia, I-80126 Naples (Italy); Salvia, M.; Cuomo, V. [National Research Council, Institute of Methodologies for Environmental Analysis C.N.R.-I.M.A.A. C.da S.Loja, I-85050 Tito Scalo (PZ) (Italy)

2009-06-15

The implementation of resource management strategies aimed at reducing the impacts of the anthropogenic activities system requires a comprehensive approach to evaluate on the whole the environmental burdens of productive processes and to identify the best recovery strategies from both an environmental and an economic point of view. In this framework, an analytical methodology based on the integration of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), ExternE and Comprehensive Analysis was developed to perform an in-depth investigation of energy systems. The LCA methodology, largely utilised by the international scientific community for the assessment of the environmental performances of technologies, combined with Comprehensive Analysis allows modelling the overall system of anthropogenic activities, as well as sub-systems, the economic consequences of the whole set of environmental damages. Moreover, internalising external costs into partial equilibrium models, as those utilised by Comprehensive Analysis, can be useful to identify the best paths for implementing technology innovation and strategies aimed to a more sustainable energy supply and use. This paper presents an integrated application of these three methodologies to a local scale case study (the Val D'Agri area in Basilicata, Southern Italy), aimed to better characterise the environmental impacts of the energy system, with particular reference to extraction activities. The innovative methodological approach utilised takes advantage from the strength points of each methodology with an added value coming from their integration as emphasised by the main results obtained by the scenario analysis. (author)

Safeguards operations in the integral fast reactor fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goff, K.M.; Benedict, R.W.; Brumbach, S.B.; Dickerman, C.E.; Tompot, R.W.

1994-01-01

Argonne National Laboratory is currently demonstrating the fuel cycle for the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR), an advanced reactor concept that takes advantage of the properties of metallic fuel and liquid metal cooling to offer significant improvements in reactor safety, operation, fuel-cycle economics, environmental protection, and safeguards. The IFR fuel cycle employs a pyrometallurgical process using molten salts and liquid metals to recover actinides from spent fuel. The safeguards aspects of the fuel cycle demonstration must be approved by the United States Department of Energy, but a further goal of the program is to develop a safeguards system that could gain acceptance from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and International Atomic Energy Agency. This fuel cycle is described with emphasis on aspects that differ from aqueous reprocessing and on its improved safeguardability due to decreased attractiveness and diversion potential of all process streams, including the fuel product

Life cycle assessment of biofuels from an integrated Brazilian algae-sugarcane biorefinery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, Simone P.; Gopal, Anand R.; Seabra, Joaquim E.A.

2015-01-01

Sugarcane ethanol biorefineries in Brazil produce carbon dioxide, electricity and heat as byproducts. These are essential inputs for algae biodiesel production. In this paper, we assessed ethanol's life cycle greenhouse gas emissions and fossil energy use produced in an integrated sugarcane and algae biorefinery where biodiesel replaces petroleum diesel for all agricultural operations. Carbon dioxide from cane juice fermentation is used as the carbon source for algae cultivation, and sugarcane bagasse is the sole source of energy for the entire facility. Glycerin produced from the biodiesel plant is consumed by algae during the mixotrophic growth phase. We assessed the uncertainties through a detailed Monte-Carlo analysis. We found that this integrated system can improve both the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions and the fossil energy use of sugarcane ethanol by around 10% and 50%, respectively, compared to a traditional Brazilian sugarcane ethanol distillery. - Highlights: • A high diesel consumption is associated to the ethanol sugarcane life-cycle. • Sugarcane industry can provide sources of carbon and energy for the algae growing. • The sugarcane-algae integration can improve the ethanol life-cycle performance. • This integration is a promising pathway for the deployment of algae biodiesel. • There are still significant techno-economic barriers associated with algae biodiesel

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation and Real Options

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Havlíček

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The first part of this paper describes the nuclear fuel cycle. It is divided into three parts. The first part, called Front-End, covers all activities connected with fuel procurement and fabrication. The middle part of the cycle includes fuel reload design activities and the operation of the fuel in the reactor. Back-End comprises all activities ensuring safe separation of spent fuel and radioactive waste from the environment. The individual stages of the fuel cycle are strongly interrelated. Overall economic optimization is very difficult. Generally, NPV is used for an economic evaluation in the nuclear fuel cycle. However the high volatility of uranium prices in the Front-End, and the large uncertainty of both economic and technical parameters in the Back-End, make the use of NPV difficult. The real option method is able to evaluate the value added by flexibility of decision making by a company under conditions of uncertainty. The possibility of applying this method to the nuclear fuel cycle evaluation is studied. 

Understanding future emissions from low-carbon power systems by integration of life-cycle assessment and integrated energy modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Pehl, Michaja; Arvesen, Anders; Humpenöder, Florian; Popp, Alexander; Hertwich, Edgar G.; Luderer, Gunnar

2017-12-01

Both fossil-fuel and non-fossil-fuel power technologies induce life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, mainly due to their embodied energy requirements for construction and operation, and upstream CH4 emissions. Here, we integrate prospective life-cycle assessment with global integrated energy-economy-land-use-climate modelling to explore life-cycle emissions of future low-carbon power supply systems and implications for technology choice. Future per-unit life-cycle emissions differ substantially across technologies. For a climate protection scenario, we project life-cycle emissions from fossil fuel carbon capture and sequestration plants of 78-110 gCO2eq kWh-1, compared with 3.5-12 gCO2eq kWh-1 for nuclear, wind and solar power for 2050. Life-cycle emissions from hydropower and bioenergy are substantial (˜100 gCO2eq kWh-1), but highly uncertain. We find that cumulative emissions attributable to upscaling low-carbon power other than hydropower are small compared with direct sectoral fossil fuel emissions and the total carbon budget. Fully considering life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions has only modest effects on the scale and structure of power production in cost-optimal mitigation scenarios.

Integrated gasification gas combined cycle plant with membrane reactors: Technological and economical analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amelio, Mario; Morrone, Pietropaolo; Gallucci, Fausto; Basile, Angelo

2007-01-01

In the present work, the capture and storage of carbon dioxide from the fossil fuel power plant have been considered. The main objective was to analyze the thermodynamic performances and the technological aspects of two integrated gasification gas combined cycle plants (IGCC), as well as to give a forecast of the investment costs for the plants and the resulting energy consumptions. The first plant considered is an IGCC* plant (integrated gasification gas combined cycle plant with traditional shift reactors) characterized by the traditional water gas shift reactors and a CO 2 physical adsorption system followed by the power section. The second one is an IGCC M plant (integrated gasification gas combined cycle plant with membrane reactor) where the coal thermal input is the same as the first one, but the traditional shift reactors and the physical adsorption unit are replaced by catalytic palladium membrane reactors (CMR). In the present work, a mono-dimensional computational model of the membrane reactor was proposed to simulate and evaluate the capability of the IGCC M plant to capture carbon dioxide. The energetic performances, efficiency and net power of the IGCC* and IGCC M plants were, thus, compared, assuming as standard a traditional IGCC plant without carbon dioxide capture. The economical aspects of the three plants were compared through an economical analysis. Since the IGCC* and IGCC M plants have additional costs related to the capture and disposal of the carbon dioxide, a Carbon Tax (adopted in some countries like Sweden) proportional to the number of kilograms of carbon dioxide released in the environment was assumed. According to the economical analysis, the IGCC M plant proved to be more convenient than the IGCC* one

Pressure cycling monitoring helps ensure the integrity of energy pipelines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Peter; Lawrence, Doug; Keane, Sean; Ironside, Scott; Sutton, Aaron [Enbridge Pipelines Inc., Edmonton, AB (Canada)

2010-07-01

Enbridge Pipelines Inc. undertook a pressure cycling monitoring (PCM) program to see how pressure cycling severity (PCS) changes during line operations. The main purpose of this program is to make sure the integrity assessment interval is valid and to identify changes in operations that cause fatigue damage. The estimated fatigue life is obtained through fatigue analysis, which is based on Paris Law and uses certain data such as the operating pressure data from Enbridge's SCADA system. It serves as a measure of the PCS. When applied in an integrity management program, PCM helps maintain the integrity of pipelines by pinpointing segments whose operations have changed significantly. Among useful conclusions, it was found that a comparison between crack threat susceptibility indicators and PCS fluctuations help identify a change to crack threat susceptibility; also, the program helps identify notable changes to PCS that are caused by certain operational practices.

Integration of energy-efficient empty fruit bunch drying with gasification/combined cycle systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aziz, Muhammad; Prawisudha, Pandji; Prabowo, Bayu; Budiman, Bentang Arief

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Novel integrated drying, gasification and combined cycle for empty fruit bunch. • Application of enhanced process integration to achieve high total energy efficiency. • The technology covers exergy recovery and process integration. • High overall energy efficiency can be achieved (about 44% including drying). - Abstract: A high-energy-efficient process for empty fruit bunch drying with integration to gasification and combined cycle processes is proposed. The enhancement is due to greater exergy recovery and more efficient process integration. Basically, the energy/heat involved in a single process is recovered as much as possible, leading to minimization of exergy destruction. In addition, the unrecoverable energy/heat is utilized for other processes through process integration. During drying, a fluidized bed dryer with superheated steam is used as the main evaporator. Exergy recovery is performed through exergy elevation via compression and effective heat coupling in a dryer and heat exchangers. The dried empty fruit bunches are gasified in a fluidized bed gasifier using air as the fluidizing gas. Furthermore, the produced syngas is utilized as fuel in the combined cycle module. From process analysis, the proposed integrated processes can achieve a relatively high energy efficiency. Compared to a standalone drying process employing exergy recovery, the proposed integrated drying can reduce consumed energy by about 1/3. In addition, the overall integrated processes can reach a total power generation efficiency of about 44%

Improving early cycle economic evaluation of diagnostic technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Steuten, Lotte M G; Ramsey, Scott D

2014-08-01

The rapidly increasing range and expense of new diagnostics, compels consideration of a different, more proactive approach to health economic evaluation of diagnostic technologies. Early cycle economic evaluation is a decision analytic approach to evaluate technologies in development so as to increase the return on investment as well as patient and societal impact. This paper describes examples of 'early cycle economic evaluations' as applied to diagnostic technologies and highlights challenges in its real-time application. It shows that especially in the field of diagnostics, with rapid technological developments and a changing regulatory climate, early cycle economic evaluation can have a guiding role to improve the efficiency of the diagnostics innovation process. In the next five years the attention will move beyond the methodological and analytic challenges of early cycle economic evaluation towards the challenge of effectively applying it to improve diagnostic research and development and patient value. Future work in this area should therefore be 'strong on principles and soft on metrics', that is, the metrics that resonate most clearly with the various decision makers in this field.

Proposed fuel cycle for the Integral Fast Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burris, L.; Walters, L.C.

1985-01-01

One of the key features of ANL's Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) concept is a close-coupled fuel cycle. The proposed fuel cycle is similar to that demonstrated over the first five to six years of operation of EBR-II, when a fuel cycle facility adjacent to EBR-II was operated to reprocess and refabricate rapidly fuel discharged from the EBR-II. Locating the IFR and its fuel cycle facility on the same site makes the IFR a self-contained system. Because the reactor fuel and the uranium blanket are metals, pyrometallurgical processes (shortned to ''pyroprocesses'') have been chosen. The objectives of the IFR processes for the reactor fuel and blanket materials are to (1) recover fissionable materials in high yield; (2) remove fission products adequately from the reactor fuel, e.g., a decontamination factor of 10 to 100; and (3) upgrade the concentration of plutonium in uranium sufficiently to replenish the fissile-material content of the reactor fuel. After the fuel has been reconstituted, new fuel elements will be fabricated for recycle to the reactor

Power generation and heating performances of integrated system of ammonia–water Kalina–Rankine cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Zhi; Guo, Zhanwei; Chen, Yaping; Wu, Jiafeng; Hua, Junye

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Integrated system of ammonia–water Kalina–Rankine cycle (AWKRC) is investigated. • Ammonia–water Rankine cycle is operated for cogenerating room heating-water in winter. • Kalina cycle with higher efficiency is operated for power generation in other seasons. • Power recovery efficiency accounts thermal efficiency and waste heat absorbing ratio. • Heating water with 70 °C and capacity of 55% total reclaimed heat load is cogenerated. - Abstract: An integrated system of ammonia–water Kalina–Rankine cycle (AWKRC) for power generation and heating is introduced. The Kalina cycle has large temperature difference during evaporation and small one during condensation therefore with high thermal efficiency for power generation, while the ammonia–water Rankine cycle has large temperature difference during condensation as well as evaporation, thus it can be adopted to generate heating-water as a by-product in winter. The integrated system is based on the Kalina cycle and converted to the Rankine cycle with a set of valves. The performances of the AWKRC system in different seasons with corresponding cycle loops were studied and analyzed. When the temperatures of waste heat and cooling water are 300 °C and 25 °C respectively, the thermal efficiency and power recovery efficiency of Kalina cycle are 20.9% and 17.4% respectively in the non-heating seasons, while these efficiencies of the ammonia–water Rankine cycle are 17.1% and 13.1% respectively with additional 55.3% heating recovery ratio or with comprehensive efficiency 23.7% higher than that of the Kalina cycle in heating season

Dual Pressure versus Hybrid Recuperation in an Integrated Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cycle – Steam Cycle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rokni, Masoud

2014-01-01

A SOFC (solid oxide fuel cell) cycle running on natural gas was integrated with a ST (steam turbine) cycle. The fuel is desulfurized and pre-reformed before entering the SOFC. A burner was used to combust the remaining fuel after the SOFC stacks. The off-gases from the burner were used to produce...... pressure configuration steam cycle combined with SOFC cycle (SOFC-ST) was new and has not been studied previously. In each of the configuration, a hybrid recuperator was used to recovery the remaining energy of the off-gases after the HRSG. Thus, four different plants system setups were compared to each...... other to reveal the most superior concept with respect to plant efficiency and power. It was found that in order to increase the plant efficiency considerably, it was enough to use a single pressure with a hybrid recuperator instead of a dual pressure Rankine cycle....

Progress and status of the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel cycle development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Till, C.E.; Chang, Y.I.

1993-01-01

The Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel cycle holds promise for substantial improvements in economics, diversion-resistance, and waste management. This paper discusses technical features of the IFR fuel cycle, its technical progress, the development status, and the future plans and directions

Progress and status of the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel cycle development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Till, C.E.; Chang, Y.I.

1993-03-01

The Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel cycle holds promise for substantial improvements in economics, diversion-resistance, and waste management. This paper discusses technical features of the IFR fuel cycle, its technical progress, the development status, and the future plans and directions.

Progress and status of the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel cycle development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Till, C.E.; Chang, Y.I.

1993-01-01

The Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel cycle holds promise for substantial improvements in economics, diversion-resistance, and waste management. This paper discusses technical features of the IFR fuel cycle, its technical progress, the development status, and the future plans and directions.

Integrated manure utilization system life-cycle value assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Row, J.; Neabel, D. [Pembina Inst. for Appropriate Development, Drayton Valley, AB (Canada)

2005-10-15

A life-cycle assessment of the Alberta Research Council (ARC) and Highmark Renewables' development of an integrated manure utilization system (IMUS) were presented. The assessment focused on an evaluation of factors of primary importance to government, investors and the livestock industry. IMUS technology uses manure as a resource to produce electricity, heat, bio-based fertilizer and reusable water. Results of the assessment indicated that IMUS plants have the potential to be financially viable if a power purchase of $90 MWh on average can be purchased from a 30,000 head livestock operation. A capital cost of under $11 million is necessary, and an established biofertilizer price of $50 per tonne should be established. An IMUS plant was estimated to reduce life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions by 70 to 80 per cent when compared to land spreading. Reductions are accomplished through displacing electricity from the provincial grid and reducing nitrous oxide (N{sub 2}O) emissions from spreading of manure The IMUS plants lessen environment impacts by reducing the extraction and consumption of non-renewable resources, and by displacing an estimated 11,700 GJ of coal and natural gas per 1000 head of cattle per year. In addition, various pathogens within manure are eliminated. The plants have the potential to eliminate the environmental hazards associated with the disposal of deadstock. The systems reduce manure odour, lessen truck traffic and are expected to contribute to rural economic diversification. Barriers to further implementation of IMUS were discussed, as well as emerging opportunities for IMUS developers. It was concluded that the initial assessments of the IMUS were positive. Further investigation is needed to determine actual life-cycle performance of the operations. 18 refs., 3 tabs., 3 figs.

Physics studies of weapons plutonium disposition in the Integral Fast Reactor closed fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, R.N.; Wade, D.C.; Liaw, J.R.; Fujita, E.K.

1995-01-01

The core performance impact of weapons plutonium introduction into the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) closed fuel cycle is investigated by comparing three disposition scenarios: a power production mode, a moderate destruction mode, and a maximum destruction mode, all at a constant heat rating of 840 MW(thermal). For each scenario, two fuel cycle models are evaluated: cores using weapons material as the sole source of transuranics in a once-through mode and recycle cores using weapons material only as required for a makeup feed. In addition, the impact of alternative feeds (recycled light water reactor or liquid-metal reactor transuranics) on burner core performance is assessed. Calculated results include mass flows, detailed isotopic distributions, neutronic performance characteristics, and reactivity feedback coefficients. In general, it is shown that weapons plutonium does not have an adverse effect on IFR core performance characteristics; also, favorable performance can be maintained for a wide variety of feed materials and fuel cycle strategies

Integration of the AVLIS (atomic vapor laser isotopic separation) process into the nuclear fuel cycle. [Effect of AVLIS feed requirements on overall fuel cycle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hargrove, R.S.; Knighton, J.B.; Eby, R.S.; Pashley, J.H.; Norman, R.E.

1986-08-01

AVLIS RD and D efforts are currently proceeding toward full-scale integrated enrichment demonstrations in the late 1980's and potential plant deployment in the mid 1990's. Since AVLIS requires a uranium metal feed and produces an enriched uranium metal product, some change in current uranium processing practices are necessitated. AVLIS could operate with a UF/sub 6/-in UF/sub 6/-out interface with little effect to the remainder of the fuel cycle. This path, however, does not allow electric utility customers to realize the full potential of low cost AVLIS enrichment. Several alternative processing methods have been identified and evaluated which appear to provide opportunities to make substantial cost savings in the overall fuel cycle. These alternatives involve varying levels of RD and D resources, calendar time, and technical risk to implement and provide these cost reduction opportunities. Both feed conversion contracts and fuel fabricator contracts are long-term entities. Because of these factors, it is not too early to start planning and making decisions on the most advantageous options so that AVLIS can be integrated cost effectively into the fuel cycle. This should offer economic opportunity to all parties involved including DOE, utilities, feed converters, and fuel fabricators. 10 refs., 11 figs., 2 tabs.

Progress and status of the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel cycle development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Till, C.E.; Chang, Y.I.

1991-01-01

The Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel cycle holds promise for substantial improvements in economics, diversion-resistance, and waste management. This paper discusses technical features of the IFR fuel cycle, its technical progress, the development status, and the future plans and directions. 10 refs

Progress and status of the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel cycle development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Till, C.E.; Chang, Y.I.

1991-01-01

The Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel cycle holds promise for substantial improvements in economics, diversion-resistance, and waste management. This paper discusses technical features of the IFR fuel cycle, its technical progress, the development status, and the future plans and directions. 10 refs.

Progress and status of the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel cycle development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Till, C.E.; Chang, Y.I.

1991-01-01

The Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel cycle holds promise for substantial improvements in economics, diversion-resistance, and waste management. This paper discusses technical features of the IFR fuel cycle, its technical progress, the development status, and the future plans and directions. (author)

Evaluation of the Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Hydroelectricity Generation Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akhil Kadiyala

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This study evaluated the life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG emissions from different hydroelectricity generation systems by first performing a comprehensive review of the hydroelectricity generation system life cycle assessment (LCA studies and then subsequent computation of statistical metrics to quantify the life cycle GHG emissions (expressed in grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt hour, gCO2e/kWh. A categorization index (with unique category codes, formatted as “facility type-electric power generation capacity” was developed and used in this study to evaluate the life cycle GHG emissions from the reviewed hydroelectricity generation systems. The unique category codes were labeled by integrating the names of the two hydro power sub-classifications, i.e., the facility type (impoundment (I, diversion (D, pumped storage (PS, miscellaneous hydropower works (MHPW and the electric power generation capacity (micro (µ, small (S, large (L. The characterized hydroelectricity generation systems were statistically evaluated to determine the reduction in corresponding life cycle GHG emissions. A total of eight unique categorization codes (I-S, I-L, D-µ, D-S, D-L, PS-L, MHPW-µ, MHPW-S were designated to the 19 hydroelectricity generation LCA studies (representing 178 hydropower cases using the proposed categorization index. The mean life cycle GHG emissions resulting from the use of I-S (N = 24, I-L (N = 8, D-µ (N = 3, D-S (N = 133, D-L (N = 3, PS-L (N = 3, MHPW-µ (N = 3, and MHPW-S (N = 1 hydroelectricity generation systems are 21.05 gCO2e/kWh, 40.63 gCO2e/kWh, 47.82 gCO2e/kWh, 27.18 gCO2e/kWh, 3.45 gCO2e/kWh, 256.63 gCO2e/kWh, 19.73 gCO2e/kWh, and 2.78 gCO2e/kWh, respectively. D-L hydroelectricity generation systems produced the minimum life cycle GHGs (considering the hydroelectricity generation system categories with a representation of at least two cases.

Integration of the AVLIS [atomic vapor laser isotopic separation] process into the nuclear fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hargrove, R.S.; Knighton, J.B.; Eby, R.S.; Pashley, J.H.; Norman, R.E.

1986-08-01

AVLIS RD and D efforts are currently proceeding toward full-scale integrated enrichment demonstrations in the late 1980's and potential plant deployment in the mid 1990's. Since AVLIS requires a uranium metal feed and produces an enriched uranium metal product, some change in current uranium processing practices are necessitated. AVLIS could operate with a UF 6 -in UF 6 -out interface with little effect to the remainder of the fuel cycle. This path, however, does not allow electric utility customers to realize the full potential of low cost AVLIS enrichment. Several alternative processing methods have been identified and evaluated which appear to provide opportunities to make substantial cost savings in the overall fuel cycle. These alternatives involve varying levels of RD and D resources, calendar time, and technical risk to implement and provide these cost reduction opportunities. Both feed conversion contracts and fuel fabricator contracts are long-term entities. Because of these factors, it is not too early to start planning and making decisions on the most advantageous options so that AVLIS can be integrated cost effectively into the fuel cycle. This should offer economic opportunity to all parties involved including DOE, utilities, feed converters, and fuel fabricators. 10 refs., 11 figs., 2 tabs

Thermodynamic investigation of an integrated gasification plant with solid oxide fuel cell and steam cycles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rokni, Masoud [Technical Univ. of Denmark, Lyngby (Denmark). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Energy System

2012-07-01

A gasification plant is integrated on the top of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cycle, while a steam turbine (ST) cycle is used as a bottoming cycle for the SOFC plant. The gasification plant was fueled by woodchips to produce biogas and the SOFC stacks were fired with biogas. The produced gas was rather clean for feeding to the SOFC stacks after a simple cleaning step. Because all the fuel cannot be burned in the SOFC stacks, a burner was used to combust the remaining fuel. The off-gases from the burner were then used to produce steam for the bottoming steam cycle in a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). The steam cycle was modeled with a simple single pressure level. In addition, a hybrid recuperator was used to recover more energy from the HRSG and send it back to the SOFC cycle. Thus two different configurations were investigated to study the plants characteristic. Such system integration configurations are completely novel and have not been studied elsewhere. Plant efficiencies of 56% were achieved under normal operation which was considerably higher than the IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) in which a gasification plant is integrated with a gas turbine and a steam turbine. Furthermore, it is shown that under certain operating conditions, plant efficiency of about 62 is also possible to achieve. (orig.)

Evaluation of Waste Arising from Future Nuclear Fuel Cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jubin, Robert Thomas; Taiwo, Temitope; Wigeland, Roald

2015-01-01

A comprehensive study was recently completed at the request of the US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) to evaluate and screen nuclear fuel cycles. The final report was issued in October 2014. Uranium- and thorium-based fuel cycles were evaluated using both fast and thermal spectrum reactors. Once-through, limited-recycle, and continuous-recycle cases were considered. This study used nine evaluation criteria to identify promising fuel cycles. Nuclear waste management was one of the nine evaluation criteria. The waste generation criterion from this study is discussed herein.

Preparations for the Integral Fast Reactor fuel cycle demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lineberry, M.J.; Phipps, R.D.

1989-01-01

Modifications to the Hot Fuel Examination Facility-South (HFEF/S) have been in progress since mid-1988 to ready the facility for demonstration of the unique Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) pyroprocess fuel cycle. This paper updates the last report on this subject to the American Nuclear Society and describes the progress made in the modifications to the facility and in fabrication of the new process equipment. The IFR is a breeder reactor, which is central to the capability of any reactor concept to contribute to mitigation of environmental impacts of fossil fuel combustion. As a fast breeder, fuel of course must be recycled in order to have any chance of an economical fuel cycle. The pyroprocess fuel cycle, relying on a metal alloy reactor fuel rather than oxide, has the potential to be economical even at small-scale deployment. Establishing this quantitatively is one important goal of the IFR fuel cycle demonstration

Field installation versus local integration of photovoltaic systems and their effect on energy evaluation metrics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halasah, Suleiman A.; Pearlmutter, David; Feuermann, Daniel

2013-01-01

In this study we employ Life-Cycle Assessment to evaluate the energy-related impacts of photovoltaic systems at different scales of integration, in an arid region with especially high solar irradiation. Based on the electrical output and embodied energy of a selection of fixed and tracking systems and including concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) and varying cell technology, we calculate a number of energy evaluation metrics, including the energy payback time (EPBT), energy return factor (ERF), and life-cycle CO 2 emissions offset per unit aperture and land area. Studying these metrics in the context of a regionally limited setting, it was found that utilizing existing infrastructure such as existing building roofs and shade structures does significantly reduce the embodied energy requirements (by 20–40%) and in turn the EPBT of flat-plate PV systems due to the avoidance of energy-intensive balance of systems (BOS) components like foundations. Still, high-efficiency CPV field installations were found to yield the shortest EPBT, the highest ERF and the largest life-cycle CO 2 offsets—under the condition that land availability is not a limitation. A greater life-cycle energy return and carbon offset per unit land area is yielded by locally-integrated non-concentrating systems, despite their lower efficiency per unit module area. - Highlights: ► We evaluate life-cycle energy impacts of PV systems at different scales. ► We calculate the energy payback time, return factor and CO 2 emissions offset. ► Utilizing existing structures significantly improves metrics of flat-plate PV. ► High-efficiency CPV installations yield best return and offset per aperture area. ► Locally-integrated flat-plate systems yield best return and offset per land area.

Evaluation of material integrity on electricity generator water steam cycles component (Main Steam Pipe)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudardjo; Histori; Triyadi, Ari

1998-01-01

The evaluation of material integrity on electricity generator component has been done. That component was main steam pipe of Unit II Suralaya Coal Fired Power Plant. evaluation was done by replication technique. The damage was found are two porosity's, from two point samples of six points sample population. Based on cavity evaluation in steels, which proposed by Neubauer and Wedel that porosity's still at class A damage. For class A damage, its means no remedial action would be required until next major scheduled maintenance outage. That porosity's was grouped on isolated cavities and not need ti repair that main steam pipe component less than three year after replication test

Life cycle integrated thermoeconomic assessment method for energy conversion systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanbur, Baris Burak; Xiang, Liming; Dubey, Swapnil; Choo, Fook Hoong; Duan, Fei

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A new LCA integrated thermoeconomic approach is presented. • The new unit fuel cost is found 4.8 times higher than the classic method. • The new defined parameter increased the sustainability index by 67.1%. • The case studies are performed for countries with different CO 2 prices. - Abstract: Life cycle assessment (LCA) based thermoeconomic modelling has been applied for the evaluation of energy conversion systems since it provided more comprehensive and applicable assessment criteria. This study proposes an improved thermoeconomic method, named as life cycle integrated thermoeconomic assessment (LCiTA), which combines the LCA based enviroeconomic parameters in the production steps of the system components and fuel with the conventional thermoeconomic method for the energy conversion systems. A micro-cogeneration system is investigated and analyzed with the LCiTA method, the comparative studies show that the unit cost of fuel by using the LCiTA method is 3.8 times higher than the conventional thermoeconomic model. It is also realized that the enviroeconomic parameters during the operation of the system components do not have significant impacts on the system streams since the exergetic parameters are dominant in the thermoeconomic calculations. Moreover, the improved sustainability index is found roundly 67.2% higher than the previously defined sustainability index, suggesting that the enviroeconomic and thermoeconomic parameters decrease the impact of the exergy destruction in the sustainability index definition. To find the feasible operation conditions for the micro-cogeneration system, different assessment strategies are presented. Furthermore, a case study for Singapore is conducted to see the impact of the forecasted carbon dioxide prices on the thermoeconomic performance of the micro-cogeneration system.

Comparison of Different Technologies for Integrated Solar Combined Cycles: Analysis of Concentrating Technology and Solar Integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Rovira

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This paper compares the annual performance of Integrated Solar Combined Cycles (ISCCs using different solar concentration technologies: parabolic trough collectors (PTC, linear Fresnel reflectors (LFR and central tower receiver (CT. Each solar technology (i.e. PTC, LFR and CT is proposed to integrate solar energy into the combined cycle in two different ways. The first one is based on the use of solar energy to evaporate water of the steam cycle by means of direct steam generation (DSG, increasing the steam production of the high pressure level of the steam generator. The other one is based on the use of solar energy to preheat the pressurized air at the exit of the gas turbine compressor before it is introduced in the combustion chamber, reducing the fuel consumption. Results show that ISCC with DSG increases the yearly production while solar air heating reduces it due to the incremental pressure drop. However, air heating allows significantly higher solar-to-electricity efficiencies and lower heat rates. Regarding the solar technologies, PTC provides the best thermal results.

A study of a high temperature nuclear power plant incorporating a non-integrated indirect cycle gas turbine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarlos, G.; Helbling, W.; Zollinger, E.; Gregory, N.; Luchsinger, H.

1982-04-01

In connection with the HHT-project, the Swiss Federal Institute for Reactor Research has performed a study of a 1640-MWth HTR-plant incorporating a non-integrated indirect cycle gas turbine with two-stage intercooling, as a possibility of simplifying and reducing the cost of the HHT-demonstration plant. In this paper, the plant design is described and compared with the HHT-demonstration plant (a CCGT integrated plant with single stage intercooling). Also included is an evaluation of the various advantages and disadvantages of this design together with the presentation of some of the sensitivity results. (Auth.)

A vision for an ultra-high resolution integrated water cycle observation and prediction system

Science.gov (United States)

Houser, P. R.

2013-05-01

Society's welfare, progress, and sustainable economic growth—and life itself—depend on the abundance and vigorous cycling and replenishing of water throughout the global environment. The water cycle operates on a continuum of time and space scales and exchanges large amounts of energy as water undergoes phase changes and is moved from one part of the Earth system to another. We must move toward an integrated observation and prediction paradigm that addresses broad local-to-global science and application issues by realizing synergies associated with multiple, coordinated observations and prediction systems. A central challenge of a future water and energy cycle observation strategy is to progress from single variable water-cycle instruments to multivariable integrated instruments in electromagnetic-band families. The microwave range in the electromagnetic spectrum is ideally suited for sensing the state and abundance of water because of water's dielectric properties. Eventually, a dedicated high-resolution water-cycle microwave-based satellite mission may be possible based on large-aperture antenna technology that can harvest the synergy that would be afforded by simultaneous multichannel active and passive microwave measurements. A partial demonstration of these ideas can even be realized with existing microwave satellite observations to support advanced multivariate retrieval methods that can exploit the totality of the microwave spectral information. The simultaneous multichannel active and passive microwave retrieval would allow improved-accuracy retrievals that are not possible with isolated measurements. Furthermore, the simultaneous monitoring of several of the land, atmospheric, oceanic, and cryospheric states brings synergies that will substantially enhance understanding of the global water and energy cycle as a system. The multichannel approach also affords advantages to some constituent retrievals—for instance, simultaneous retrieval of vegetation

Performance analysis of an integrated gas-, steam- and organic fluid-cycle thermal power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oko, C.O.C.; Njoku, I.H.

2017-01-01

This paper presents the performance analysis of an existing combined cycle power plant augmented with a waste heat fired organic Rankine cycle power plant for extra power generation. This was achieved by performing energy and exergy analysis of the integrated gas-, steam- and organic fluid-cycle thermal power plant (IPP). Heat source for the subcritical organic Rankine cycle (ORC) was the exhaust flue gases from the heat recovery steam generators of a 650 MW natural gas fired combined cycle power plant. The results showed that extra 12.4 MW of electricity was generated from the attached ORC unit using HFE7100 as working fluid. To select ORC working fluid, ten isentropic fluids were screened and HFE7100 produced the highest net power output and cycle efficiency. Exergy and energy efficiencies of the IPP improved by 1.95% and 1.93%, respectively. The rate of exergy destruction in the existing combined cycle plant was highest in the combustion chamber, 59%, whereas in the ORC, the highest rate of exergy destruction occurred in the evaporator, 62%. Simulations showed exergy efficiency of the IPP decreased with increasing ambient temperature. Exit stack flue gas temperature reduced from 126 °C in the combined cycle power plant to 100 °C in the integrated power plant. - Highlights: • Combined cycle plant retrofitted with ORC produced extra 12.4 MW electric power. • ORC is powered with low temperature flue gas from an existing combined cycle plant. • Exergy destruction rate in integrated plant(IPP) is less than in combined plant. • Exit stack temperature of the IPP has less environmental thermal pollution. • Exergy and energy efficiencies of the IPP improved by 1.95% and 1.93%, respectively.

Thermodynamic analysis and optimization of an integrated Rankine power cycle and nano-fluid based parabolic trough solar collector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toghyani, Somayeh; Baniasadi, Ehsan; Afshari, Ebrahim

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The performance of an integrated nano-fluid based solar Rankine cycle is studied. • The effect of solar intensity, ambient temperature, and volume fraction is evaluated. • The concept of Finite Time Thermodynamics is applied. • It is shown that CuO/oil nano-fluid has the best performance from exergy perspective. - Abstract: In this paper, the performance of an integrated Rankine power cycle with parabolic trough solar system and a thermal storage system is simulated based on four different nano-fluids in the solar collector system, namely CuO, SiO_2, TiO_2 and Al_2O_3. The effects of solar intensity, dead state temperature, and volume fraction of different nano-particles on the performance of the integrated cycle are studied using second law of thermodynamics. Also, the genetic algorithm is applied to optimize the net output power of the solar Rankine cycle. The solar thermal energy is stored in a two-tank system to improve the overall performance of the system when sunlight is not available. The concept of Finite Time Thermodynamics is applied for analyzing the performance of the solar collector and thermal energy storage system. This study reveals that by increasing the volume fraction of nano-particles, the exergy efficiency of the system increases. At higher dead state temperatures, the overall exergy efficiency is increased, and higher solar irradiation leads to considerable increase of the output power of the system. It is shown that among the selected nano-fluids, CuO/oil has the best performance from exergy perspective.

Development of multilateral comparative evaluation method for fuel cycle system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamaki, Hitoshi; Ikushima, Takeshi; Nomura, Yasushi; Nakajima, Kiyoshi.

1998-03-01

In the near future, Japanese nuclear fuel cycle system will be promoted by national nuclear energy policy, and it''s options i.e. once through, thermal cycle and fast breeder cycle must be selected by multilateral comparative evaluation method from various aspects of safety, society, economy, and e.t.c. Therefore such a problem can be recognized as a social problem of decision making and applied for AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) that can multilaterally and comparatively evaluate the problem. On comparative evaluation, much information are needed for decision making, therefore two kinds of databases having these information have been constructed. And then, the multilateral comparative evaluation method consisting of two kinds of databases and AHP for optimum selection of fuel cycle system option have been developed. (author)

Actinide recycle potential in the integral fast reactor (IFR) fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Y.I.; Till, C.E.

1991-01-01

In the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) development program, the entire reactor system -- reactor, fuel cycle, and waste process is being developed and optimized at the same time as a single integral entity. The use of metallic fuel in the IFR allows a radically improved fuel cycle technology. Based on the recent IFR process development, a preliminary assessment has been made to investigate the feasibility of further adapting pyrochemical processes to directly extract actinides from LWR spent fuel. The results of this assessment indicate very promising potential and two most promising flowsheet options have been identified for further research and development. This paper also summarizes current thinking on the rationale for actinide recycle, its ramifications on the geologic repository and the current high-level waste management plans, and the necessary development programs

Process integrated modelling for steelmaking Life Cycle Inventory analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iosif, Ana-Maria; Hanrot, Francois; Ablitzer, Denis

2008-01-01

During recent years, strict environmental regulations have been implemented by governments for the steelmaking industry in order to reduce their environmental impact. In the frame of the ULCOS project, we have developed a new methodological framework which combines the process integrated modelling approach with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method in order to carry out the Life Cycle Inventory of steelmaking. In the current paper, this new concept has been applied to the sinter plant which is the most polluting steelmaking process. It has been shown that this approach is a powerful tool to make the collection of data easier, to save time and to provide reliable information concerning the environmental diagnostic of the steelmaking processes

Integrating RAMS engineering and management with the safety life cycle of IEC 61508

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lundteigen, Mary Ann; Rausand, Marvin; Utne, Ingrid Bouwer

2009-01-01

This article outlines a new approach to reliability, availability, maintainability, and safety (RAMS) engineering and management. The new approach covers all phases of the new product development process and is aimed at producers of complex products like safety instrumented systems (SIS). The article discusses main RAMS requirements to a SIS and presents these requirements in a holistic perspective. The approach is based on a new life cycle model for product development and integrates this model into the safety life cycle of IEC 61508. A high integrity pressure protection system (HIPPS) for an offshore oil and gas application is used to illustrate the approach.

Combined cycle power plant with integrated low temperature heat (LOTHECO)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kakaras, E.; Doukelis, A.; Leithner, R.; Aronis, N.

2004-01-01

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 from the energy analysis are presented and the features of each concept are discussed. In addition, the exergy analysis provides information on the irreversibilities of each process and suggested improvements. Finally, the economic analysis reveals that the combined cycle plant with a heavy-duty gas turbine is the most efficient and economic way to produce electricity at base load. However, on a smaller scale, innovative designs, such as the LOTHECO concept, are required to reach the same level of performance at feasible costs

Methodologies for evaluating the proliferation resistance of nuclear fuel cycles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiotani, Hiroki; Hori, Kei-ichiro; Takeda, Hiroshi

2001-01-01

The Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) believes that the development of future nuclear fuel cycle technology should be conducted with careful consideration given to non-proliferation. JNC is studying methodologies for evaluating proliferation resistance of nuclear fuel cycle technologies. However, it is difficult to establish the methodology for evaluating proliferation resistance since the results greatly depend on the assumption for the evaluation and the surrounding conditions. This study grouped factors of proliferation resistance into categories through reviewing past studies and studied the relationships between the factors. Then, this study tried to find vulnerable nuclear material (plutonium) in some FBR fuel cycles from the proliferation perspective, and calculated the time it takes to convert the materials from various nuclear fuel cycles into pure plutonium metal under some assumptions. The result showed that it would take a long time to convert the nuclear materials from the FBR fuel cycles without plutonium separation. While it is a preliminary attempt to evaluate a technical factor of proliferation resistance as the basis of the institutional proliferation resistance, the JNC hopes that it will contribute to future discussions in this area. (author)

The integration of studio cycling into a worksite stress management programme.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Matthew M; Soyring, Jason E; Jenkins, Sarah M; Daniels, Denise C; Berkland, Bridget E; Werneburg, Brooke L; Hagen, Philip T; Lopez-Jimenez, Francisco; Warren, Beth A; Olsen, Kerry D

2014-04-01

High stress is a prevalent problem in the worksite. To reduce stress, improve productivity, reduce absenteeism, and lower healthcare costs, many companies offer exercise classes or stress management programmes. Although physical activity is an important component of stress management, few worksites have integrated physical activity into their comprehensive stress reduction programmes. The purpose of this single-arm pilot project was to examine the potential effectiveness of an integrated exercise (studio cycling) and cognitive-behavioural stress management programme. Eighty-four adults, 75% female, mostly aged 40+ years, participated in an integrated 12-week cycling studio and cognitive-behavioural stress management programme. Participants experienced a significant and clinically meaningful reduction on the Perceived Stress Scale (p manage stress at the programme's end and at a 1-month follow-up. Participants also reported having significantly improved overall health, improved nutritional habits, higher physical activity level, greater confidence in their ability to follow a healthy diet, higher spiritual well-being, improved sleep, receiving more support for maintaining healthy living and improved quality of life at the completion of the 12-week programme and 1-month follow-up. These findings provide further support for an integrated exercise and stress management programme. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comparative Evaluation of Integrated Waste Heat Utilization Systems for Coal-Fired Power Plants Based on In-Depth Boiler-Turbine Integration and Organic Rankine Cycle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shengwei Huang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available To maximize the system-level heat integration, three retrofit concepts of waste heat recovery via organic Rankine cycle (ORC, in-depth boiler-turbine integration, and coupling of both are proposed, analyzed and comprehensively compared in terms of thermodynamic and economic performances. For thermodynamic analysis, exergy analysis is employed with grand composite curves illustrated to identify how the systems are fundamentally and quantitatively improved, and to highlight key processes for system improvement. For economic analysis, annual revenue and investment payback period are calculated based on the estimation of capital investment of each component to identify the economic feasibility and competitiveness of each retrofit concept proposed. The results show that the in-depth boiler-turbine integration achieves a better temperature match of heat flows involved for different fluids and multi-stage air preheating, thus a significant improvement of power output (23.99 MW, which is much larger than that of the system with only ORC (6.49 MW. This is mainly due to the limitation of the ultra-low temperature (from 135 to 75 °C heat available from the flue gas for ORC. The thermodynamic improvement is mostly contributed by the reduction of exergy destruction within the boiler subsystem, which is eventually converted to mechanical power; while the exergy destruction within the turbine system is almost not changed for the three concepts. The selection of ORC working fluids is performed to maximize the power output. Due to the low-grade heat source, the cycle with R11 offers the largest additional net power generation but is not significantly better than the other preselected working fluids. Economically, the in-depth boiler-turbine integration is the most economic completive solution with a payback period of only 0.78 year. The ORC concept is less attractive for a sole application due to a long payback time (2.26 years. However, by coupling both

Evaluation of implementation 18-month cycle in NPP Krsko

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novsak, M.; Bilic Zabric, T.

2003-01-01

The feasibility study, which evaluates the impacts of the transition to the 18-month cycle on plant design bases, operational and maintenance requirements, long-term economics of the operation, is performed. Activities, which have to be implemented for adopting 18- month cycle, are presented. The study shows that implementation of 18-month cycle is possible with some investments through transition 15-month cycle. (author)

Evaluation of the life cycle of integrated production of ethanol and biodiesel; Avaliacao do ciclo de vida da producao integrada de etanol e biodiesel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Souza, Simone Pereira de [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), SP (Brazil)], email: sp.souza@yahoo.com.br; Pacca; Sergio Almeida [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil). Escola de Artes, Ciencias e Humanidades], email: spacca@usp.br

2010-07-01

Sugarcane and palm are amongst the crops with the highest yields, which can reach 6 to 7.5 thousand liters of ethanol per hectare year and 4 to 6 metric tons of oil per hectare year, respectively. A joint production of biofuels from these crops is an interesting alternative for life cycle assessment improvement through fossil fuel and greenhouse gas emissions reduction, besides energy efficiency gains. The objective of this work is comparing the Brazilian production system sugarcane ethanol with an integrated system proposal where the ethanol and palm biodiesel are produced together. This comparative study is based on a life cycle approach using the ISO 14.044/2006 and appropriate indicators. Production systems in Cerrado, Cerradao and grassland ecosystem were considered. The energy balance, carbon balance and land use change were evaluated. The integrated system includes a 100% substitution of biodiesel by diesel, which is used in life cycle agriculture stages. Distinct fractions of sugarcane used for sugar production were assessed. When all sugarcane is sent to sugar production, ethanol is produced by molasses. The data were collected by direct observation method by questionnaire and secondary sources. Three sugarcane mills situated in Sao Paulo state and a palm mill located in Para state were surveyed. Results showed a 164% increase in energy balance for the joint production system in comparison to the traditional system. Besides this, the joint production system demonstrated a 24% GHG emission reduction. For ethanol production by molasses, the energy balance was up to 59% and 162% higher in scenarios 1 and 2, respectively, which differ each other through of the boiler that was utilized. For GHG emission, the reduction can reach 91%. The land use change identify an average ecosystem carbon payback time for Cerrado, Cerradao and Degraded Grassland of 5, 10, and -5 years, respectively. In conclusion, the joint production system of sugarcane ethanol and palm

Technical evaluation of biomass gasification technology integrated with combined cycle using bagasse as fuel; Avaliacao tecnica da tecnologia de gaseificacao de biomassa integrada a ciclos combinados utilizando bagaco como combustivel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ortiz, Pablo Silva; Venturini, Osvaldo Jose; Lora, Electo Silva [Universidade Federal de Itajuba (NEST/UNIFEI), MG (Brazil). Nucleo de Excelencia em Geracao Termeletrica e Distribuida], email: pablo.silvaortiz@gmail.com; Campo, Andres Perez [Universidade Automona de Bucaramanga (UNAB) (Colombia). Fac. de Engenharia Fisico- Mecanica, Engenharia em Energia

2010-07-01

Biomass Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (BIGCC) was identified as an advanced technology with potential to be competitive for electricity generation. The BIGCC technology uses biomass and the sub products of some industrial sectors processing, like sugar cane, as feedstock. The current Brazilian energy matrix is mainly based on renewable generation sources, making it important to assess these gasification technologies in the production of sugar, ethanol and electricity. In this work, a technical evaluation of the technologies incorporated in BIGCC power plants is done: the gasification process and the combined cycle power plant. On the other hand, the generated costs of these systems are analyzed, and the potential for implementation in Brazil plants from sugar cane bagasse is studied, in which a 10% increase in efficiency is obtained. (author)

Nuclear fuel cycle system analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, W. I.; Kwon, E. H.; Kim, S. G.; Park, B. H.; Song, K. C.; Song, D. Y.; Lee, H. H.; Chang, H. L.; Jeong, C. J.

2012-04-01

The nuclear fuel cycle system analysis method has been designed and established for an integrated nuclear fuel cycle system assessment by analyzing various methodologies. The economics, PR(Proliferation Resistance) and environmental impact evaluation of the fuel cycle system were performed using improved DB, and finally the best fuel cycle option which is applicable in Korea was derived. In addition, this research is helped to increase the national credibility and transparency for PR with developing and fulfilling PR enhancement program. The detailed contents of the work are as follows: 1)Establish and improve the DB for nuclear fuel cycle system analysis 2)Development of the analysis model for nuclear fuel cycle 3)Preliminary study for nuclear fuel cycle analysis 4)Development of overall evaluation model of nuclear fuel cycle system 5)Overall evaluation of nuclear fuel cycle system 6)Evaluate the PR for nuclear fuel cycle system and derive the enhancement method 7)Derive and fulfill of nuclear transparency enhancement method The optimum fuel cycle option which is economical and applicable to domestic situation was derived in this research. It would be a basis for establishment of the long-term strategy for nuclear fuel cycle. This work contributes for guaranteeing the technical, economical validity of the optimal fuel cycle option. Deriving and fulfillment of the method for enhancing nuclear transparency will also contribute to renewing the ROK-U.S Atomic Energy Agreement in 2014

Improving early cycle economic evaluation of diagnostic technologies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steuten, Lotte Maria Gertruda; Ramsey, Scott D.

2014-01-01

The rapidly increasing range and expense of new diagnostics, compels consideration of a different, more proactive approach to health economic evaluation of diagnostic technologies. Early cycle economic evaluation is a decision analytic approach to evaluate technologies in development so as to

Business cycle synchronization among member countries of Eurozone during the process of European integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svatopluk Kapounek

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the correlation of the business cycles between the Eurozone member states in the period 1957–2003. The analysed period is divided into the four parts (1959–1972, 1973–1985, 1986–1994, 1995–2003, which correspond to integration waves and relate approximately to the European integration process. The empirical analysis is based on the time series correlation. The authors discuss the impact of the EC enlargements on the business cycles correlation as well as on qualitative changes in the interaction between the states.

The market outlook for integrated gasification combined cycle technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacGregor, P.R.; Maslak, C.E.; Stoll, H.G.

1991-01-01

Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technology was developed in the 1970s and is now competitive with other coal fired technologies. Because it is a new technology, IGCC technology developments are continuing at a rapid pace and the trend in decreasing capital costs is similar to the same trend seen during the early decades of simple cycle gas turbines. Consequently, IGCC technology is expected to be even more economical during the mid and late 1990s than it is today. The objective of this paper is to provide an examination of the basic economic principles of IGCC technology and to illustrate the extent to which this technology is a viable least-cost generation addition technology. Moreover, key reliability and emissions issues are addressed in relation to the technology alternatives. This paper is organized to first review the IGCC technology and to contrast its reliability, emission, performance and cost data with the three key commercially proven technologies: simple cycle combustion turbines, combined cycle plants, and coal-fired steam plants. Economic screening curves are used to illustrate the need for a balanced generation expansion mix of technologies. The regional market opportunity for coal fueled technology orders in the US from 1992 through 2005 is presented

Integration of Social Aspects in Decision Support, Based on Life Cycle Thinking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pere Fullana-i-Palmer

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Recently increasing attention has been paid to complementing environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA with social aspects. The paper discusses the selection of social impacts and indicators from existing frameworks like Social Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA and Social Impact Assessment (SIA. Two ongoing case studies, addressing sustainability assessment within decision support, were considered: (1 Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM in Indonesia; and (2 Integrated Packaging Waste Management in Spain and Portugal (FENIX. The focus was put on social impacts occurring due to decisions within these systems, such as choice of technologies, practices or suppliers. Thus, decision makers—here understood as intended users of the studies’ results—are not consumers that buy (or do not buy a product, such as in recent SLCA case-studies, but mainly institutions that decide about the design of the water or packaging waste management system. Therefore, in the FENIX project, a list of social impacts identified from literature was sent to the intended users to be ranked according to their priorities. Finally, the paper discusses to what extent the entire life cycle is reflected in SLCA impact categories and indicators, and explains how both life-cycle and on-site-related social impacts were chosen to be assessed. However, not all indicators in the two projects will assess all stages of the life cycle, because of their varying relevance in the different stages, data availability and practical interest of decision makers.

Economic evaluation of multilateral nuclear fuel cycle approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takashima, Ryuta; Kuno, Yusuke; Omoto, Akira; Tanaka, Satoru

2011-01-01

Recently previous works have shown that multilateral nuclear fuel cycle approach has benefits not only of non-proliferation but also of cost effectiveness. This is because for most facilities in nuclear fuel cycle, there exist economies of scale, which has a significant impact on the costs of nuclear fuel cycle. Therefore, the evaluation of economic rationality is required as one of the evaluation factors for the multilateral nuclear fuel cycle approach. In this study, we consider some options with respect to multilateral approaches to nuclear fuel cycle in Asian-Pacific region countries that are proposed by the University of Tokyo. In particular, the following factors are embedded into each type: A) no involvement of assurance of services, B) provision of assurance of services including construction of new facility, without transfer of ownership, and C) provision of assurance of service including construction of new joint facilities with ownership transfer of facilities to multilateral nuclear fuel cycle approach. We show the overnight costs taking into account install and operation of nuclear fuel cycle facilities for each option. The economic parameter values such as uranium price, scale factor, and market output expansion influences the total cost for each option. Thus, we show how these parameter values and economic risks affect the total overnight costs for each option. Additionally, the international facilities could increase the risk of transportation for nuclear material compared to national facilities. We discuss the potential effects of this transportation risk on the costs for each option. (author)

An update technology for integrated biomass gasification combined cycle power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhattacharya, P.; Dey, S.

2014-01-01

A discussion is presented on the technical analysis of a 6.4 M W_e integrated biomass gasification combined cycle (IBGCC) plant. It features three numbers of downdraft biomass gasifier systems with suitable gas clean-up trains, three numbers of internal combustion (IC) producer gas engines for producing 5.85 MW electrical power in open cycle and 550 kW power in a bottoming cycle using waste heat. Comparing with IC gas engine single cycle systems, this technology route increases overall system efficiency of the power plant, which in turn improves plant economics. Estimated generation cost of electricity indicates that mega-watt scale IBGCC power plants can contribute to good economies of scale in India. This paper also highlight's the possibility of activated carbon generation from the char, a byproduct of gasification process, and use of engine's jacket water heat to generate chilled water through VAM for gas conditioning. (author)

Transuranic material recovery in the Integral Fast Reactor fuel cycle demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benedict, R.W.; Goff, K.M.

1993-01-01

The Integral Fast Reactor is an innovative liquid metal reactor concept that is being developed by Argonne National Laboratory. It takes advantage of the properties of metallic fuel and liquid metal cooling to offer significant improvements in reactor safety, operation, fuel cycle economics, environmental protection, and safeguards. The plans for demonstrating the IFR fuel cycle, including its waste processing options, by processing irradiated fuel from the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II fuel in its associated Fuel Cycle Facility have been developed for the first refining series. This series has been designed to provide the data needed for the further development of the IFR program. An important piece of the data needed is the recovery of TRU material during the reprocessing and waste operations

Nitrogen Cycle Evaluation (NiCE) Chip for the Simultaneous Analysis of Multiple N-Cycle Associated Genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Oshiki, Mamoru; Segawa, Takahiro; Ishii, Satoshi

2018-02-02

Various microorganisms play key roles in the Nitrogen (N) cycle. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) and PCR-amplicon sequencing of the N cycle functional genes allow us to analyze the abundance and diversity of microbes responsible in the N transforming reactions in various environmental samples. However, analysis of multiple target genes can be cumbersome and expensive. PCR-independent analysis, such as metagenomics and metatranscriptomics, is useful but expensive especially when we analyze multiple samples and try to detect N cycle functional genes present at relatively low abundance. Here, we present the application of microfluidic qPCR chip technology to simultaneously quantify and prepare amplicon sequence libraries for multiple N cycle functional genes as well as taxon-specific 16S rRNA gene markers for many samples. This approach, named as N cycle evaluation (NiCE) chip, was evaluated by using DNA from pure and artificially mixed bacterial cultures and by comparing the results with those obtained by conventional qPCR and amplicon sequencing methods. Quantitative results obtained by the NiCE chip were comparable to those obtained by conventional qPCR. In addition, the NiCE chip was successfully applied to examine abundance and diversity of N cycle functional genes in wastewater samples. Although non-specific amplification was detected on the NiCE chip, this could be overcome by optimizing the primer sequences in the future. As the NiCE chip can provide high-throughput format to quantify and prepare sequence libraries for multiple N cycle functional genes, this tool should advance our ability to explore N cycling in various samples. Importance. We report a novel approach, namely Nitrogen Cycle Evaluation (NiCE) chip by using microfluidic qPCR chip technology. By sequencing the amplicons recovered from the NiCE chip, we can assess diversities of the N cycle functional genes. The NiCE chip technology is applicable to analyze the temporal dynamics of the N cycle gene

Thermodynamic performance evaluation of transcritical carbon dioxide refrigeration cycle integrated with thermoelectric subcooler and expander

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dai, Baomin; Liu, Shengchun; Zhu, Kai; Sun, Zhili; Ma, Yitai

2017-01-01

New configurations of transcritical CO_2 refrigeration cycle combined with a thermoelectric (TE) subcooler and an expander (TES+EXP_H_M and TES+EXP_M_L) are proposed. The expander can operate between the high-pressure to the vessel pressure, or from vessel pressure to evaporation pressure. A power system is utilized to balance and supply power to thermoelectric subcooler and compressor. Thermodynamic performance optimizations and analyses are presented. Comparisons are carried out with the BASE, EXP_H_M, EXP_M_L, and TES cycles. The results show that the coefficient of performance (COP) improvement is more notable when the expander is installed between the liquid receiver and the evaporator. Maximum COP is obtained for the new cycles with a simultaneous optimization of discharge pressure and subcooling temperature. The new proposed TES+EXP_M_L cycle shows an excellent and steady performance than other cycles. It operates not only with the highest COP, but also the lowest discharge pressure. Under the working conditions of high gas cooler outlet temperature or low evaporation temperature, the merits of COP improvement and discharge pressure reduction are more prominent. The new cycle is more suitable for the hot regions where the CO_2 can not be sufficiently subcooled or the refrigerated space operates at low evaporation temperature. - Highlights: • New configurations of transcritical CO_2 refrigeration cycle are proposed. • New cycles are optimized and compared with other cycles. • The position of expander has an evident influence on the performance of CO_2 cycle. • TES+EXP_M_L cycle shows the highest COP and lowest discharge pressure. • The range of application for the TES+EXP_M_L cycle is recommended.

Industrial integration of the fuel cycle in Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koll, J.H.; Kittl, J.E.; Parera, C.A.; Coppa, R.C.; Aguirre, E.J.

1977-01-01

The paper describes the power reactor construction programme in Argentina for the period 1976-1985, on the basis of which the nuclear fuel requirements have been determined. Activities connected with the fuel cycle commenced in 1950 in Argentina with the prospection and working of uranium deposits. On the basis of the nuclear power programme described, plans have been drawn up for the establishment of the industrial plants that will be needed to ensure the domestic supply of fuel. The demand for fuel is correlated with the availability of uranium resources and it is shown to be desirable from the technical, economic and industrial point of view to integrate the front end of the fuel cycle, keeping the irradiation aspects and the tail end at the development level. The authors report the progress that has been made in this field and describe current programmes covering prospection, concentrate production, nuclear purification, conversion to uranium dioxide, production of special alloys and fuel element fabrication. (author)

Industrial integration of the fuel cycle in Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koll, J.H.; Kittl, J.E.; Parera, C.A.; Coppa, R.C.; Aguirre, E.J.

1983-01-01

The power-reactor construction program in Argentina for the period 1976-1985 is described on the basis of which the nuclear-fuel requirements have been determined. Activities connected with the fuel cycle commenced in 1950 in Argentina with the prospection and working of uranium deposits. On the basis of the nuclear power program described, plans have been drawn up for the establishment of the industrial plants that will be needed to ensure the domestic supply of fuel. The demand for fuel is correlated with the availability of uranium resoures and it is shown to be desirable from the technical, economic and industrial point of view to integrate the front end of the fuel cycle, keeping the irradiation aspects and the tail end at the development level. Progress made in this field and current programs covering exploration, concentrate production, nuclear purification, conversion to uranium dioxide, production of special alloys and fuel element fabrication are described

A data integration approach for cell cycle analysis oriented to model simulation in systems biology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mosca Ettore

2007-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The cell cycle is one of the biological processes most frequently investigated in systems biology studies and it involves the knowledge of a large number of genes and networks of protein interactions. A deep knowledge of the molecular aspect of this biological process can contribute to making cancer research more accurate and innovative. In this context the mathematical modelling of the cell cycle has a relevant role to quantify the behaviour of each component of the systems. The mathematical modelling of a biological process such as the cell cycle allows a systemic description that helps to highlight some features such as emergent properties which could be hidden when the analysis is performed only from a reductionism point of view. Moreover, in modelling complex systems, a complete annotation of all the components is equally important to understand the interaction mechanism inside the network: for this reason data integration of the model components has high relevance in systems biology studies. Description In this work, we present a resource, the Cell Cycle Database, intended to support systems biology analysis on the Cell Cycle process, based on two organisms, yeast and mammalian. The database integrates information about genes and proteins involved in the cell cycle process, stores complete models of the interaction networks and allows the mathematical simulation over time of the quantitative behaviour of each component. To accomplish this task, we developed, a web interface for browsing information related to cell cycle genes, proteins and mathematical models. In this framework, we have implemented a pipeline which allows users to deal with the mathematical part of the models, in order to solve, using different variables, the ordinary differential equation systems that describe the biological process. Conclusion This integrated system is freely available in order to support systems biology research on the cell cycle and

Assessment of Material Solutions of Multi-level Garage Structure Within Integrated Life Cycle Design Process

Science.gov (United States)

Wałach, Daniel; Sagan, Joanna; Gicala, Magdalena

2017-10-01

The paper presents an environmental and economic analysis of the material solutions of multi-level garage. The construction project approach considered reinforced concrete structure under conditions of use of ordinary concrete and high-performance concrete (HPC). Using of HPC allowed to significant reduction of reinforcement steel, mainly in compression elements (columns) in the construction of the object. The analysis includes elements of the methodology of integrated lice cycle design (ILCD). By making multi-criteria analysis based on established weight of the economic and environmental parameters, three solutions have been evaluated and compared within phase of material production (information modules A1-A3).

Reactor coolant pump service life evaluation for current life cycle optimization and license renewal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doroshuk, B.W.; Berto, D.S.; Robles, M.

1990-01-01

This paper reports that as part of the plant life cycle management and license renewal program, Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BG and E) has completed a service life evaluation of their reactor coolant pumps, funded jointly by EPRI and performed by ABB Combustion Engineering Nuclear Power. Two of the goals of the BG and E plant life cycle management and license renewal program, and of this current evaluation, are to identify actions which would optimize current plant operation, and ensure that license renewal remains a viable option. The reactor coolant pumps (RCPs) at BG and E's Calvert Cliffs Units 1 and 2 are Byron Jackson pumps with a diffuser and a single suction. This pump design is also used in many other nuclear plants. The RCP service life evaluation assessed the effect of all plausible age-related degradation mechanisms (ARDMs) on the RCP components. Cyclic fatigue and thermal embrittlement were two ARDMs identified as having a high potential to limit the service life of the pump case. The pump case is a primary pressure boundary component. Hence, ensuring its continued structural integrity is important

Preliminary analysis of alternative fuel cycles for proliferation evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steindler, M. J.; Ripfel, H. C.F.; Rainey, R. H.

1977-01-01

The ERDA Division of Nuclear Research and Applications proposed 67 nuclear fuel cycles for assessment as to their nonproliferation potential. The object of the assessment was to determine which fuel cycles pose inherently low risk for nuclear weapon proliferation while retaining the major benefits of nuclear energy. This report is a preliminary analysis of these fuel cycles to develop the fuel-recycle data that will complement reactor data, environmental data, and political considerations, which must be included in the overall evaluation. This report presents the preliminary evaluations from ANL, HEDL, ORNL, and SRL and is the basis for a continuing in-depth study. (DLC)

Supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton power conversion cycle for battery optimized reactor integral system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, T. W.; Kim, N. H.; Suh, K. Y.

2007-01-01

Supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO 2 ) promises a high power conversion efficiency of the recompression Brayton cycle due to its excellent compressibility reducing the compression work at the bottom of the cycle and to a higher density than helium or steam decreasing the component size. The SCO 2 Brayton cycle efficiency as high as 45% furnishes small sized nuclear reactors with economical benefits on the plant construction and maintenance. A 23 MWth lead-cooled Battery Optimized Reactor Integral System (BORIS) is being developed as an ultra-long-life, versatile-purpose, fast-spectrum reactor. BORIS is coupled to the SCO 2 Brayton cycle needing less room relative to the Rankine steam cycle because of its smaller components. The SCO 2 Brayton cycle of BORIS consists of a 16 MW turbine, a 32 MW high temperature recuperator, a 14 MW low temperature recuperator, an 11 MW precooler and 2 and 2.8 MW compressors. Entering six heat exchangers between primary and secondary system at 19.9 MPa and 663 K, the SCO 2 leaves the heat exchangers at 19.9 MPa and 823 K. The promising secondary system efficiency of 45% was calculated by a theoretical method in which the main parameters include pressure, temperature, heater power, the turbine's, recuperators' and compressors' efficiencies, and the flow split ratio of SCO 2 going out from the low temperature recuperator. Development of Modular Optimized Brayton Integral System (MOBIS) is being devised as the SCO 2 Brayton cycle energy conversion cycle for BORIS. MOBIS consists of Loop Operating Brayton Optimization Study (LOBOS) for experimental Brayton cycle loop and Gas Advanced Turbine Operation Study (GATOS) for the SCO 2 turbine. Liquid-metal Energy Exchanger Integral System (LEXIS) serves to couple BORIS and MOBIS. LEXIS comprises Physical Aspect Thermal Operation System (PATOS) for SCO 2 thermal hydraulic characteristics, Shell-and-tube Overall Layout Optimization Study (SOLOS) for shell-and-tube heat exchanger, Printed

An integrated solar thermal power system using intercooled gas turbine and Kalina cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng, Shuo; Hong, Hui; Jin, Hongguang; Wang, Zhifeng

2012-01-01

A new solar tower thermal power system integrating the intercooled gas turbine top cycle and the Kalina bottoming cycle is proposed in the present paper. The thermodynamic performance of the proposed system is investigated, and the irreversibility of energy conversion is disclosed using the energy–utilization diagram method. On the top cycle of the proposed system, the compressed air after being intercooled is heated at 1000 °C or higher at the solar tower receiver and is used to drive the gas turbine to generate power. The ammonia–water mixture as the working substance of the bottom cycle recovers the waste heat from the gas turbine to generate power. A concise analytical formula of solar-to-electric efficiency of the proposed system is developed. As a result, the peak solar-to-electric efficiency of the proposed system is 27.5% at a gas turbine inlet temperature of 1000 °C under the designed solar direct normal irradiance of 800 W/m 2 . Compared with a conventional solar power tower plant, the proposed integrated system conserves approximately 69% of consumed water. The results obtained in the current study provide an approach to improve solar-to-electric efficiency and offer a potential to conserve water for solar thermal power plants in arid area. -- Highlights: ► An Integrated Solar Thermal Power System is modeled. ► A formula forecasting the thermodynamic performance is proposed. ► The irreversibility of energy conversion is disclosed using an energy utilization method. ► The effect of key operational parameters on thermal performance is examined.

Acceleration of Blender Cycles Path-Tracing Engine Using Intel Many Integrated Core Architecture

OpenAIRE

Jaroš , Milan; Říha , Lubomír; Strakoš , Petr; Karásek , Tomáš; Vašatová , Alena; Jarošová , Marta; Kozubek , Tomáš

2015-01-01

Part 2: Algorithms; International audience; This paper describes the acceleration of the most computationally intensive kernels of the Blender rendering engine, Blender Cycles, using Intel Many Integrated Core architecture (MIC). The proposed parallelization, which uses OpenMP technology, also improves the performance of the rendering engine when running on multi-core CPUs and multi-socket servers. Although the GPU acceleration is already implemented in Cycles, its functionality is limited. O...

Fuel-Stimulated Insulin Secretion Depends upon Mitochondria Activation and the Integration of Mitochondrial and Cytosolic Substrate Cycles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gary W. Cline

2011-10-01

Full Text Available The pancreatic islet β-cell is uniquely specialized to couple its metabolism and rates of insulin secretion with the levels of circulating nutrient fuels, with the mitochondrial playing a central regulatory role in this process. In the β-cell, mitochondrial activation generates an integrated signal reflecting rates of oxidativephosphorylation, Kreb's cycle flux, and anaplerosis that ultimately determines the rate of insulin exocytosis. Mitochondrial activation can be regulated by proton leak and mediated by UCP2, and by alkalinization to utilize the pH gradient to drive substrate and ion transport. Converging lines of evidence support the hypothesis that substrate cycles driven by rates of Kreb's cycle flux and by anaplerosis play an integral role in coupling responsive changes in mitochondrial metabolism with insulin secretion. The components and mechanisms that account for the integrated signal of ATP production, substrate cycling, the regulation of cellular redox state, and the production of other secondary signaling intermediates are operative in both rodent and human islet β-cells.

Nonproliferation and safeguard considerations: Pebble Bed reactor fuel cycle evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-09-01

Nuclear fuel cycles were evaluated for the Pebble Bed Gas Cooled Reactor under development in the Federal Republic of Germany. The basic fuel cycle specified for the HTR-K and PNP is well qualified and will meet the requirements of these reactors. Twenty alternate fuel cycles are described, including high-conversion cycles, net-breeding cycles, and proliferation-resistant cycles. High-conversion cycles, which have a high probability of being successfully developed, promise a significant improvement in resource utilization. Proliferation-resistant cycles, also with a high probability of successful development, conpare very favorably with those for other types of reactors. Most of the advanced cycles could be adapted to first-generation pebble bed reactors with no significant modifications

Predicting cycle time distributions for integrated processing workstations : an aggregate modeling approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veeger, C.P.L.; Etman, L.F.P.; Lefeber, A.A.J.; Adan, I.J.B.F.; Herk, van J.; Rooda, J.E.

2011-01-01

To predict cycle time distributions of integrated processing workstations, detailed simulation models are almost exclusively used; these models require considerable development and maintenance effort. As an alternative, we propose an aggregate model that is a lumped-parameter representation of the

INTEGRAL BENCHMARKS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE INTERNATIONAL REACTOR PHYSICS EXPERIMENT EVALUATION PROJECT AND THE INTERNATIONAL CRITICALITY SAFETY BENCHMARK EVALUATION PROJECT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

J. Blair Briggs; Lori Scott; Enrico Sartori; Yolanda Rugama

2008-09-01

Interest in high-quality integral benchmark data is increasing as efforts to quantify and reduce calculational uncertainties accelerate to meet the demands of next generation reactor and advanced fuel cycle concepts. The International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation Project (IRPhEP) and the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) continue to expand their efforts and broaden their scope to identify, evaluate, and provide integral benchmark data for method and data validation. Benchmark model specifications provided by these two projects are used heavily by the international reactor physics, nuclear data, and criticality safety communities. Thus far, 14 countries have contributed to the IRPhEP, and 20 have contributed to the ICSBEP. The status of the IRPhEP and ICSBEP is discussed in this paper, and the future of the two projects is outlined and discussed. Selected benchmarks that have been added to the IRPhEP and ICSBEP handbooks since PHYSOR’06 are highlighted, and the future of the two projects is discussed.

INTEGRAL BENCHMARKS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE INTERNATIONAL REACTOR PHYSICS EXPERIMENT EVALUATION PROJECT AND THE INTERNATIONAL CRITICALITY SAFETY BENCHMARK EVALUATION PROJECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

J. Blair Briggs; Lori Scott; Enrico Sartori; Yolanda Rugama

2008-01-01

Interest in high-quality integral benchmark data is increasing as efforts to quantify and reduce calculational uncertainties accelerate to meet the demands of next generation reactor and advanced fuel cycle concepts. The International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation Project (IRPhEP) and the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) continue to expand their efforts and broaden their scope to identify, evaluate, and provide integral benchmark data for method and data validation. Benchmark model specifications provided by these two projects are used heavily by the international reactor physics, nuclear data, and criticality safety communities. Thus far, 14 countries have contributed to the IRPhEP, and 20 have contributed to the ICSBEP. The status of the IRPhEP and ICSBEP is discussed in this paper, and the future of the two projects is outlined and discussed. Selected benchmarks that have been added to the IRPhEP and ICSBEP handbooks since PHYSOR-06 are highlighted, and the future of the two projects is discussed

Integrated evaluation of radiative heating systems for residential buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anastaselos, Dimitrios; Theodoridou, Ifigeneia; Papadopoulos, Agis M.; Hegger, Manfred

2011-01-01

Based on the need to reduce CO 2 emissions and minimize energy dependency, the EU Member States have set ambitious energy policies goals and have developed respective, specific regulations, in order to improve the energy performance of the building sector. Thus, specific measures regarding the buildings' envelope, the use of efficient HVAC technologies and the integration of renewable energy systems are being constantly studied and promoted. The effective combination of these three main aspects will consequently result in maximum energy efficiency. Germany has played a key role in this development, with intensive work focusing in the improvement of the energy behaviour of the residential building stock. In this paper, the use of radiative heating systems placing special emphasis on infrared is being studied as part of the energy renovation of residential buildings from the 1970's. This is done by applying an integrated assessment model to evaluate specific interventions regarding the improvement of the energy behaviour of the buildings' envelope and the use of radiative heating systems, based on a thorough Life Cycle Analysis according to criteria of energy, economic and environmental performance, as well as thermal comfort. -- Highlights: → Assessment of energy, economic and environmental performance of heating systems. → Life Cycle Analysis in combination with the quality of thermal comfort. → Effectiveness of interventions in already partially insulated buildings.

Thermodynamic Investigation of an Integrated Gasification Plant with Solid Oxide Fuel Cell and Steam Cycles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rokni, Masoud

2012-01-01

A gasification plant is integrated on the top of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cycle, while a steam turbine (ST) cycle is used as a bottoming cycle for the SOFC plant. The gasification plant was fueled by woodchips to produce biogas and the SOFC stacks were fired with biogas. The produced gas...... generator (HRSG). The steam cycle was modeled with a simple single pressure level. In addition, a hybrid recuperator was used to recover more energy from the HRSG and send it back to the SOFC cycle. Thus two different configurations were investigated to study the plants characteristic. Such system...

Integrated gasification combined cycle for acid rain control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simbeck, D.R.; Dickenson, R.L.

1986-10-01

The role of integrated coal gasification combined-cycle power plants in the abatement of emission of SO/sub 2/ and NO/sub 2/ which lead to acid rain is discussed. The economics of this IGCC approach are assessed for a nominal 500 MW plant size. Phased construction of IGCC plants is recommended as a means of reducing SO/sub 2/ and NO/sub x/ emissions noting that high-sulfur coals could continue to be used. It is also noted that phased construction IGCC is the only acid rain control technology that greatly reduces NO/sub x/. 17 references.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of a Supersonic Nozzle and Integration into a Variable Cycle Engine Model

Science.gov (United States)

Connolly, Joseph W.; Friedlander, David; Kopasakis, George

2015-01-01

This paper covers the development of an integrated nonlinear dynamic simulation for a variable cycle turbofan engine and nozzle that can be integrated with an overall vehicle Aero-Propulso-Servo-Elastic (APSE) model. A previously developed variable cycle turbofan engine model is used for this study and is enhanced here to include variable guide vanes allowing for operation across the supersonic flight regime. The primary focus of this study is to improve the fidelity of the model's thrust response by replacing the simple choked flow equation convergent-divergent nozzle model with a MacCormack method based quasi-1D model. The dynamic response of the nozzle model using the MacCormack method is verified by comparing it against a model of the nozzle using the conservation element/solution element method. A methodology is also presented for the integration of the MacCormack nozzle model with the variable cycle engine.

Behavior of a cycle-integrated system. Heat recovery in RTL plants; Verhalten von Kreislauf-Verbund-Systemen. Waermerueckgewinnung in RLT-Anlagen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rauser, Hanns Christoph [HCR Consulting, Ingenieurbuero fuer Kaelte- und Klimatechnik, Bietigheim-Bissingen (Germany)

2010-09-15

The contribution under consideration reports on the behaviour of a cycle-integrated system and derives criteria for the attaining high degrees of temperature changes. Since cycle-integrated system also realizes a reheating and a re-cooling apart from a heat recovery, also the behaviour of such a system is presented according to feeding coldness and warmth into the cycle.

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation and Screening Findings on Partitioning and Transmutation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wigeland, R.A.; Taiwo, T.A.; Gehin, J.C.; Jubin, R.; Todosow, M.

2015-01-01

A Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation and Screening (E and S) study has recently been completed in the United States. The study considered the entire fuel cycle, included considerations for both once-through and recycle fuel cycle options, evaluated a set of 40 fuel cycles that allowed a comprehensive assessment of fuel cycle performance, identified a relatively small number of promising fuel cycle options that have the potential for achieving substantial improvements compared to the current nuclear fuel cycle in the United States, and allowed the identification of research and development (R and D) activities needed to support the development of the promising fuel cycle options. Nine high-level criteria (Nuclear Waste Management, Proliferation Risk, Nuclear Material Security Risk, Safety, Environmental Impact, Resource Utilisation, Development and Deployment Risk, Institutional Issues, and Financial Risk and Economics) and associated metrics were used in the study to compare the performance of nuclear fuel cycle options to that of the current fuel cycle practiced in the United States. The study also evaluated a number of fuel cycle characteristics that may have the potential to impact future R and D directions. These included for example: 1) The fuel resources used, i. e., uranium and/or thorium. 2) Impact of extremely high burnup fuels. 3) Minor actinide recycle. 4) The impact of losses during separations (partitioning). 5) Critical versus subcritical (externally-driven) systems for material irradiation. 6) Impact of spectrum of irradiation system, i.e., fast, thermal or intermediate. 7) Waste generation reduction, all of which were quantified in the study. The E and S study has implemented a framework that can be used now and in the future to objectively inform on the potential of alternative nuclear fuel cycles, providing decision-makers and others with perspective on fuel cycle capabilities. (authors)

Progress and status of the integral fast reactor (IFR) fuel cycle development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Till, C.E.; Chang, Y.I.

1993-01-01

The Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel cycle holds promise for substantial improvements in economics, diversion-resistance, and waste management. This paper discusses technical features of the IFR fuel cycle, its technical progress, the development status, and the future plans and directions. The Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel cycle, is based on the use of a metallic fuel alloy (U-Pu-Zr) that permits use of an innovative method for processing of spent fuel. This method, a combination of pyrometallurgical and electrochemical processes, has been termed pyroprocessing. It offers the advantages of a simple, compact processing system and limited volumes of stabilized high-level wastes. This translates to an economically viable system that is likely to receive favorable public response, particularly when combined with the other attributes of the Integral Fast Reactor. Substantial progress has been made in the development of the IFR pyroprocessing method. A comprehensive demonstration of the process will soon begin at the Argonne National Laboratory Idaho site, using spent fuel from the EBR-II reactor. An important advantage of the IFR is its ability to recycle fuel in the process of power generation, extending fuel resources by a considerable amount and assuring the continued viability of nuclear power stations by reducing dependence on external fuel supplies. Pyroprocessing is the means whereby the recycle process is accomplished. It can also be applied to the recovery of fuel constituents from spent fuel generated in the process of operation of conventional light water reactor power plants, offering the means to recover the valuable fuel resources remaining in that material

Proceeding of 31st domestic symposium on failure events and integrity evaluation of nuclear power generation facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-07-01

As the 31st domestic symposium of Atomic Energy Research Committee, the Japan Welding Engineering Society, the symposium was held titled as 'Damage events and integrity evaluations of nuclear power facilities'. Six speakers gave lectures titled as 'Damages of structural materials in the LWR plants and their measures', 'Inspection and integrity evaluation method of SCC in the BWR plants', 'Measures with chloride SCC of piping', 'High cycle fatigue damage events of small diameter pipes and their measures', 'Management of SCC in in-core instrumentation thimbles' and 'Japanese lost ten years and American and other leaps'. (T. Tanaka)

Integrated simulation, evaluation of the climatic risks and safety policies. Synthesis report july 2002

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hourcade, J.Ch.; LeTreut, H.

2002-07-01

The aim of this program is the improvement of the natural phenomena representation in the integrated models of the climate policies evaluation and to precise the methodological problems resulting from the damages treatment. It underlines the importance of the retroactions between the CO 2 emissions, the lands affectation and the carbon cycle, as the importance of the uncertainties on the climate sensitivity. (A.L.B.)

Development of integrity evaluation technology for pressurized components in nuclear power plant and IT based integrity evaluation system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Young Jin; Choi, Jae Boong; Shim, Do Jun

2004-02-01

The objective of this research is to develop on efficient integrity evaluation technology and to investigate the applicability of the newly-developed technology such as internet-based cyber platform etc. to Nuclear Power Plant(NPP) components. The development of an efficient structural integrity evaluation system is necessary for safe operation of NPP as the increase of operating periods. Moreover, material test data as well as emerging structural integrity assessment technology are also needed for the evaluation of aged components. The following five topics are covered in this project: development of the wall-thinning evaluation program for nuclear piping; development of structural integrity evaluation criteria for steam generator tubes with cracks of various shape; development of fatigue life evaluation system for major components of NPP; ingegration of internet-based cyber platform and integrity evaluation program for primary components of NPP; effects of aging on strength of dissimilar welds

Development of integrity evaluation technology for pressurized components in nuclear power plant and IT based integrity evaluation system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Young Jin; Choi, Jae Boong; Shim, Do Jun [Sungkyunkwan Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)] (and others)

2004-02-15

The objective of this research is to develop on efficient integrity evaluation technology and to investigate the applicability of the newly-developed technology such as internet-based cyber platform etc. to Nuclear Power Plant(NPP) components. The development of an efficient structural integrity evaluation system is necessary for safe operation of NPP as the increase of operating periods. Moreover, material test data as well as emerging structural integrity assessment technology are also needed for the evaluation of aged components. The following five topics are covered in this project: development of the wall-thinning evaluation program for nuclear piping; development of structural integrity evaluation criteria for steam generator tubes with cracks of various shape; development of fatigue life evaluation system for major components of NPP; ingegration of internet-based cyber platform and integrity evaluation program for primary components of NPP; effects of aging on strength of dissimilar welds.

Analysis of energetic and exergetic efficiency, and environmental benefits of biomass integrated gasification combined cycle technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Mínguez, María; Jiménez, Angel; Rodríguez, Javier; González, Celina; López, Ignacio; Nieto, Rafael

2013-04-01

The problem of the high carbon dioxide emissions linked to power generation makes necessary active research on the use of biofuels in gas turbine systems as a promising alternative to fossil fuels. Gasification of biomass waste is particularly of interest in obtaining a fuel to be run in gas turbines, as it is an efficient biomass-to-biofuel conversion process, and an integration into a combined cycle power plant leads to a high performance with regard to energetic efficiency. The goal of this study was to carry out an energetic, exergetic and environmental analysis of the behaviour of an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plant fuelled with different kinds of biomass waste by means of simulations. A preliminary economic study is also included. Although a technological development in gasification technology is necessary, the results of simulations indicate a high technical and environmental interest in the use of biomass integrated gasification combined cycle (BioIGCC) systems for large-scale power generation from biomass waste.

Evaluation of Environmental Impacts for Rice Agroecosystems using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Khoramdel

2017-02-01

Full Text Available In order to evaluate life cycle assessment (LCA for rice agroecosystems based on mean of nitrogen fertilizer levels (less than 190, 190-200, 200-210, 210-220 and more than 220 kg N ha during 1999-2012, an experiment was conducted. Four steps includung goal definition and scoping, inventory analysis, life cycle impact assessment and integration and interpretation were computed. Functional unit was considered as one tone paddy. Impact categories were acidification, eutrophication in aquatic and tresstrial ecosystems and global warming. The results showed that the highest paddy yield was obtained 5.35 t.ha-1 in 190-200 kg N ha. The maximum aquatic eutrophication potential was computed for more than 220 kg N ha-1 with 0.79 PO4 equiv./t paddy. EcoX per one tone paddy and maximum environmental impacts was belonged to aquatic eutrophication (0.13 Eco-index per one tone paddy. It seems that system management including green manure, nitrogen fixing species and reduced tillage could be regarded to reduce problematic environmental impacts in rice production systems.

Nitrogen cycling in an integrated biomass for energy system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moorhead, K.K.

1986-01-01

A series of experiments was conducted to evaluate N cycling in three components of an integrated biomass for energy system, i.e. water hyacinth production, anaerobic digestion in hyacinth biomass, and recycling of digester effluent and sludge. Plants assimilated 50 to 90% of added N in hyacinth production systems. Up to 28% of the total plant N was contained in hyacinth detritus. Nitrogen loading as plant detritus into hyacinth ponds was 92 to 148 kg N ha -1 yr -1 . Net mineralization of plant organic 15 N during anaerobic digestion was 35 and 70% for water hyacinth plants with low and high N content, respectively. Approximately 20% of the 15 N was recovered in the digested sludge while the remaining 15 N was recovered in the effluent. Water hyacinth growth in digester effluents was affected by electrical conductivity and 15 NH 4 + -N concentration. Addition of water hyacinth biomass to soil resulted in decomposition of 39 to 50% of added C for fresh plant biomass and 19 to 23% of added C for digested biomass sludge. Only 8% of added 15 N in digested sludges was mineralized to 15 NO 3 - -N despite differences in initial N content. In contrast, 3 and 33% of added 15 N in fresh biomass with low and high N content, respectively, was recovered as 15 NO 3 - -N. Total 15 N recovery after anaerobic digestion ranged from 70 to 100% of the initial plant biomass 15 N. Total N recovery by sludge and effluent recycling in the integrated biomass for energy system was 48 to 60% of the initial plant biomass 15 N

The status of nuclear fuel cycle system analysis for the development of advanced nuclear fuel cycles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ko, Won Il; Kim, Seong Ki; Lee, Hyo Jik; Chang, Hong Rae; Kwon, Eun Ha; Lee, Yoon Hee; Gao, Fanxing [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2011-11-15

The system analysis has been used with different system and objectives in various fields. In the nuclear field, the system can be applied from uranium mining to spent fuel reprocessing or disposal which is called the nuclear fuel cycle. The analysis of nuclear fuel cycle can be guideline for development of advanced fuel cycle through integrating and evaluating the technologies. For this purpose, objective approach is essential and modeling and simulation can be useful. In this report, several methods which can be applicable for development of advanced nuclear fuel cycle, such as TRL, simulation and trade analysis were explained with case study

The application of life cycle assessment to integrated solid waste management. Pt. 1: Methodology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clift, R.; Doig, A.; Finnveden, G.

2000-07-01

Integrated Waste Management is one of the holistic approaches to environmental and resource management which are emerging from applying the concept of sustainable development. Assessment of waste management options requires application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This paper summarizes the methodology for applying LCA to Integrated Waste Management of Municipal Solid Wastes (MSW) developed for and now used by the UK Environment Agency, including recent developments in international fora. Particular attention is devoted to system definition leading to rational and clear compilation of the Life Cycle Inventory, with appropriate 'credit' for recovering materials and/or energy from the waste. LCA of waste management is best seen as a way of structuring information to help decision processes. (Author)

The FIT Model - Fuel-cycle Integration and Tradeoffs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piet, Steven J.; Soelberg, Nick R.; Bays, Samuel E.; Pereira, Candido; Pincock, Layne F.; Shaber, Eric L.; Teague, Melissa C.; Teske, Gregory M.; Vedros, Kurt G.

2010-01-01

All mass streams from fuel separation and fabrication are products that must meet some set of product criteria - fuel feedstock impurity limits, waste acceptance criteria (WAC), material storage (if any), or recycle material purity requirements such as zirconium for cladding or lanthanides for industrial use. These must be considered in a systematic and comprehensive way. The FIT model and the 'system losses study' team that developed it (Shropshire2009, Piet2010) are an initial step by the FCR and D program toward a global analysis that accounts for the requirements and capabilities of each component, as well as major material flows within an integrated fuel cycle. This will help the program identify near-term R and D needs and set longer-term goals. The question originally posed to the 'system losses study' was the cost of separation, fuel fabrication, waste management, etc. versus the separation efficiency. In other words, are the costs associated with marginal reductions in separations losses (or improvements in product recovery) justified by the gains in the performance of other systems? We have learned that that is the wrong question. The right question is: how does one adjust the compositions and quantities of all mass streams, given uncertain product criteria, to balance competing objectives including cost? FIT is a method to analyze different fuel cycles using common bases to determine how chemical performance changes in one part of a fuel cycle (say used fuel cooling times or separation efficiencies) affect other parts of the fuel cycle. FIT estimates impurities in fuel and waste via a rough estimate of physics and mass balance for a set of technologies. If feasibility is an issue for a set, as it is for 'minimum fuel treatment' approaches such as melt refining and AIROX, it can help to make an estimate of how performances would have to change to achieve feasibility.

Nuclear energy center site survey: fuel cycle studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1976-05-01

Background information for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Nuclear Energy Center Site Survey is presented in the following task areas: economics of integrated vs. dispersed nuclear fuel cycle facilities, plutonium fungibility, fuel cycle industry model, production controls and failure contingencies, environmental impact, waste management, emergency response capability, and feasibility evaluations

Modeling and simulation of syngas purification and power generation in integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCS)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mehmood, N; Zaman, Z U; Mehran, M T [National Development, Islamabad (Pakistan)

2011-07-01

Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) is one of the most promising technologies for power generation; The environmental benefits and the higher energy conversion efficiency distinguish it from traditional coal generation technologies. This work presents a structured and validated conceptual model of purification of coal gas produced during the Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) of coal containing high sulfur contents. Gas cleaning operations for CO/sub 2/, H/sub 2/S and moisture removal have been modeled in steady and dynamic state. The power generation from combined cycle is also modeled. The model has been developed using Aspen HYSYS and Aspen Plus simulation software. Predicted results of clean gas composition and generated power present a good agreement with industrial data and efficiency parameters. This study is aimed at obtaining optimal assessment of an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant configurations. (author)

Modeling and simulation of syngas purification and power generation in integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehmood, N.; Zaman, Z.U.; Mehran, M.T.

2011-01-01

Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) is one of the most promising technologies for power generation; The environmental benefits and the higher energy conversion efficiency distinguish it from traditional coal generation technologies. This work presents a structured and validated conceptual model of purification of coal gas produced during the Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) of coal containing high sulfur contents. Gas cleaning operations for CO/sub 2/, H/sub 2/S and moisture removal have been modeled in steady and dynamic state. The power generation from combined cycle is also modeled. The model has been developed using Aspen HYSYS and Aspen Plus simulation software. Predicted results of clean gas composition and generated power present a good agreement with industrial data and efficiency parameters. This study is aimed at obtaining optimal assessment of an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant configurations. (author)

Semantic Data Integration and Ontology Use within the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) Global Water Cycle Data Integration System

Science.gov (United States)

Pozzi, W.; Fekete, B.; Piasecki, M.; McGuinness, D.; Fox, P.; Lawford, R.; Vorosmarty, C.; Houser, P.; Imam, B.

2008-12-01

The inadequacies of water cycle observations for monitoring long-term changes in the global water system, as well as their feedback into the climate system, poses a major constraint on sustainable development of water resources and improvement of water management practices. Hence, The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) has established Task WA-08-01, "Integration of in situ and satellite data for water cycle monitoring," an integrative initiative combining different types of satellite and in situ observations related to key variables of the water cycle with model outputs for improved accuracy and global coverage. This presentation proposes development of the Rapid, Integrated Monitoring System for the Water Cycle (Global-RIMS)--already employed by the GEO Global Terrestrial Network for Hydrology (GTN-H)--as either one of the main components or linked with the Asian system to constitute the modeling system of GEOSS for water cycle monitoring. We further propose expanded, augmented capability to run multiple grids to embrace some of the heterogeneous methods and formats of the Earth Science, Hydrology, and Hydraulic Engineering communities. Different methodologies are employed by the Earth Science (land surface modeling), the Hydrological (GIS), and the Hydraulic Engineering Communities; with each community employing models that require different input data. Data will be routed as input variables to the models through web services, allowing satellite and in situ data to be integrated together within the modeling framework. Semantic data integration will provide the automation to enable this system to operate in near-real-time. Multiple data collections for ground water, precipitation, soil moisture satellite data, such as SMAP, and lake data will require multiple low level ontologies, and an upper level ontology will permit user-friendly water management knowledge to be synthesized. These ontologies will have to have overlapping terms mapped and linked together. so

Life-cycle analysis of product integrated polymer solar cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Espinosa Martinez, Nieves; García-Valverde, Rafael; Krebs, Frederik C

2011-01-01

A life cycle analysis (LCA) on a product integrated polymer solar module is carried out in this study. These assessments are well-known to be useful in developmental stages of a product in order to identify the bottlenecks for the up-scaling in its production phase for several aspects spanning from...... economics through design to functionality. An LCA study was performed to quantify the energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from electricity use in the manufacture of a light-weight lamp based on a plastic foil, a lithium-polymer battery, a polymer solar cell, printed circuitry, blocking diode......, switch and a white light emitting semiconductor diode. The polymer solar cell employed in this prototype presents a power conversion efficiency in the range of 2 to 3% yielding energy payback times (EPBT) in the range of 1.3–2 years. Based on this it is worthwhile to undertake a life-cycle study...

International nuclear fuel cycle evaluation (INFCE)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlupp, C.

1986-07-01

The study describes and analyzes the structures, the procedures and decision making processes of the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation (INFCE). INFCE was agreed by the Organizing Conference to be a technical and analytical study and not a negotiation. The results were to be transmitted to governments for their consideration in developing their nuclear energy policies and in international discussions concerning nuclear energy cooperation and related controls and safeguards. Thus INFCE provided a unique example for decision making by consensus in the nuclear world. It was carried through under mutual respect for each country's choices and decisions, without jeopardizing their respective fuel cycle policies or international co-operation agreements and contracts for the peaceful use of nuclear energy, provided that agreed safeguards are applied. (orig.)

Material and energy recovery in integrated waste management systems. An evaluation based on life cycle assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giugliano, Michele; Cernuschi, Stefano; Grosso, Mario; Rigamonti, Lucia

2011-01-01

This paper reports the environmental results, integrated with those arising from mass and energy balances, of a research project on the comparative analysis of strategies for material and energy recovery from waste, funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research. The project, involving the cooperation of five University research groups, was devoted to the optimisation of material and energy recovery activities within integrated municipal solid waste (MSW) management systems. Four scenarios of separate collection (overall value of 35%, 50% without the collection of food waste, 50% including the collection of food waste, 65%) were defined for the implementation of energetic, environmental and economic balances. Two sizes of integrated MSW management system (IWMS) were considered: a metropolitan area, with a gross MSW production of 750,000 t/year and an average province, with a gross MSW production of 150,000 t/year. The environmental analysis was conducted using Life Cycle Assessment methodology (LCA), for both material and energy recovery activities. In order to avoid allocation we have used the technique of the expansion of the system boundaries. This means taking into consideration the impact on the environment related to the waste management activities in comparison with the avoided impacts related to the saving of raw materials and primary energy. Under the hypotheses of the study, both for the large and for the small IWMS, the energetic and environmental benefits are higher than the energetic and environmental impacts for all the scenarios analysed in terms of all the indicators considered: the scenario with 50% separate collection in a drop-off scheme excluding food waste shows the most promising perspectives, mainly arising from the highest collection (and recycling) of all the packaging materials, which is the activity giving the biggest energetic and environmental benefits. Main conclusions of the study in the general field of the

THE ROLE OF INTEGRATED ISLAMIC COMMERCIAL AND SOCIAL FINANCE FOR CURBING CREDIT CYCLES AND ACHIEVING MACROPRUDENTIAL OBJECTIVE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arif Widodo

2018-03-01

Full Text Available It is widely believed that Islamic finance is inherently stable since the principle of risk-sharing and linking the financial to real counterpart in particular through its social finance are applied, hence the financial stability may successfully be attained. If mimicking the conventional finance, Islamic model will probably be facing instability, following the financial cycle. There has been a growing literature discussing credit cycle in mainstream perspective since 2008 global financial crash. However, it is quite rare to find study, in macro context, on credit cycles and the effectiveness of integrated Islamic commercial and social finance in achieving macroprudential objective: curtailing excessive credit. This study is designed to empirically examine the characteristics of cycles stemming from conventional and Islamic credit whether both have similar trend and also to investigate how the integrated Islamic commercial and social finance may be effective to hamper such cycles. By employing Hodrick-Presscot Filter, Markov Switching and Vector Error Correction Model, this study demonstrates that, in terms of cycle, Islamic model cycle has certain similarities with conventional counterpart since it functions under similar financial environment despite the fact that Islamic has less amplitude compared with conventional credit. Both credit and financing cycles tend to grow rapidly (excessive several months before global financial crisis happened in 2008. This means that, in a dual banking system, credit and financing boom may precede financial crisis. Moreover, it is apparent also that the integrated Islamic finance is proven to be effective in curbing credit growth due to the effectiveness of both macroprudential instrument applied in banking sector and social finance in safeguarding financial stability. Keywords:  Credit cycle, Macroprudential policy, Markov Switching, HP filter JEL Classification: E32, E51, G29

Software Platform Evaluation - Verifiable Fuel Cycle Simulation (VISION) Model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

J. J. Jacobson; D. E. Shropshire; W. B. West

2005-01-01

The purpose of this Software Platform Evaluation (SPE) is to document the top-level evaluation of potential software platforms on which to construct a simulation model that satisfies the requirements for a Verifiable Fuel Cycle Simulation Model (VISION) of the Advanced Fuel Cycle (AFC). See the Software Requirements Specification for Verifiable Fuel Cycle Simulation (VISION) Model (INEEL/EXT-05-02643, Rev. 0) for a discussion of the objective and scope of the VISION model. VISION is intended to serve as a broad systems analysis and study tool applicable to work conducted as part of the AFCI (including costs estimates) and Generation IV reactor development studies. This document will serve as a guide for selecting the most appropriate software platform for VISION. This is a ''living document'' that will be modified over the course of the execution of this work

An integrated impact assessment and weighting methodology: evaluation of the environmental consequences of computer display technology substitution.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xiaoying; Schoenung, Julie M

2007-04-01

Computer display technology is currently in a state of transition, as the traditional technology of cathode ray tubes is being replaced by liquid crystal display flat-panel technology. Technology substitution and process innovation require the evaluation of the trade-offs among environmental impact, cost, and engineering performance attributes. General impact assessment methodologies, decision analysis and management tools, and optimization methods commonly used in engineering cannot efficiently address the issues needed for such evaluation. The conventional Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) process often generates results that can be subject to multiple interpretations, although the advantages of the LCA concept and framework obtain wide recognition. In the present work, the LCA concept is integrated with Quality Function Deployment (QFD), a popular industrial quality management tool, which is used as the framework for the development of our integrated model. The problem of weighting is addressed by using pairwise comparison of stakeholder preferences. Thus, this paper presents a new integrated analytical approach, Integrated Industrial Ecology Function Deployment (I2-EFD), to assess the environmental behavior of alternative technologies in correlation with their performance and economic characteristics. Computer display technology is used as the case study to further develop our methodology through the modification and integration of various quality management tools (e.g., process mapping, prioritization matrix) and statistical methods (e.g., multi-attribute analysis, cluster analysis). Life cycle thinking provides the foundation for our methodology, as we utilize a published LCA report, which stopped at the characterization step, as our starting point. Further, we evaluate the validity and feasibility of our methodology by considering uncertainty and conducting sensitivity analysis.

Feasibility study on commercialization of fast breeder reactor cycle system. Interim report of phase 2. Technical study report on synthetic evaluation for FBR cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiotani, Hiroki; Ohtaki, Akira; Ono, Kiyoshi; Yasumatsu, Naoto; Kubota, Sadae; Heta, Masanori

2004-09-01

This report presents the outline of the development and the results of Synthetic evaluation on the candidate Fast Reactor (FR) cycle system concepts, scenario study on FR cycle deployment and cost-benefit analysis on the candidate FR cycle system concepts in the interim evaluation (FY2001 through FY2003) of the phase 2 of the Japanese 'Feasibility Study on Commercialization of Fast Reactor Cycle System (FS)'. The characteristic evaluation extended to evaluate a new view point of social acceptance besides the viewpoints of safety, economics, reduction of environmental burden, efficient utilization of uranium resource, proliferation resistance, and technical feasibility, which has been considered since the phase 1 of FS. As for the six view points, hierarchy structures and utility functions for quantitative evaluation have been developed and/or improved. Furthermore, the methodology for weighing the viewpoints, which was also developed, made it possible to examine the characteristics of the candidate concepts from all the seven viewpoints. Generally, the FR cycles with sodium-cooled FR were highly evaluated. The characteristic evaluation for alternative power supply systems was also tried in this report for the first time. FR cycle deployment scenarios clarified the necessity of FR cycle deployment and the desirable core features, etc. through the long-term mass flow analysis, which includes comparison among other nuclear fuel cycle schemes and analysis for evaluating the degree to meet future needs, on the typical FR cycle systems. Regarding cost-benefit analysis, both the amount of the cost estimated by the past R and D and the cost in the Road map of FS are used as the investment for FR cycle research and development (R and D), the results showed that the benefit derived from the commercialization of FR cycle will be more than the investment. (author)

Evaluation of the Renault Express Electrique over six different driving cycles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2000-01-01

A Renault Express Electrique with a conventional drive line has been evaluated by IAE over a range of six different drive cycles. Each cycle was driven once, with a fully charged battery. From the measurement results the energy consumption and the cycle length were examined. This document contains a

Advancing Integrated Systems Modelling Framework for Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anthony Halog

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The need for integrated methodological framework for sustainability assessment has been widely discussed and is urgent due to increasingly complex environmental system problems. These problems have impacts on ecosystems and human well-being which represent a threat to economic performance of countries and corporations. Integrated assessment crosses issues; spans spatial and temporal scales; looks forward and backward; and incorporates multi-stakeholder inputs. This study aims to develop an integrated methodology by capitalizing the complementary strengths of different methods used by industrial ecologists and biophysical economists. The computational methodology proposed here is systems perspective, integrative, and holistic approach for sustainability assessment which attempts to link basic science and technology to policy formulation. The framework adopts life cycle thinking methods—LCA, LCC, and SLCA; stakeholders analysis supported by multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA; and dynamic system modelling. Following Pareto principle, the critical sustainability criteria, indicators and metrics (i.e., hotspots can be identified and further modelled using system dynamics or agent based modelling and improved by data envelopment analysis (DEA and sustainability network theory (SNT. The framework is being applied to development of biofuel supply chain networks. The framework can provide new ways of integrating knowledge across the divides between social and natural sciences as well as between critical and problem-solving research.

The Derivation of Evaluation Criteria of Nuclear Fuel Cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, S. K.; Ko, W. I.

2013-01-01

This study suggests the evaluation criteria and evaluation indicators derived using a factor analysis. As a result of a factor analysis, 5 evaluation criteria (safety (technological feature), environmental impact, economic feasibility, sociality, institution) and 24 evaluation indicators were selected. Particularly, the level of legislation for the management of radioactive waste, the level of establishment of safety standards of the country, and the level of application of international safety standards were analyzed to be qualitative evaluation indicators that should be considered in the aspect of the institution. The purpose of an analysis on diverse nuclear fuel cycles is to select the optimum nuclear fuel cycle suitable for the environment of one's own country. Accordingly, diverse evaluation criteria and evaluation indicators are necessary. In addition, individual evaluation criteria can be explained with various evaluation indicators. For example, the evaluation criteria for economic feasibility can be explained with evaluation indicators such as the unit cost or total cost. However, if too many evaluation indicators are included in one evaluation criterion, the evaluation is not easy, and if too few evaluation indicators are established, the evaluation criteria cannot be explained sufficiently, and thus the evaluation can be distorted. Accordingly, not only should the evaluation indicators be composed of an appropriate number of units, but they should also not be overlapped, and ambiguous evaluation indicators should be dropped out and necessary evaluation indicators must be included

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Analysis by Integrated AHP and TOPSIS Method Using an Equilibrium Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, S. R. [University of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Choi, S. Y. [UNIST, Ulju (Korea, Republic of); Koc, W. I. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-15

Determining whether to break away from domestic conflict surrounding nuclear power and step forward for public consensus can be identified by transparent policy making considering public acceptability. In this context, deriving the best suitable nuclear fuel cycle for Korea is the key task in current situation. Assessing nuclear fuel cycle is a multicriteria decision making problem dealing with multiple interconnected issues on efficiently using natural uranium resources, securing an environment friendliness to deal with waste, obtaining the public acceptance, ensuring peaceful uses of nuclear energy, maintaining economic competitiveness compared to other electricity sources, and assessing technical feasibility of advanced nuclear energy systems. This paper performed the integrated AHP and TOPSIS analysis on three nuclear fuel cycle options against 5 different criteria including U utilization, waste management, material attractiveness, economics, and technical feasibility. The fuel cycle options analyzed in this paper are three different fuel cycle options as follows: PWR-Once through cycle(PWR-OT), PWR-MOX cycle, Pyro- SFR cycle. These fuel cycles are most likely to be adopted in the foreseeable future. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution). The analyzed nuclear fuel cycle options include the once-through cycle, the PWR-MOX recycle, and the Pyro-SFR recycle.

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Analysis by Integrated AHP and TOPSIS Method Using an Equilibrium Model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, S. R.; Choi, S. Y.; Koc, W. I.

2015-01-01

Determining whether to break away from domestic conflict surrounding nuclear power and step forward for public consensus can be identified by transparent policy making considering public acceptability. In this context, deriving the best suitable nuclear fuel cycle for Korea is the key task in current situation. Assessing nuclear fuel cycle is a multicriteria decision making problem dealing with multiple interconnected issues on efficiently using natural uranium resources, securing an environment friendliness to deal with waste, obtaining the public acceptance, ensuring peaceful uses of nuclear energy, maintaining economic competitiveness compared to other electricity sources, and assessing technical feasibility of advanced nuclear energy systems. This paper performed the integrated AHP and TOPSIS analysis on three nuclear fuel cycle options against 5 different criteria including U utilization, waste management, material attractiveness, economics, and technical feasibility. The fuel cycle options analyzed in this paper are three different fuel cycle options as follows: PWR-Once through cycle(PWR-OT), PWR-MOX cycle, Pyro- SFR cycle. These fuel cycles are most likely to be adopted in the foreseeable future. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution). The analyzed nuclear fuel cycle options include the once-through cycle, the PWR-MOX recycle, and the Pyro-SFR recycle

Cycle analysis of MCFC/gas turbine system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Musa Abdullatif

2017-01-01

Full Text Available High temperature fuel cells such as the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC and the molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC are considered extremely suitable for electrical power plant application. The molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC performances is evaluated using validated model for the internally reformed (IR fuel cell. This model is integrated in Aspen Plus™. Therefore, several MCFC/Gas Turbine systems are introduced and investigated. One of this a new cycle is called a heat recovery (HR cycle. In the HR cycle, a regenerator is used to preheat water by outlet air compressor. So the waste heat of the outlet air compressor and the exhaust gases of turbine are recovered and used to produce steam. This steam is injected in the gas turbine, resulting in a high specific power and a high thermal efficiency. The cycles are simulated in order to evaluate and compare their performances. Moreover, the effects of an important parameters such as the ambient air temperature on the cycle performance are evaluated. The simulation results show that the HR cycle has high efficiency.

Cycle analysis of MCFC/gas turbine system

Science.gov (United States)

Musa, Abdullatif; Alaktiwi, Abdulsalam; Talbi, Mosbah

2017-11-01

High temperature fuel cells such as the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and the molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) are considered extremely suitable for electrical power plant application. The molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) performances is evaluated using validated model for the internally reformed (IR) fuel cell. This model is integrated in Aspen Plus™. Therefore, several MCFC/Gas Turbine systems are introduced and investigated. One of this a new cycle is called a heat recovery (HR) cycle. In the HR cycle, a regenerator is used to preheat water by outlet air compressor. So the waste heat of the outlet air compressor and the exhaust gases of turbine are recovered and used to produce steam. This steam is injected in the gas turbine, resulting in a high specific power and a high thermal efficiency. The cycles are simulated in order to evaluate and compare their performances. Moreover, the effects of an important parameters such as the ambient air temperature on the cycle performance are evaluated. The simulation results show that the HR cycle has high efficiency.

Integrative Application of Life Cycle Assessment and Risk Assessment to Environmental Impacts of Anthropogenic Pollutants at a Watershed Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Xiaodan; Yu, Shen; Ma, Hwongwen

2018-01-01

Intense human activities have led to increasing deterioration of the watershed environment via pollutant discharge, which threatens human health and ecosystem function. To meet a need of comprehensive environmental impact/risk assessment for sustainable watershed development, a biogeochemical process-based life cycle assessment and risk assessment (RA) integration for pollutants aided by geographic information system is proposed in this study. The integration is to frame a conceptual protocol of "watershed life cycle assessment (WLCA) for pollutants". The proposed WLCA protocol consists of (1) geographic and environmental characterization mapping; (2) life cycle inventory analysis; (3) integration of life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) with RA via characterization factor of pollutant of interest; and (4) result analysis and interpretation. The WLCA protocol can visualize results of LCIA and RA spatially for the pollutants of interest, which might be useful for decision or policy makers for mitigating impacts of watershed development.

Preliminary structural integrity evaluations for the elevated temperature piping of the SFR IHTS against typical level a service events

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Chang-Gyu; Kim, Jong-Bum; Lee, Jae-Han

2009-01-01

The SFR is adapting the IHTS(Intermediate Heat Transport System) to prevent the interaction of radioactive primary sodium and SG(Steam Generator) water. The IHTS hot leg piping connecting the IHX(Intermediate Heat eXchanger) to the SG of a 1200MWe pool-type SFR is an object component in this study. ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel code Subsection NB provides rules for the design and analysis of the class 1 components. At an elevated temperature service, the ASME Subsection NH provides rules for the design and analysis of the Class 1 components but unfortunately, special rules for piping components are not provided until now. Therefore, the design and analysis of the IHTS hot leg piping shall comply with the design by analysis requirements of Subsection NH. The piping layout is proposed by considering the reactor component layout and reactor building space and the structural integrity is evaluated by considering two typical types of operating events in this study. Cycle type 1(CT-1) shows the refueling cycle event having a temperature history from a refueling temperature to a normal operating temperature via a hot standby temperature. Cycle type 2(CT-2) is a daily load follow operation. The structural integrity is evaluated by considering the enveloped CT-1 and CT-2 operating events per the ASME Subsection NH procedures. The SIE ASME-NH computer program, which has been developed to implement the ASME subsection NH rules, is used for the structural integrity evaluation by utilizing the finite element analysis results. (author)

Evaluating Online CPD Using Educational Criteria Derived from the Experiential Learning Cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, Andrew; Watts, David; Croston, Judith; Durkin, Catherine

2002-01-01

Develops a set of educational evaluation criteria for online continuing professional development (CPD) courses using Kolb's experiential learning cycle theory. Evaluates five courses provided by online CPD Web sites, concludes that these online courses neglect parts of the learning cycle, and suggests improvements. (Author/LRW)

Future of lignite resources: a life cycle analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qingsong; Liu, Wei; Yuan, Xueliang; Zheng, Xiaoning; Zuo, Jian

2016-12-01

Lignite is a low-quality energy source which accounts for 13 % of China's coal reserves. It is imperative to improve the quality of lignite for large-scale utilization. To further explore and analyze the influence of various key processes on the environment and economic costs, a lignite drying and compression technology is evaluated using an integrated approach of life cycle assessment and life cycle costs. Results showed that lignite mining, direct air emissions, and electricity consumption have most significant impacts on the environment. An integrated evaluation of life cycle assessment and life cycle costs showed that the most significant contributor to the environmental impacts and economic costs was the lignite mining process. The impact of transportation and wastewater treatment process on the environment and economic costs was small enough to be ignored. Critical factors were identified for reducing the environmental and economic impacts of lignite drying and compression technology. These findings provide useful inputs for both industrial practice and policy making for exploitation, processing, and utilization of lignite resources.

Visual Cycle Modulation as an Approach toward Preservation of Retinal Integrity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claes Bavik

Full Text Available Increased exposure to blue or visible light, fluctuations in oxygen tension, and the excessive accumulation of toxic retinoid byproducts places a tremendous amount of stress on the retina. Reduction of visual chromophore biosynthesis may be an effective method to reduce the impact of these stressors and preserve retinal integrity. A class of non-retinoid, small molecule compounds that target key proteins of the visual cycle have been developed. The first candidate in this class of compounds, referred to as visual cycle modulators, is emixustat hydrochloride (emixustat. Here, we describe the effects of emixustat, an inhibitor of the visual cycle isomerase (RPE65, on visual cycle function and preservation of retinal integrity in animal models. Emixustat potently inhibited isomerase activity in vitro (IC50 = 4.4 nM and was found to reduce the production of visual chromophore (11-cis retinal in wild-type mice following a single oral dose (ED50 = 0.18 mg/kg. Measure of drug effect on the retina by electroretinography revealed a dose-dependent slowing of rod photoreceptor recovery (ED50 = 0.21 mg/kg that was consistent with the pattern of visual chromophore reduction. In albino mice, emixustat was shown to be effective in preventing photoreceptor cell death caused by intense light exposure. Pre-treatment with a single dose of emixustat (0.3 mg/kg provided a ~50% protective effect against light-induced photoreceptor cell loss, while higher doses (1-3 mg/kg were nearly 100% effective. In Abca4-/- mice, an animal model of excessive lipofuscin and retinoid toxin (A2E accumulation, chronic (3 month emixustat treatment markedly reduced lipofuscin autofluorescence and reduced A2E levels by ~60% (ED50 = 0.47 mg/kg. Finally, in the retinopathy of prematurity rodent model, treatment with emixustat during the period of ischemia and reperfusion injury produced a ~30% reduction in retinal neovascularization (ED50 = 0.46mg/kg. These data demonstrate the ability of

The effect of mechanical load cycling and polishing time on microleakage of class V glass-ionomer and composite restorations: A scanning electron microscopy evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mansoreh Mirzaie

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Microleakage is one of the challenging concerns in direct filling restorations. Understanding of its related factors is important in clinical practice. The aim of this study was scanning electron microscopy (SEM evaluation of marginal integrity in three types of tooth-colored restorative materials in class V cavity preparations and the effect of load cycling and polishing time on the microleakage. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro experimental study, class V cavity preparations were prepared on the buccal and lingual surfaces of 60 bovine incisors. The specimens were divided into three groups each containing 20 teeth: group 1: Filtek Z350, Group 2: Fuji IX/G Coat Plus, Group 3: Fuji II LC/GC varnish. In each group, 2 subgroups (n = 20 were established based on finishing time (immediate or delayed by 24 h. All specimens were thermocycled (×2,000, 5-50°C. In each sub groups, half of the teeth were load cycled. Epoxy resin replicas of 24 specimens were evaluated under field emission-SEM and interfacial gaps were measured. All teeth were then immersed in 0.5% basic fuchsin dye for 24 h, sectioned and observed under stereomicroscope. Data were analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis′ test and Mann-Whitney U test and a comparison between incisal and cervical microleakage was made with Wilcoxon test. P < 0.05 was considered as significant. Results: Load cycling and filling material had a significant effect on microleakage, but polishing time did not. Cervical microleakage in Z350/load cycle/immediate polish and Fuji IX/load cycle/immediate or delayed polish and Fuji IX/no load cycle/immediate polish were significantly higher than incisal microleakage. Conclusion: It was concluded that the cervical sealing ability of Fuji IX under load cycling was better than Fuji II LC. Under load cycling and immediate polishing Z350 showed better marginal integrity than both Fuji II LC and Fuji IX. The immediate polishing didn′t cause a statistically

Evaluation and optimization of LWR fuel cycles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akbas, T.; Zabunoglu, O.; Tombakoglu, M.

2001-01-01

There are several options in the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle. Discharge burn-up, length of interim storage period, choice of direct disposal or recycling and method of reprocessing in case of recycling affect the options and determine/define the fuel cycle scenarios. These options have been evaluated in viewpoint of some tangible (fuel cycle cost, natural uranium requirement, decay heat of high level waste, radiological ingestion and inhalation hazards) and intangible factors (technological feasibility, nonproliferation aspect, etc.). Neutronic parameters are calculated using versatile fuel depletion code ORIGEN2.1. A program is developed for calculation of cost related parameters. Analytical hierarchy process is used to transform the intangible factors into the tangible ones. Then all these tangible and intangible factors are incorporated into a form that is suitable for goal programming, which is a linear optimization technique and used to determine the optimal option among alternatives. According to the specified objective function and constraints, the optimal fuel cycle scenario is determined using GPSYS (a linear programming software) as a goal programming tool. In addition, a sensitivity analysis is performed for some selected important parameters

Evaluation Indicators for Analysis of Nuclear Fuel Cycle Sustainability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeong, Chang Joon; Ko, Won Il; Chang, Hong Lae

2008-01-15

In this report, an attempt was made to derive indicators for the evaluation of the sustainability of the nuclear fuel cycle, using the methodologies developed by the INPRO, OECD/NEA and Gen-IV. In deriving the indicators, the three main elements of the sustainability, i.e., economics, environmental impact, and social aspect, as well as the technological aspect of the nuclear fuel cycle, considering the importance of the safety, were selected as the main criteria. An evaluation indicator for each criterion was determined, and the contents and evaluation method of each indicator were proposed. In addition, a questionnaire survey was carried out for the objectivity of the selection of the indicators in which participated some experts of the Korea Energy Technology and Emergency Management Institute (KETEMI) . Although the proposed indicators do not satisfy the characteristics and requirements of general indicators, it is presumed that they can be used in the analysis of the sustainability of the nuclear fuel cycle because those indicators incorporate various expert judgment and public opinions. On the other hand, the weighting factor of each indicator should be complemented in the future, using the AHP method and expert advice/consultations.

Study on integrated evaluation of sandstone-hosted uranium metallogenic potential in southern Yili basin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Shaoyang; Ke Dan; Xu Jianguo; Zheng Enjiu; Li Shengxiang

2008-01-01

Plenty of geological data have been accumulated during mineral resource survey in China; under the guidance of new metallogenic theories, it is an important task of how to use these data most effectively for the new cycle uranium survey. In this paper, the flow of establishing the integrated mineral deposits prospecting model for sandstone-hosted uranium deposits is put forward. Based on studying geologic, hydrogeologic and regional geophysical field characteristics of representative uranium deposits No. 512 in southern Yili basin, its multi-source information descriptive model has been established, from which 512-type integrated prospecting models of sandstone-hosted uranium orefield and deposits are summarized. According to the established integrated prospecting models, the metallogenic information extraction of sandstone-hosted uranium deposits has completed in the study area. Finally, the integrated quantitative evaluation of sandstone-hosted uranium metallogenic potential is performed by using the evidence weighing method to integrate middle scale multi-source metallogenic information in the southern Yili basin, and good prediction effect is obtained. (authors)

DETECTING ALIEN LIMIT CYCLES NEAR A HAMILTONIAN 2-SADDLE CYCLE

OpenAIRE

LUCA, Stijn; DUMORTIER, Freddy; Caubergh, M.; Roussarie, R.

2009-01-01

This paper aims at providing and example of a cubic Hamiltonian 2-saddle cycle that after bifurcation can give rise to an alien limit cycle; this is a limit cycle that is not controlled by a zero of the related Abelian integral. To guarantee the existence of an alien limit cycle one can verify generic conditions on the Abelian integral and on the transition map associated to the connections of the 2-saddle cycle. In this paper, a general method is developed to compute the first and second der...

Integrity evaluation for stud female threads on pressure vessel according to ASME code using FEM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Moon Young; Chung, Nam Yong

2003-01-01

The extension of design life among power plants is increasingly becoming a world-wide trend. Kori no.1 unit in Korea is operating two cycle. It has two man-ways for tube inspection in a steam generator which is one of the important components in a nuclear power plant. Especially, stud bolts for man-way cover have damaged by disassembly and assembly several times and degradation for bolt materials for long term operation. It should be evaluated and compared by ASME code criteria for integrity evaluation. Integrity evaluation criteria which has been made by the manufacturer is not applied on the stud bolts of nuclear pressure vessels directly because it is controlled by the yield stress of ASME code. It can apply evaluation criteria through FEM analysis to damaged female threads and to evaluated safety for helical-coil method which is used according to code case-N-496-1. From analysis results, we found that it is the same results between stress intensity which got from FEM analysis on damaged female threads over 10% by manufacture integrity criteria and 2/3 yield strength criteria on ASME code. It was also confirmed that the helical-coil repair method would be safe

IIASA's climate-vegetation-biogeochemical cycle module as a part of an integrated model for climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganopolski, A.V.; Jonas, M.; Krabec, J.; Olendrzynski, K.; Petoukhov, V.K.; Venevsky, S.V.

1994-01-01

The main objective of this study is the development of a hierarchy of coupled climate biosphere models with a full description of the global biogeochemical cycles. These models are planned for use as the core of a set of integrated models of climate change and they will incorporate the main elements of the Earth system (atmosphere, hydrosphere, pedosphere and biosphere) linked with each other (and eventually with the antroposphere) through the fluxes of heat, momentum, water and through the global biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nitrogen. This set of integrated models can be considered to fill the gap between highly simplified integrated models of climate change and very sophisticated and computationally expensive coupled models, developed on the basis of general circulation models (GCMs). It is anticipated that this range of integrated models will be an effective tool for investigating the broad spectrum of problems connected with the coexistence of human society and biosphere

Double Girder Bridge Crane with Double Cycling: Scheduling Strategy and Performance Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dandan Wang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper introduces a novel quay crane design, double girder bridge crane (DGBC. DGBC is capable of handling containers of two adjacent bays simultaneously, avoiding crane collisions, saving travelling and reposition cost, and eventually improving terminal efficiency. This problem is formulated as a resource-constrained project scheduling with objective to minimize the maximum completion time. A two-stage heuristic algorithm is proposed in which an operating sequences on each bay is obtained by double cycling, and the integrated timetable for both bays is constructed by solving resource conflicts using the proposed minimum cost strategy. We examine effectiveness and performance of applying DGBC with double cycling. A case study is presented to illustrate how DGBC works with the two-stage method. Three extreme cases with respective conflict types are investigated to develop the performance bounds of DGBC with double cycling. The results show that DGBC can significantly improve terminal productivity, and outperforms single girder crane in both makespan and the lift operation percentage. The highest DGBC efficiency does not require maximum double cycles in two bay schedules; rather the integrated timetable for two bays is the main contribution to the DGBC performance as it yields better cooperation between two spreaders and the driver.

An integrative process model of leadership: examining loci, mechanisms, and event cycles.

Science.gov (United States)

Eberly, Marion B; Johnson, Michael D; Hernandez, Morela; Avolio, Bruce J

2013-09-01

Utilizing the locus (source) and mechanism (transmission) of leadership framework (Hernandez, Eberly, Avolio, & Johnson, 2011), we propose and examine the application of an integrative process model of leadership to help determine the psychological interactive processes that constitute leadership. In particular, we identify the various dynamics involved in generating leadership processes by modeling how the loci and mechanisms interact through a series of leadership event cycles. We discuss the major implications of this model for advancing an integrative understanding of what constitutes leadership and its current and future impact on the field of psychological theory, research, and practice. © 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Integrate life-cycle assessment and risk analysis results, not methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Linkov, Igor; Trump, Benjamin D; Wender, Ben A; Seager, Thomas P; Kennedy, Alan J; Keisler, Jeffrey M

2017-08-04

Two analytic perspectives on environmental assessment dominate environmental policy and decision-making: risk analysis (RA) and life-cycle assessment (LCA). RA focuses on management of a toxicological hazard in a specific exposure scenario, while LCA seeks a holistic estimation of impacts of thousands of substances across multiple media, including non-toxicological and non-chemically deleterious effects. While recommendations to integrate the two approaches have remained a consistent feature of environmental scholarship for at least 15 years, the current perception is that progress is slow largely because of practical obstacles, such as a lack of data, rather than insurmountable theoretical difficulties. Nonetheless, the emergence of nanotechnology presents a serious challenge to both perspectives. Because the pace of nanomaterial innovation far outstrips acquisition of environmentally relevant data, it is now clear that a further integration of RA and LCA based on dataset completion will remain futile. In fact, the two approaches are suited for different purposes and answer different questions. A more pragmatic approach to providing better guidance to decision-makers is to apply the two methods in parallel, integrating only after obtaining separate results.

Optimization of life cycle management costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banerjee, A.K.

1994-01-01

As can be seen from the case studies, a LCM program needs to address and integrate, in the decision process, technical, political, licensing, remaining plant life, component replacement cycles, and financial issues. As part of the LCM evaluations, existing plant programs, ongoing replacement projects, short and long-term operation and maintenance issues, and life extension strategies must be considered. The development of the LCM evaluations and the cost benefit analysis identifies critical technical and life cycle cost parameters. These open-quotes discoveriesclose quotes result from the detailed and effective use of a consistent, quantifiable, and well documented methodology. The systematic development and implementation of a plant-wide LCM program provides for an integrated and structured process that leads to the most practical and effective recommendations. Through the implementation of these recommendations and cost effective decisions, the overall power production costs can be controlled and ultimately lowered

Proliferation resistance of the fuel cycle for the Integral Fast Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burris, L.

1993-01-01

Argonne National Laboratory has developed an electrorefining pyrochemical process for recovery and recycle of metal fuel discharged from the Integral Fast Reactor (FR). This inherently low decontamination process has an overall decontamination factor of only about 100 for the plutonium metal product. As a result, all of the fuel cycle operations must be conducted in heavily shielded cells containing a high-purity argon atmosphere. The FR fuel cycle possesses high resistance to clandestine diversion or overt, state- supported removal of plutonium for nuclear weapons production because of two main factors: the highly radioactive product, which is also contaminated with heat- and neutron-producing isotopes of plutonium and other actinide elements, and the difficulty of removing material from the FR facility through the limited number of cell transfer locks without detection

Some recent results on evaluating Feynman integrals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smirnov, V.A. [Nuclear Physics Institute of Moscow State University, Moscow 119992 (Russian Federation)

2006-07-15

Some recent results on evaluating Feynman integrals are reviewed. The status of the method based on Mellin-Barnes representation as a powerful tool to evaluate individual Feynman integrals is characterized. A new method based on Groebner bases to solve integration by parts relations in an automatic way is described.

Some recent results on evaluating Feynman integrals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smirnov, V.A.

2006-01-01

Some recent results on evaluating Feynman integrals are reviewed. The status of the method based on Mellin-Barnes representation as a powerful tool to evaluate individual Feynman integrals is characterized. A new method based on Groebner bases to solve integration by parts relations in an automatic way is described

Integrated Life Cycle Management: A Strategy for Plants to Extend Operating Lifetimes Safely with High Operational Reliability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esselman, Thomas; Bruck, Paul; Mengers, Charles

2012-01-01

Nuclear plant operators are studying the possibility of extending their existing generating facilities operating lifetime to 60 years and beyond. Many nuclear plants have been granted licenses to operate their facilities beyond the original 40 year term; however, in order to optimize the long term operating strategies, plant decision-makers need a consistent approach to support their options. This paper proposes a standard methodology to support effective decision-making for the long-term management of selected station assets. Methods detailed are intended to be used by nuclear plant site management, equipment reliability personnel, long term planners, capital asset planners, license renewal staff, and others that intend to look at operation between the current time and the end of operation. This methodology, named Integrated Life Cycle Management (ILCM), will provide a technical basis to assist decision makers regarding the timing of large capital investments required to get to the end of operation safely and with high plant reliability. ILCM seeks to identify end of life cycle failure probabilities for individual plant large capital assets and attendant costs associated with their refurbishment or replacement. It will provide a standard basis for evaluation of replacement and refurbishment options for these components. ILCM will also develop methods to integrate the individual assets over the entire plant thus assisting nuclear plant decision-makers in their facility long term operating strategies. (author)

Integrated structural biology and molecular ecology of N-cycling enzymes from ammonia-oxidizing archaea.

Science.gov (United States)

Tolar, Bradley B; Herrmann, Jonathan; Bargar, John R; van den Bedem, Henry; Wakatsuki, Soichi; Francis, Christopher A

2017-10-01

Knowledge of the molecular ecology and environmental determinants of ammonia-oxidizing organisms is critical to understanding and predicting the global nitrogen (N) and carbon cycles, but an incomplete biochemical picture hinders in vitro studies of N-cycling enzymes. Although an integrative structural and dynamic characterization at the atomic scale would advance our understanding of function tremendously, structural knowledge of key N-cycling enzymes from ecologically relevant ammonia oxidizers is unfortunately extremely limited. Here, we discuss the challenges and opportunities for examining the ecology of ammonia-oxidizing organisms, particularly uncultivated Thaumarchaeota, through (meta)genome-driven structural biology of the enzymes ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) and nitrite reductase (NirK). © 2017 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The NASA Energy and Water Cycle Extreme (NEWSE) Integration Project

Science.gov (United States)

House, P. R.; Lapenta, W.; Schiffer, R.

2008-01-01

Skillful predictions of water and energy cycle extremes (flood and drought) are elusive. To better understand the mechanisms responsible for water and energy extremes, and to make decisive progress in predicting these extremes, the collaborative NASA Energy and Water cycle Extremes (NEWSE) Integration Project, is studying these extremes in the U.S. Southern Great Plains (SGP) during 2006-2007, including their relationships with continental and global scale processes, and assessment of their predictability on multiple space and time scales. It is our hypothesis that an integrative analysis of observed extremes which reflects the current understanding of the role of SST and soil moisture variability influences on atmospheric heating and forcing of planetary waves, incorporating recently available global and regional hydro- meteorological datasets (i.e., precipitation, water vapor, clouds, etc.) in conjunction with advances in data assimilation, can lead to new insights into the factors that lead to persistent drought and flooding. We will show initial results of this project, whose goals are to provide an improved definition, attribution and prediction on sub-seasonal to interannual time scales, improved understanding of the mechanisms of decadal drought and its predictability, including the impacts of SST variability and deep soil moisture variability, and improved monitoring/attributions, with transition to applications; a bridging of the gap between hydrological forecasts and stakeholders (utilization of probabilistic forecasts, education, forecast interpretation for different sectors, assessment of uncertainties for different sectors, etc.).

International nuclear fuel cycle evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Witt, P.

1980-01-01

In the end of February 1980, the two-years work on the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation (INFCE) was finished in Vienna with a plenary meeting. INFCE is likely to have been a unique event in the history of international meetings: It was ni diplomatic negotiation meeting, but a techno-analytical investigation in which the participants tenaciously shuggled for many of the formulations. Starting point had been a meeting initiated by President Carter in Washington in Oct. 1979 after the World Economy Summit Meeting in London. The results of the investigation are presented here in a brief and popular form. (orig./UA) [de

Waste Classification based on Waste Form Heat Generation in Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles Using the Fuel-Cycle Integration and Tradeoffs (FIT) Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Denia Djokic; Steven J. Piet; Layne F. Pincock; Nick R. Soelberg

2013-02-01

This study explores the impact of wastes generated from potential future fuel cycles and the issues presented by classifying these under current classification criteria, and discusses the possibility of a comprehensive and consistent characteristics-based classification framework based on new waste streams created from advanced fuel cycles. A static mass flow model, Fuel-Cycle Integration and Tradeoffs (FIT), was used to calculate the composition of waste streams resulting from different nuclear fuel cycle choices. This analysis focuses on the impact of waste form heat load on waste classification practices, although classifying by metrics of radiotoxicity, mass, and volume is also possible. The value of separation of heat-generating fission products and actinides in different fuel cycles is discussed. It was shown that the benefits of reducing the short-term fission-product heat load of waste destined for geologic disposal are neglected under the current source-based radioactive waste classification system , and that it is useful to classify waste streams based on how favorable the impact of interim storage is in increasing repository capacity.

Integration and validation testing for PhEDEx, DBS and DAS with the PhEDEx LifeCycle agent

CERN Document Server

Wildish, Anthony

2013-01-01

The ever-increasing amount of data handled by the CMS dataflow and workflow management tools poses new challenges for cross-validation among different systems within CMS experiment at LHC. To approach this problem we developed an integration test suite based on the LifeCycle agent, a tool originally conceived for stress-testing new releases of PhEDEx, the CMS data-placement tool. The LifeCycle agent provides a framework for customising the test workflow in arbitrary ways, and can scale to levels of activity well beyond those seen in normal running. This means we can run realistic performance tests at scales not likely to be seen by the experiment for some years, or with custom topologies to examine particular situations that may cause concern some time in the future.The LifeCycle agent has recently been enhanced to become a general purpose integration and validation testing tool for major CMS services (PhEDEx, DBS, DAS). It allows cross-system integration tests of all three components to be performed in contr...

Integrated gasification combined-cycle research development and demonstration activities in the US

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ness, H.M.; Brdar, R.D.

1996-09-01

The United States Department of Energy (DOE)`s Office of Fossil Energy, Morgantown Energy Technology Center, is managing a research development and demonstration (RD&D) program that supports the commercialization of integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) advanced power systems. This overview briefly describes the supporting RD&D activities and the IGCC projects selected for demonstration in the Clean Coal Technology (CCT) Program.

Evaluation methodology and prospective introduction scenarios of FR cycle systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujii, Sumio; Katoh, Atsushi; Sato, Kazujiro

2003-01-01

The 21st century society will be facing growing demand of energy, global environmental issues and concerns about fossil fuel exhaustion. In this society, it is essential to seek for a sustainable energy system to solve these energy-related concerns. In order to find ways for solving these problems, 'Feasibility Study on Commercialized FR Cycle System' was launched in 1999 as a joint research project of JNC, electric utilities, JAERI, CRIEPI etc. This project aims to build promising FR cycle technologies for the 21st century. Now, we are in the second phase (JFY 2001-2005) of this project. At the end of the second phase, we will propose promising concepts through applying innovative technologies. We started this Feasibility Study with defining the development target, which ended in five items; safety, economy, environmental burden, resource utilization and nuclear non-proliferation. These items should also serve as basic viewpoints to evaluate achievements of the study. This paper describes how we evaluate FR cycle options to come up with the final promising candidates. This paper also describes a prospective scenario to introduce FR cycle system, which shows how the FR cycle will be replacing existing LWRs by using limited natural uranium resource and spent fuels. (author)

Technical comparison between Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) and Natural Gas Combined Cycle (NGCC) power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ortiz, Pablo Andres Silva; Venturini, Osvaldo Jose; Lora, Electo Eduardo Silva [Federal University of Itajuba - UNIFEI, MG (Brazil). Excellence Group in Thermal Power and Distributed Generation - NEST], e-mails: osvaldo@unifei.edu.br, electo@unifei.edu.br

2010-07-01

Among the emerging clean coal technologies for power generation, Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) and Natural Gas Combined Cycle (NGCC) systems are receiving considerable attention as a potentially attractive option to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). The main reason is because these systems has high efficiency and low emissions in comparison with traditional power generation plants. Currently in IGCC and NGCC systems at demonstration stage is been considered to implement CCS technology. CO{sub 2} emissions can be avoided in a gasification-based power plant because by transferring almost all carbon compounds to CO{sub 2} through the water gas shift (WGS) reaction, then removing the CO{sub 2} before it is diluted in the combustion stage. The aim of this study is to compare the technical performance of an IGCC system that uses Brazilian coal and petroleum coke as fuel with a NGCC system, with the same fixed output power of 450 MW. The first section of this paper presents the plant configurations of IGCC systems. The following section presents an analysis of NGCC technology. (author)

Inclusive integral evaluation for mammograms using the hierarchical fuzzy integral (HFI) model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amano, Takashi; Yamashita, Kazuya; Arao, Shinichi; Kitayama, Akira; Hayashi, Akiko; Suemori, Shinji; Ohkura, Yasuhiko

2000-01-01

Physical factors (physically evaluated values) and psychological factors (fuzzy measurements) of breast x-ray images were comprehensively evaluated by applying breast x-ray images to an extended stratum-type fuzzy integrating model. In addition, x-ray images were evaluated collectively by integrating the quality (sharpness, graininess, and contrast) of x-ray images and three representative shadows (fibrosis, calcification, tumor) in the breast x-ray images. We selected the most appropriate system for radiography of the breast from three kinds of intensifying screens and film systems for evaluation by this method and investigated the relationship between the breast x-ray images and noise equivalent quantum number, which is called the overall physical evaluation method, and between the breast x-ray images and psychological evaluation by a visual system with a stratum-type fuzzy integrating model. We obtained a linear relationship between the breast x-ray image and noise-equivalent quantum number, and linearity between the breast x-ray image and psychological evaluation by the visual system. Therefore, the determination of fuzzy measurement, which is a scale for fuzzy evaluation of psychological factors of the observer, and physically evaluated values with a stratum-type fuzzy integrating model enabled us to make a comprehensive evaluation of x-ray images that included both psychological and physical aspects. (author)

Evaporative gas turbine cycles. A thermodynamic evaluation of their potential

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosen, P M

1993-03-01

The report presents a systematic method of thermodynamically evaluating different gas turbine cycles, treating the working fluids as ideal gases (c{sub p}=c{sub p}(T)). All models used to simulate different components in the cycles are presented in the report in detail and then connected in a computer program fully developed by the author. The report focuses on the theme of evaporative gas turbine cycles, in which low level heat is used to evaporate water into the compressed air stream between the compressor and recuperator. This leads to efficiency levels close to a comparable combined cycle but without the steam bottoming cycle. A parametric analysis has been conducted with the aim of deciding the best configuration of an evaporative cycle both for an uncooled expander and for a cooled expander. The model proposed to simulate the cooled expander is a combination between two existing models. (121 refs., 35 figs.,).

Toward a Comprehensive Framework for Evaluating the Core Integration Features of Enterprise Integration Middleware Technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hossein Moradi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available To achieve greater automation of their business processes, organizations face the challenge of integrating disparate systems. In attempting to overcome this problem, organizations are turning to different kinds of enterprise integration. Implementing enterprise integration is a complex task involving both technological and business challenges and requires appropriate middleware technologies. Different enterprise integration solutions provide various functions and features which lead to the complexity of their evaluation process. To overcome this complexity, appropriate tools for evaluating the core integration features of enterprise integration solutions is required. This paper proposes a new comprehensive framework for evaluating the core integration features of both intra-enterprise and inter-enterprise Integration's enabling technologies, which simplify the process of evaluating the requirements met by enterprise integration middleware technologies.The proposed framework for evaluating the core integration features of enterprise integration middleware technologies was enhanced using the structural and conceptual aspects of previous frameworks. It offers a new schema for which various enterprise integration middleware technologies are categorized in different classifications and are evaluated based on their supporting level for the core integration features' criteria. These criteria include the functional and supporting features. The proposed framework, which is a revised version of our previous framework in this area, has developed the scope, structure and content of the mentioned framework.

Integration between a thermophotovoltaic generator and an Organic Rankine Cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Pascale, Andrea; Ferrari, Claudio; Melino, Francesco; Morini, Mirko; Pinelli, Michele

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A new energy system comprising a Thermo-Photo-Voltaic and Organic Rankine Cycle. ► An analytical model to calculate the performance of the system is introduced. ► The system shows promising results in terms of CHP performance. -- Abstract: The constant increase in energy need and the growing attention to the related environmental impact have given a boost to the development of new strategies in order to reduce the primary energy consumption and to improve its utilization. One of the possible strategies for achieving this aim is Combined Heat and Power (CHP) specially if coupled with the concept of on-site generation (also known as distributed generation). These approaches allow the reduction of fuel consumption and pollutant emissions and the increase of security in energy supply. This paper introduces the Thermophotovoltaic Organic Rankine Cycle Integrated System (TORCIS), an energy system integrating a ThermoPhotoVoltaic generator (TPV) and an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC). This study represents the start-up of a research program which involves three research teams from IMEM – National Research Council, ENDIF – University of Ferrara and DIEM – University of Bologna. The aim of this research is the complete definition and the pre-prototyping characterization of this system covering all the unresolved issues in this field. More specifically, TPV is a system to convert the radiation emitted from an artificial heat source (i.e. the combustion of fuel) into electrical energy by the use of photovoltaic cells. In this system, the produced electrical power is strictly connected to the thermal one as their ratio is almost constant and cannot be changed without severe loss in performance. The coupling between TPV and ORC allows this limitation to be overcome by the realization of a CHP system which can be regulated with a large degree of freedom changing the ratio between the produced electrical and thermal power. In this study a thermodynamic

Performance evaluation of an ejector subcooled vapor-compression refrigeration cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xing, Meibo; Yan, Gang; Yu, Jianlin

2015-01-01

Highlights: • An ejector subcooled vapor-compression refrigeration cycle is proposed. • The performance of the cycle with ejector subcooling is evaluated theoretically. • Increase in refrigeration capacity can be achieved by the ejector subcooled cycle. • The new cycle exhibits higher COP compared to the basic single-stage cycle. • Performance of the new cycle depends on the operation pressures of the ejector. - Abstract: In this study, a novel vapor-compression refrigeration cycle with mechanical subcooling using an ejector is proposed to improve the performance of a conventional single-stage vapor-compression refrigeration cycle. In the theoretical study, a mathematical model is developed to predict the performance of the cycle by using R404A and R290, and then compared with that of the conventional refrigeration cycle. The simulation results show that the performance of the ejector subcooled cycle is better than that of the conventional cycle. When the evaporator temperature ranges from −40 to −10 °C and the condenser temperature is 45 °C, the novel cycle displays volumetric refrigeration capacity improvements of 11.7% with R404A and 7.2% with R290. And the novel cycle achieves COP improvements of 9.5% with R404A and 7.0% with R290. In addition, the improvement of the COP and cooling capacity of this novel cycle largely depends on the operation pressures of the ejector. The potential practical advantages offered by the cycle may be worth further attention in future studies

Integrating life-cycle environmental and economic assessment with transportation and land use planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Chester, Mikhail V; Nahlik, Matthew J; Fraser, Andrew M; Kimball, Mindy A; Garikapati, Venu M

2013-01-01

The environmental outcomes of urban form changes should couple life-cycle and behavioral assessment methods to better understand urban sustainability policy outcomes. Using Phoenix, Arizona light rail as a case study, an integrated transportation and land use life-cycle assessment (ITLU-LCA) framework is developed to assess the changes to energy consumption and air emissions from transit-oriented neighborhood designs. Residential travel, commercial travel, and building energy use are included and the framework integrates household behavior change assessment to explore the environmental and economic outcomes of policies that affect infrastructure. The results show that upfront environmental and economic investments are needed (through more energy-intense building materials for high-density structures) to produce long run benefits in reduced building energy use and automobile travel. The annualized life-cycle benefits of transit-oriented developments in Phoenix can range from 1.7 to 230 Gg CO2e depending on the aggressiveness of residential density. Midpoint impact stressors for respiratory effects and photochemical smog formation are also assessed and can be reduced by 1.2-170 Mg PM10e and 41-5200 Mg O3e annually. These benefits will come at an additional construction cost of up to $410 million resulting in a cost of avoided CO2e at $16-29 and household cost savings.

From life cycle analysis approach to monetarisation of the impacts: an evaluation in term of decision process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darras, M.

2002-01-01

The life cycle analysis offers a new tool in the direction of integration of the multiple physical flows of matters around industrial processes and products, including the usage stage. Simultaneously, it stresses the multidimensional impact of the human activities, first in term of physical flows, but then in term of impact on the goals stated above. In this perspective, integrating framework for decision are needed, especially at the more global level. One of the proposed frameworks is the monetarisation and cost-benefit analysis, as an extension of the quantitative economy. The multi-dimensional choice, unfit for strict order choice, is reduce to one variable.In the presentation below, because of the importance of this approach in connection with Life Cycle Analysis and public policies, we concentrate on the;analysis of this framework. We will show that it might shed light on the decision process, especially if associated with its uncertainties, its limits in term of process or criteria taken into account, the indication of other social criteria not taken into account, and other method of evaluation. At the end, this is mainly a source for a better multi-criteria decision process. (author)

Visual Cycle Modulation as an Approach toward Preservation of Retinal Integrity

OpenAIRE

Bavik, Claes; Henry, Susan Hayes; Zhang, Yan; Mitts, Kyoko; McGinn, Tim; Budzynski, Ewa; Pashko, Andriy; Lieu, Kuo Lee; Zhong, Sheng; Blumberg, Bruce; Kuksa, Vladimir; Orme, Mark; Scott, Ian; Fawzi, Ahmad; Kubota, Ryo

2015-01-01

© 2015 Bavik et al. Increased exposure to blue or visible light, fluctuations in oxygen tension, and the excessive accumulation of toxic retinoid byproducts places a tremendous amount of stress on the retina. Reduction of visual chromophore biosynthesis may be an effective method to reduce the impact of these stressors and preserve retinal integrity. A class of non-retinoid, small molecule compounds that target key proteins of the visual cycle have been developed. The first candidate in this ...

Report on GeoData 2011 Workshop - Data Life Cycle, Integration and Citation

Science.gov (United States)

Signell, R.; Fox, P.

2012-04-01

The U.S. GeoData 2011 was inspired by a joint NSF-USGS identification of the need to hear from the broader 'geo' community on a variety of data related matters. While increasing attention needed to be paid to full life cycle of data, in the process of preparing and scoping the workshop two other hot issues were identified: integration and citation, giving the workshop three subject areas to delve into as well as to explore connections among them. Invited participants were drawn from all 'Geo' disciplines, and beyond, from information, computer and library science, from academia, agency and commercial organizations, and from student to senior faculty/ administrators. The workshop diversity provided a rich exchange of ideas, experiences and challenges for GeoData. Many key findings and recommendations have been extracted from the detail breakout discussions and syntheses during and after the workshop. Topical categories included: metadata, standards, standards-based tools, culture, collaboration and workforce. Key points that cut across all three-subject areas were: - A shift is needed within agencies to provide longer-term funding support, for communities to come together, remain coherent and to enable data stewardship, integration and citation within their communities and across to other communities (to the extent possible). - Agencies like USGS, NASA and NOAA must also play a key role in sustaining geoscience cyberinfrastructure by moving research advances into operations. - Community-wide standards and practices should build from demonstrated successes, be widely disseminated, and tools need to be developed to support them. - Education is critical to broader adoption. Marketing studies need to be conducted to provide the business case for full stewardship, integration and citation, and incentives are needed to encourage everyone to participate in making data integratable, citable, etc. While technology gaps are still evident across the three topic areas, there is

Integration and validation testing for PhEDEx, DBS and DAS with the PhEDEx LifeCycle agent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boeser, C; Chwalek, T; Giffels, M; Kuznetsov, V; Wildish, T

2014-01-01

The ever-increasing amount of data handled by the CMS dataflow and workflow management tools poses new challenges for cross-validation among different systems within CMS experiment at LHC. To approach this problem we developed an integration test suite based on the LifeCycle agent, a tool originally conceived for stress-testing new releases of PhEDEx, the CMS data-placement tool. The LifeCycle agent provides a framework for customising the test workflow in arbitrary ways, and can scale to levels of activity well beyond those seen in normal running. This means we can run realistic performance tests at scales not likely to be seen by the experiment for some years, or with custom topologies to examine particular situations that may cause concern some time in the future. The LifeCycle agent has recently been enhanced to become a general purpose integration and validation testing tool for major CMS services. It allows cross-system integration tests of all three components to be performed in controlled environments, without interfering with production services. In this paper we discuss the design and implementation of the LifeCycle agent. We describe how it is used for small-scale debugging and validation tests, and how we extend that to large-scale tests of whole groups of sub-systems. We show how the LifeCycle agent can emulate the action of operators, physicists, or software agents external to the system under test, and how it can be scaled to large and complex systems.

Integration and validation testing for PhEDEx, DBS and DAS with the PhEDEx LifeCycle agent

Science.gov (United States)

Boeser, C.; Chwalek, T.; Giffels, M.; Kuznetsov, V.; Wildish, T.

2014-06-01

The ever-increasing amount of data handled by the CMS dataflow and workflow management tools poses new challenges for cross-validation among different systems within CMS experiment at LHC. To approach this problem we developed an integration test suite based on the LifeCycle agent, a tool originally conceived for stress-testing new releases of PhEDEx, the CMS data-placement tool. The LifeCycle agent provides a framework for customising the test workflow in arbitrary ways, and can scale to levels of activity well beyond those seen in normal running. This means we can run realistic performance tests at scales not likely to be seen by the experiment for some years, or with custom topologies to examine particular situations that may cause concern some time in the future. The LifeCycle agent has recently been enhanced to become a general purpose integration and validation testing tool for major CMS services. It allows cross-system integration tests of all three components to be performed in controlled environments, without interfering with production services. In this paper we discuss the design and implementation of the LifeCycle agent. We describe how it is used for small-scale debugging and validation tests, and how we extend that to large-scale tests of whole groups of sub-systems. We show how the LifeCycle agent can emulate the action of operators, physicists, or software agents external to the system under test, and how it can be scaled to large and complex systems.

Techno-economic evaluation for the heat integration of vaporisation cold energy in natural gas processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koku, Oludolapo; Perry, Simon; Kim, Jin-Kuk

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Development of thermal integration modelling framework for the utilisation of LNG cold energy. • Feasibility study for various design options for the integration of low-temperature cold energy. • Provision of a design approach for achieving efficient use of cold energy in LNG terminals. • Understanding of techno-economic impacts associated with the thermal integration of LNG cold energy. - Abstract: This paper addresses a conceptual study investigating the techno-economic feasibility for the thermal Integration of LNG cold vaporisation energy in power generation applications. In conventional regasification systems, this valuable LNG cold energy is often being wasted to ambient heat sources, representing a thermodynamic inefficient process with a significant thermal impact on the local environment. A combined facility consisting of a non-integrated Combined Cycle Power Plant (CCPP) and an LNG receiving terminal employing traditional Open Rack Vaporisers (ORV) technology, has been modelled, as a base case. Retrofit strategies for the integration of LNG cold energy have been investigated, and their impacts on power production and system efficiency are systematically compared. Retrofit design options considered in this work include the use of a propane Rankine cycle coupled with the direct expansion of natural gas, the integration of a closed-loop water cycle or open-loop water circuit with a steam Rankine cycle, and the facilitation of integrated air cooling for a gas turbine

Integrating Life-cycle Assessment into Transport Cost-benefit Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Manzo, Stefano; Salling, Kim Bang

2016-01-01

Traditional transport Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) commonly ignores the indirect environmental impacts of an infrastructure project deriving from the overall life-cycle of the different project components. Such indirect impacts are instead of key importance in order to assess the long......-term sustainability of a transport infrastructure project. In the present study we suggest to overcome this limit by combining a conventional life-cycle assessment approach with standard transport cost-benefit analysis. The suggested methodology is tested upon a case study project related to the construction of a new...... fixed link across the Roskilde fjord in Frederikssund (Denmark). The results are then compared with those from a standard CBA framework. The analysis shows that indirect environmental impacts represent a relevant share of the estimated costs of the project, clearly affecting the final project evaluation...

Systematization of simplified J-integral evaluation method for flaw evaluation at high temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miura, Naoki; Takahashi, Yukio; Nakayama, Yasunari; Shimakawa, Takashi

2000-01-01

J-integral is an effective inelastic fracture parameter for the flaw evaluation of cracked components at high temperature. The evaluation of J-integral for an arbitrary crack configuration and an arbitrary loading condition can be generally accomplished by detailed numerical analysis such as finite element analysis, however, it is time-consuming and requires a high degree of expertise for its implementation. Therefore, it is important to develop simplified J-integral estimation techniques from the viewpoint of industrial requirements. In this study, a simplified J-integral evaluation method is proposed to estimate two types of J-integral parameters. One is the fatigue J-integral range to describe fatigue crack propagation behavior, and the other is the creep J-integral to describe creep crack propagation behavior. This paper presents the systematization of the simplified J-integral evaluation method incorporated with the reference stress method and the concept of elastic follow-up, and proposes a comprehensive evaluation procedure. The verification of the proposed method is presented in Part II of this paper. (author)

An integrated multicriteria decision-making approach for evaluating nuclear fuel cycle systems for long-term sustainability on the basis of an equilibrium model: Technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution, preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation, and multiattribute utility theory combined with analytic hierarchy process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, Sae Rom [Dept of Quantum Energy Chemical Engineering, Korea University of Science and Technology (KUST), Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Sung Yeol [Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulju (Korea, Republic of); Ko, Wonil [Nonproliferation System Development Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2017-02-15

The focus on the issues surrounding spent nuclear fuel and lifetime extension of old nuclear power plants continues to grow nowadays. A transparent decision-making process to identify the best suitable nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) is considered to be the key task in the current situation. Through this study, an attempt is made to develop an equilibrium model for the NFC to calculate the material flows based on 1 TWh of electricity production, and to perform integrated multicriteria decision-making method analyses via the analytic hierarchy process technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution, preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation, and multiattribute utility theory methods. This comparative study is aimed at screening and ranking the three selected NFC options against five aspects: sustainability, environmental friendliness, economics, proliferation resistance, and technical feasibility. The selected fuel cycle options include pressurized water reactor (PWR) once-through cycle, PWR mixed oxide cycle, or pyroprocessing sodium-cooled fast reactor cycle. A sensitivity analysis was performed to prove the robustness of the results and explore the influence of criteria on the obtained ranking. As a result of the comparative analysis, the pyroprocessing sodium-cooled fast reactor cycle is determined to be the most competitive option among the NFC scenarios.

An integrated multicriteria decision-making approach for evaluating nuclear fuel cycle systems for long-term sustainability on the basis of an equilibrium model: Technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution, preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation, and multiattribute utility theory combined with analytic hierarchy process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Sae Rom; Choi, Sung Yeol; Ko, Wonil

2017-01-01

The focus on the issues surrounding spent nuclear fuel and lifetime extension of old nuclear power plants continues to grow nowadays. A transparent decision-making process to identify the best suitable nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) is considered to be the key task in the current situation. Through this study, an attempt is made to develop an equilibrium model for the NFC to calculate the material flows based on 1 TWh of electricity production, and to perform integrated multicriteria decision-making method analyses via the analytic hierarchy process technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution, preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation, and multiattribute utility theory methods. This comparative study is aimed at screening and ranking the three selected NFC options against five aspects: sustainability, environmental friendliness, economics, proliferation resistance, and technical feasibility. The selected fuel cycle options include pressurized water reactor (PWR) once-through cycle, PWR mixed oxide cycle, or pyroprocessing sodium-cooled fast reactor cycle. A sensitivity analysis was performed to prove the robustness of the results and explore the influence of criteria on the obtained ranking. As a result of the comparative analysis, the pyroprocessing sodium-cooled fast reactor cycle is determined to be the most competitive option among the NFC scenarios

An Integrated Multicriteria Decision-Making Approach for Evaluating Nuclear Fuel Cycle Systems for Long-term Sustainability on the Basis of an Equilibrium Model: Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution, Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation, and Multiattribute Utility Theory Combined with Analytic Hierarchy Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saerom Yoon

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The focus on the issues surrounding spent nuclear fuel and lifetime extension of old nuclear power plants continues to grow nowadays. A transparent decision-making process to identify the best suitable nuclear fuel cycle (NFC is considered to be the key task in the current situation. Through this study, an attempt is made to develop an equilibrium model for the NFC to calculate the material flows based on 1 TWh of electricity production, and to perform integrated multicriteria decision-making method analyses via the analytic hierarchy process technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution, preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation, and multiattribute utility theory methods. This comparative study is aimed at screening and ranking the three selected NFC options against five aspects: sustainability, environmental friendliness, economics, proliferation resistance, and technical feasibility. The selected fuel cycle options include pressurized water reactor (PWR once-through cycle, PWR mixed oxide cycle, or pyroprocessing sodium-cooled fast reactor cycle. A sensitivity analysis was performed to prove the robustness of the results and explore the influence of criteria on the obtained ranking. As a result of the comparative analysis, the pyroprocessing sodium-cooled fast reactor cycle is determined to be the most competitive option among the NFC scenarios.

Life cycle assessment integrated with thermodynamic analysis of bio-fuel options for solid oxide fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jiefeng; Babbitt, Callie W; Trabold, Thomas A

2013-01-01

A methodology that integrates life cycle assessment (LCA) with thermodynamic analysis is developed and applied to evaluate the environmental impacts of producing biofuels from waste biomass, including biodiesel from waste cooking oil, ethanol from corn stover, and compressed natural gas from municipal solid wastes. Solid oxide fuel cell-based auxiliary power units using bio-fuel as the hydrogen precursor enable generation of auxiliary electricity for idling heavy-duty trucks. Thermodynamic analysis is applied to evaluate the fuel conversion efficiency and determine the amount of fuel feedstock needed to generate a unit of electrical power. These inputs feed into an LCA that compares energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of different fuel pathways. Results show that compressed natural gas from municipal solid wastes is an optimal bio-fuel option for SOFC-APU applications in New York State. However, this methodology can be regionalized within the U.S. or internationally to account for different fuel feedstock options. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Benefit-Risk Assessment, Communication, and Evaluation (BRACE) throughout the life cycle of therapeutic products: overall perspective and role of the pharmacoepidemiologist.

Science.gov (United States)

Radawski, Christine; Morrato, Elaine; Hornbuckle, Kenneth; Bahri, Priya; Smith, Meredith; Juhaeri, Juhaeri; Mol, Peter; Levitan, Bennett; Huang, Han-Yao; Coplan, Paul; Li, Hu

2015-12-01

Optimizing a therapeutic product's benefit-risk profile is an on-going process throughout the product's life cycle. Different, yet related, benefit-risk assessment strategies and frameworks are being developed by various regulatory agencies, industry groups, and stakeholders. This paper summarizes current best practices and discusses the role of the pharmacoepidemiologist in these activities, taking a life-cycle approach to integrated Benefit-Risk Assessment, Communication, and Evaluation (BRACE). A review of the medical and regulatory literature was performed for the following steps involved in therapeutic benefit-risk optimization: benefit-risk evidence generation; data integration and analysis; decision making; regulatory and policy decision making; benefit-risk communication and risk minimization; and evaluation. Feedback from International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology members was solicited on the role of the pharmacoepidemiologist. The case example of natalizumab is provided to illustrate the cyclic nature of the benefit-risk optimization process. No single, globally adopted benefit-risk assessment process exists. The BRACE heuristic offers a way to clarify research needs and to promote best practices in a cyclic and integrated manner and highlight the critical importance of cross-disciplinary input. Its approach focuses on the integration of BRACE activities for risk minimization and optimization of the benefit-risk profile. The activities defined in the BRACE heuristic contribute to the optimization of the benefit-risk profile of therapeutic products in the clinical world at both the patient and population health level. With interdisciplinary collaboration, pharmacoepidemiologists are well suited for bringing in methodology expertise, relevant research, and public health perspectives into the BRACE process. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Fatigue cycles evaluation of 500 MWe PHWR coolant channel sealdisc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chawla, D.S.; Vaze, K.K.; Kushwaha, H.S.; Gupta, K.S.; Bhambra, H.S.

1998-07-01

At each end of coolant channel there is one sealing plug assembly. The sealdisc is a part of sealing plug assembly. The sealdisc is used to avoid leakage of heavy water. The importance of sealdisc can be understood by the fact that there are 784 sealdiscs in one 500 MWe PHWR unit. During the life time of reactor the sealdisc will be subjected to cyclic loads due to reactor startup, shutdown, power setback and also due to refuelling operations. Excessive reversal of stresses may lead to fatigue failure. The sealdisc failure may cause loss of coolant accidents. Since sealdisc is safety class 1 component, it has to be qualified according to ASME Section III Division 1 NB. For cyclic loads, the fatigue analysis is essential to assess the allowable number of cycles and also to check the total usage factor due to different cyclic loads. To evaluate the allowable fatigue cycles, the analysis is carried out using finite element method. The present report deals with the fatigue cycles evaluation of 500 MWe PHWR sealdisc. The finite element model having eight noded axisymmetric elements is used for the analysis. The various loads considered in the analysis are mechanical loads arising due to refuelling operations and number of temperature-pressure transients. During refuelling, the sealdisc is removed and reinstalled back by use of fuelling machine ram which applies load at centre as well as at rocker point of sealdisc. The stress analysis is carried out for each stage of loading during refuelling and fatigue cycles are evaluated. For temperature transient, decoupled thermal analysis is carried out. At various instants of time, the stresses are computed using temperatures calculated in thermal analysis. The pressure variation is also considered along with temperature variation. The fatigue cycles are evaluated for each transient using maximum alternating stress intensities. The usage factors are calculated for various temperature/pressure transients and refuelling loads

Fuel cycle centres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hagen, M.

1977-01-01

The concept of co-locating and integrating fuel cycle facilities at one site is discussed. This concept offers considerable advantages, especially in minimizing the amount of radioactive material to be transported on public roads. Safeguards and physical protection as relating to such an integrated system of facilities are analysed in detail, also industrial and commercial questions. An overall risk-benefit evaluation turns out to be in favour of fuel cycle centres. These centres seem to be specifically attractive with regard to the back end of the fuel cycle, including on-site disposal of radioactive wastes. The respective German approach is presented as an example. Special emphasis is given to the site selection procedures in this case. Time scale and cost for the implementation of this concept are important factors to be looked at. Since participation of governmental institutions in these centres seems to be indispensable their respective roles as compared to industry must be clearly defined. The idea of adjusting fuel cycle centres to regional rather than national use might be an attractive option, depending on the specific parameters in the region, though results of existing multinational ventures are inconclusive in this respect. Major difficulties might be expected e.g. because of different national safety regulations and standards as well as commercial conditions among partner countries. Public acceptance in the host country seems to be another stumbling block for the realization of this type of multinational facilities

Status of the Integral Fast Reactor fuel cycle demonstration and waste management practices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benedict, R.W.; Goff, K.M.; McFarlane, H.F.

1994-01-01

Over the past few years, Argonne National Laboratory has been preparing for the demonstration of the fuel cycle for the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR), an advanced reactor concept that takes advantage of the properties of metallic fuel and liquid metal cooling to offer significant improvements in reactor safety and operations, fuel-cycle economics, environmental protection, and safeguards. The IFR fuel cycle, which will be demonstrated at Argonne-West in Idaho, employs a pyrometallurgical process using molten salts and liquid metals to recover actinides from spent fuel. The required facility modifications and process equipment for the demonstration are nearing completion. Their status and the results from initial fuel fabrication work, including the waste management aspects, are presented. Additionally, estimated compositions of the various process waste streams have been made, and characterization and treatment methods are being developed. The status of advanced waste processing equipment being designed and fabricated is described

Once-through thorium fuel cycle evaluation for TVA's Browns Ferry-3 Boiling Water Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hopkins, G.C.

1982-05-01

This report documents benchmark evaluations to test thorium lattice predictive methods and neutron cross sections against available data and summarizes specific evaluations of the once-through thorium cycle when applied to the Browns Ferry-3 BWR. It was concluded that appreciable uncertainties in thorium cycle nuclear data cloud the ability to reliably predict the fuel cycle performance and that power reactor irradiations of ThO 2 rods in BWRs are desirable to resolve uncertainties. Benchmark evaluations indicated that the ENDF/B-IV data used in the evaluations should cause an underprediction of U-233/ThO 2 fuel reactivity, and, therefore, the results of the preliminary evaluations completed under the program should be conservative

Evaluation of mobile systems: an integrative framework.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Högler, T.; Versendaal, J.; Batenburg, R.

2015-01-01

This work presents an integrative framework for the evaluation of mobile systems. In comparison to stationary systems, mobile systems have a bundle of specific singularities that should be considered for evaluation. Further analysis of existing approaches clarifies that an integrative approach for

Life Cycle Thinking and Integrated Product Deliveries in renovation projects: Extending the concept of Integrated Product Deliveries with Product Service Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schipull Kauschen, Jan

2012-01-01

on renovation projects from Denmark, using different forms of IPDs for façade renovation and discusses the different stakeholder’s perspectives on life cycle thinking and their interests and values regarding sustainable building. Furthermore is the concept of Product Service Systems (PSS) as a valuable...... IPDs with regard to longevity and adaptability. CONCLUSION The new type of service-focused IPD and the related life-cycle responsibility (development, building phase, maintenance and dismantling/adaption/recycling) creates incentive to integrate life cycle thinking into the development process of IPDs......, resulting in more sustainable building solutions with a greater extend of positive environmental, economical and social impacts. The research presented will also show the importance of adaption and configuration of these complex building components by architects and planners, as they will have a great...

A Conceptual Study of Using an Isothermal Compressor on a Supercritical CO_2 Brayton Cycle for SMART Application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heo, Jin Young; Lee, Jeong Ik; Ahn, Yoonhan

2016-01-01

To maximize the benefits of modularization, the supercritical CO_2 (S-CO_2) power cycle can replace the conventional steam Rankine cycle to increase the cycle efficiency and reduce its system size. Previous works have been conducted to evaluate potential advantages of applying the S-CO_2 cycle to SMRs, specifically to SMART (System-integrated Modular Advanced Reactor) which is an integral SMR developed by KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Institute). One of the optimized S-CO_2 cycle layouts is the recompressing Brayton cycle. This paper attempts to improve the cycle layout by replacing the conventional compressor with an isothermal compressor, of which its potential in the S-CO_2 power cycle is conceptually being evaluated. The SMR applications, for which SMART reactor has been represented, can take advantage of the currently developing S-CO_2 cycle greatly by the reduction of size. By introducing the isothermal compressor, the cycle layout considered in has been further improved by increasing the cycle net efficiency by around 0.5%

FY 1997 survey report on information sharing product life-cycle systems. 2; 1997 nendo joho kyoyugata product life cycle system ni kansuru chosa hokokusho. 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-03-01

Highly value-added products considering a total life-cycle of products by integrating both production and consumption activities are much in demand, and each information corresponding to each product should be realized by concept integrating both information and product as common element. Survey was made on what a social system integrating production and consumption should be, a product information model, and technology integrating both information and product for raw material, industrial machine and household appliance as examples. An information model shared by the whole production and consumption activities was first prepared. Based on this model, data storage, update, retrieval and dispatch technologies were surveyed and developed for life-cycle systems. Degradation and life sensing technology was surveyed for maintenance, repair and disposal activities using proper unstable information of each product. A support system for use of shared information was developed to promote a new highly value-added function. Total evaluation was made on information sharing product life-cycle systems. 10 refs., 23 figs., 7 tabs.

The GLOBE Carbon Project: Integrating the Science of Carbon Cycling and Climate Change into K-12 Classrooms.

Science.gov (United States)

Ollinger, S. V.; Silverberg, S.; Albrechtova, J.; Freuder, R.; Gengarelly, L.; Martin, M.; Randolph, G.; Schloss, A.

2007-12-01

The global carbon cycle is a key regulator of the Earth's climate and is central to the normal function of ecological systems. Because rising atmospheric CO2 is the principal cause of climate change, understanding how ecosystems cycle and store carbon has become an extremely important issue. In recent years, the growing importance of the carbon cycle has brought it to the forefront of both science and environmental policy. The need for better scientific understanding has led to establishment of numerous research programs, such as the North American Carbon Program (NACP), which seeks to understand controls on carbon cycling under present and future conditions. Parallel efforts are greatly needed to integrate state-of-the-art science on the carbon cycle and its importance to climate with education and outreach efforts that help prepare society to make sound decisions on energy use, carbon management and climate change adaptation. Here, we present a new effort that joins carbon cycle scientists with the International GLOBE Education program to develop carbon cycle activities for K-12 classrooms. The GLOBE Carbon Cycle project is focused on bringing cutting edge research and research techniques in the field of terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycling into the classroom. Students will collect data about their school field site through existing protocols of phenology, land cover and soils as well as new protocols focused on leaf traits, and ecosystem growth and change. They will also participate in classroom activities to understand carbon cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, these will include plant- a-plant experiments, hands-on demonstrations of various concepts, and analysis of collected data. In addition to the traditional GLOBE experience, students will have the opportunity to integrate their data with emerging and expanding technologies including global and local carbon cycle models and remote sensing toolkits. This program design will allow students to explore research

Integrated operation and management system for a 700MW combined cycle power plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shiroumaru, I. (Yanai Power Plant Construction Office, Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc., 1575-5 Yanai-Miyamoto-Shiohama, Yanai-shi, Yamaguchi-ken (JP)); Iwamiya, T. (Omika Works, Hitachi, Ltd., 5-2-1 Omika-cho, Hitachi-shi, Ibaraki-ken (JP)); Fukai, M. (Hitachi Works, Hitachi, Ltd., 3-1-1 Saiwai-cho, Hitachi-shi, Ibaraki-ken (JP))

1992-03-01

Yanai Power Plant of the Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc. (Yamaguchi Pref., Japan) is in the process of constructing a 1400MW state-of-the-art combined cycle power plant. The first phase, a 350MW power plant, started operation on a commercial basis in November, 1990. This power plant has achieved high efficiency and high operability, major features of a combined cycle power plant. The integrated operation and management system of the power plant takes care of operation, maintenance, control of general business, etc., and was built using the latest computer and digital control and communication technologies. This paper reports that it is expected that this system will enhance efficient operation and management for the power plant.

Gas reactor international cooperative program interim report. Pebble bed reactor fuel cycle evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-09-01

Nuclear fuel cycles were evaluated for the Pebble Bed Gas Cooled Reactor under development in the Federal Republic of Germany. The basic fuel cycle specified for the HTR-K and PNP is well qualified and will meet the requirements of these reactors. Twenty alternate fuel cycles are described, including high-conversion cycles, net-breeding cycles, and proliferation-resistant cycles. High-conversion cycles, which have a high probability of being successfully developed, promise a significant improvement in resource utilization. Proliferation-resistant cycles, also with a high probability of successful development, compare very favorably with those for other types of reactors. Most of the advanced cycles could be adapted to first-generation pebble bed reactors with no significant modifications

Fuel cycle management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herbin, H.C.

1977-01-01

The fuel cycle management is more and more dependent on the management of the generation means among the power plants tied to the grid. This is due mainly because of the importance taken by the nuclear power plants within the power system. The main task of the fuel cycle management is to define the refuelling pattern of the new and irradiated fuel assemblies to load in the core as a function of: 1) the differences which exist between the actual conditions of the core and what was expected for the present cycle, 2) the operating constraints and the reactor availability, 3) the technical requirements in safety and the technological limits of the fuel, 4) the economics. Three levels of fuel cycle management can be considered: 1) a long term management: determination of enrichments and expected cycle lengths, 2) a mid term management whose aim corresponds to the evaluation of the batch to load within the core as a function of both: the next cycle length to achieve and the integrated power history of all the cycles up to the present one, 3) a short term management which deals with the updating of the loaded fuel utilisations to take into account the operation perturbations, or with the alteration of the loading pattern of the next batch to respect unexpected conditions. (orig.) [de

Integration of photovoltaic and concentrated solar thermal technologies for H2 production by the hybrid sulfur cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Liberatore, Raffaele; Ferrara, Mariarosaria; Lanchi, Michela; Turchetti, Luca

2017-06-01

It is widely agreed that hydrogen used as energy carrier and/or storage media may significantly contribute in the reduction of emissions, especially if produced by renewable energy sources. The Hybrid Sulfur (HyS) cycle is considered as one of the most promising processes to produce hydrogen through the water-splitting process. The FP7 project SOL2HY2 (Solar to Hydrogen Hybrid Cycles) investigates innovative material and process solutions for the use of solar heat and power in the HyS process. A significant part of the SOL2HY2 project is devoted to the analysis and optimization of the integration of the solar and chemical (hydrogen production) plants. In this context, this work investigates the possibility to integrate different solar technologies, namely photovoltaic, solar central receiver and solar troughs, to optimize their use in the HyS cycle for a green hydrogen production, both in the open and closed process configurations. The analysis carried out accounts for different combinations of geographical location and plant sizing criteria. The use of a sulfur burner, which can serve both as thermal backup and SO2 source for the open cycle, is also considered.

Comparison of different back end fuel cycle concepts and evaluation of their feasibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baetke, K.; Baumgaertel, G.; Bechthold, W.; Becker, R.; Closs, K.D.; Dippel, T.; Engelmann, H.J.; Fischer, P.M.; Fischer, U.; Haug, H.O.

1980-09-01

The study represents a comparison between the two alternative back end fuel cycle concepts, i.e., the 'integrated back end fuel cycle concept', (reprocessing, recycling of uranium and plutonium) and the 'spent fuel disposal concept', under aspects of technical feasibility, radiation accidents, radiological impact, and energy policy as well as with respect of the proliferation hazards issuing from each of these concepts. An overall comparison of the two back end fuel cycle concepts and the two fuel cycles, respectively, is not yet feasible at the present time, pending clarification of a number of problems of detail. For this reason, the Study also indicates the research activities that must still be carried out on spent fuel disposal in the next few years, in order to allow the comparison of the two back end fuel cycle alternatives to be carried out with respect to safety, as demanded by the heads of government of the Federal Republic and the Federal States for the mid-eighties. (orig./HP) [de

Nitrogen attenuation of terrestrial carbon cycle response to global environmental factors

Science.gov (United States)

Atul Jain; Xiaojuan Yang; Haroon Kheshgi; A. David McGuire; Wilfred Post; David. Kicklighter

2009-01-01

Nitrogen cycle dynamics have the capacity to attenuate the magnitude of global terrestrial carbon sinks and sources driven by CO2 fertilization and changes in climate. In this study, two versions of the terrestrial carbon and nitrogen cycle components of the Integrated Science Assessment Model (ISAM) are used to evaluate how variation in nitrogen...

Reload safety evaluation report for kori nuclear power plant unit 2 cycle 9

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Beom Jin; Kim, Si Yong; Kim, Oh Hwan; Nam, Kee Il; Um, Gil Sup; Ban, Chang Hwan; Choi, Dong Uk; Yoon, Kyung Ho

1992-04-01

The Kori Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 (Kori-2) is anticipated to be refuelled with 16x16 Korean Fuel Assemblies (KOFA), which are based on the KAERI design starting from Cycle 8. This report presents a reload safety evaluation for Kori-2, Cycle 9 and demonstrates that the reactor core being composed of various fuel assembly types as described below will not adversely affect the safety of the public and the plant. The evaluation of Kori-2, Cycle 9 was accomplished utilizing the methodology described in 'Reload Transition Safety Report for KORI 2' (Ref. /1-1/). The reload core for Kori-2, Cycle 9 is entirely comprised of 16x16 KOFA. In the Kori-2 licensing documentation to KEPCO the reference safety evaluation was provided for the operation of a reactor core fully loaded with KOFA as well as associated proposed changes to the Kori-2 Technical Specifications. The reload for Kori-2, Cycle 9 also introduces UO 2 /Gd 2 O 3 containing fuel rods. The use of fuel rods with Gd 2 O 3 poisoning of the fuel has been approved as a part of the above mentioned licensing documentation. All of the accidents comprising the licensing bases which could potentially be affected by the fuel reload have been reviewed for the Cycle 9 core design described herein. (Author)

Systems Analyses of Advanced Brayton Cycles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A.D. Rao; D.J. Francuz; J.D. Maclay; J. Brouwer; A. Verma; M. Li; G.S. Samuelsen

2008-09-30

The main objective is to identify and assess advanced improvements to the Brayton Cycle (such as but not limited to firing temperature, pressure ratio, combustion techniques, intercooling, fuel or combustion air augmentation, enhanced blade cooling schemes) that will lead to significant performance improvements in coal based power systems. This assessment is conducted in the context of conceptual design studies (systems studies) that advance state-of-art Brayton cycles and result in coal based efficiencies equivalent to 65% + on natural gas basis (LHV), or approximately an 8% reduction in heat rate of an IGCC plant utilizing the H class steam cooled gas turbine. H class gas turbines are commercially offered by General Electric and Mitsubishi for natural gas based combined cycle applications with 60% efficiency (LHV) and it is expected that such machine will be offered for syngas applications within the next 10 years. The studies are being sufficiently detailed so that third parties will be able to validate portions or all of the studies. The designs and system studies are based on plants for near zero emissions (including CO{sub 2}). Also included in this program is the performance evaluation of other advanced technologies such as advanced compression concepts and the fuel cell based combined cycle. The objective of the fuel cell based combined cycle task is to identify the desired performance characteristics and design basis for a gas turbine that will be integrated with an SOFC in Integrated Gasification Fuel Cell (IGFC) applications. The goal is the conceptualization of near zero emission (including CO{sub 2} capture) integrated gasification power plants producing electricity as the principle product. The capability of such plants to coproduce H{sub 2} is qualitatively addressed. Since a total systems solution is critical to establishing a plant configuration worthy of a comprehensive market interest, a baseline IGCC plant scheme is developed and used to study

Farinon microwave end of life cycle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Poe, R.C.

1996-06-24

This engineering report evaluates alternatives for the replacement of the Farinon microwave radio system. The system is beyond its expected life cycle and has decreasing maintainability. Principal applications supported by the Farinon system are two electrical utility monitor and control systems, the Integrated Transfer Trip System (ITTS), and the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.

Thermodynamic analysis of a novel integrated solar combined cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yuanyuan; Yang, Yongping

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A novel ISCC scheme with two-stage DSG fields has been proposed and analyzed. • HRSG and steam turbine working parameters have been optimized to match the solar integration. • New scheme exhibits higher solar shares in the power output and solar-to-electricity efficiency. • Thermodynamic performances between new and reference systems have been investigated and compared. - Abstract: Integrated solar combined cycle (ISCC) systems have become more and more popular due to their high fuel and solar energy utilization efficiencies. Conventional ISCC systems with direct steam generation (DSG) have only one-stage solar input. A novel ISCC with DSG system has been proposed and analyzed in this paper. The new system consists two-stage solar input, which would significantly increase solar share in the total power output. Moreover, how and where solar energy is input into ISCC system would have impact on the solar and system overall efficiencies, which have been analyzed in the paper. It has been found that using solar heat to supply latent heat for vaporization of feedwater would be superior to that to be used for sensible heating purposes (e.g. Superheating steam). The study shows that: (1) producing both the high- and low-pressure saturated steam in the DSG trough collector could be an efficient way to improve process and system performance; (2) for a given live steam pressure, the optimum secondary and reheat steam conditions could be matched to reach the highest system thermal efficiency and net solar-to-electricity efficiency; (3) the net solar-to-electricity efficiency could reach up to 30% in the novel two-stage ISCC system, higher than that in the one-stage ISCC power plant; (4) compared with the conventional combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power system, lower stack temperature could be achieved, owing to the elimination of the approach-temperature-difference constraint, resulting in better thermal match in the heat recovery steam generator

Integrated model-experimental framework to assess carbon cycle components in disturbed mountainous terrain

Science.gov (United States)

Stenzel, J.; Hudiburg, T. W.; Berardi, D.; McNellis, B.; Walsh, E.

2017-12-01

In forests vulnerable to drought and fire, there is critical need for in situ carbon and water balance measurements that can be integrated with earth system modeling to predict climate feedbacks. Model development can be improved by measurements that inform a mechanistic understanding of the component fluxes of net carbon uptake (i.e., NPP, autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration) and water use, with specific focus on responses to climate and disturbance. By integrating novel field-based instrumental technology, existing datasets, and state-of-the-art earth system modeling, we are attempting to 1) quantify the spatial and temporal impacts of forest thinning on regional biogeochemical cycling and climate 2) evaluate the impact of forest thinning on forest resilience to drought and disturbance in the Northern Rockies ecoregion. The combined model-experimental framework enables hypothesis testing that would otherwise be impossible because the use of new in situ high temporal resolution field technology allows for research in remote and mountainous terrains that have been excluded from eddy-covariance techniques. Our preliminary work has revealed some underlying difficulties with the new instrumentation that has led to new ideas and modified methods to correctly measure the component fluxes. Our observations of C balance following the thinning operations indicate that the recovery period (source to sink) is longer than hypothesized. Finally, we have incorporated a new plant functional type parameterization for Northern Rocky mixed-conifer into our simulation modeling using regional and site observations.

Comparative analysis of methods for integrating various environmental impacts as a single index in life cycle assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji, Changyoon; Hong, Taehoon

2016-01-01

Previous studies have proposed several methods for integrating characterized environmental impacts as a single index in life cycle assessment. Each of them, however, may lead to different results. This study presents internal and external normalization methods, weighting factors proposed by panel methods, and a monetary valuation based on an endpoint life cycle impact assessment method as the integration methods. Furthermore, this study investigates the differences among the integration methods and identifies the causes of the differences through a case study in which five elementary school buildings were used. As a result, when using internal normalization with weighting factors, the weighting factors had a significant influence on the total environmental impacts whereas the normalization had little influence on the total environmental impacts. When using external normalization with weighting factors, the normalization had more significant influence on the total environmental impacts than weighing factors. Due to such differences, the ranking of the five buildings varied depending on the integration methods. The ranking calculated by the monetary valuation method was significantly different from that calculated by the normalization and weighting process. The results aid decision makers in understanding the differences among these integration methods, and, finally, help them select the method most appropriate for the goal at hand.

Comparative analysis of methods for integrating various environmental impacts as a single index in life cycle assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ji, Changyoon, E-mail: changyoon@yonsei.ac.kr; Hong, Taehoon, E-mail: hong7@yonsei.ac.kr

2016-02-15

Previous studies have proposed several methods for integrating characterized environmental impacts as a single index in life cycle assessment. Each of them, however, may lead to different results. This study presents internal and external normalization methods, weighting factors proposed by panel methods, and a monetary valuation based on an endpoint life cycle impact assessment method as the integration methods. Furthermore, this study investigates the differences among the integration methods and identifies the causes of the differences through a case study in which five elementary school buildings were used. As a result, when using internal normalization with weighting factors, the weighting factors had a significant influence on the total environmental impacts whereas the normalization had little influence on the total environmental impacts. When using external normalization with weighting factors, the normalization had more significant influence on the total environmental impacts than weighing factors. Due to such differences, the ranking of the five buildings varied depending on the integration methods. The ranking calculated by the monetary valuation method was significantly different from that calculated by the normalization and weighting process. The results aid decision makers in understanding the differences among these integration methods, and, finally, help them select the method most appropriate for the goal at hand.

Evaluation of pavement life cycle cost analysis: Review and analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peyman Babashamsi

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The cost of road construction consists of design expenses, material extraction, construction equipment, maintenance and rehabilitation strategies, and operations over the entire service life. An economic analysis process known as Life-Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA is used to evaluate the cost-efficiency of alternatives based on the Net Present Value (NPV concept. It is essential to evaluate the above-mentioned cost aspects in order to obtain optimum pavement life-cycle costs. However, pavement managers are often unable to consider each important element that may be required for performing future maintenance tasks. Over the last few decades, several approaches have been developed by agencies and institutions for pavement Life-Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA. While the transportation community has increasingly been utilising LCCA as an essential practice, several organisations have even designed computer programs for their LCCA approaches in order to assist with the analysis. Current LCCA methods are analysed and LCCA software is introduced in this article. Subsequently, a list of economic indicators is provided along with their substantial components. Collecting previous literature will help highlight and study the weakest aspects so as to mitigate the shortcomings of existing LCCA methods and processes. LCCA research will become more robust if improvements are made, facilitating private industries and government agencies to accomplish their economic aims. Keywords: Life-Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA, Pavement management, LCCA software, Net Present Value (NPV

Method to evaluate covariance data for the thorium-uranium fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawano, T.; Chadwick, M.B.

2003-01-01

This power point presentation gives an overview about the evaluation strategy for the experimental data for the thorium-uranium fuel cycle. Uncertainties, error propagation and calculation methods are outlined. Covariance evaluation tools and computer codes have been developed and results are presented

Developments of integrity evaluation technology for pressurized components in nuclear power plant and IT based integrity evaluation system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Young Jin; Choi, Jae Boong; Shim, Do Jun [Sungkyunkwan Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)] (and others)

2003-03-15

The objective of this research is to develop an efficient evaluation technology and to investigate applicability of newly-developed technology, such as internet-based cyber platform, to operating power plants. Development of efficient evaluation systems for Nuclear Power Plant components, based on structural integrity assessment techniques, are increasingly demanded for safe operation with the increasing operating period of Nuclear Power Plants. The following five topics are covered in this project: development of assessment method for wall-thinned nuclear piping based on pipe test; development of structural integrity program for steam generator tubes with cracks of various shape; development of fatigue life evaluation system for mam components of NPP; development of internet-based cyber platform and integrity program for primary components of NPP; effect of aging on strength of dissimilar welds.

Technological study report on synthetic evaluation for FBR cycle. The report of the feasibility studies on commercialized FBR cycle system. Phase 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shinoda, Yoshihiko; Ohtaki, Akira; Kofuji, Hirohide; Ono, Kiyoshi; Hirao, Kazunori

2001-03-01

This report is intended to explain the outline of the characteristic evaluation work on various FR cycle system concepts, following the design work, in the 1st phase of the JNC's 'Feasibility Study on Commercialized Fast Reactor Cycle System (the F/S)' (from 1999 to March 2001). The purpose of this characteristic evaluation is to reveal the performance of candidate FR cycle systems. For this synthetic estimation, six viewpoints, such as Economics, Effective utilization of uranium resource, Reduction of environmental impact, Safety, Proliferation resistance, and Technological feasibility, are selected. In addition, aiming at the practical use in phase 2, we examined an application to FBR research and development of cost benefit analysis method used for the policy evaluation. Furthermore, long-term nuclear material mass flow was analyzed and the scenario of 'FBR application for the hydrogen production' is proposed, considering how FBR would be utilized for the 21st century. And, a database including the various documents and data used for evaluation was constructed. (author)

Economic evaluation of integrated care: an introduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hindrik Vondeling

2004-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Integrated care has emerged in a variety of forms in industrialised countries during the past decade. It is generally assumed that these new arrangements result in increased effectiveness and quality of care, while being cost-effective or even cost-saving at the same time. However, systematic evaluation, including an evaluation of the relative costs and benefits of these arrangements, has largely been lacking. Objectives: To stimulate fruitful dialogue and debate about the need for economic evaluation in integrated care, and to outline possibilities for undertaking economic appraisal studies in this relatively new field. Theory: Key concepts, including e.g. scarcity and opportunity costs, are introduced, followed by a brief overview of the most common methods used in economic evaluation of health care programmes. Then a number of issues that seem particularly relevant for economic evaluation of integrated care arrangements are addressed in more detail, illustrated with examples from the literature. Conclusion and discussion: There is a need for well-designed economic evaluation studies of integrated care arrangements, in particular in order to support decision making on the long-term financing of these programmes. Although relatively few studies have been done to date, the field is challenging from a methodological point of view, offering analysts a wealth of opportunities. Guidance to realise these opportunities is provided by the general principles for economic evaluation, which can be tailored to the requirements of this particular field.

Comparative assessment of nuclear fuel cycles. Light-water reactor once-through, classical fast breeder reactor, and symbiotic fast breeder reactor cycles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardie, R.W.; Barrett, R.J.; Freiwald, J.G.

1980-06-01

The object of the Alternative Nuclear Fuel Cycle Study is to perform comparative assessments of nuclear power systems. There are two important features of this study. First, this evaluation attempts to encompass the complete, integrated fuel cycle from mining of uranium ore to disposal of waste rather than isolated components. Second, it compares several aspects of each cycle - energy use, economics, technological status, proliferation, public safety, and commercial potential - instead of concentrating on one or two assessment areas. This report presents assessment results for three fuel cycles. These are the light-water reactor once-through cycle, the fast breeder reactor on the classical plutonium cycle, and the fast breeder reactor on a symbiotic cycle using plutonium and 233 U as fissile fuels. The report also contains a description of the methodology used in this assessment. Subsequent reports will present results for additional fuel cycles

An environmental impact measure for nuclear fuel cycle evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, Joonhong

2004-01-01

Review of the models and measures for repository performance assessment has revealed that dedicated measures for environmental impacts need to be developed for the purpose of nuclear-fuel-cycle evaluation from the viewpoint of environmental impact minimization. The present study proposes the total toxicity index of released radionuclides that have accumulated in the region exterior to the repository as an environmental impact measure. The measure is quantitatively evaluated by a radionuclide transport model that incorporates the effects of canister-array configuration and the initial mass loading in the waste canister. With the measure, it is demonstrated that the environmental impact of the repository can be effectively reduced by reduction of the initial mass loading and change in the canister-array configuration in the repository. Environmental impacts of the mill tailings and the depleted uranium are as important as those from the high-level radioactive wastes repository. For a fair comparison of various fuel cycles, the sum of these impacts should be compared. (author)

Evaluation of Oracle Big Data Integration Tools

OpenAIRE

Urhan, Harun; Baranowski, Zbigniew

2015-01-01

Abstract The project’s objective is evaluating Oracle’s Big Data Integration Tools. The project covers evaluation of two of Oracle’s tools, Oracle Data Integrator: Application Adapters for Hadoop to load data from Oracle Database to Hadoop and Oracle SQL Connectors for HDFS to query data stored on a Hadoop file system by using SQL statements executed on an Oracle Database.

Structural integrity evaluation of FTL in-pool piping

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, J. Y

1998-05-01

HANARO fuel test loop will be equipped in HANARO to obtain the development betterment of advanced fuel and materials through the irradiation test. The object of this study is to evaluate the structural integrity of FTL in-pool piping by investigating a dynamic analysis of the loop containing a postulated rupture section. The method to perform the dynamic analysis and structural integrity evaluation caused by the pipe whip in water environment can be a reference for a similar structural integrity evaluation. (author). 7 refs., 39 tabs., 34 figs.

Process modelling and techno-economic analysis of natural gas combined cycle integrated with calcium looping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erans María

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Calcium looping (CaL is promising for large-scale CO2 capture in the power generation and industrial sectors due to the cheap sorbent used and the relatively low energy penalties achieved with this process. Because of the high operating temperatures the heat utilisation is a major advantage of the process, since a significant amount of power can be generated from it. However, this increases its complexity and capital costs. Therefore, not only the energy efficiency performance is important for these cycles, but also the capital costs must be taken into account, i.e. techno-economic analyses are required in order to determine which parameters and configurations are optimal to enhance technology viability in different integration scenarios. In this study the integration scenarios of CaL cycles and natural gas combined cycles (NGCC are explored. The process models of the NGCC and CaL capture plant are developed to explore the most promising scenarios for NGCC-CaL integration with regards to efficiency penalties. Two scenarios are analysed in detail, and show that the system with heat recovery steam generator (HRSG before and after the capture plant exhibited better performance of 49.1% efficiency compared with that of 45.7% when only one HRSG is located after the capture plant. However, the techno-economic analyses showed that the more energy efficient case, with two HRSGs, implies relatively higher cost of electricity (COE, 44.1€/MWh, when compared to that of the reference plant system (33.1€/MWh. The predicted cost of CO2 avoided for the case with two HRSGS is 29.3 €/ton CO2.

Evaluation of denatured thorium fuel cycles in pressurized water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matzie, R.A.; Rec, J.R.; Terney, A.N.

1977-01-01

A developing national energy policy that is based in part on a substantial expansion of the LWR-based electrical generating capacity with deferment of the LMFBR has prompted a re-evaluation of our nuclear fuel resources and their utilization. The ancillary policy of minimizing nuclear weapons proliferation through diversion of bred fissile material has left in doubt the viability of fuel recycling as a means of extending these fuel resources. A substantial, government-sponsored effort is in progress to examine alternate fuel cycles and advanced reactor concepts which can lead to improved resource utilization while minimizing proliferation potential. This paper evaluates several improved fuel cycles for use in current design PWRs and develops selected scenarios for their use within the framework of the safeguarded Nuclear Energy Center (NEC) concept

Evaluating Consumer Product Life Cycle Sustainability with Integrated Metrics: A Paper Towel Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Integrated sustainability metrics provide an enriched set of information to inform decision-making. However, such approaches are rarely used to assess product supply chains. In this work, four integrated metrics—presented in terms of land, resources, value added, and stability—ar...

Model development for quantitative evaluation of proliferation resistance of nuclear fuel cycles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ko, Won Il; Kim, Ho Dong; Yang, Myung Seung

2000-07-01

This study addresses the quantitative evaluation of the proliferation resistance which is important factor of the alternative nuclear fuel cycle system. In this study, model was developed to quantitatively evaluate the proliferation resistance of the nuclear fuel cycles. The proposed models were then applied to Korean environment as a sample study to provide better references for the determination of future nuclear fuel cycle system in Korea. In order to quantify the proliferation resistance of the nuclear fuel cycle, the proliferation resistance index was defined in imitation of an electrical circuit with an electromotive force and various electrical resistance components. The analysis on the proliferation resistance of nuclear fuel cycles has shown that the resistance index as defined herein can be used as an international measure of the relative risk of the nuclear proliferation if the motivation index is appropriately defined. It has also shown that the proposed model can include political issues as well as technical ones relevant to the proliferation resistance, and consider all facilities and activities in a specific nuclear fuel cycle (from mining to disposal). In addition, sensitivity analyses on the sample study indicate that the direct disposal option in a country with high nuclear propensity may give rise to a high risk of the nuclear proliferation than the reprocessing option in a country with low nuclear propensity.

Model development for quantitative evaluation of proliferation resistance of nuclear fuel cycles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, Won Il; Kim, Ho Dong; Yang, Myung Seung

2000-07-01

This study addresses the quantitative evaluation of the proliferation resistance which is important factor of the alternative nuclear fuel cycle system. In this study, model was developed to quantitatively evaluate the proliferation resistance of the nuclear fuel cycles. The proposed models were then applied to Korean environment as a sample study to provide better references for the determination of future nuclear fuel cycle system in Korea. In order to quantify the proliferation resistance of the nuclear fuel cycle, the proliferation resistance index was defined in imitation of an electrical circuit with an electromotive force and various electrical resistance components. The analysis on the proliferation resistance of nuclear fuel cycles has shown that the resistance index as defined herein can be used as an international measure of the relative risk of the nuclear proliferation if the motivation index is appropriately defined. It has also shown that the proposed model can include political issues as well as technical ones relevant to the proliferation resistance, and consider all facilities and activities in a specific nuclear fuel cycle (from mining to disposal). In addition, sensitivity analyses on the sample study indicate that the direct disposal option in a country with high nuclear propensity may give rise to a high risk of the nuclear proliferation than the reprocessing option in a country with low nuclear propensity

Numerical Simulation of Fluidized Bed Gasifier for Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CHEN Ju-hui

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The overall thermal efficiency of the integrated gasification combined cycle ( IGCC has not been sufficiently improved. In order to achieve higher power generation efficiency，the advanced technology of IGCC has been developed which is on the basis of the concept of exergy recovery. IGCC systems and devices from the overall structure of opinion，this technology will generate electricity for the integration of advanced technology together，the current utilization of power generation technology and by endothermic reaction of steam in the gasifier，a gas turbine exhaust heat recovery or the solid oxide fuel cell. It is estimated that such the use of exergy recycling has the advantage of being easy to use，separating，collecting fixed CO2，making it very attractive，and can increase the overall efficiency by 10% or more. The characteristics of fluidized bed gasifier，one of the core equipment of the IGCC system，and its effect on the whole system were studied.

An evaluation of nuclear design characteristics of duplex burnable poison rods for extended cycle core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, D. J.; Kim, M. H.; Song, K. W.

2003-01-01

Nuclear design characteristics of duplex burnable poison rod were evaluated for three integral type burnable absorbers; Gadolinia, Erbia and IFBA. Inter-comparison was done for both 12 and 24 month cycle for Korean Standard Nuclear Plant. Fuel assemblies with duplex BP was designed to the equivalent assembly with 8 and 16 gadolinia BP 2 . Duplex BP is composed of inner region of natural U-Gd 2 O 3 , and outer shell of, UO 2 -Er2O 3 . In order to evaluate the duplex BP, assemblies with erbia and IFBA were compared with alternative options. A sensitivity studies were performed to the size of region, compositions and location of duplex BPs. It was shown that duplex BP gave favorable k-infinite curve to burnup, but IFBA provided the least residual reactivity penalty as EOC. Erbia was good for more negative MTCs. IFBA and erbia had better neutronic performance than gadolinia od duplex BP in the aspect of pin power peaking

Waste-to-energy: A review of life cycle assessment and its extension methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Zhaozhi; Tang, Yuanjun; Chi, Yong; Ni, Mingjiang; Buekens, Alfons

2018-01-01

This article proposes a comprehensive review of evaluation tools based on life cycle thinking, as applied to waste-to-energy. Habitually, life cycle assessment is adopted to assess environmental burdens associated with waste-to-energy initiatives. Based on this framework, several extension methods have been developed to focus on specific aspects: Exergetic life cycle assessment for reducing resource depletion, life cycle costing for evaluating its economic burden, and social life cycle assessment for recording its social impacts. Additionally, the environment-energy-economy model integrates both life cycle assessment and life cycle costing methods and judges simultaneously these three features for sustainable waste-to-energy conversion. Life cycle assessment is sufficiently developed on waste-to-energy with concrete data inventory and sensitivity analysis, although the data and model uncertainty are unavoidable. Compared with life cycle assessment, only a few evaluations are conducted to waste-to-energy techniques by using extension methods and its methodology and application need to be further developed. Finally, this article succinctly summarises some recommendations for further research.

Reload safety evaluation report for Kori nuclear power plant unit 1, cycle 13

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Chan Oh; Moon, Bok Ja; Cho, Byeong Ho; Nam, Kee Il; Kim, Oh Hwan; Chang, Doo Soo; Yoon, Han Young; Kim, Du Ill; Ban, Chang Hwan; Choi, Dong Uk

1993-03-01

This report presents the reload safety evaluation for Kori-1, Cycle 13 and demonstrates that the reactor core being composed of various fuel assembly types applied in this evaluation will not adversely affect the safety of the public and the plant. All of the accidents comprising the licensing bases which could potentially be affected by the reload fuel assemblies have been reviewed for the Cycle 13 core and results are described in this report. (Author)

Reload safety evaluation report for Ulchin nuclear power plant unit 1 cycle 5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Chan Oh; Kim, Yong Rae; Son, Sang Rin; Oh, Dong Seok; Kim, Hong Jin; Yoon, Kyung Ho; Yoon, Han Young; Choi, Han Rim; Choi, Dong Uk

1992-12-01

This report presents the reload safety evaluation for Ulchin 1, Cycle 5 and demonstrates that the reactor core being composed of various fuel assembly types applied in this evaluation will not adversely affect the safety of the public and the plant. All of the accidents comprising the licensing bases which could potentially be affected by the reload fuel assemblies have been reviewed for the Cycle 5 core and results are described in this report. (Author)

Evaluating the Aspect of Nuclear Material in Fuel Cycles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takagi, Shunsuke; Pickett, Susan; Oda, Takuji; Choi, Jor-Shan; Kuno, Yusuke; Takana, Satoru [Department of Nuclear Engineering and Management, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8685 (Japan); Nagasaki, Shinya [Nuclear Professional School, The University of Tokyo (Japan)

2009-06-15

The increasing number of countries that wish to introduce nuclear power plants raises attention to proliferation resistance in nuclear power plants, and nuclear fuel cycle facilities. In order to achieve adequate proliferation resistance, it is important to evaluate it and to construct effective international institutional frameworks as well as technologies involving high level of proliferation resistance. Although some methods have been proposed for evaluation of the proliferation resistance, their validities have not been investigated in detail. In the present paper, therefore, we compare some of the proposed methodologies. It is essential to detect the abuse or diversion of nuclear material before the nuclear explosive device can be manufactured in order to prevent proliferation. The time needed for the detection of material primary depends on the safeguards that the country applies, and the time needed for fabrication mainly depends on the attributes of the nuclear material. Hence, we divided the proliferation resistance into two parts: the level of safeguards and the material. For examination of evaluation methods such as the one proposed by Charlton [1] or the figure of merit (FOM) [2], sensitivity analysis was performed on weighting factors and scenarios. The validity and characteristics of each method were discussed, focusing on the applicability of each method to the assessment of multi-national approaches such as GNEP. [1] W. S. Charlton, R. L. LeBouf, C. Gariazzo, D. G. Ford, C. Beard, S. Landeberger, M. Whitaker, 'Proliferation resistance assessment methodology for nuclear fuel cycles', Nuclear Technology, 157, 1 (2007). [2] C.G. Bathke et al, 'An assessment of the proliferation resistance of materials in advanced nuclear fuel cycles', 8. International Conference on Facility Operations (2008). (authors)

Valuing flexibility: The case of an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abadie, Luis M.; Chamorro, Jose M.

2008-01-01

In this paper we analyze the choice between two technologies for producing electricity. In particular, the firm has to decide whether and when to invest either in a Natural Gas Combined Cycle (NGCC) power plant or in an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plant, which may burn either coal or natural gas. Instead of assuming that fuel prices follow standard geometric Brownian motions, here they are assumed to show mean reversion, specifically to follow an inhomogeneous geometric Brownian motion. First we consider the opportunity to invest in a NGCC power plant. We derive the optimal investment rule as a function of natural gas price and the remaining life of the right to invest. In addition, the analytical solution for a perpetual option to invest is obtained. Then we turn to the IGCC power plant. We analyse the valuation of an operating plant when there are switching costs between modes of operation, and the choice of the best operation mode. This serves as an input to evaluate the option to invest in this plant. Finally we derive the value of an opportunity to invest either in a NGCC or IGCC power plant, i.e. to choose between an inflexible and a flexible technology, respectively. Depending on the opportunity's time to maturity, we derive the pairs of coal and gas prices for which it is optimal to invest in NGCC, in IGCC, or simply not to invest. Numerical computations involve the use of one- and two-dimensional binomial lattices that support a mean-reverting process for coal and gas prices. Basic parameter values are taken from an actual IGCC power plant currently in operation. Sensitivity of some results with respect to the underlying stochastic process for fuel price is also checked

A Conceptual Study of Using an Isothermal Compressor on a Supercritical CO{sub 2} Brayton Cycle for SMART Application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heo, Jin Young; Lee, Jeong Ik [KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Ahn, Yoonhan [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

To maximize the benefits of modularization, the supercritical CO{sub 2} (S-CO{sub 2}) power cycle can replace the conventional steam Rankine cycle to increase the cycle efficiency and reduce its system size. Previous works have been conducted to evaluate potential advantages of applying the S-CO{sub 2} cycle to SMRs, specifically to SMART (System-integrated Modular Advanced Reactor) which is an integral SMR developed by KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Institute). One of the optimized S-CO{sub 2} cycle layouts is the recompressing Brayton cycle. This paper attempts to improve the cycle layout by replacing the conventional compressor with an isothermal compressor, of which its potential in the S-CO{sub 2} power cycle is conceptually being evaluated. The SMR applications, for which SMART reactor has been represented, can take advantage of the currently developing S-CO{sub 2} cycle greatly by the reduction of size. By introducing the isothermal compressor, the cycle layout considered in has been further improved by increasing the cycle net efficiency by around 0.5%.

Integrating Usability Evaluations into the Software Development Process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lizano, Fulvio

as relevant and strategic human–computer interaction (HCI) activities in the software development process, there are obstacles that limit the complete, effective and efficient integration of this kind of testing into the software development process. Two main obstacles are the cost of usability evaluations...... and the software developers' resistance to accepting users’ opinions regarding the lack of usability in their software systems. The ‘cost obstacle’ refers to the constraint of conducting usability evaluations in the software process due to the significant amount of resources required by this type of testing. Some......This thesis addresses the integration of usability evaluations into the software development process. The integration here is contextualized in terms of how to include usability evaluation as an activity in the software development lifecycle. Even though usability evaluations are considered...

The rodent estrous cycle: Characterization of vaginal cytology and its utility in toxicological studies

Science.gov (United States)

An evaluation of the estrous cycle in laboratory rodents can be a useful measure of the integrity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian reproductive axis. It can also serve as a way of insuring that animals exhibiting abnormal cycling patterns are disincluded from a study prior t...

Assessment of Proliferation Resistance of Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle System with Sodium Cooled Fast Reactors Using INPRO Evaluation Methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Young In; Hahn, Do Hee; Won, Byung Chool; Lee, Dong Uk

2007-11-01

Using the INPRO methodology, the proliferation resistance of an innovative nuclear energy system(INS) defined as a closed nuclear fuel cycle system consisting of KALIMER and pyroprocessing, has been assessed. Considering a very early development stage of the INS concept, the PR assessment is carried out based on intrinsic features, if required information and data are not available. The PR assessment of KALIMER and JSFR using the INPRO methodology affirmed that an adequate proliferation resistance has been achieved in both INSs CNFC-SFR, considering the assessor's progress and maturity of design development. KALIMER and JSFR are developed or being developed conforming to the targets and criteria defined for developing Gen IV nuclear reactor system. Based on these assessment results, proliferation resistance and physical protection(PR and PP) of KALIMER and JSFR are evaluated from the viewpoint of requirements for future nuclear fuel cycle system. The envisioned INSs CNFC-SFR rely on active plutonium management based on a closed fuel cycle, in which a fissile material is recycled in an integrated fuel cycle facility within proper safeguards. There is no isolated plutonium in the closed fuel cycle. The material remains continuously in a sequence of highly radioactive matrices within inaccessible facilities. The proliferation resistance assessment should be an ongoing analysis that keeps up with the progress and maturity of the design of Gen IV SFR

Assessment of Proliferation Resistance of Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle System with Sodium Cooled Fast Reactors Using INPRO Evaluation Methodology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Young In; Hahn, Do Hee; Won, Byung Chool; Lee, Dong Uk

2007-11-15

Using the INPRO methodology, the proliferation resistance of an innovative nuclear energy system(INS) defined as a closed nuclear fuel cycle system consisting of KALIMER and pyroprocessing, has been assessed. Considering a very early development stage of the INS concept, the PR assessment is carried out based on intrinsic features, if required information and data are not available. The PR assessment of KALIMER and JSFR using the INPRO methodology affirmed that an adequate proliferation resistance has been achieved in both INSs CNFC-SFR, considering the assessor's progress and maturity of design development. KALIMER and JSFR are developed or being developed conforming to the targets and criteria defined for developing Gen IV nuclear reactor system. Based on these assessment results, proliferation resistance and physical protection(PR and PP) of KALIMER and JSFR are evaluated from the viewpoint of requirements for future nuclear fuel cycle system. The envisioned INSs CNFC-SFR rely on active plutonium management based on a closed fuel cycle, in which a fissile material is recycled in an integrated fuel cycle facility within proper safeguards. There is no isolated plutonium in the closed fuel cycle. The material remains continuously in a sequence of highly radioactive matrices within inaccessible facilities. The proliferation resistance assessment should be an ongoing analysis that keeps up with the progress and maturity of the design of Gen IV SFR.

Evaluating the hydrological consistency of satellite based water cycle components

KAUST Repository

Lopez Valencia, Oliver Miguel; Houborg, Rasmus; McCabe, Matthew

2016-01-01

observation. Basin-scale studies have shown considerable variability in achieving water budget closure with any degree of accuracy using satellite estimates of the water cycle. In order to assess the suitability of this type of approach for evaluating

Numerical evaluation of integrals containing a spherical Bessel function by product integration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehman, D.R.; Parke, W.C.; Maximon, L.C.

1981-01-01

A method is developed for numerical evaluation of integrals with k-integration range from 0 to infinity that contain a spherical Bessel function j/sub l/(kr) explicitly. The required quadrature weights are easily calculated and the rate of convergence is rapid: only a relatively small number of quadrature points is needed: for an accurate evaluation even when r is large. The quadrature rule is obtained by the method of product integration. With the abscissas chosen to be those of Clenshaw--Curtis and the Chebyshev polynomials as the interpolating polynomials, quadrature weights are obtained that depend on the spherical Bessel function. An inhomogenous recurrence relation is derived from which the weights can be calculated without accumulation of roundoff error. The procedure is summarized as an easily implementable algorithm. Questions of convergence are discussed and the rate of convergence demonstrated for several test integrals. Alternative procedures are given for generating the integration weights and an error analysis of the method is presented

The need for a characteristics-based approach to radioactive waste classification as informed by advanced nuclear fuel cycles using the fuel-cycle integration and tradeoffs (FIT) model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Djokic, D.; Piet, S.; Pincock, L.; Soelberg, N.

2013-01-01

This study explores the impact of wastes generated from potential future fuel cycles and the issues presented by classifying these under current classification criteria, and discusses the possibility of a comprehensive and consistent characteristics-based classification framework based on new waste streams created from advanced fuel cycles. A static mass flow model, Fuel-Cycle Integration and Tradeoffs (FIT), was used to calculate the composition of waste streams resulting from different nuclear fuel cycle choices. Because heat generation is generally the most important factor limiting geological repository areal loading, this analysis focuses on the impact of waste form heat load on waste classification practices, although classifying by metrics of radiotoxicity, mass, and volume is also possible. Waste streams generated in different fuel cycles and their possible classification based on the current U.S. framework and international standards are discussed. It is shown that the effects of separating waste streams are neglected under a source-based radioactive waste classification system. (authors)

Experimental evaluation of structural integrity of scram release electromagnet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patri, Sudheer; Ruhela, S.P.; Punniyamoorthy, R.; Vijayashree, R.; Chandramouli, S.; Kumar, P. Madan; Rajendraprasad, R.; Rao, P. Vijayamohana; Narmadha, S.; Sreedhar, B.K.; Rajan, K.K.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The structural integrity of scram release electromagnet is evaluated against thermal shocks. • A simple test facility, employed for simulating the thermal shocks in a typical FBR, is presented. • The cold shock experienced by electromagnet during scram is simulated. • The testing qualified electromagnet for 11.6 yr of reactor operation. - Abstract: Prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR), under construction at Kalpakkam, India, plays an important role in the commercialisation of fast breeder reactors (FBR) in India. It consists of two independent, fast acting and diverse shutdown systems. An electromagnet (EM) immersed in sodium acts as scram release device for the second shutdown system of prototype fast breeder reactor. The inside of EM is sealed from the sodium to achieve the required response time and to prevent the exposure of EM coil to sodium. As the EM response time is an important parameter for reactor safety, the integrity of EM is to be maintained under all anticipated loadings. The EM experiences thermal shocks and thermal stresses during reactor transients such as scram. The dissimilar weld joint present in EM is more susceptible to fatigue failure due to these thermal stresses. Failure of weld joint results in the entry of sodium into the EM, increasing its response time with associated safety implications. In this connection, the structural integrity of EM against thermal shocks was experimentally evaluated in Thermal Shock Test Facility. The EM was subjected to 1000 cycles of thermal shocks, which constitutes 29% of total number of shocks required to qualify the EM for 40 years of reactor operation, thus qualifying it for 11.6 yr of reactor operation. The testing has enhanced the confidence level for safe and reliable operation of EM of DSRDM in PFBR. The testing not only qualified the EM for use in reactor but also provided input for licensing the erection of DSRDM on reactor pile. Moreover, it provided a direction for

Thermo-economic comparative analysis of gas turbine GT10 integrated with air and steam bottoming cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Czaja, Daniel; Chmielnak, Tadeusz; Lepszy, Sebastian

2014-12-01

A thermodynamic and economic analysis of a GT10 gas turbine integrated with the air bottoming cycle is presented. The results are compared to commercially available combined cycle power plants based on the same gas turbine. The systems under analysis have a better chance of competing with steam bottoming cycle configurations in a small range of the power output capacity. The aim of the calculations is to determine the final cost of electricity generated by the gas turbine air bottoming cycle based on a 25 MW GT10 gas turbine with the exhaust gas mass flow rate of about 80 kg/s. The article shows the results of thermodynamic optimization of the selection of the technological structure of gas turbine air bottoming cycle and of a comparative economic analysis. Quantities are determined that have a decisive impact on the considered units profitability and competitiveness compared to the popular technology based on the steam bottoming cycle. The ultimate quantity that can be compared in the calculations is the cost of 1 MWh of electricity. It should be noted that the systems analyzed herein are power plants where electricity is the only generated product. The performed calculations do not take account of any other (potential) revenues from the sale of energy origin certificates. Keywords: Gas turbine air bottoming cycle, Air bottoming cycle, Gas turbine, GT10

Actinide recycle potential in the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Y.I.; Till, C.E.

1990-01-01

In the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) development program, the entire reactor system -- reactor, fuel cycle, and waste process is being developed and optimized at the same time as a single integral entity. The use of metallic fuel in the IFR allows a radically improved fuel cycle technology. Pyroprocessing, which utilizes high temperatures and molten salt and molten metal solvents, can be advantageously utilized for processing metal fuels because the product is metal suitable for fabrication into new fuel elements. The key step in the IFR process is electrorefining, which provides for recovery of the valuable fuel constituents, uranium and plutonium, and for removal of fission products. In the electrorefining operation, uranium and plutonium are selectively transported from an anode to a cathode, leaving impurity elements, mainly fission products, either in the anode compartment or in a molten salt electrolyte. A notable feature of the IFR process is that the actinide elements accompany plutonium through the process. This results in a major advantage in the high-level waste management, because these actinides are automatically recycled back into the reactor for in-situ burning. Based on the recent IFR process development, a preliminary assessment has also been made to investigate the feasibility of further adapting the pyrochemical processes to directly extract actinides from LWR spent fuel. The results of this assessment indicate very promising potential and two most promising flowsheet options have been identified for further research and development. This paper also summarizes current thinking on the rationale for actinide recycle, its ramifications on the geologic repository and the current high-level waste management plans, and the necessary development programs. 5 refs., 4 figs., 4 tabs

Integrating Menstrual Cycle Data into The Smart Home

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Homewood, Sarah

2017-01-01

Menstrual cycle data gathered through self-tracking apps are increasingly used to understand, control and monitor bodies that menstruate. This work-in-progress explores the effects of representing menstrual cycle data within the smart home through critical design and planned fieldwork. Themes...... presented in this paper include the taboo of menstrual cycles, the question of what kinds of data do we represent in the smart home and menstrual cycle tracking technologies as examples of affective computing....

Carbon exergy tax applied to biomass integrated gasification combined cycle in sugarcane industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fonseca Filho, Valdi Freire da; Matelli, José Alexandre; Perrella Balestieri, José Antonio

2016-01-01

The development of technologies based on energy renewable sources is increasing worldwide in order to diversify the energy mix and satisfy the rigorous environmental legislation and international agreements to reduce pollutant emission. Considering specific characteristics of biofuels available in Brazil, studies regarding such technologies should be carried out aiming energy mix diversification. Several technologies for power generation from biomass have been presented in the technical literature, and plants with BIGCC (biomass integrated gasification combined cycle) emerge as a major technological innovation. By obtaining a fuel rich in hydrogen from solid biomass gasification, BIGCC presents higher overall process efficiency than direct burning of the solid fuel in conventional boilers. The objective of this paper is to develop a thermodynamic and chemical equilibrium model of a BIGCC configuration for sugarcane bagasse. The model embodies exergetic cost and CO_2 emission analyses through the method of CET (carbon exergy tax). An exergetic penalty comparison between the BIGCC technology (with and without CO_2 capture and sequestration), a natural gas combined cycle and the traditional steam cycle of sugarcane sector is then presented. It is verified that the BIGCC configuration with CO_2 capture and sequestration presents technical and environmental advantages when compared to traditional technology. - Highlights: • We compared thermal cycles with the exergetic carbon exergy tax. • Thermal cycles with and without carbon capture and sequestration were considered. • Burned and gasified sugarcane bagasse was assumed as renewable fuel. • Exergetic carbon penalty tax was imposed to all studied configurations. • BIGCC with carbon sequestration revealed to be advantageous.

Integrated Assessment Model Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, S. J.; Clarke, L.; Edmonds, J. A.; Weyant, J. P.

2012-12-01

Integrated assessment models of climate change (IAMs) are widely used to provide insights into the dynamics of the coupled human and socio-economic system, including emission mitigation analysis and the generation of future emission scenarios. Similar to the climate modeling community, the integrated assessment community has a two decade history of model inter-comparison, which has served as one of the primary venues for model evaluation and confirmation. While analysis of historical trends in the socio-economic system has long played a key role in diagnostics of future scenarios from IAMs, formal hindcast experiments are just now being contemplated as evaluation exercises. Some initial thoughts on setting up such IAM evaluation experiments are discussed. Socio-economic systems do not follow strict physical laws, which means that evaluation needs to take place in a context, unlike that of physical system models, in which there are few fixed, unchanging relationships. Of course strict validation of even earth system models is not possible (Oreskes etal 2004), a fact borne out by the inability of models to constrain the climate sensitivity. Energy-system models have also been grappling with some of the same questions over the last quarter century. For example, one of "the many questions in the energy field that are waiting for answers in the next 20 years" identified by Hans Landsberg in 1985 was "Will the price of oil resume its upward movement?" Of course we are still asking this question today. While, arguably, even fewer constraints apply to socio-economic systems, numerous historical trends and patterns have been identified, although often only in broad terms, that are used to guide the development of model components, parameter ranges, and scenario assumptions. IAM evaluation exercises are expected to provide useful information for interpreting model results and improving model behavior. A key step is the recognition of model boundaries, that is, what is inside

Report of evaluation of organization. Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-08-01

Various activities of JNC (Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute) from December in 2003 to July in 2004 are evaluated on management, practice and progressing of development of research by the committee on organization evaluation. The report includes abstract, purpose of evaluation, evaluation items, deliberation process, total results of evaluation, development of projects, the spread of results, international cooperation, management system, effort to safety, responsibility of explanation, live together with community and other suggestions. Main projects consists of practice of FBR, development of uranium enrichment, nuclear fuel reprocessing and MOX fuel processing technology, reopening of MONJU, development of high-level radioactive waste and environmental protection policy. (S.Y.)

Integrating life cycle assessment into managing potential EHS risks of engineered nanomaterials: reviewing progress to date

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, William C.; Bosso, Christopher J.; Eckelman, Matthew; Isaacs, Jacqueline A.; Pourzahedi, Leila

2015-01-01

The 2011 National Nanotechnology Initiative’s Environmental Health and Safety Research Strategy stressed the need for research to integrate life cycle considerations into risk management and, then, to better integrate risk assessment into decisionmaking on environmental, health, and safety (EHS) dimensions of nanomanufacturing. This paper reviews scholarly articles published 2010–2015 that in some way apply life cycle analysis to nanotechnology to assess the extent to which current research reflects the priorities lain out in the NNI report. As the NNI’s focus was primarily on the “responsible development of nanotechnology” we also focus our examination on the ways in which LCA, in concert with other methodologies, can provide utility to decision makers facing the challenge of implementing that broad goal. We explore some of the challenges and opportunities inherent in using LCA, a tool built to optimize manufacturing decisions, as a guide for policy formulation or tool for policy implementation

Integrated waste management and the tool of life cycle inventory : a route to sustainable waste management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McDougall, F.R.; White, P.R. [Procter and Gamble Newcastle Technical Centre, Newcastle (United Kingdom). Corporate Sustainable Development

2000-07-01

An overall approach to municipal waste management which integrates sustainable development principles was discussed. The three elements of sustainability which have to be balanced are environmental effectiveness, economic affordability and social acceptability. An integrated waste management (IWM) system considers different treatment options and deals with the entire waste stream. A life cycle inventory (LCI) and life cycle assessment (LCA) is used to determine the environmental burdens associated with IWM systems. LCIs for waste management are currently available for use in Europe, the United States, Canada and elsewhere. LCI is being used by waste management companies to assess the environmental attributes of future contract tenders. The models are used as benchmarking tools to assess the current environmental profile of a waste management system. They are also a comparative planning and communication tool. The authors are currently looking into publishing, at a future date, the experience of users of this LCI environmental management tool. 12 refs., 3 figs.

Integrating life cycle assessment into managing potential EHS risks of engineered nanomaterials: reviewing progress to date

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walker, William C.; Bosso, Christopher J., E-mail: c.bosso@neu.edu [Northeastern University, School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs (United States); Eckelman, Matthew [Northeastern University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (United States); Isaacs, Jacqueline A. [Northeastern University, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (United States); Pourzahedi, Leila [Northeastern University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (United States)

2015-08-15

The 2011 National Nanotechnology Initiative’s Environmental Health and Safety Research Strategy stressed the need for research to integrate life cycle considerations into risk management and, then, to better integrate risk assessment into decisionmaking on environmental, health, and safety (EHS) dimensions of nanomanufacturing. This paper reviews scholarly articles published 2010–2015 that in some way apply life cycle analysis to nanotechnology to assess the extent to which current research reflects the priorities lain out in the NNI report. As the NNI’s focus was primarily on the “responsible development of nanotechnology” we also focus our examination on the ways in which LCA, in concert with other methodologies, can provide utility to decision makers facing the challenge of implementing that broad goal. We explore some of the challenges and opportunities inherent in using LCA, a tool built to optimize manufacturing decisions, as a guide for policy formulation or tool for policy implementation.

[Woman's participation in the decision process of the pregnancy and puerperal cycle: nursing care integrative review].

Science.gov (United States)

Busanello, Josefine; Lunardi Filho, Wilson Danilo; Kerber, Nalú Pereira da Costa; Lunardi, Valéria Lerch; dos Santos, Silvana Sidnei

2011-12-01

This is an integrative review that aims to identify the contribution of nursing care for woman's participation in the decision process of the pregnancy and puerperal cycle, as described in Brazilian scientific publications. The scientific productions were retrieved in May, 2010, from the Virtual Library of Health (Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde) database. From the eight articles reviewed, two themes stood out: Contributions of nursing care to the woman's participation in the decision process of the pregnancy and puerperal cycle; and Limitations of nursing care to the woman's participation in the decision process of the pregnancy and puerperal cycle. The following review supports the production of knowledge in nursing, by identifying a gap in what nurses know and do about this issue, as shown by the lack of nursing researches that concern, specifically, the participation of the woman in the decision process during the pregnancy and puerperal cycle and the possible contributions of nursing care to ensure women of this right.

Process integration and optimization of a solid oxide fuel cell – Gas turbine hybrid cycle fueled with hydrothermally gasified waste biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Facchinetti, Emanuele; Gassner, Martin; D’Amelio, Matilde; Marechal, François; Favrat, Daniel

2012-01-01

Due to its suitability for using wet biomass, hydrothermal gasification is a promising process for the valorization of otherwise unused waste biomass to synthesis gas and biofuels. Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) based hybrid cycles are considered as the best candidate for a more efficient and clean conversion of (bio) fuels. A significant potential for the integration of the two technologies is expected since hydrothermal gasification requires heat at 673–773 K, whereas SOFC is characterized by heat excess at high temperature due to the limited electrochemical fuel conversion. This work presents a systematic process integration and optimization of a SOFC-gas turbine (GT) hybrid cycle fueled with hydrothermally gasified waste biomass. Several design options are systematically developed and compared through a thermodynamic optimization approach based on First Law and exergy analysis. The work demonstrates the considerable potential of the system that allows for converting wet waste biomass into electricity at a First Law efficiency of up to 63%, while simultaneously enabling the separation of biogenic carbon dioxide for further use or sequestration. -- Highlights: ► Hydrothermal gasification is a promising process for the valorization of waste wet biomass. ► Solid Oxide Fuel Cell – Gas Turbine hybrid cycle emerges as the best candidates for conversion of biofuels. ► A systematic process integration and optimization of a SOFC-GT hybrid cycle fuelled with hydrothermally gasified biomass is presented. ► The system may convert wet waste biomass to electricity at a First Law efficiency of 63% while separating the biogenic carbon dioxide. ► The process integration enables to improve the First Law efficiency of around 4% with respect to a non-integrated system.

Integrated simulation, evaluation of the climatic risks and safety policies. Synthesis report july 2002; Modelisation integree, evaluation des risques climatiques et des politiques de precaution. Rapport de synthese juillet 2002

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hourcade, J.Ch. [CNRS, Directeur d' etude, EHESS, Directeur, CIRED, 94 - Nogent Sur Marne (France); LeTreut, H. [CNRS, Directeur de recherche, LMD, LMD, 75 - Paris (France)

2002-07-15

The aim of this program is the improvement of the natural phenomena representation in the integrated models of the climate policies evaluation and to precise the methodological problems resulting from the damages treatment. It underlines the importance of the retroactions between the CO{sub 2} emissions, the lands affectation and the carbon cycle, as the importance of the uncertainties on the climate sensitivity. (A.L.B.)

Thermal cycling in LWR components in OECD-NEA member countries - CSNI integrity and ageing working group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faidy, Claude; Chapuliot, Stephane; Mathet, Eric

2005-01-01

Thermal cycling is a widespread and recurring problem in nuclear power plants worldwide. Several incidents with leakage of primary water inside the containment challenged the integrity of NPPs although no release outside of containment occurred. Thermal cycling was not taken into account at the design stage. Regulatory bodies, utilities and researchers have to address it for their operating plants. It is a complex phenomenon that involves and links thermal hydraulic, fracture mechanic, materials and plant operation. Thermal cycling is connected either to operating transients (low cycle fatigue) or to complex phenomenon like stratification, vortex and mixing (low and high cycle fatigue). The former is covered by existing rules and codes. The latter is partially addressed by national rules and constitutes the subject of this report. In 2002, the Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) requested the working group on the integrity of reactor components and structures (IAGE WG) to prepare a program of work on thermal cycling to provide information to NEA member countries on operational experience, regulatory policies, countermeasures in place, current status of research and development, and to identify areas where research is needed both at national and international levels. The working group proposed a 3 fold program that covered: - Review of operating experience, regulatory framework, countermeasures and current research; - Benchmark to assess calculation capabilities in NEA member countries for crack initiation and propagation under a cyclic thermal loading, and ultimately to develop screening criteria to identify susceptible components; results of the benchmark were published in 2005; - Organisation of an international conference in cooperation with the EPRI and the USNRC on fatigue of reactor components. This conference reviews progress in the areas and provides a forum for discussion and exchange of information between high level experts. The

A mixed integer linear programming model for integrating thermodynamic cycles for waste heat exploitation in process sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oluleye, Gbemi; Smith, Robin

2016-01-01

Highlights: • MILP model developed for integration of waste heat recovery technologies in process sites. • Five thermodynamic cycles considered for exploitation of industrial waste heat. • Temperature and quantity of multiple waste heat sources considered. • Interactions with the site utility system considered. • Industrial case study presented to illustrate application of the proposed methodology. - Abstract: Thermodynamic cycles such as organic Rankine cycles, absorption chillers, absorption heat pumps, absorption heat transformers, and mechanical heat pumps are able to utilize wasted thermal energy in process sites for the generation of electrical power, chilling and heat at a higher temperature. In this work, a novel systematic framework is presented for optimal integration of these technologies in process sites. The framework is also used to assess the best design approach for integrating waste heat recovery technologies in process sites, i.e. stand-alone integration or a systems-oriented integration. The developed framework allows for: (1) selection of one or more waste heat sources (taking into account the temperatures and thermal energy content), (2) selection of one or more technology options and working fluids, (3) selection of end-uses of recovered energy, (4) exploitation of interactions with the existing site utility system and (5) the potential for heat recovery via heat exchange is also explored. The methodology is applied to an industrial case study. Results indicate a systems-oriented design approach reduces waste heat by 24%; fuel consumption by 54% and CO_2 emissions by 53% with a 2 year payback, and stand-alone design approach reduces waste heat by 12%; fuel consumption by 29% and CO_2 emissions by 20.5% with a 4 year payback. Therefore, benefits from waste heat utilization increase when interactions between the existing site utility system and the waste heat recovery technologies are explored simultaneously. The case study also shows

World nuclear capacity and fuel cycle requirements 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-12-01

This analysis report presents the current status and projections of nuclear capacity, generation, and fuel cycle requirements for all countries in the world using nuclear power to generate electricity for commercial use. Long-term projections of US nuclear capacity, generation, fuel cycle requirements, and spent fuel discharges for three different scenarios through 2030 are provided in support of the Department of Energy's activities pertaining to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (as amended in 1987). The projections of uranium requirements also support the Energy Information Administration's annual report, Domestic Uranium Mining and Milling Industry: Viability Assessment for the Lower and Upper Reference case scenarios were obtained from the Office of Integrated Analysis and Forecasting, Energy Information Administration. Most of these projections were developed using the World Integrated Nuclear Evaluation System (WINES) model

Economic evaluation of fast reactor fuel cycling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Ping; Zhao Fuyu; Yan Zhou; Li Chong

2012-01-01

Economic calculation and analysis of two kinds of nuclear fuel cycle are conducted by check off method, based on the nuclear fuel cycling process and model for fast reactor power plant, and comparison is carried out for the economy of fast reactor fuel cycle and PWR once-through fuel cycle. Calculated based on the current price level, the economy of PWR one-through fuel cycle is better than that of the fast reactor fuel cycle. However, in the long term considering the rising of the natural uranium's price and the development of the post treatment technology for nuclear fuels, the cost of the fast reactor fuel cycle is expected to match or lower than that of the PWR once-through fuel cycle. (authors)

MHD Integrated Topping Cycle Project. Thirteenth quarterly technical progress report, August 1, 1990--October 31, 1990

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-01-01

The overall objective of the project is to design and construct prototypical hardware for an integrated MHD topping cycle, and conduct long duration proof-of-concept tests of integrated system at the US DOE Component Development and Integration Facility in Butte, Montana. The results of the long duration tests will augment the existing engineering design data base on MHD power train reliability, availability, maintainability, and performance, and will serve as a basis for scaling up the topping cycle design to the next level of development, an early commercial scale power plant retrofit. The components of the MHD power train to be designed, fabricated, and tested include: A slagging coal combustor with a rated capacity of 50 MW thermal input, capable of operation with an Eastern (Illinois {number_sign}6) or Western (Montana Rosebud) coal, a segmented supersonic nozzle, a supersonic MHD channel capable of generating at least 1.5 MW of electrical power, a segmented supersonic diffuser section to interface the channel with existing facility quench and exhaust systems, a complete set of current control circuits for local diagonal current control along the channel, and a set of current consolidation circuits to interface the channel with the existing facility inverter.

Technical and economic assessment of the integrated solar combined cycle power plants in Iran

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soltani Hosseini, M.; Hosseini, R.; Valizadeh, G.H.

2002-01-01

Thermal efficiency, capacity factor, environmental considerations, investment cost, fuel and O and M costs are the main parameters for technical and economic assessment of solar power plants. This analysis has shown that the Integrated Solar Combined Cycle System with 67 MW e solar field(ISCCS-67) is the most suitable plan for the first solar power plant in Iran. The Levelized Energy Costs of combined cycle and ISCCS-67 power plants would be equal if 49 million dollars of ISCCS-67 capital cost supplied by the international environmental organizations such as Global Environmental Facilities and World Bank. This study shows that an ISCCS-67 saves 59 million dollars in fuel consumption and reduces about 2.4 million ton in CO 2 emission during 30 years operating period. Increasing of steam turbine capacity by 50%, and 4% improvement in overall efficiency are other advantages of iSCCS-67 power plant. The LEC of ISCCS-67 is 10% and so 33% lower than the combined cycle and gas turbine, respectively, at the same capacity factor with consideration of environmental costs

Organisational Learning and the Organisational Life Cycle: The Differential Aspects of an Integrated Relationship in SMEs

Science.gov (United States)

Tam, Steven; Gray, David E.

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to relate the practice of organisational learning in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to the organisational life cycle (OLC), contextualising the differential aspects of an integrated relationship between them. Design/methodology/approach: It is a mixed-method study with two consecutive phases. In…

Alternative ORC bottoming cycles FOR combined cycle power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chacartegui, R.; Sanchez, D.; Munoz, J.M.; Sanchez, T.

2009-01-01

In this work, low temperature Organic Rankine Cycles are studied as bottoming cycle in medium and large scale combined cycle power plants. The analysis aims to show the interest of using these alternative cycles with high efficiency heavy duty gas turbines, for example recuperative gas turbines with lower gas turbine exhaust temperatures than in conventional combined cycle gas turbines. The following organic fluids have been considered: R113, R245, isobutene, toluene, cyclohexane and isopentane. Competitive results have been obtained for toluene and cyclohexane ORC combined cycles, with reasonably high global efficiencies. The paper is structured in four main parts. A review of combined cycle and ORC cycle technologies is presented, followed by a thermodynamic analysis of combined cycles with commercial gas turbines and ORC low temperature bottoming cycles. Then, a parametric optimization of an ORC combined cycle plant is performed in order to achieve a better integration between these two technologies. Finally, some economic considerations related to the use of ORC in combined cycles are discussed.

Theoretical and experimental evaluation of an indirect-fired GAX cycle cooling system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gomez, V.H.; Vidal, A. [Posgrado en Ingenieria, Energia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Privada Xochicalco S/N, Apdo. Postal 34, 62580 Temixco Morelos (Mexico); Best, R.; Garcia-Valladares, O. [Centro de Investigacion en Energia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Privada Xochicalco S/N, Apdo. Postal 34, 62580 Temixco Morelos (Mexico); Velazquez, N. [Instituto de Ingenieria, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, Calle de la Normal S/N, Insurgentes Este, 21280 Mexicali, BC (Mexico)

2008-06-15

A theoretical and experimental evaluation of an indirect-fired GAX-Prototype Cooling System (GAX-PCS), using ammonia-water as the working fluid, is presented. The GAX-PCS was designed for a cooling capacity of 10.6 kW (3 tons). A simulation model was developed, calibrated and validated with experimental values in order to predict the performance of the system outside the design parameters. Experimental results were obtained using thermal oil, at temperatures from 180 to 195 C, as heating source. An internal heat recovery in the system of {proportional_to}55% with respect to the total heat supplied in the generator was obtained. Also the performance of the GAX absorption system, integrated to a micro gas turbine (MGT) as a cogeneration system was simulated. Overall efficiencies for the cogeneration system from 29% to 49% were obtained for cooling loads from 5 kW to 20 kW, respectively. With the theoretical and experimental study of the proposed cycle, it is concluded that the GAX-PCS presents potential to compete technically in the Mexican air conditioning market. (author)

Evaluation and Optimization of a Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Power Conversion Cycle for Nuclear Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harvego, Edwin A.; McKellar, Michael G.

2011-01-01

There have been a number of studies involving the use of gases operating in the supercritical mode for power production and process heat applications. Supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) is particularly attractive because it is capable of achieving relatively high power conversion cycle efficiencies in the temperature range between 550 C and 750 C. Therefore, it has the potential for use with any type of high-temperature nuclear reactor concept, assuming reactor core outlet temperatures of at least 550 C. The particular power cycle investigated in this paper is a supercritical CO2 Recompression Brayton Cycle. The CO2 Recompression Brayton Cycle can be used as either a direct or indirect power conversion cycle, depending on the reactor type and reactor outlet temperature. The advantage of this cycle when compared to the helium Brayton Cycle is the lower required operating temperature; 550 C versus 850 C. However, the supercritical CO2 Recompression Brayton Cycle requires an operating pressure in the range of 20 MPa, which is considerably higher than the required helium Brayton cycle operating pressure of 8 MPa. This paper presents results of analyses performed using the UniSim process analyses software to evaluate the performance of the supercritical CO2 Brayton Recompression Cycle for different reactor outlet temperatures. The UniSim model assumed a 600 MWt reactor power source, which provides heat to the power cycle at a maximum temperature of between 550 C and 750 C. The UniSim model used realistic component parameters and operating conditions to model the complete power conversion system. CO2 properties were evaluated, and the operating range for the cycle was adjusted to take advantage of the rapidly changing conditions near the critical point. The UniSim model was then optimized to maximize the power cycle thermal efficiency at the different maximum power cycle operating temperatures. The results of the analyses showed that power cycle thermal efficiencies in

Integrated biomass pyrolysis with organic Rankine cycle for power generation

Science.gov (United States)

Nur, T. B.; Syahputra, A. W.

2018-02-01

The growing interest on Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) application to produce electricity by utilizing biomass energy sources are increasingly due to its successfully used to generate power from waste heat available in industrial processes. Biomass pyrolysis is one of the thermochemical technologies for converting biomass into energy and chemical products consisting of liquid bio-oil, solid biochar, and pyrolytic gas. In the application, biomass pyrolysis can be divided into three main categories; slow, fast and flash pyrolysis mainly aiming at maximizing the products of bio-oil or biochar. The temperature of synthesis gas generated during processes can be used for Organic Rankine Cycle to generate power. The heat from synthesis gas during pyrolysis processes was transfer by thermal oil heater to evaporate ORC working fluid in the evaporator unit. In this study, the potential of the palm oil empty fruit bunch, palm oil shell, and tree bark have been used as fuel from biomass to generate electricity by integrated with ORC. The Syltherm-XLT thermal oil was used as the heat carrier from combustion burner, while R245fa was used as the working fluid for ORC system. Through Aspen Plus, this study analyses the influences on performance of main thermodynamic parameters, showing the possibilities of reaching an optimum performance for different working conditions that are characteristics of different design parameters.

The path-integral analysis of an associative memory model storing an infinite number of finite limit cycles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mimura, Kazushi; Kawamura, Masaki; Okada, Masato

2004-01-01

An exact solution of the transient dynamics of an associative memory model storing an infinite number of limit cycles with l finite steps is shown by means of the path-integral analysis. Assuming the Maxwell construction ansatz, we have succeeded in deriving the stationary state equations of the order parameters from the macroscopic recursive equations with respect to the finite-step sequence processing model which has retarded self-interactions. We have also derived the stationary state equations by means of the signal-to-noise analysis (SCSNA). The signal-to-noise analysis must assume that crosstalk noise of an input to spins obeys a Gaussian distribution. On the other hand, the path-integral method does not require such a Gaussian approximation of crosstalk noise. We have found that both the signal-to-noise analysis and the path-integral analysis give completely the same result with respect to the stationary state in the case where the dynamics is deterministic, when we assume the Maxwell construction ansatz. We have shown the dependence of the storage capacity (α c ) on the number of patterns per one limit cycle (l). At l = 1, the storage capacity is α c = 0.138 as in the Hopfield model. The storage capacity monotonically increases with the number of steps, and converges to α c = 0.269 at l ≅ 10. The original properties of the finite-step sequence processing model appear as long as the number of steps of the limit cycle has order l = O(1)

Waste management in IFR [Integral Fast Reactor] fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, T.R.; Battles, J.E.

1991-01-01

The fuel cycle of the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) has important potential advantage for the management of high-level wastes. This sodium-cooled, fast reactor will use metal fuels that are reprocessed by pyrochemical methods to recover uranium, plutonium, and the minor actinides from spent core and blanket fuel. More than 99% of all transuranic (TRU) elements will be recovered and returned to the reactor, where they are efficiently burned. The pyrochemical processes being developed to treat the high-level process wastes are capable of producing waste forms with low TRU contents, which should be easier to dispose of. However, the IFR waste forms present new licensing issues because they will contain chloride salts and metal alloys rather than glass or ceramic. These fuel processing and waste treatment methods can also handle TRU-rich materials recovered from light-water reactors and offer the possibility of efficiently and productively consuming these fuel materials in future power reactors

Ammonia-lithium nitrate absorption chiller with an integrated low-pressure compression booster cycle for low driving temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ventas, R.; Lecuona, A.; Zacarias, A.; Venegas, M.

2010-01-01

Single-effect absorption refrigeration hybridized with mechanical vapor compression in a vapor circuit is known as the absorption cycle with an integrated booster compressor. In this study, the compressor is located between the evaporator and the absorber. This paper presents a numerical model of this cycle with ammonia-lithium nitrate solution as the working pair. It is based on UA-ΔT lm models for separate regions of plate-type heat exchangers. The results are offered as a function of external circuit flow parameters. Different pressure ratios of the compressor were tested for a wide range of hot water driving temperatures (55-95 deg. C), showing that low values are more beneficial. This cycle allows for working at lower driving temperatures than the single-effect cycle, with low electricity consumption. At the same driving temperature, the capacity is augmented with an increased compressor pressure ratio, thus allowing for demand matching of the cooling. This cycle, operating with hot water at 67 deg. C with a pressure ratio of 2.0, has the capacity of a single-effect absorption cycle at 94 deg. C. The electrical COP was found to be higher than that in an ammonia vapor compression cycle for comprehensive working conditions.

Evaluation of temperature dependent neutron resonance integrals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menon, S.V.G.; Sahni, D.C.

1975-01-01

The Fourier transform method is extended for evaluating temperature dependent resonance integrals and Doppler coefficients. With the temperature dependent cross-sections, the slowing-down equation is transformed into a Fredholm integral equation of second kind. A method of solution is presented using the familiar Gauss-Hermite quadrature formulae. As a byproduct of the above technique, a fast and accurate method for computing the resonance integral J-function is given. (orig.) [de

International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carnesale, A.

1980-01-01

As nuclear power expands globally, so too expands the capability for producing nuclear weapons. The International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation (INFCE) was organized in 1977 for the purpose of exploring two areas: (1) ways in which nuclear energy can be made available to help meet world energy needs, and (2) means by which the attendant risk of weapons proliferation can be held to a minimum. INFCE is designed for technical and analytical study rather than negotiation. Its organizational structure and issues under consideration are discussed. Some even broader issues that emerge from consideration of the relationships between the peaceful and military use of nuclear energy are also discussed. These are different notions of the meaning of nuclear proliferation, nuclear export policy, the need of a nuclear policy to be both a domestic as well as a foreign one, and political-military measures that can help reduce incentives of countries to acquire nuclear weapons of their own

An approach for assessing development and deployment risks in the DOE fuel cycle options evaluation and screening study - 5267

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gehin, J.C.; Worrall, A.; Oakley, B.; Jenni, K.; Taiwo, T.; Wigeland, R.

2015-01-01

One of the key objectives of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Energy Research/development road-map is the development of sustainable nuclear fuel cycles that can improve natural resource utilization and provide solutions to the management of nuclear wastes. Recently, an evaluation and screening (ES) of fuel cycle systems has been conducted to identify those options that provide the best opportunities for obtaining such improvements and also to identify the required research and development activities that can support the development of advanced fuel cycle options. In order to evaluate and screen fuel cycle systems in the ES study, nine criteria were used including Development and Deployment Risk (DDR). More specifically, this criterion was represented by the following metrics: Development time, development cost, deployment cost from prototypic validation to first-of-a-kind commercial, compatibility with the existing nuclear fuel cycle infrastructure, existence of regulations for the fuel cycle and familiarity with licensing, and existence of market incentives and/or barriers to commercial implementation of fuel cycle processes. Given the comprehensive nature of the study, a systematic approach was needed to determine metric data for the DDR criterion. As would be expected, the Evaluation Group representing the once-through use of uranium in thermal reactors is always the highest ranked fuel cycle Evaluation Group for this DDR criterion. Evaluation Groups that consist of once-through fuel cycles that use existing reactor types are consistently ranked very high. The highest ranked limited and continuous recycle fuel cycle Evaluation Groups are those that recycle Pu in thermal reactors. The lowest ranked fuel cycles are predominately continuous recycle single stage and multi-stage fuel cycles that involve TRU and/or U 233 recycle. (authors)

Elements for evaluation of the potential of the thorium cycle in Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corcuera, R.M.

1987-01-01

A comprehensive review of the most important elements to be taken into account for the evaluation and, eventually, the implementation of the introduction of thorium cycle strategies in argentinian heavy-water type power plants, and also of the associated development of the external fuel cycle, is presented. Particularly, the up-dated situations summarized here cover resources and prices of natural uranium and thorium, development of the various stages of the external fuel cycle, description of the most important strategies and their capabilities for the best use of mineral resources and, finally, the economic implications and the global comparison of those strategies. Various data and parameter values are added to those given in AECL's external reports. Some appendices are devoted to the definitions of a 'global fuel-cycle conversion factor' and to the analysis of the effective use of mineral resources, taking into account fissile and fertile material losses in the external fuel cycle., for the different cases of fuel conversion and breeding. (Author) [es

Integrated NPP life cycle management - Agency's approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gueorguiev, B.

2002-01-01

Full text: The number of nuclear power plants (NPPs) operating in the world has been roughly constant for the past seven years. There are 438 reactors of 353,489 MW(e) capacity in the world and they generated 2448.9 TWh in 2001 giving a total world operating experience with nuclear power of 10,363 years. About 230 units have reached already over 15 years of operation and significant number of these plants are fully depreciated. Share of nuclear power in electricity production sector in Member States utilising nuclear power plants represents a meaningful amount and in 14 countries it exceeds 30%. Therefore, a loss of this share should be covered by new installed capacities either from conventional or alternative sources of electricity generation. Recent forecasts, for nuclear power use over the next two decades range from ∼350 to ∼500 GW(e) worldwide. While assessing the need for any nuclear power related programmes there are several important factors that must be considered since even 350 GW(e) is a very large programme requiring several hundred thousand highly qualified personnel and a substantial infrastructure to assure its continued safe, reliable and cost-effective operation. It is important to assure reliable, safe and economic beneficial performance of the plant, which requires in turn an appropriated management of any activity connected with any taken period of a plant life starting from design and ending by the decided mode of decommissioning. The period between the first and the last payment for the activities connected with the existence of a plant could be defined as a life cycle of the plant. Such integrated approach requires considering the life cycle of the plant in a much broader sense than just operational life and is characterized by the variety of activities and their management represents in a whole a plant life management programme (PLIM). Therefore PLIM could be defined as an aggregate (totality) of technical, financial, economical and

Advanced Fuel Cycle Cost Basis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

D. E. Shropshire; K. A. Williams; W. B. Boore; J. D. Smith; B. W. Dixon; M. Dunzik-Gougar; R. D. Adams; D. Gombert; E. Schneider

2009-12-01

This report, commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), provides a comprehensive set of cost data supporting a cost analysis for the relative economic comparison of options for use in the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) Program. The report describes the AFCI cost basis development process, reference information on AFCI cost modules, a procedure for estimating fuel cycle costs, economic evaluation guidelines, and a discussion on the integration of cost data into economic computer models. This report contains reference cost data for 25 cost modules—23 fuel cycle cost modules and 2 reactor modules. The cost modules were developed in the areas of natural uranium mining and milling, conversion, enrichment, depleted uranium disposition, fuel fabrication, interim spent fuel storage, reprocessing, waste conditioning, spent nuclear fuel (SNF) packaging, long-term monitored retrievable storage, near surface disposal of low-level waste (LLW), geologic repository and other disposal concepts, and transportation processes for nuclear fuel, LLW, SNF, transuranic, and high-level waste.

Advanced Fuel Cycle Cost Basis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

D. E. Shropshire; K. A. Williams; W. B. Boore; J. D. Smith; B. W. Dixon; M. Dunzik-Gougar; R. D. Adams; D. Gombert

2007-04-01

This report, commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), provides a comprehensive set of cost data supporting a cost analysis for the relative economic comparison of options for use in the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) Program. The report describes the AFCI cost basis development process, reference information on AFCI cost modules, a procedure for estimating fuel cycle costs, economic evaluation guidelines, and a discussion on the integration of cost data into economic computer models. This report contains reference cost data for 26 cost modules—24 fuel cycle cost modules and 2 reactor modules. The cost modules were developed in the areas of natural uranium mining and milling, conversion, enrichment, depleted uranium disposition, fuel fabrication, interim spent fuel storage, reprocessing, waste conditioning, spent nuclear fuel (SNF) packaging, long-term monitored retrievable storage, near surface disposal of low-level waste (LLW), geologic repository and other disposal concepts, and transportation processes for nuclear fuel, LLW, SNF, and high-level waste.

Advanced Fuel Cycle Cost Basis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

D. E. Shropshire; K. A. Williams; W. B. Boore; J. D. Smith; B. W. Dixon; M. Dunzik-Gougar; R. D. Adams; D. Gombert; E. Schneider

2008-03-01

This report, commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), provides a comprehensive set of cost data supporting a cost analysis for the relative economic comparison of options for use in the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) Program. The report describes the AFCI cost basis development process, reference information on AFCI cost modules, a procedure for estimating fuel cycle costs, economic evaluation guidelines, and a discussion on the integration of cost data into economic computer models. This report contains reference cost data for 25 cost modules—23 fuel cycle cost modules and 2 reactor modules. The cost modules were developed in the areas of natural uranium mining and milling, conversion, enrichment, depleted uranium disposition, fuel fabrication, interim spent fuel storage, reprocessing, waste conditioning, spent nuclear fuel (SNF) packaging, long-term monitored retrievable storage, near surface disposal of low-level waste (LLW), geologic repository and other disposal concepts, and transportation processes for nuclear fuel, LLW, SNF, transuranic, and high-level waste.

Reload safety evaluation report for Kori nuclear power unit 1, cycle 14

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Joo Young; Kim, Oh Hwan; Nam, Kee Il; Kim, Du Ill; Ban, Chang Hwan; Choi, Dong Uk

1994-05-01

This report presents the reload safety evaluation for Kori-1, Cycle 14 and demonstrate that the reactor core being entirely composed of KOFA as described in the report will not adversely affect the safety of the public and the plant. All of the accidents comprising the licensing bases which could potentially be affected by the fuel reload have been reviewed for the Cycle 14 core design described herein. (Author) 1 refs., 9 figs., 5 tabs

The potential for control of carbon dioxide emissions from integrated gasification/combined-cycle systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Livengood, C.D.; Doctor, R.D.; Molburg, J.C.; Thimmapuram, P.; Berry, G.F.

1994-06-01

Initiatives to limit carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) emissions have drawn considerable interest to integrated gasification/combined-cycle (IGCC) power generation, a process that reduces CO{sub 2} production through efficient fuel used is amenable to CO{sub 2} capture. This paper presents a comparison of energy systems that encompass fuel supply, an IGCC system, CO{sub 2} recovery using commercial technologies, CO{sub 2} transport by pipeline, and land-based sequestering in geological reservoirs. The intent is to evaluate the energy-efficiency impacts of controlling CO{sub 2} in such systems and to provide the CO{sub 2} budget, or an to equivalent CO{sub 2}`` budget, associated with each of the individual energy-cycle steps. The value used for the ``equivalent CO{sub 2}`` budget is 1 kg/kWh CO{sub 2}. The base case for the comparison is a 457-MW IGCC system that uses an air-blown Kellogg-Rust-Westinghouse (KRW) agglomerating fluidized-bed gasifier, Illinois No. 6 bituminous coal, and in-bed sulfur removal. Mining, preparation, and transportation of the coal and limestone result in a net system electric power production of 454 MW with a 0.835 kg/kwh CO{sub 2} release rate. For comparison, the gasifier output is taken through a water-gas shift to convert CO to CO{sub 2} and then processed in a glycol-based absorber unit to recover CO{sub 2} Prior to the combustion turbine. A 500-km pipeline then transports the CO{sub 2} for geological sequestering. The net electric power production for the system with CO{sub 2} recovery is 381 MW with a 0.156 kg/kwh CO{sub 2} release rate.

FY 1996 solid waste integrated life-cycle forecast characteristics summary. Volumes 1 and 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Templeton, K.J.

1996-05-23

For the past six years, a waste volume forecast has been collected annually from onsite and offsite generators that currently ship or are planning to ship solid waste to the Westinghouse Hanford Company`s Central Waste Complex (CWC). This document provides a description of the physical waste forms, hazardous waste constituents, and radionuclides of the waste expected to be shipped to the CWC from 1996 through the remaining life cycle of the Hanford Site (assumed to extend to 2070). In previous years, forecast data has been reported for a 30-year time period; however, the life-cycle approach was adopted this year to maintain consistency with FY 1996 Multi-Year Program Plans. This document is a companion report to two previous reports: the more detailed report on waste volumes, WHC-EP-0900, FY1996 Solid Waste Integrated Life-Cycle Forecast Volume Summary and the report on expected containers, WHC-EP-0903, FY1996 Solid Waste Integrated Life-Cycle Forecast Container Summary. All three documents are based on data gathered during the FY 1995 data call and verified as of January, 1996. These documents are intended to be used in conjunction with other solid waste planning documents as references for short and long-term planning of the WHC Solid Waste Disposal Division`s treatment, storage, and disposal activities over the next several decades. This document focuses on two main characteristics: the physical waste forms and hazardous waste constituents of low-level mixed waste (LLMW) and transuranic waste (both non-mixed and mixed) (TRU(M)). The major generators for each waste category and waste characteristic are also discussed. The characteristics of low-level waste (LLW) are described in Appendix A. In addition, information on radionuclides present in the waste is provided in Appendix B. The FY 1996 forecast data indicate that about 100,900 cubic meters of LLMW and TRU(M) waste is expected to be received at the CWC over the remaining life cycle of the site. Based on

FY 1996 solid waste integrated life-cycle forecast characteristics summary. Volumes 1 and 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Templeton, K.J.

1996-01-01

For the past six years, a waste volume forecast has been collected annually from onsite and offsite generators that currently ship or are planning to ship solid waste to the Westinghouse Hanford Company's Central Waste Complex (CWC). This document provides a description of the physical waste forms, hazardous waste constituents, and radionuclides of the waste expected to be shipped to the CWC from 1996 through the remaining life cycle of the Hanford Site (assumed to extend to 2070). In previous years, forecast data has been reported for a 30-year time period; however, the life-cycle approach was adopted this year to maintain consistency with FY 1996 Multi-Year Program Plans. This document is a companion report to two previous reports: the more detailed report on waste volumes, WHC-EP-0900, FY1996 Solid Waste Integrated Life-Cycle Forecast Volume Summary and the report on expected containers, WHC-EP-0903, FY1996 Solid Waste Integrated Life-Cycle Forecast Container Summary. All three documents are based on data gathered during the FY 1995 data call and verified as of January, 1996. These documents are intended to be used in conjunction with other solid waste planning documents as references for short and long-term planning of the WHC Solid Waste Disposal Division's treatment, storage, and disposal activities over the next several decades. This document focuses on two main characteristics: the physical waste forms and hazardous waste constituents of low-level mixed waste (LLMW) and transuranic waste (both non-mixed and mixed) (TRU(M)). The major generators for each waste category and waste characteristic are also discussed. The characteristics of low-level waste (LLW) are described in Appendix A. In addition, information on radionuclides present in the waste is provided in Appendix B. The FY 1996 forecast data indicate that about 100,900 cubic meters of LLMW and TRU(M) waste is expected to be received at the CWC over the remaining life cycle of the site. Based on

Multi-objective optimization integrated with life cycle assessment for rainwater harvesting systems

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yi; Huang, Youyi; Ye, Quanliang; Zhang, Wenlong; Meng, Fangang; Zhang, Shanxue

2018-03-01

The major limitation of optimization models applied previously for rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems is the systematic evaluation of environmental and human health impacts across all the lifecycle stages. This study integrated life cycle assessment (LCA) into a multi-objective optimization model to optimize the construction areas of green rooftops, porous pavements and green lands in Beijing of China, considering the trade-offs among 24 h-interval RWH volume (QR), stormwater runoff volume control ratio (R), economic cost (EC), and environmental impacts (EI). Eleven life cycle impact indicators were assessed with a functional unit of 10,000 m2 of RWH construction areas. The LCA results showed that green lands performed the smallest lifecycle impacts of all assessment indicators, in contrast, porous pavements showed the largest impact values except Abiotic Depletion Potential (ADP) elements. Based on the standardization results, ADP fossil was chosen as the representative indicator for the calculation of EI objective in multi-objective optimization model due to its largest value in all RWH systems lifecycle. The optimization results for QR, R, EC and EI were 238.80 million m3, 78.5%, 66.68 billion RMB Yuan, and 1.05E + 16 MJ, respectively. After the construction of optimal RWH system, 14.7% of annual domestic water consumption and 78.5% of maximum daily rainfall would be supplied and controlled in Beijing, respectively, which would make a great contribution to reduce the stress of water scarcity and water logging problems. Green lands have been the first choice for RWH in Beijing according to the capacity of rainwater harvesting and less environmental and human impacts. Porous pavements played a good role in water logging alleviation (R for 67.5%), however, did not show a large construction result in this study due to the huge ADP fossil across the lifecycle. Sensitivity analysis revealed the daily maximum precipitation to be key factor for the robustness of the

High temperature structural integrity evaluation method and application studies by ASME-NH for the next generation reactor design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koo, Gyeong Hoi; Lee, Jae Han

2006-01-01

The main purpose of this paper is to establish the high temperature structural integrity evaluating procedures for the next generation reactors, which are to be operated at over 500 .deg. C and for 60 years. To do this, comparison studies of the high temperature structural design codes and assessment procedures such as the ASME-NH (USA), RCC-MR (France), DDS (Japan), and R5 (UK) are carried out in view of the accumulated inelastic strain and the creep-fatigue damage evaluations. Also the application procedures of the ASME-NH rules with the actual thermal and structural analysis results are described in detail. To overcome the complexity and the engineering costs arising from a real application of the ASME-NH rules by hand, all the procedures established in this study such as the time-dependent primary stress limits, total accumulated creep ratcheting strain limits, and the creep-fatigue damage limits are computerized and implemented into the SIE ASME-NH program. Using this program, the selected high temperature structures subjected to two cycle types are evaluated and the parametric studies for the effects of the time step size, primary load, number of cycles, normal temperature for the creep damage evaluations and the effects of the load history on the creep ratcheting strain calculations are investigated

An integrated life cycle inventory for demolition processes in the context of life cycle sustainability assessment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bozhilova-Kisheva, Kossara Petrova; Hu, Mingming; van Roekel, Eric

2012-01-01

According to the Life Cycle Assessment in Building and Construction: State-of-the-Art Report (2003), the dismantling and demolition stage of the building life cycle is only sometimes included in the Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) when doing Life Cycle Assessments (LCA). The reason that it is less...... inventoried in a traditional LCA maybe because this stage is expected to have a negligible environmental impact comparing to other stages in the life cycle of the buildings. When doing a life cycle sustainability assessment considering not only environmental but also economic and social impacts, the impacts...

Integrating repositories with fuel cycles: The airport authority model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Forsberg, C. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 (United States)

2012-07-01

The organization of the fuel cycle is a legacy of World War II and the cold war. Fuel cycle facilities were developed and deployed without consideration of the waste management implications. This led to the fuel cycle model of a geological repository site with a single owner, a single function (disposal), and no other facilities on site. Recent studies indicate large economic, safety, repository performance, nonproliferation, and institutional incentives to collocate and integrate all back-end facilities. Site functions could include geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) with the option for future retrievability, disposal of other wastes, reprocessing with fuel fabrication, radioisotope production, other facilities that generate significant radioactive wastes, SNF inspection (navy and commercial), and related services such as SNF safeguards equipment testing and training. This implies a site with multiple facilities with different owners sharing some facilities and using common facilities - the repository and SNF receiving. This requires a different repository site institutional structure. We propose development of repository site authorities modeled after airport authorities. Airport authorities manage airports with government-owned runways, collocated or shared public and private airline terminals, commercial and federal military facilities, aircraft maintenance bases, and related operations - all enabled and benefiting the high-value runway asset and access to it via taxi ways. With a repository site authority the high value asset is the repository. The SNF and HLW receiving and storage facilities (equivalent to the airport terminal) serve the repository, any future reprocessing plants, and others with needs for access to SNF and other wastes. Non-public special-built roadways and on-site rail lines (equivalent to taxi ways) connect facilities. Airport authorities are typically chartered by state governments and managed by commissions with members

Integrating repositories with fuel cycles: The airport authority model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forsberg, C.

2012-01-01

The organization of the fuel cycle is a legacy of World War II and the cold war. Fuel cycle facilities were developed and deployed without consideration of the waste management implications. This led to the fuel cycle model of a geological repository site with a single owner, a single function (disposal), and no other facilities on site. Recent studies indicate large economic, safety, repository performance, nonproliferation, and institutional incentives to collocate and integrate all back-end facilities. Site functions could include geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) with the option for future retrievability, disposal of other wastes, reprocessing with fuel fabrication, radioisotope production, other facilities that generate significant radioactive wastes, SNF inspection (navy and commercial), and related services such as SNF safeguards equipment testing and training. This implies a site with multiple facilities with different owners sharing some facilities and using common facilities - the repository and SNF receiving. This requires a different repository site institutional structure. We propose development of repository site authorities modeled after airport authorities. Airport authorities manage airports with government-owned runways, collocated or shared public and private airline terminals, commercial and federal military facilities, aircraft maintenance bases, and related operations - all enabled and benefiting the high-value runway asset and access to it via taxi ways. With a repository site authority the high value asset is the repository. The SNF and HLW receiving and storage facilities (equivalent to the airport terminal) serve the repository, any future reprocessing plants, and others with needs for access to SNF and other wastes. Non-public special-built roadways and on-site rail lines (equivalent to taxi ways) connect facilities. Airport authorities are typically chartered by state governments and managed by commissions with members

Analysis of the capability to effectively design complementary metal oxide semiconductor integrated circuits

Science.gov (United States)

McConkey, M. L.

1984-12-01

A complete CMOS/BULK design cycle has been implemented and fully tested to evaluate its effectiveness and a viable set of computer-aided design tools for the layout, verification, and simulation of CMOS/BULK integrated circuits. This design cycle is good for p-well, n-well, or twin-well structures, although current fabrication technique available limit this to p-well only. BANE, an integrated layout program from Stanford, is at the center of this design cycle and was shown to be simple to use in the layout of CMOS integrated circuits (it can be also used to layout NMOS integrated circuits). A flowchart was developed showing the design cycle from initial layout, through design verification, and to circuit simulation using NETLIST, PRESIM, and RNL from the University of Washington. A CMOS/BULK library was designed and includes logic gates that were designed and completely tested by following this flowchart. Also designed was an arithmetic logic unit as a more complex test of the CMOS/BULK design cycle.

Analytical evaluation of integrals over Coulomb wave functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nesbet, R.K.

1988-01-01

Indefinite integrals of products of Coulomb wave functions over the interval (r, ∞) can be evaluated by conversion to continued fractions. Examples are given of normalization and dipole transition integrals required in photoionization calculations. (orig.)

Effective energy management by combining gas turbine cycles and forward osmosis desalination process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Min Young; Shin, Serin; Kim, Eung Soo

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Innovative gas turbine system and FO integrated system was proposed. • The feasibility of the integrated system was analyzed thermodynamically. • GOR of the FO–gas turbine system is 17% higher than those of MED and MSF. • Waste heat utilization of the suggested system is 85.7%. • Water production capacity of the suggested system is 3.5 times higher than the MSF–gas turbine system. - Abstract: In the recent years, attempts to improve the thermal efficiency of the gas turbine cycles have been made. In order to enhance the energy management of the gas turbine cycle, a new integration concept has been proposed; integration of gas turbine cycle and forward osmosis desalination process. The combination of the gas turbine cycle and the forward osmosis (FO) desalination process basically implies the coupling of the waste heat from the gas turbine cycle to the draw solute recovery system in the FO process which is the most energy consuming part of the whole FO process. By doing this, a strong system that is capable of producing water and electricity with very little waste heat can be achieved. The feasibility of this newly proposed system was analyzed using UNISIM program and the OLI property package. For the analysis, the thermolytic draw solutes which has been suggested by other research groups have been selected and studied. Sensitivity analysis was conducted on the integration system in order to understand and identify the key parameters of the integrated system. And the integrated system was further evaluated by comparing the gain output ratio (GOR) values with the conventional desalination technologies such as multi stage flash (MSF) and multi effect distillation (MED). The suggested integrated system was calculated to have a GOR of 14.8, while the MSF and MED when integrated to the gas turbine cycle showed GOR value of 12. It should also be noted that the energy utilization of the suggested integrated system is significantly higher by 27

Regulatory cross-cutting topics for fuel cycle facilities.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Denman, Matthew R.; Brown, Jason; Goldmann, Andrew Scott; Louie, David

2013-10-01

This report overviews crosscutting regulatory topics for nuclear fuel cycle facilities for use in the Fuel Cycle Research & Development Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation and Screening study. In particular, the regulatory infrastructure and analysis capability is assessed for the following topical areas: Fire Regulations (i.e., how applicable are current Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and/or International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) fire regulations to advance fuel cycle facilities) Consequence Assessment (i.e., how applicable are current radionuclide transportation tools to support risk-informed regulations and Level 2 and/or 3 PRA) While not addressed in detail, the following regulatory topic is also discussed: Integrated Security, Safeguard and Safety Requirement (i.e., how applicable are current Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations to future fuel cycle facilities which will likely be required to balance the sometimes conflicting Material Accountability, Security, and Safety requirements.)

Evaluating Indicators and Life Cycle Inventories for Processes in Early Stages of Technical Readiness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tan, Eric C [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Smith, Raymond [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Ruiz-Mercado, Gerardo [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

2017-11-01

This presentation examines different methods for analyzing manufacturing processes in the early stages of technical readiness. Before developers know much detail about their processes, it is valuable to apply various assessments to evaluate their performance. One type of assessment evaluates performance indicators to describe how closely processes approach desirable objectives. Another type of assessment determines the life cycle inventories (LCI) of inputs and outputs for processes, where for a functional unit of product, the user evaluates the resources used and the releases to the environment. These results can be compared to similar processes or combined with the LCI of other processes to examine up-and down-stream chemicals. The inventory also provides a listing of the up-stream chemicals, which permits study of the whole life cycle. Performance indicators are evaluated in this presentation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's GREENSCOPE (Gauging Reaction Effectiveness for ENvironmental Sustainability with a multi-Objective Process Evaluator) methodology, which evaluates processes in four areas: Environment, Energy, Economics, and Efficiency. The method develops relative scores for indicators that allow comparisons across various technologies. In this contribution, two conversion pathways for producing cellulosic ethanol from biomass, via thermochemical and biochemical routes, are studied. The information developed from the indicators and LCI can be used to inform the process design and the potential life cycle effects of up- and down-stream chemicals.

Analysis of changes in water cycle across Northern Eurasia with Rapid Integrated Mapping and Analysis System (RIMS)

Science.gov (United States)

Shiklomanov, A.; Prusevich, A.

2012-04-01

Historical and contemporary changes in various components of the hydrological cycle across the Northern Eurasia have been investigated using multiple observational and modeled data compiled in Rapid Integrated Mapping and Analysis System (RIMS) for North Eurasian Earth Science Partnership Initiative (NEESPI). To evaluate potential future patterns of change in the Northern Eurasian water cycle we have used climate change projections simulated by several coupled Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Models (AO GCMs). Future changes in hydrological regime were assessed using the UNH Water Balance and Water Transport Models (WBM/WTM) which take into account water management including irrigation and reservoir regulation. We found significant shifts in the regional hydrology and quantified potential natural and anthropogenic causes of these changes. The results of our historical and future analysis have demonstrated an intensification of hydrological cycle in many regions of the Northern Eurasia observed over 50-60 year period with accelerated rate during the last decade. Based on climate projections we can expect that the current rate of changes to continue over the course of XXI century. A significant part of the analysis and quantitative estimates of water cycle trends in Northern Eurasia has been done using RIMS online and offline data analysis tools. RIMS has been developed by the Water Systems Analysis Group at the University of New Hampshire, USA for the NEESPI program. Presently, the RIMS data pool is composed of a variety of themes including climate, hydrology, land cover, human dimension, and others. It comprises over five thousand single layer (e.g. soil type) and time series (e.g. daily runoff) raster GIS coverages, and a number of climate and hydrology station/point network datasets. The system streamlines data mining, management and model feeds in the computational environment of large and diverse data holdings. In this presentation we want to demonstrate

Estimating pesticide emissions for life cycle assessment of agricultural products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hauschild, Michael Zwicky; Røpke, Inge

2004-01-01

As the first country in Europe Denmark almost 2 years ago established an official center for Life Cycle Assessments and life cycle approaches as an element of the national IPP (Integrated Product Policy). The Danish EPA lends financial support to this important initiative, the aim of which is to: 1....... promote the use of Life Cycle Assessment and other product-oriented environmental tools in companies, 2. support companies and other in using environmental assessment of products and services, 3. ensure that the effort in the LCA area is based on a solid and scientific basis, and 4. maintain the well...... evaluation finished in September 2004. Important learnings for all who are engaged in dissemination of life cycle thinking in industry will be presented....

EVALUATING THE LIFE CYCLE COSTS OF PLANT ASSETS – A MULTIDIMENSIONAL VIEW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Markus Gram

2012-11-01

Full Text Available This paper shows the results of the task group "Asset life cycle management" of the AustrianScientific Maintenance and Asset Management Association (ÖVIA. One purpose of the researchactivities is to create a generic life cycle model for physical assets which includes all costs in everyphase of the asset life cycle. The first step is a literature review determining the most established lifecycle cost models. This is the input for discussing the completeness of such frameworks with theparticipating industrial companies. A general model is deducted from existing approaches and thedetermined costs are evaluated with respect to priority and practical relevance. The result of theevaluation shows which costs are taken into account for investment decisions. Another outcome ofthe study is the verification of importance of the proposed costs for industrial companies, especiallyfor the process industry. The derived life cycle cost framework is the basis for developing a calculationtool and subsequently, for further research in the flied of uncertainty-based methodologies forlife cycle cost analyzing of physical plant assets.

Development and Validation of A Nuclear Fuel Cycle Analysis Tool: A FUTURE Code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, S. K.; Ko, W. I. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Yoon Hee [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-10-15

This paper presents the development and validation methods of the FUTURE (FUel cycle analysis Tool for nUcleaR Energy) code, which was developed for a dynamic material flow evaluation and economic analysis of the nuclear fuel cycle. This code enables an evaluation of a nuclear material flow and its economy for diverse nuclear fuel cycles based on a predictable scenario. The most notable virtue of this FUTURE code, which was developed using C and MICROSOFT SQL DBMS, is that a program user can design a nuclear fuel cycle process easily using a standard process on the canvas screen through a drag-and-drop method. From the user's point of view, this code is very easy to use thanks to its high flexibility. In addition, the new code also enables the maintenance of data integrity by constructing a database environment of the results of the nuclear fuel cycle analyses.

Cell-cycle research with synchronous cultures: an evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Helmstetter, C. E.; Thornton, M.; Grover, N. B.

2001-01-01

The baby-machine system, which produces new-born Escherichia coli cells from cultures immobilized on a membrane, was developed many years ago in an attempt to attain optimal synchrony with minimal disturbance of steady-state growth. In the present article, we put forward a model to describe the behaviour of cells produced by this method, and provide quantitative evaluation of the parameters involved, at each of four different growth rates. Considering the high level of selection achievable with this technique and the natural dispersion in interdivision times, we believe that the output of the baby machine is probably close to optimal in terms of both quality and persistence of synchrony. We show that considerable information on events in the cell cycle can be obtained from populations with age distributions very much broader than those achieved with the baby machine and differing only modestly from steady state. The data presented here, together with the long and fruitful history of findings employing the baby-machine technique, suggest that minimisation of stress on cells is the single most important factor for successful cell-cycle analysis.

Criticality safety evaluation of the fuel cycle facility electrorefiner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lell, R.M.; Mariani, R.D.; Fujita, E.K.; Benedict, R.W.; Turski, R.B.

1993-01-01

The integral Fast Reactor (IFR) being developed by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) combines the advantages of metal-fueled, liquid-metal cooled reactors and a closed-loop fuel cycle. Some of the primary advantages are passive safety for the reactor and resistance to diversion for the heavy metal in the fuel cycle. in addition, the IFR pyroprocess recycles all the long-lived actinide activation products for casting into new fuel pins so that they may be burned in the reactor. A key component in the Fuel Cycle Facility (FCF) recycling process is the electrorefiner (ER) in which the actinides are separated from the fission products. In the process, the metal fuel is electrochemically dissolved into a high-temperature molten salt, and electrorefined uranium or uranium/plutonium products are deposited at cathodes. This report addresses the new and innovative aspects of the criticality analysis ensuing from processing metallic fuel, rather than metal oxide fuel, and from processing the spent fuel in batch operations. in particular, the criticality analysis employed a mechanistic approach as opposed to a probabilistic one. A probabilistic approach was unsuitable because of a lack of operational experience with some of the processes, rendering the estimation of accident event risk factors difficult. The criticality analysis also incorporated the uncertainties in heavy metal content attending the process items by defining normal operations envelopes (NOES) for key process parameters. The goal was to show that reasonable process uncertainties would be demonstrably safe toward criticality for continuous batch operations provided the key process parameters stayed within their NOES. Consequently the NOEs became the point of departure for accident events in the criticality analysis

The external cost of the nuclear fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schieber, C.; Schneider, T.

2002-01-01

The external cost of the nuclear fuel cycle has been evaluated in the particular context of France as part of the European Commission's ExternE project. All the steps in the fuel cycle which involve the use of cutting edge technology were taken into consideration, from mining of uranium ores to waste disposal, via construction, dismantling of nuclear power plants and the transport of radioactive materials. The general methodology adopted in the study, known as the 'Impact Pathway Analysis', is based on a sequence of evaluations from source terms to the potential= effects on man and the environment, and then to their monetary evaluation, using a single framework devised for all the fuel cycles considered in the ExternE project. The resulting external cost is in the range of 2 to 3 mEuro/kWh when no discount rate is applied, and around 0.1 mEuro/kWh when a discount rate of 3% is considered. Further developments have been made on the external cost of a nuclear accident and on the integration of risk aversion in its evaluation. It appeared that the external cost of a nuclear accident would be about 0.04 mEuro/kWh, instead of 0.002 mEuro/kWh without taking risk aversion into account. (authors)

The usefulness of GPS bicycle tracking data for evaluating the impact of infrastructure change on cycling behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Heesch, Kristiann C; Langdon, Michael

2016-02-01

Issue addressed A key strategy to increase active travel is the construction of bicycle infrastructure. Tools to evaluate this strategy are limited. This study assessed the usefulness of a smartphone GPS tracking system for evaluating the impact of this strategy on cycling behaviour. Methods Cycling usage data were collected from Queenslanders who used a GPS tracking app on their smartphone from 2013-2014. 'Heat' and volume maps of the data were reviewed, and GPS bicycle counts were compared with surveillance data and bicycle counts from automatic traffic-monitoring devices. Results Heat maps broadly indicated that changes in cycling occurred near infrastructure improvements. Volume maps provided changes in counts of cyclists due to these improvements although errors were noted in geographic information system (GIS) geo-coding of some GPS data. Large variations were evident in the number of cyclists using the app in different locations. These variations limited the usefulness of GPS data for assessing differences in cycling across locations. Conclusion Smartphone GPS data are useful in evaluating the impact of improved bicycle infrastructure in one location. Using GPS data to evaluate differential changes in cycling across multiple locations is problematic when there is insufficient traffic-monitoring devices available to triangulate GPS data with bicycle traffic count data. So what? The use of smartphone GPS data with other data sources is recommended for assessing how infrastructure improvements influence cycling behaviour.

An integrated optimization for organic Rankine cycle based on entransy theory and thermodynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Tailu; Fu, Wencheng; Zhu, Jialing

2014-01-01

The organic Rankine cycle has been one of the essential heat-work conversion technologies nowadays. Lots of effectual optimization methods are focused on the promotion of the system efficiency, which are mainly relied on engineering experience and numerical simulations rather than theoretical analysis. A theoretical integrated optimization method was established based on the entransy theory and thermodynamics, with the ratio of the net power output to the ratio of the total thermal conductance to the thermal conductance in the condenser as the objective function. The system parameters besides the optimal pinch point temperature difference were obtained. The results show that the mass flow rate of the working fluid is inversely proportional to the evaporating temperature. An optimal evaporating temperature maximizes the net power output, and the maximal net power output corresponds to the maximal entransy loss and the change points of the heat source outlet temperature and the change rates for the entropy generation and the entransy dissipation. Moreover, the net power output and the total thermal conductance are inversely proportional to the pinch point temperature difference, contradicting with each other. Under the specified condition, the optimal operating parameters are ascertained, with the optimal pinch point temperature difference of 5 K. - Highlights: • We establish an integrated optimization model for organic Rankine cycle. • The model combines the entransy theory with thermodynamics. • The maximal net power output corresponds to the maximal entransy loss. • The pinch point temperature difference is optimized to be 5 K

Effects of syngas type on the operation and performance of a gas turbine in integrated gasification combined cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Young Sik; Lee, Jong Jun; Kim, Tong Seop; Sohn, Jeong L.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → The effect of firing syngas in a gas turbine designed for natural gas was investigated. → A full off-design analysis was performed for a wide syngas heating value range. → Restrictions on compressor surge margin and turbine metal temperature were considered. -- Abstract: We investigated the effects of firing syngas in a gas turbine designed for natural gas. Four different syngases were evaluated as fuels for a gas turbine in the integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC). A full off-design analysis of the gas turbine was performed. Without any restrictions on gas turbine operation, as the heating value of the syngas decreases, a greater net system power output and efficiency is possible due to the increased turbine mass flow. However, the gas turbine is more vulnerable to compressor surge and the blade metal becomes more overheated. These two problems can be mitigated by reductions in two parameters: the firing temperature and the nitrogen flow to the combustor. With the restrictions on surge margin and metal temperature, the net system performance decreases compared to the cases without restrictions, especially in the surge margin control range. The net power outputs of all syngas cases converge to a similar level as the degree of integration approaches zero. The difference in net power output between unrestricted and restricted operation increases as the fuel heating value decreases. The optimal integration degree, which shows the greatest net system power output and efficiency, increases with decreasing syngas heating value.

Effects of syngas type on the operation and performance of a gas turbine in integrated gasification combined cycle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Young Sik; Lee, Jong Jun [Graduate School, Inha University, Incheon 402-751 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Tong Seop, E-mail: kts@inha.ac.k [Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University, Incheon 402-751 (Korea, Republic of); Sohn, Jeong L. [Center for Next Generation Heat Exchangers, Busan 618-230 (Korea, Republic of)

2011-05-15

Research highlights: {yields} The effect of firing syngas in a gas turbine designed for natural gas was investigated. {yields} A full off-design analysis was performed for a wide syngas heating value range. {yields} Restrictions on compressor surge margin and turbine metal temperature were considered. -- Abstract: We investigated the effects of firing syngas in a gas turbine designed for natural gas. Four different syngases were evaluated as fuels for a gas turbine in the integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC). A full off-design analysis of the gas turbine was performed. Without any restrictions on gas turbine operation, as the heating value of the syngas decreases, a greater net system power output and efficiency is possible due to the increased turbine mass flow. However, the gas turbine is more vulnerable to compressor surge and the blade metal becomes more overheated. These two problems can be mitigated by reductions in two parameters: the firing temperature and the nitrogen flow to the combustor. With the restrictions on surge margin and metal temperature, the net system performance decreases compared to the cases without restrictions, especially in the surge margin control range. The net power outputs of all syngas cases converge to a similar level as the degree of integration approaches zero. The difference in net power output between unrestricted and restricted operation increases as the fuel heating value decreases. The optimal integration degree, which shows the greatest net system power output and efficiency, increases with decreasing syngas heating value.

Development of a driving cycle to evaluate the energy economy of electric vehicles in urban areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brady, John; O’Mahony, Margaret

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Development of a driving cycle to evaluate energy economy of electric vehicles. • Improves on existing driving cycles by using real world data from electric vehicles. • Driving data from different road types and traffic conditions included. - Abstract: Understanding real-world driving conditions in the form of driving cycles is instrumental in the design of efficient powertrains and energy storage systems for electric vehicles. In addition, driving cycles serve as a standardised measurement procedure for the certification of a vehicle’s fuel economy and driving range. They also facilitate the evaluation of the economic and lifecycle costs of emerging vehicular technologies. However, discrepancies between existing driving cycles and real-world driving conditions exist due to a number of factors such as insufficient data, inadequate driving cycle development methodologies and methods to assess the representativeness of developed driving cycles. The novel aspect of the work presented here is the use of real-world data from electric vehicles, over a six month period, to derive a driving cycle appropriate for their assessment. A stochastic and statistical methodology is used to develop and assess the representativeness of the driving cycle against a separate set of real world electric vehicle driving data and the developed cycle performs well in that comparison. Although direct comparisons with internal combustion engine driving cycles are not that informative or relevant due to the marked differences between how they and electric vehicles operate, some discussion around how the developed electric vehicle cycle relates to them is also included.

An integrated approach to calculate life cycle costs of arms and military equipment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vlada S. Sokolović

2013-12-01

of goods or services, bid and supplier evaluation, negotiations, as well as contract and project administration. Administrative activities include processing and dispatching orders, comparing delivery and receipt confirmations, invoice receipt and verification, record-keeping and others. The identified existing and potential failures occurring in the procurement of military assets and affecting the optimization of use of financial resources, include: lack of adequate staff, imprecise legal regulations of procurement, lack of multi-year framework agreements related to the acquisition, insufficient and inadequate market research, incomplete adherence to the existing norms, late placing of funds at the disposal of the procurement service, untimely and inaccurate procurement planning, poor quality technical documentation, disrespect for deadlines, inadequate frequency of purchases, a number of "urgent and confidential procurements,", absence of a system limiting the time of procurement activities, absence of an adequate structure to deal with procurement control, etc. In addition, an integrated information system or a database that would allow access to the data and the analysis of the dynamics of costs would ensure proper assessment of costs of investments in equipping the military with AME.. CONCLUSION Determining AME  life cycle costs should be made at an early phase of asset development because it can repeatedly affect the total amount and cost reduction through project changing. In the cost analysis, it is desirable to use mathematical models and methods developed in the theory and practice to allow accurate calculations of the elements necessary for a cost estimate. The biggest costs occur in the functional competence of logistics which shows that equipping the army must be based on logistic grounds for efficiency and cost saving throughout the life cycle of the asset. The initial cost of assets in relation to the costs that appear at the end of their life cycle

Nuclear fuel cycle optimization - methods and modelling techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silvennoinen, P.

1982-01-01

This book is aimed at presenting methods applicable in the analysis of fuel cycle logistics and optimization as well as in evaluating the economics of different reactor strategies. After a succinct introduction to the phases of a fuel cycle, uranium cost trends are assessed in a global perspective and subsequent chapters deal with the fuel cycle problems faced by a power utility. A fundamental material flow model is introduced first in the context of light water reactor fuel cycles. Besides the minimum cost criterion, the text also deals with other objectives providing for a treatment of cost uncertainties and of the risk of proliferation of nuclear weapons. Methods to assess mixed reactor strategies, comprising also other reactor types than the light water reactor, are confined to cost minimization. In the final Chapter, the integration of nuclear capacity within a generating system is examined. (author)

Reload safety evaluation report for yonggwang nuclear power plant unit 2 cycle 7

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zee, Sung Kyun; Choi, Gyoo Hwan; Lee, Ki Bog; Park, Sang Yoon

1993-01-01

This report presents the reload safety evaluation for YGN-2, Cycle 7 and demonstrates that the reactor core being entirely composed of KOFA as described below will not adversely affect the safety of the public and the plant. All of the accidents comprising the licensing bases which would potentially be affected by the reload fuel assemblies have been reviewed for the Cycle 7 core design described herein. (Author)

Reload safety evaluation report for kori nuclear power plant unit 4, cycle 8

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Chan Oh; Jung, Yil Sup; Kim, Si Yong; Kim, Ki Hang; Kwon, Hyuk Sung; Oh, Dong Seok; Kim, Du Ill; Ban, Chang Hwan; Choi, Dong Uk

1993-06-01

This report presents the reload safety evaluation for Kori-4, Cycle 8 and demonstrate that the reactor core being entirely composed of KOFA as described in the report will not adversely affect the safety of the public and the plant. All of the accidents comprising the licening bases which could potentially be affected by the fuel reload have been reviewed for the Cycle 8 core design described herein. (Author)

A website evaluation model by integration of previous evaluation models using a quantitative approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Moeini

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Regarding the ecommerce growth, websites play an essential role in business success. Therefore, many authors have offered website evaluation models since 1995. Although, the multiplicity and diversity of evaluation models make it difficult to integrate them into a single comprehensive model. In this paper a quantitative method has been used to integrate previous models into a comprehensive model that is compatible with them. In this approach the researcher judgment has no role in integration of models and the new model takes its validity from 93 previous models and systematic quantitative approach.

Measurement control design and performance assessment in the Integral Fast Reactor fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orechwa, Y.; Bucher, R.G.

1994-01-01

The Integral Fast Reactor (IFR)--consisting of a metal fueled and liquid metal cooled reactor together with an attendant fuel cycle facility (FCF)--is currently undergoing a phased demonstration of the closed fuel cycle at Argonne National Laboratory. The recycle technology is pyrometalurgical based with incomplete fission product separation and all transuranics following plutonium for recycle. The equipment operates in batch mode at 500 to 1,300 C. The materials are highly radioactive and pyrophoric, thus the FCF requires remote operation. Central to the material control and accounting system for the FCF are the balances for mass measurements. The remote operation of the balances limits direct adjustment. The radiation environment requires that removal and replacement of the balances be minimized. The uniqueness of the facility precludes historical data for design and performance assessment. To assure efficient operation of the facility, the design of the measurement control system has called for procedures which assess the performance of the balances in great detail and will support capabilities for the correction of systematic changes in the performance of the balances through software

Towards evaluation and prediction of building sustainability using life cycle behaviour simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marzouk Mohamed

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Nowadays researchers and practitioners are oriented towards questioning how effective are the different building life cycle activities contribution to preserving the environment and fulfilling the need for equilibrium. Terminologies such as Building sustainability and Green Buildings have long been adopted yet the evaluation of such has been driven through the use of rating systems. LEED of the United States, BREEAM of the United Kingdom, and Pearl of the United Arab Emirates are namely good examples of these rating systems. This paper introduces a new approach for evaluation of building life cycle sustainability through simulation of activities interaction and studying its behaviour. The effort focuses on comprehending impact and effect of suitability related activities over the whole building life cycle or period of time. The methodology includes gathering a pool of parameters through benchmarking of five selected rating systems, analytical factorization for the gathered parameters is used to elect the most influencing parameters. Followed by simulation modelling using System dynamics to capture the interaction of the considered parameters. The resulting behaviour obtained from simulation is studied and used in designing a tool for prediction of sustainability.

Model development for quantitative evaluation of nuclear fuel cycle alternatives and its application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, Won Il

2000-02-01

This study addresses the quantitative evaluation of the proliferation resistance and the economics which are important factors of the alternative nuclear fuel cycle system. In this study, model was developed to quantitatively evaluate the proliferation resistance of the nuclear fuel cycles, and a fuel cycle cost analysis model was suggested to incorporate various uncertainties in the fuel cycle cost calculation. The proposed models were then applied to Korean environment as a sample study to provide better references for the determination of future nuclear fuel cycle system in Korea. In order to quantify the proliferation resistance of the nuclear fuel cycle, the proliferation resistance index was defined in imitation of an electrical circuit with an electromotive force and various electrical resistance components. In this model, the proliferation resistance was described an a relative size of the barrier that must be overcome in order to acquire nuclear weapons. Therefore, a larger barriers means that the risk of failure is great, expenditure of resources is large and the time scales for implementation is long. The electromotive force was expressed as the political motivation of the potential proliferators, such as an unauthorized party or a national group to acquire nuclear weapons. The electrical current was then defined as a proliferation resistance index. There are two electrical circuit models used in the evaluation of the proliferation resistance: the series and the parallel circuits. In the series circuit model of the proliferation resistance, a potential proliferator has to overcome all resistance barriers to achieve the manufacturing of the nuclear weapons. This phenomenon could be explained by the fact that the IAEA(International Atomic Energy Agency)'s safeguards philosophy relies on the defense-in-depth principle against nuclear proliferation at a specific facility. The parallel circuit model was also used to imitate the risk of proliferation for

Management of transuranics using the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wade, D.C.

1994-01-01

The 50 years of activities following the discovery of self-sustaining fission chains have given rise to a buildup of roughly 900 tons of manmade transuranics. Of the total, about 260 tons of Pu 239 were generated for use in weapons while the remainder were generated as a byproduct of electrical power produced worldwide by the commercial thermal nuclear power industry. What is to be done with these actinides? The options for disposition include interminable storage, burial, or recycle for use. The pros and cons of each option are being vigorously debated regarding the impact upon the issues of human and ecological risk -- both current and future; weapons proliferation potential -- both current and future; and total life cycle benefits and costs. As to the options for utilization, commercial uses for actinides (uranium and transuranics) are of limited diversity. The actinides have in the past and will in the future find application in large scale mostly by virtue of their ability to release energy through fission, and here their utility is unmatched -- whether the application be in commercial electricity generation or in armaments. The integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel cycle offers a number of features for management of the current and future burden of manmade transuranic materials and for capturing the energy content of the U 238 . These features are discussed here

Design and evaluation of an integrated safeguards system: principles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markin, J.T.; Coulter, C.A.; Gutmacher, R.G.; Whitty, W.J.

1984-01-01

An integrated safeguards system is defined as a collection of safeguards activities in which system components are coordinated to meet safeguards objectives efficiently within constraints imposed by safeguards resources, facility operations, potential adversaries, and regulatory requirements. This paper describes principles for designing and evaluating an integrated safeguards system that consists of four parts: a problem definition phase that specifies resources and constraints composing the problem boundary values, a system analysis/synthesis phase that describes how to select and integrate safeguards activities for efficient attainment of system objectives, a system evaluation/optimization phase that defines measures of safeguards performance and develops methods for evaluating them, and a decision-making phase that develops principles for selecting admissible designs and preference-ordering designs

Evaluation and optimization of a supercritical carbon dioxide power conversion cycle for nuclear applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harvego, Edwin A.; McKellar, Michael G.

2011-01-01

There have been a number of studies involving the use of gases operating in the supercritical mode for power production and process heat applications. Supercritical carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is particularly attractive because it is capable of achieving relatively high power conversion cycle efficiencies in the temperature range between 550degC and 750degC. Therefore, it has the potential for use with any type of high-temperature nuclear reactor concept, assuming reactor core outlet temperatures of at least 550degC. The particular power cycle investigated in this paper is a supercritical CO 2 recompression Brayton Cycle. The CO 2 recompression Brayton Cycle can be used as either a direct or indirect power conversion cycle, depending on the reactor type and reactor outlet temperature. The advantage of this cycle when compared to the helium Brayton Cycle is the lower required operating temperature; 550degC versus 750degC. However, the supercritical CO 2 recompression Brayton Cycle requires a high end operating pressure in the range of 20 MPa, which is considerably higher than the required helium Brayton cycle high end operating pressure of 7 MPa. This paper presents results of analyses performed using the UniSim process analyses software to evaluate the performance of the supercritical CO 2 recompression Brayton cycle for different reactor coolant outlet temperatures and mass flow rates. The UniSim model assumed a 600 MWt reactor power source, which provides heat to the power cycle at a maximum temperature of between 550degC and 850degC. Sensitivity calculations were also performed to determine the affect of reactor coolant mass flow rates for a reference reactor coolant outlet temperature of 750degC. The UniSim model used realistic component parameters and operating conditions to model the complete power conversion system. CO 2 properties were evaluated, and the operating range for the cycle was adjusted to take advantage of the rapidly changing conditions near the

Plant Characteristics of an Integrated Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cycle and a Steam Cycle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rokni, Masoud

2010-01-01

Plant characteristics of a system containing a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cycle on the top of a Rankine cycle were investigated. Natural gas (NG) was used as the fuel for the plant. A desulfurization reactor removes the sulfur content in the fuel, while a pre-reformer broke down the heavier...... recovery steam generator (HRSG). The remaining energy of the off-gases was recycled back to the topping cycle for further utilization. Several parameter studies were carried out to investigate the sensitivity of the suggested plant. It was shown that the operation temperature of the desulfurization unit...

Gas--steam turbine combined cycle power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Christian, J.E.

1978-10-01

The purpose of this technology evaluation is to provide performance and cost characteristics of the combined gas and steam turbine, cycle system applied to an Integrated Community Energy System (ICES). To date, most of the applications of combined cycles have been for electric power generation only. The basic gas--steam turbine combined cycle consists of: (1) a gas turbine-generator set, (2) a waste-heat recovery boiler in the gas turbine exhaust stream designed to produce steam, and (3) a steam turbine acting as a bottoming cycle. Because modification of the standard steam portion of the combined cycle would be necessary to recover waste heat at a useful temperature (> 212/sup 0/F), some sacrifice in the potential conversion efficiency is necessary at this temperature. The total energy efficiency ((electric power + recovered waste heat) divided by input fuel energy) varies from about 65 to 73% at full load to 34 to 49% at 20% rated electric power output. Two major factors that must be considered when installing a gas--steam turbine combines cycle are: the realiability of the gas turbine portion of the cycle, and the availability of liquid and gas fuels or the feasibility of hooking up with a coal gasification/liquefaction process.

Multidimensionality evaluation of supply chain management integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernanda Paes Arantes

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Integration is constantly reported in the literature as an essential feature of SCM. However, it is as difficult to define as to operationalize it, resulting in a lack of information on how to increase the level of integration among members. Thus, this research aims to evaluate the dimensionality of SCI, to check alignment with the features identified in the literature using multivariate statistical analysis. The methodology used was based on a questionnaire to assess the level of companies integration with suppliers of its supply chain. This instrument consisted of 21 items, with response options: yes, no or not applicable. The questions focused on evaluating the integration with suppliers, so each company consulted could answer a questionnaire for each supplier, since the intensity of relationships varies. Thus, 41 companies participated in the survey, resulting in 205 responses. Full-information item factor analysis and principal component analysis on the correlation matrix tetrachoric were used for the instrument dimensionality analysis. They are appropriate procedures for analysis of dichotomous variables. The results of this analysis enabled grouping the questionnaire items in the following underlying factors: trust, information sharing, partnership, collaboration or cooperation, and coordination. The identification of such factors such as dimensions of SCI enables greater understanding on how to raise the level of integration among the members of a supply chain.

Integral blow moulding for cycle time reduction of CFR-TP aluminium contour joint processing

Science.gov (United States)

Barfuss, Daniel; Würfel, Veit; Grützner, Raik; Gude, Maik; Müller, Roland

2018-05-01

Integral blow moulding (IBM) as a joining technology of carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastic (CFR-TP) hollow profiles with metallic load introduction elements enables significant cycle time reduction by shortening of the process chain. As the composite part is joined to the metallic part during its consolidation process subsequent joining steps are omitted. In combination with a multi-scale structured load introduction element its form closure function enables to pass very high loads and is capable to achieve high degrees of material utilization. This paper first shows the process set-up utilizing thermoplastic tape braided preforms and two-staged press and internal hydro formed load introduction elements. Second focuses on heating technologies and process optimization. Aiming at cycle time reduction convection and induction heating in regard to the resulting product quality is inspected by photo micrographs and computer tomographic scans. Concluding remarks give final recommendations for the process design in regard to the structural design.

Reload safety evaluation report for yonggwang nuclear power plant unit 1 cycle 7

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Chan Oh; Kwon, Tae Je; Park, Sang Yoon; Sung, Kang Sik; Kim, Ki Hang; Yim, Jeong Sik; Kim, Du Ill; Choi, Han Rim; Bae, Hoo Gun

1992-06-01

This report presents the reload safety evaluation for YGN-1, Cycle 7 and demonstrates that the reactor core being entirely composed of KOFA as discribed below will not adversely affect the safety of the public and the plant. All of the accidents comprising the licensing bases which could potentially be affected by the reload fuel assemblies have been reviewed for the Cycle 7 core and results are described in this report. (Author)

Reload safety evaluation report for ulchin nuclear power plant unit 2, cycle 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Chan Oh; Park, Yong Soo; Kim, Hong Jin; Kim, Il Kon; Oh, Dong Seok; Yoon, Han Yong; Choi, Han Rim; Choi, Dong Uk; Lee, Chung Chan; Zee, Sung Kyun

1992-09-01

This report presents a reload safety evaluation for Ulchin-2, Cycle 4 and demonstrates that the core being composed of various fuel types as described in the report will not adversely affect the safety of the public and the plant. All of the accidents comprising the licensing bases which could potentially be affected by the fuel reload have been reviewed for the Cycle 4 core and results are described in the report. (Author)

DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE ANALYSIS TOOL: A FUTURE CODE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.K. KIM

2013-10-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the development and validation methods of the FUTURE (FUel cycle analysis Tool for nUcleaR Energy code, which was developed for a dynamic material flow evaluation and economic analysis of the nuclear fuel cycle. This code enables an evaluation of a nuclear material flow and its economy for diverse nuclear fuel cycles based on a predictable scenario. The most notable virtue of this FUTURE code, which was developed using C# and MICROSOFT SQL DBMS, is that a program user can design a nuclear fuel cycle process easily using a standard process on the canvas screen through a drag-and-drop method. From the user's point of view, this code is very easy to use thanks to its high flexibility. In addition, the new code also enables the maintenance of data integrity by constructing a database environment of the results of the nuclear fuel cycle analyses.

Argentinean integrated small reactor design and scale economy analysis of integrated reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Florido, P. C.; Bergallo, J. E.; Ishida, M. V.

2000-01-01

This paper describes the design of CAREM, which is Argentinean integrated small reactor project and the scale economy analysis results of integrated reactor. CAREM project consists on the development, design and construction of a small nuclear power plant. CAREM is an advanced reactor conceived with new generation design solutions and standing on the large experience accumulated in the safe operation of Light Water Reactors. The CAREM is an indirect cycle reactor with some distinctive and characteristic features that greatly simplify the reactor and also contribute to a highly level of safety: integrated primary cooling system, self pressurized, primary cooling by natural circulation and safety system relying on passive features. For a fully doupled economic evaluation of integrated reactors done by IREP (Integrated Reactor Evaluation Program) code transferred to IAEA, CAREM have been used as a reference point. The results shows that integrated reactors become competitive with power larger than 200MWe with Argentinean cheapest electricity option. Due to reactor pressure vessel construction limit, low pressure drop steam generator are used to reach power output of 200MWe for natural circulation. For forced circulation, 300MWe can be achieved. (author)

Life cycle assessment for optimising the level of separated collection in integrated MSW management systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Rigamonti, L; Grosso, M; Giugliano, M

2009-02-01

This life cycle assessment study analyses material and energy recovery within integrated municipal solid waste (MSW) management systems, and, in particular, the recovery of the source-separated materials (packaging and organic waste) and the energy recovery from the residual waste. The recovery of materials and energy are analysed together, with the final aim to evaluate possible optimum levels of source-separated collection that lead to the most favourable energetic and environmental results; this method allows identification of an optimum configuration of the MSW management system. The results show that the optimum level of source-separated collection is about 60%, when all the materials are recovered with high efficiency; it decreases to about 50%, when the 60% level is reached as a result of a very high recovery efficiency for organic fractions at the expense of the packaging materials, or when this implies an appreciable reduction of the quality of collected materials. The optimum MSW management system is thus characterized by source-separated collection levels as included in the above indicated range, with subsequent recycling of the separated materials and energy recovery of the residual waste in a large-scale incinerator operating in combined heat and power mode.

Integrating enzyme fermentation in lignocellulosic ethanol production: life-cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Olofsson, Johanna; Barta, Zsolt; Börjesson, Pål; Wallberg, Ola

2017-01-01

Cellulase enzymes have been reported to contribute with a significant share of the total costs and greenhouse gas emissions of lignocellulosic ethanol production today. A potential future alternative to purchasing enzymes from an off-site manufacturer is to integrate enzyme and ethanol production, using microorganisms and part of the lignocellulosic material as feedstock for enzymes. This study modelled two such integrated process designs for ethanol from logging residues from spruce production, and compared it to an off-site case based on existing data regarding purchased enzymes. Greenhouse gas emissions and primary energy balances were studied in a life-cycle assessment, and cost performance in a techno-economic analysis. The base case scenario suggests that greenhouse gas emissions per MJ of ethanol could be significantly lower in the integrated cases than in the off-site case. However, the difference between the integrated and off-site cases is reduced with alternative assumptions regarding enzyme dosage and the environmental impact of the purchased enzymes. The comparison of primary energy balances did not show any significant difference between the cases. The minimum ethanol selling price, to reach break-even costs, was from 0.568 to 0.622 EUR L -1 for the integrated cases, as compared to 0.581 EUR L -1 for the off-site case. An integrated process design could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from lignocellulose-based ethanol production, and the cost of an integrated process could be comparable to purchasing enzymes produced off-site. This study focused on the environmental and economic assessment of an integrated process, and in order to strengthen the comparison to the off-site case, more detailed and updated data regarding industrial off-site enzyme production are especially important.

Development of an integrated database management system to evaluate integrity of flawed components of nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mun, H. L.; Choi, S. N.; Jang, K. S.; Hong, S. Y.; Choi, J. B.; Kim, Y. J.

2001-01-01

The object of this paper is to develop an NPP-IDBMS(Integrated DataBase Management System for Nuclear Power Plants) for evaluating the integrity of components of nuclear power plant using relational data model. This paper describes the relational data model, structure and development strategy for the proposed NPP-IDBMS. The NPP-IDBMS consists of database, database management system and interface part. The database part consists of plant, shape, operating condition, material properties and stress database, which are required for the integrity evaluation of each component in nuclear power plants. For the development of stress database, an extensive finite element analysis was performed for various components considering operational transients. The developed NPP-IDBMS will provide efficient and accurate way to evaluate the integrity of flawed components

Recovery of flue gas energy in heat-integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plants using the contact economizer system

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Madzivhandila, VA

2011-03-01

Full Text Available (flue gas) stream of a heat-integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) design of the Elcogas plant adopted from previous studies. The underlying support for this idea was the direct relationship between efficiency of the IGCC and the boiler feedwater...

Effect of multiple cycles of freeze-thawing on the RNA quality of lung cancer tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Keke; Xing, Jie; Zhang, Jie; Zhao, Ruiying; Zhang, Ye; Zhao, Lanxiang

2017-09-01

RNA degradation is a major problem in tissue banking. We explored the effect of thawing flash-frozen biospecimens on the quality and integrity of RNA for genetic testing as well as for other cancer research studies. The histological quality of the frozen tumor sections was evaluated by using hematoxylin and eosin staining. RNA extraction from 60 lung cancer tissue samples subjected to various freeze/thaw cycles was performed using the RNeasy Plus isolation kit. RNA integrity was assessed by using an Agilent bioanalyzer to obtain RNA integrity numbers (RIN). Furthermore, RNA from different groups was used for fluorescence Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of the echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (EML4-ALK) fusion gene mutation to verify whether it can be used for research or clinical testing. Highly variable RIN values were observed among the samples, which showed no correlation with the number of freeze/thaw cycles conducted. However, after 3 freeze/thaw cycles (each thaw event lasted for 10 min), an increasing number of changes in peak intensity in RINs were observed. After 5 freeze/thaw cycles, RNA integrity decreased to approximately 35%. After 3 freeze/thaw cycles, the RNA could still be used for RT-PCR analysis of EML4-ALK fusion gene mutations; whereas those subjected to 5 freeze/thaw cycles could not. Limited (cycles did not adversely affect the quality of RNA extracted from tumor tissues and subsequent RT-PCR analysis. Our data could be utilized in the establishment of a standardized procedure for tissue biospecimen collection and storage.

Influence of a Cyclic Events Configuration on a Elevated Temperature Structural Integrity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Chang-Gyu; Koo, Gyeong-Hoi; Lee, Jae-Han

2008-01-01

A nuclear power plant generally undergoes the various types of operating events for a plant life time. The cyclic events for a life time may bring about a structural failure such as fatigue damage. The structures of the LMR(Liquid Metal Reactor) operated in a elevated temperature environment are seriously affected by a thermal deformation and strain. Therefore, the thermal transient condition is a key factor for ensuring the structural integrity for the LMR reactor structures. Since it is not easy to consider the entire operating events at the preliminary or conceptual design stage, the LMR structural integrity is evaluated with representative duty cycle events. In this study, the influence of the elevated temperature structural integrity evaluation per the combination and sequence of the duty cycle events is investigated

Design and evaluation of an integrated safeguards system: principles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markin, J.T.; Coulter, C.A.; Gutmacher, R.G.; Whitty, W.J.

1984-07-01

An integrated safeguards system is defined as a collection of safeguards activities in which system components are coordinated to meet safeguards objectives efficiently within constraints imposed by safeguards resources, facility operations, potential adversaries, and regulatory requirements. This paper describes principles for designing and evaluating an integrated safeguards system that consists of four parts: (1) a problem definition phase that specifies resources and constraints composing the problem boundary values; (2) a system analysis/synthesis phase that describes how to select and integrate safeguards activities for efficient attainment of system objectives; (3) a system evaluation/optimization phase that defines measures of safeguards performance and develops methods for evaluating them; and (4) a decision-making phase that develops principles for selecting admissible designs and preference-ordering designs. 6 references, 4 figures, 5 tables

Conceptual design of a thermo-electrical energy storage system based on heat integration of thermodynamic cycles – Part A: Methodology and base case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morandin, Matteo; Maréchal, François; Mercangöz, Mehmet; Buchter, Florian

2012-01-01

The interest in large scale electricity storage (ES) with discharging time longer than 1 h and nominal power greater than 1 MW, is increasing worldwide as the increasing share of renewable energy, typically solar and wind energy, imposes severe load management issues. Thermo-electrical energy storage (TEES) based on thermodynamic cycles is currently under investigation at ABB corporate research as an alternative solution to pump hydro and compressed air energy storage. TEES is based on the conversion of electricity into thermal energy during charge by means of a heat pump and on the conversion of thermal energy into electricity during discharge by means of a thermal engine. The synthesis and the thermodynamic optimization of a TEES system based on hot water, ice storage and transcritical CO 2 cycles, is discussed in two papers. In this first paper a methodology for the conceptual design of a TEES system based on the analysis of the thermal integration between charging and discharging cycles through Pinch Analysis tools is introduced. According to such methodology, the heat exchanger network and temperatures and volumes of storage tanks are not defined a priori but are determined after the cycle parameters are optimized. For this purpose a heuristic procedure based on the interpretation of the composite curves obtained by optimizing the thermal integration between the cycles was developed. Such heuristic rules were implemented in a code that allows finding automatically the complete system design for given values of the intensive parameters of the charging and discharging cycles only. A base case system configuration is introduced and the results of its thermodynamic optimization are discussed here. A maximum roundtrip efficiency of 60% was obtained for the base case configuration assuming turbomachinery and heat exchanger performances in line with indications from manufacturers. -- Highlights: ► Energy storage based on water, ice, and transcritical CO 2 cycles is

Evaluation of two streamlined life cycle assessment methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hochschomer, Elisabeth; Finnveden, Goeran; Johansson, Jessica

2002-02-01

Two different methods for streamlined life cycle assessment (LCA) are described: the MECO-method and SLCA. Both methods are tested on an already made case-study on cars fuelled with petrol or ethanol, and electric cars with electricity produced from hydro power or coal. The report also contains some background information on LCA and streamlined LCA, and a deschption of the case study used. The evaluation of the MECO and SLCA-methods are based on a comparison of the results from the case study as well as practical aspects. One conclusion is that the SLCA-method has some limitations. Among the limitations are that the whole life-cycle is not covered, it requires quite a lot of information and there is room for arbitrariness. It is not very flexible instead it difficult to develop further. We are therefore not recommending the SLCA-method. The MECO-method does in comparison show several attractive features. It is also interesting to note that the MECO-method produces information that is complementary compared to a more traditional quantitative LCA. We suggest that the MECO method needs some further development and adjustment to Swedish conditions

Reload safety evaluation report for Ulchin nuclear power plant unit 1, cycle 6

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Won Jae; Kim, Yong Rae; Kim, Oh Hwan; Kwon, Hyuk Sung; Yoon, Han Young; Choi, Han Rim; Ku, Dong Uk [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1993-11-01

This report presents a reload safety evaluation for Ulchin 1, cycle 6 and demonstrates that the reactor core being fully composed of KOFA as described in this report will not adversely affect the safety of the public and the plant. All of the accidents comprising the licensing bases which could potentially be affected by the fuel reload have been reviewed for the cycle 6 core and results are described in this report. (Author) 1 ref., 5 figs., 6 tabs.

Reload safety evaluation report for Yonggwang nuclear power plant unit 1, cycle 8

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Won Jae; Yoon, Kyung Ho; Cho, Young Chul; Kim, Jae Hak; Um, Kil Sup; Choi, Han Rim; Kim, Ki Hang; Sung, Kang Sik

1993-09-01

This report presents a reload safety evaluation for YGN-1, cycle 8 and demonstrates that the core being entirely composed of KOFA as described in the report will not adversely affect the safety of the public and the plant. All of the accidents comprising the licensing bases which could potentially be affected by the fuel reload have been reviewed for the cycle 8 core and results are described in the report. (Author) 1 ref., 4 figs., 5 tabs

Reload safety evaluation report for Ulchin nuclear power plant unit 1, cycle 6

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Won Jae; Kim, Yong Rae; Kim, Oh Hwan; Kwon, Hyuk Sung; Yoon, Han Young; Choi, Han Rim; Ku, Dong Uk

1993-11-01

This report presents a reload safety evaluation for Ulchin 1, cycle 6 and demonstrates that the reactor core being fully composed of KOFA as described in this report will not adversely affect the safety of the public and the plant. All of the accidents comprising the licensing bases which could potentially be affected by the fuel reload have been reviewed for the cycle 6 core and results are described in this report. (Author) 1 ref., 5 figs., 6 tabs

Reload safety evaluation report for Yonggwang nuclear power plant unit 1, cycle 9

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Young Chul; Nam, Kee Il; Kim, Ki Hang; Suh, Jung Min; Um, Kil Sup; Ban, Chang Hwan; Bae, Hoo Gun

1995-02-01

This report presents a reload safety evaluation for YGN-1, Cycle 9 and demonstrates that the core being entirely composed of KOFA as described in the report will not adversely affect the safety of the public and the plant. All of the accidents comprising the licensing bases which could potentially be affected by the fuel reload have been reviewed for the Cycle 9 core and results are described in this report. (Author) 1 refs., 3 figs., 6 tabs

Reload safety evaluation report for Ulchin nuclear power plant unit 2, cycle 6

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Jin Gon; Park, Jin Ha; Kim, Oh Hwan; Oh, Dong Seok; Kim, Du Ill; Choi, Han Rim; Ku, Dong Uk; Bae, Hoo Gun

1994-07-01

This report presents a reload safety evaluation for Ulchin-2, cycle 6 and demonstrates that the core being composed of various fuel types as described in the report will not adversely affect the safety of the public and the plant. All of the accidents comprising the licensing bases which could potentially be affected by the fuel reload have been reviewed for the cycle 6 core and results are described in the report. (Author) 1 ref., 3 figs., 7 tabs

Reload safety evaluation report for Ulchin nuclear power plant unit 1, cycle 7

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Yong Rae; Kwon, Hyuk Sung; Kim, Oh Hwan; Choi, Han Rim; Yoon, Han Young; Ku, Dong Uk; Suh, Jung Min; Bae, Hoo Gun

1995-02-01

This report presents a reload safety evaluation for UCN-2, Cycle 7 and demonstrates that the core being entirely composed of KOFA as described in the report will not adversely affect the safety of the public and the plant. All of the accidents comprising the licensing bases which could potentially be affected by the fuel reload have been reviewed for the Cycle 7 core and results are described in this report. (Author) 1 refs., 3 figs., 6 tabs

Evaluation of a workplace intervention to promote commuter cycling: a RE-AIM analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Dubuy, Veerle; De Cocker, Katrien; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Maes, Lea; Seghers, Jan; Lefevre, Johan; De Martelaer, Kristine; Cardon, Greet

2013-06-17

Originating from the interdisciplinary collaboration between public health and the transportation field a workplace intervention to promote commuter cycling, 'Bike to Work: cyclists are rewarded', was implemented. The intervention consisted of two cycling contests, an online loyalty program based on earning 'cycling points' and the dissemination of information through folders, newsletters, posters and a website. The study purpose was to evaluate the dissemination efforts of the program and to gain insights in whether free participation could persuade small and middle-sized companies to sign up. The RE-AIM framework was used to guide the evaluation. Two months after the start of the intervention a questionnaire was send to 4880 employees. At the end of the intervention each company contact person (n = 12) was interviewed to obtain information on adoption, implementation and maintenance.Comparison analyses between employees aware and unaware of the program were conducted using independent-samples t-tests for quantitative data and chi-square tests for qualitative data. Difference in commuter cycling frequency was assessed using an ANOVA test. Non-parametric tests were used for the comparison analyses between the adopting and non-adopting companies. In total seven of the twelve participating companies adopted the program and all adopting companies implemented all intervention components. No significant differences were found in the mean number of employees (p = 0.15) or in the type of business sector (p = 0.92) between adopting and non-adopting companies. Five out of seven companies had the intention to continue the program. At the individual level, a project awareness of 65% was found. Employees aware of the program had a significantly more positive attitude towards cycling and reported significantly more commuter cycling than those unaware of the program (both p sustainability of the intervention is needed.

INTEGRATED SENSOR EVALUATION CIRCUIT AND METHOD FOR OPERATING SAID CIRCUIT

OpenAIRE

Krüger, Jens; Gausa, Dominik

2015-01-01

WO15090426A1 Sensor evaluation device and method for operating said device Integrated sensor evaluation circuit for evaluating a sensor signal (14) received from a sensor (12), having a first connection (28a) for connection to the sensor and a second connection (28b) for connection to the sensor. The integrated sensor evaluation circuit comprises a configuration data memory (16) for storing configuration data which describe signal properties of a plurality of sensor control signals (26a-c). T...

Towards the integration of orbital space use in Life Cycle Impact Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Maury, Thibaut; Loubet, Philippe; Ouziel, Jonathan; Saint-Amand, Maud; Dariol, Ludovic; Sonnemann, Guido

2017-10-01

A rising sustainability concern is occurring in the space sector: 29,000 human-made objects, larger than 10cm are orbiting the Earth but only 6% are operational spacecrafts. Today, space debris is today a significant and constant danger to all space missions. Consequently, it becomes compelled to design new space missions considering End-of-Life requirements in order to ensure the sustainable use of space orbits. Furthermore, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been identified by the European Space Agency as an adequate tool to measure the environmental impact of spacecraft missions. Hence, our challenge is to integrate orbital space use into Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) to broaden the scope of LCA for space systems. The generation of debris in the near-Earth's orbital regions leads to a decrease in volume availability. The Area-of-Protection (AoP) 'resources' seems to be the most relevant reflection of this depletion. To address orbital space use in a comprehensive way, we propose a first attempt at establishing an impact pathway linking outer space use to resources. This framework will be the basis for defining new indicator(s) related to orbital space use. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermodynamic evaluation of the Kalina split-cycle concepts for waste heat recovery applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, Tuong-Van; Knudsen, Thomas; Larsen, Ulrik; Haglind, Fredrik

2014-01-01

The Kalina split-cycle is a thermodynamic process for converting thermal energy into electrical power. It uses an ammonia–water mixture as a working fluid (like a conventional Kalina cycle) and has a varying ammonia concentration during the pre-heating and evaporation steps. This second feature results in an improved match between the heat source and working fluid temperature profiles, decreasing the entropy generation in the heat recovery system. The present work compares the thermodynamic performance of this power cycle with the conventional Kalina process, and investigates the impact of varying boundary conditions by conducting an exergy analysis. The design parameters of each configuration were determined by performing a multi-variable optimisation. The results indicate that the Kalina split-cycle with reheat presents an exergetic efficiency by 2.8% points higher than a reference Kalina cycle with reheat, and by 4.3% points without reheat. The cycle efficiency varies by 14% points for a variation of the exhaust gas temperature of 100 °C, and by 1% point for a cold water temperature variation of 30 °C. This analysis also pinpoints the large irreversibilities in the low-pressure turbine and condenser, and indicates a reduction of the exergy destruction by about 23% in the heat recovery system compared to the baseline cycle. - Highlights: • The thermodynamic performance of the Kalina split-cycle is assessed. • The Kalina split-cycle is compared to the Kalina cycle, with and without reheat. • An exergy analysis is performed to evaluate its thermodynamic performance. • The impact of varying boundary conditions is investigated. • The Kalina split-cycle displays high exergetic efficiency for low- and medium-temperature applications

Reducing life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of corn ethanol by integrating biomass to produce heat and power at ethanol plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaliyan, Nalladurai; Morey, R. Vance; Tiffany, Douglas G.

2011-01-01

A life-cycle assessment (LCA) of corn ethanol was conducted to determine the reduction in the life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for corn ethanol compared to gasoline by integrating biomass fuels to replace fossil fuels (natural gas and grid electricity) in a U.S. Midwest dry-grind corn ethanol plant producing 0.19 hm 3 y -1 of denatured ethanol. The biomass fuels studied are corn stover and ethanol co-products [dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), and syrup (solubles portion of DDGS)]. The biomass conversion technologies/systems considered are process heat (PH) only systems, combined heat and power (CHP) systems, and biomass integrated gasification combined cycle (BIGCC) systems. The life-cycle GHG emission reduction for corn ethanol compared to gasoline is 38.9% for PH with natural gas, 57.7% for PH with corn stover, 79.1% for CHP with corn stover, 78.2% for IGCC with natural gas, 119.0% for BIGCC with corn stover, and 111.4% for BIGCC with syrup and stover. These GHG emission estimates do not include indirect land use change effects. GHG emission reductions for CHP, IGCC, and BIGCC include power sent to the grid which replaces electricity from coal. BIGCC results in greater reductions in GHG emissions than IGCC with natural gas because biomass is substituted for fossil fuels. In addition, underground sequestration of CO 2 gas from the ethanol plant's fermentation tank could further reduce the life-cycle GHG emission for corn ethanol by 32% compared to gasoline.

A regional scale modeling framework combining biogeochemical model with life cycle and economic analysis for integrated assessment of cropping systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabatabaie, Seyed Mohammad Hossein; Bolte, John P; Murthy, Ganti S

2018-06-01

The goal of this study was to integrate a crop model, DNDC (DeNitrification-DeComposition), with life cycle assessment (LCA) and economic analysis models using a GIS-based integrated platform, ENVISION. The integrated model enables LCA practitioners to conduct integrated economic analysis and LCA on a regional scale while capturing the variability of soil emissions due to variation in regional factors during production of crops and biofuel feedstocks. In order to evaluate the integrated model, the corn-soybean cropping system in Eagle Creek Watershed, Indiana was studied and the integrated model was used to first model the soil emissions and then conduct the LCA as well as economic analysis. The results showed that the variation in soil emissions due to variation in weather is high causing some locations to be carbon sink in some years and source of CO 2 in other years. In order to test the model under different scenarios, two tillage scenarios were defined: 1) conventional tillage (CT) and 2) no tillage (NT) and analyzed with the model. The overall GHG emissions for the corn-soybean cropping system was simulated and results showed that the NT scenario resulted in lower soil GHG emissions compared to CT scenario. Moreover, global warming potential (GWP) of corn ethanol from well to pump varied between 57 and 92gCO 2 -eq./MJ while GWP under the NT system was lower than that of the CT system. The cost break-even point was calculated as $3612.5/ha in a two year corn-soybean cropping system and the results showed that under low and medium prices for corn and soybean most of the farms did not meet the break-even point. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Evaluation of the Automated Cost Estimating Integrated Tools (ACEIT) System

Science.gov (United States)

1989-09-01

C~4p DTIC S ELECTE fl JAN12 19 .1R ~OF S%. B -U AN EVALUATION OF THE AUTOMATED COST ESTIMATING INTEGRATED TOOLS ( ACEIT ) SYSTEM THESIS Caroline L...Ohio go 91 022 AFIT/GCA/LSQ/89S-5 AN EVALUATION OF THE AUTOMATED COST ESTIMATING INTEGRATED TOOLS ( ACEIT ) SYSTEM THESIS Caroline L. Hanson Major, USAF...Department of Defense. AFIT/GCA/LSQ/89S-5 AN EVALUATION OF THE AUTOMATED COST ESTIMATING INTEGRATED TOOLS ( ACEIT ) SYSTEM THESIS Presented to the

Exploring in integrated quality evaluation of Chinese herbal medicines: the integrated quality index (IQI) for aconite.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ding-kun; Wang, Jia-bo; Yang, Ming; Peng, Cheng; Xiao, Xiao-he

2015-07-01

Good medicinal herbs, good drugs. Good evaluation method and indices are the prerequisite of good medicinal herbs. However, there exist numerous indices for quality evaluation and control in Chinese medicinal materials. However, most of these indices are non-interrelated each other, as well as having little relationship with efficiency and safety. The results of different evaluatior methods may not be consistent, even contradictory. Considering the complex material properties of Chinese medicinal materials, single method and index is difficult to objectively and comprehensively reflect the quality. Therefore, it is essential to explore the integrated evaluation methods. In this paper, oriented by the integrated evaluation strategies for traditional Chinese medicine quality, a new method called integrated quality index (IQI) by the integration of empirical evaluation, chemical evaluation, and biological evaluation was proposed. In addition, a study case of hypertoxic herb Aconitum carmichaelii Debx. was provided to explain this method in detail. The results suggested that in the view of specifications, the average weight of Jiangyou aconite was the greatest, followed by Weishan aconite, Butuo aconite, Hanzhong aconite, and Anxian aconite; from the point of chemical components, Jiangyou aconite had the characteristic with strong efficacy and weak toxicity, next was Hanzhong aconite, Butuo aconite, Weishan aconite, and Anxian aconite; taking toxicity price as the index, Hanzhong aconite and Jiangyou aconite have the lower toxicity, while Butuo aconite, Weishan aconite, and Anxian aconite have the relatively higher one. After the normalization and integration of evaluation results, we calculated the IQI value of Jiangyou aconite, Hanzhong aconite, Butuo aconite, Weishan aconite, and Anxian aconite were 0.842 +/- 0.091, 0.597 +/- 0.047, 0.442 +/- 0.033, 0.454 +/- 0.038, 0.170 +/- 0.021, respectively. The quality of Jiangyou aconite is significantly better than the

Structural Integrity Evaluation of Containment Vessel under Severe Accident for PGSFR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seong-Hyeon; Koo, Gyeong-Hoi; Kim, Sung-Kyun

2016-01-01

This paper provides structural integrity evaluation results of CV of the PGSFR(Prototype Gen-IV Sodium Fast Reactor) under severe accident through transient analysis. The evaluation was carried out according to ASME B and PV Code Sec. III-Subsection NH rule. Structural integrity of CV was evaluated through transient analysis of structure in case of severe accident. Stress evaluation results for selected evaluation sections satisfy design criteria of ASME B and PV Code Sec. III Subsection NH. The transient load condition of normal operation will considered in the future work. The purpose of RVCS is to maintain the integrity of concrete structure during normal power operation. Therefore RVCS should be designed to keep the temperature of concrete surface under design limit and to minimize heat loss through CV(Containment Vessel). And in case of severe accident, the integrity of reactor structure and concrete structure should be maintained. Therefore RVCS should be designed to satisfy ASME Level D service limits. When RVCS works with breakdown of DHRS after severe accident, the temperature change of inner and outer surface of CV over time can affect structural integrity of CV. To verify the structural integrity, it is necessary to perform transient analysis of CV structure under changing temperature over time

Advanced modeling and simulation of integrated gasification combined cycle power plants with CO2-capture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rieger, Mathias

2014-01-01

The objective of this thesis is to provide an extensive description of the correlations in some of the most crucial sub-processes for hard coal fired IGCC with carbon capture (CC-IGCC). For this purpose, process simulation models are developed for four industrial gasification processes, the CO-shift cycle, the acid gas removal unit, the sulfur recovery process, the gas turbine, the water-/steam cycle and the air separation unit (ASU). Process simulations clarify the influence of certain boundary conditions on plant operation, performance and economics. Based on that, a comparative benchmark of CC-IGCC concepts is conducted. Furthermore, the influence of integration between the gas turbine and the ASU is analyzed in detail. The generated findings are used to develop an advanced plant configuration with improved economics. Nevertheless, IGCC power plants with carbon capture are not found to be an economically efficient power generation technology at present day boundary conditions.

Concept Evaluation Using the PDSA Cycle for Continuous Quality Improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Laverentz, Delois Meyer; Kumm, Sharon

As concept-based nursing education gains popularity, there is little literature on how to sustain quality after initiation of the curriculum. Critical appraisal of concepts in a university program revealed varying definitions, attributes, and exemplars resulting in student confusion. The Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle for continuous quality improvement was used for concept evaluation. The goals of the evaluation project were: 1) to develop common definition and attributes for concepts and 2) to develop horizontal and vertical leveling of exemplars to build on prior student learning. The continuous quality improvement process can be used to prevent "concept creep" and ensure internal consistency of concept definitions, attributes, and exemplars.

Improvement of system code importing evaluation of Life Cycle Analysis of tokamak fusion power reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobori, Hikaru; Kasada, Ryuta; Hiwatari, Ryoji; Konishi, Satoshi

2016-01-01

Highlights: • We incorporated the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of tokamak type DEMO reactor and following commercial reactors as an extension of a system code. • We calculated CO_2 emissions from reactor construction, operation and decommissioning that is considered as a major environmental cost. • We found that the objective of conceptual design of the tokamak fusion power reactor is moved by changing evaluation index. • The tokamak fusion reactor can reduce CO_2 emissions in the life cycle effectively by reduction of the amount involved in the replacement of internal components. • The tokamak fusion reactor achieves under 0.174$/kWh electricity cost, the tokamak fusion reactor is contestable with 1500 degrees-class LNG-fired combined cycle power plant. - Abstract: This study incorporate the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of tokamak type DEMO reactor and following commercial reactors as an extension of a system code to calculate CO_2 emissions from reactor construction, operation and decommissioning that is considered as a major environmental cost. Competitiveness of tokamak fusion power reactors is expected to be evaluated by the cost and environmental impact represented by the CO_2 emissions, compared with present and future power generating systems such as fossil, nuclear and renewables. Result indicated that (1) The objective of conceptual design of the tokamak fusion power reactor is moved by changing evaluation index. (2) The tokamak fusion reactor can reduce CO_2 emissions in the life cycle effectively by reduction of the amount involved in the replacement of internal components. (3) The tokamak fusion reactor achieves under 0.174$/kWh electricity cost, the tokamak fusion reactor is contestable with 1500 degrees-class LNG-fired combined cycle power plant.

Improvement of system code importing evaluation of Life Cycle Analysis of tokamak fusion power reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kobori, Hikaru [Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011 (Japan); Kasada, Ryuta, E-mail: r-kasada@iae.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011 (Japan); Hiwatari, Ryoji [Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, Tokyo (Japan); Konishi, Satoshi [Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011 (Japan)

2016-11-01

Highlights: • We incorporated the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of tokamak type DEMO reactor and following commercial reactors as an extension of a system code. • We calculated CO{sub 2} emissions from reactor construction, operation and decommissioning that is considered as a major environmental cost. • We found that the objective of conceptual design of the tokamak fusion power reactor is moved by changing evaluation index. • The tokamak fusion reactor can reduce CO{sub 2} emissions in the life cycle effectively by reduction of the amount involved in the replacement of internal components. • The tokamak fusion reactor achieves under 0.174$/kWh electricity cost, the tokamak fusion reactor is contestable with 1500 degrees-class LNG-fired combined cycle power plant. - Abstract: This study incorporate the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of tokamak type DEMO reactor and following commercial reactors as an extension of a system code to calculate CO{sub 2} emissions from reactor construction, operation and decommissioning that is considered as a major environmental cost. Competitiveness of tokamak fusion power reactors is expected to be evaluated by the cost and environmental impact represented by the CO{sub 2} emissions, compared with present and future power generating systems such as fossil, nuclear and renewables. Result indicated that (1) The objective of conceptual design of the tokamak fusion power reactor is moved by changing evaluation index. (2) The tokamak fusion reactor can reduce CO{sub 2} emissions in the life cycle effectively by reduction of the amount involved in the replacement of internal components. (3) The tokamak fusion reactor achieves under 0.174$/kWh electricity cost, the tokamak fusion reactor is contestable with 1500 degrees-class LNG-fired combined cycle power plant.

Evaluation of sustainable supply chain risk management using an integrated fuzzy TOPSIS- CRITIC approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rostamzadeh, Reza; Ghorabaee, Mehdi Keshavarz; Govindan, Kannan

2018-01-01

Supply chain risk management research has mainly mistreated the important of sustainability issues. Moreover, there is little knowledge about sustainable management of risk and supply chain and the way they impose losses for firms. Risk management's duty in the supply chain is to identify, analyze......, and provide solutions for accountability, control and monitor the risks in the economic and production cycle. This study aims to develop a framework for the sustainable supply chain risk management (SSCRM) evaluation. To this end, an integrated fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach is proposed...... based on the technique in order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) and criteria importance through inter-criteria correlation (CRITIC) methods. The literature was reviewed and the potential criteria were identified. Through an expert panel the criteria were filtered. Seven main...

Cycling infrastructure for reducing cycling injuries in cyclists.

Science.gov (United States)

Mulvaney, Caroline A; Smith, Sherie; Watson, Michael C; Parkin, John; Coupland, Carol; Miller, Philip; Kendrick, Denise; McClintock, Hugh

2015-12-10

Cycling is an attractive form of transport. It is beneficial to the individual as a form of physical activity that may fit more readily into an individual's daily routine, such as for cycling to work and to the shops, than other physical activities such as visiting a gym. Cycling is also beneficial to the wider community and the environment as a result of fewer motorised journeys. Cyclists are seen as vulnerable road users who are frequently in close proximity to larger and faster motorised vehicles. Cycling infrastructure aims to make cycling both more convenient and safer for cyclists. This review is needed to guide transport planning. To:1. evaluate the effects of different types of cycling infrastructure on reducing cycling injuries in cyclists, by type of infrastructure;2. evaluate the effects of cycling infrastructure on reducing the severity of cycling injuries in cyclists;3. evaluate the effects of cycling infrastructure on reducing cycling injuries in cyclists with respect to age, sex and social group. We ran the most recent search on 2nd March 2015. We searched the Cochrane Injuries Group Specialised Register, CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library), MEDLINE (OvidSP), Embase Classic + Embase(OvidSP), PubMed and 10 other databases. We searched websites, handsearched conference proceedings, screened reference lists of included studies and previously published reviews and contacted relevant organisations. We included randomised controlled trials, cluster randomised controlled trials, controlled before-after studies, and interrupted time series studies which evaluated the effect of cycling infrastructure (such as cycle lanes, tracks or paths, speed management, roundabout design) on cyclist injury or collision rates. Studies had to include a comparator, that is, either no infrastructure or a different type of infrastructure. We excluded studies that assessed collisions that occurred as a result of competitive cycling. Two review authors examined the titles and

Innovation in Evaluating the Impact of Integrated Service-Delivery: The Integra Indexes of HIV and Reproductive Health Integration.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayhew, Susannah H; Ploubidis, George B; Sloggett, Andy; Church, Kathryn; Obure, Carol D; Birdthistle, Isolde; Sweeney, Sedona; Warren, Charlotte E; Watts, Charlotte; Vassall, Anna

2016-01-01

The body of knowledge on evaluating complex interventions for integrated healthcare lacks both common definitions of 'integrated service delivery' and standard measures of impact. Using multiple data sources in combination with statistical modelling the aim of this study is to develop a measure of HIV-reproductive health (HIV-RH) service integration that can be used to assess the degree of service integration, and the degree to which integration may have health benefits to clients, or reduce service costs. Data were drawn from the Integra Initiative's client flow (8,263 clients in Swaziland and 25,539 in Kenya) and costing tools implemented between 2008-2012 in 40 clinics providing RH services in Kenya and Swaziland. We used latent variable measurement models to derive dimensions of HIV-RH integration using these data, which quantified the extent and type of integration between HIV and RH services in Kenya and Swaziland. The modelling produced two clear and uncorrelated dimensions of integration at facility level leading to the development of two sub-indexes: a Structural Integration Index (integrated physical and human resource infrastructure) and a Functional Integration Index (integrated delivery of services to clients). The findings highlight the importance of multi-dimensional assessments of integration, suggesting that structural integration is not sufficient to achieve the integrated delivery of care to clients--i.e. "functional integration". These Indexes are an important methodological contribution for evaluating complex multi-service interventions. They help address the need to broaden traditional evaluations of integrated HIV-RH care through the incorporation of a functional integration measure, to avoid misleading conclusions on its 'impact' on health outcomes. This is particularly important for decision-makers seeking to promote integration in resource constrained environments.

Innovation in Evaluating the Impact of Integrated Service-Delivery: The Integra Indexes of HIV and Reproductive Health Integration.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susannah H Mayhew

Full Text Available The body of knowledge on evaluating complex interventions for integrated healthcare lacks both common definitions of 'integrated service delivery' and standard measures of impact. Using multiple data sources in combination with statistical modelling the aim of this study is to develop a measure of HIV-reproductive health (HIV-RH service integration that can be used to assess the degree of service integration, and the degree to which integration may have health benefits to clients, or reduce service costs.Data were drawn from the Integra Initiative's client flow (8,263 clients in Swaziland and 25,539 in Kenya and costing tools implemented between 2008-2012 in 40 clinics providing RH services in Kenya and Swaziland. We used latent variable measurement models to derive dimensions of HIV-RH integration using these data, which quantified the extent and type of integration between HIV and RH services in Kenya and Swaziland. The modelling produced two clear and uncorrelated dimensions of integration at facility level leading to the development of two sub-indexes: a Structural Integration Index (integrated physical and human resource infrastructure and a Functional Integration Index (integrated delivery of services to clients. The findings highlight the importance of multi-dimensional assessments of integration, suggesting that structural integration is not sufficient to achieve the integrated delivery of care to clients--i.e. "functional integration".These Indexes are an important methodological contribution for evaluating complex multi-service interventions. They help address the need to broaden traditional evaluations of integrated HIV-RH care through the incorporation of a functional integration measure, to avoid misleading conclusions on its 'impact' on health outcomes. This is particularly important for decision-makers seeking to promote integration in resource constrained environments.

The integrated evaluation of the macro environment of companies providing transport services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Žvirblis

2008-09-01

Full Text Available The article presents the main principles of the integrated evaluation of macro environment components and factors influencing the performance of transport companies as well as providing the validated quantitative evaluation models and results obtained in evaluating the macro environment of Lithuanian companies providing transport services. Since quantitative evaluation is growing in importance, the process of developing the principles and methods of business macro environment quantitative evaluation is becoming relevant from both theoretical and practical perspectives. The created methodology is based on the concept of macro environment as an integrated whole of components, formalization and the principle of three-stage quantitative evaluation. The methodology suggested involves the quantitative evaluation of primary factors and macro environment components as an integral dimension (expressed in points. On the basis of this principle, an integrated macro environment evaluation parameter is established as its level index. The methodology integrates the identification of significant factors, building scenarios, a primary analysis of factors, expert evaluation, the quantitative evaluation of macro environment components and their whole. The application of the multi-criteria Simple Additive Weighting (SAW method is validated. The integrated evaluation of the macro environment of Lithuanian freight transportation companies was conducted. As a result, the level indices of all components as well as the level index of macro environment considered as a whole of components were identified. The latter reflects the extent of deviation from an average level of a favourable macro environment. This is important for developing strategic marketing decisions and expanding a strategic area.

Improvement actions in waste management systems at the provincial scale based on a life cycle assessment evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rigamonti, L., E-mail: lucia.rigamonti@polimi.it; Falbo, A.; Grosso, M.

2013-11-15

Highlights: • LCA was used for evaluating the performance of four provincial waste management systems. • Milano, Bergamo, Pavia and Mantova (Italy) are the provinces selected for the analysis. • Most of the data used to model the systems are primary. • Significant differences were found among the provinces located in the same Region. • LCA was used as a decision-supporting tool by Regione Lombardia. - Abstract: This paper reports some of the findings of the ‘GERLA’ project: GEstione Rifiuti in Lombardia – Analisi del ciclo di vita (Waste management in Lombardia – Life cycle assessment). The project was devoted to support Lombardia Region in the drafting of the new waste management plan by applying a life cycle thinking perspective. The present paper mainly focuses on four Provinces in the Region, which were selected based on their peculiarities. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was adopted as the methodology to assess the current performance of the integrated waste management systems, to discuss strengths and weaknesses of each of them and to design their perspective evolution as of year 2020. Results show that despite a usual business approach that is beneficial to all the provinces, the introduction of technological and management improvements to the system provides in general additional energy and environmental benefits for all four provinces. The same improvements can be easily extended to the whole Region, leading to increased environmental benefits from the waste management sector, in line with the targets set by the European Union for 2020.

Improvement actions in waste management systems at the provincial scale based on a life cycle assessment evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rigamonti, L.; Falbo, A.; Grosso, M.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • LCA was used for evaluating the performance of four provincial waste management systems. • Milano, Bergamo, Pavia and Mantova (Italy) are the provinces selected for the analysis. • Most of the data used to model the systems are primary. • Significant differences were found among the provinces located in the same Region. • LCA was used as a decision-supporting tool by Regione Lombardia. - Abstract: This paper reports some of the findings of the ‘GERLA’ project: GEstione Rifiuti in Lombardia – Analisi del ciclo di vita (Waste management in Lombardia – Life cycle assessment). The project was devoted to support Lombardia Region in the drafting of the new waste management plan by applying a life cycle thinking perspective. The present paper mainly focuses on four Provinces in the Region, which were selected based on their peculiarities. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was adopted as the methodology to assess the current performance of the integrated waste management systems, to discuss strengths and weaknesses of each of them and to design their perspective evolution as of year 2020. Results show that despite a usual business approach that is beneficial to all the provinces, the introduction of technological and management improvements to the system provides in general additional energy and environmental benefits for all four provinces. The same improvements can be easily extended to the whole Region, leading to increased environmental benefits from the waste management sector, in line with the targets set by the European Union for 2020

Prototype of evaluation guidance system in Integrated Nuclear Data Evaluation System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukahori, T.; Nakagawa, T.

1992-01-01

Integrated Nuclear Data Evaluation System (INDES) is being developed to keep experiences of nuclear data evaluation for JENDL-3 and to support new evaluations. One of the INDES functions is to set up input data of theoretical calculation codes automatically. In order to use INDES effectively, a prototype of nuclear data evaluation guidance system (E.T.; Evaluation Tutor) was made to help users in selecting a set of suitable theoretical calculation codes by applying knowledge engineering technology. E.T. consists of an inference engine, frames, a rule-base, two example-bases and calculating modules of certainty factors. The inference engine and the calculating modules are written in FORTRAN77. (author)

iCycle: Integrated, multicriterial beam angle, and profile optimization for generation of coplanar and noncoplanar IMRT plans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breedveld, Sebastiaan; Storchi, Pascal R. M.; Voet, Peter W. J.; Heijmen, Ben J. M.

2012-01-01

Purpose: To introduce iCycle, a novel algorithm for integrated, multicriterial optimization of beam angles, and intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) profiles. Methods: A multicriterial plan optimization with iCycle is based on a prescription called wish-list, containing hard constraints and objectives with ascribed priorities. Priorities are ordinal parameters used for relative importance ranking of the objectives. The higher an objective priority is, the higher the probability that the corresponding objective will be met. Beam directions are selected from an input set of candidate directions. Input sets can be restricted, e.g., to allow only generation of coplanar plans, or to avoid collisions between patient/couch and the gantry in a noncoplanar setup. Obtaining clinically feasible calculation times was an important design criterium for development of iCycle. This could be realized by sequentially adding beams to the treatment plan in an iterative procedure. Each iteration loop starts with selection of the optimal direction to be added. Then, a Pareto-optimal IMRT plan is generated for the (fixed) beam setup that includes all so far selected directions, using a previously published algorithm for multicriterial optimization of fluence profiles for a fixed beam arrangement Breedveld et al.[Phys. Med. Biol. 54, 7199-7209 (2009)]. To select the next direction, each not yet selected candidate direction is temporarily added to the plan and an optimization problem, derived from the Lagrangian obtained from the just performed optimization for establishing the Pareto-optimal plan, is solved. For each patient, a single one-beam, two-beam, three-beam, etc. Pareto-optimal plan is generated until addition of beams does no longer result in significant plan quality improvement. Plan generation with iCycle is fully automated. Results: Performance and characteristics of iCycle are demonstrated by generating plans for a maxillary sinus case, a cervical cancer patient, and a

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Information System. A directory of nuclear fuel cycle facilities. 2009 ed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-04-01

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Information System (NFCIS) is an international directory of civilian nuclear fuel cycle facilities, published online as part of the Integrated Nuclear Fuel Cycle Information System (iNFCIS: http://www-nfcis.iaea.org/). This is the fourth hardcopy publication in almost 30 years and it represents a snapshot of the NFCIS database as of the end of 2008. Together with the attached CD-ROM, it provides information on 650 civilian nuclear fuel cycle facilities in 53 countries, thus helping to improve the transparency of global nuclear fuel cycle activities

The heat engine cycle, the heat removal cycle, and ergonomics of the control room displays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beltracchi, L.

1986-01-01

This paper discusses and illustrates the ergonomics of an integrated display, which will allow operators to monitor the heat engine cycle during normal operation of the plant, and the heat removal cycle during emergency operation of the plant. A computer-based iconic display is discussed as an overview to monitor these cycles. Specific emphasis is placed upon the process variables and process functions within each cycle, and the action of control systems and engineered safeguard systems within each cycle. This paper contains examples of display formats for the heat engine cycle and the heat removal cycle in a pressurized water reactor

Development of Technology for Structural Integrity Evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choun, Young Sun; Choi, I. K.; Kim, M. K. and others

2005-03-01

The purpose of this study is a development of seismic safety and structural integrity evaluation method of the structure in the Nuclear Power plant (NPP). The purpose of 1st sub-Topic is the development and improvement of the seismic safety evaluation methodology for the Nuclear Power Plant structures and safety related equipment. The purpose of 2nd sub-topic is the increasing of structure and equipment seismic capacity through the reducing of seismic force. The purpose of 3rd sub-topic is the development of 3-D nonlinear finite element analysis program for prestressed concrete containment building. The last purpose if the evaluation of the failure mechanism of containment structure and structure capacity and the assessment of integrity of containment through the of leakage test. As a result of this research, there are many research results were produced. The scenario earthquake developing method was developed and the effect of the structures and equipment was analyzed. The effectiveness of isolation system was determined and optimum isolation systems for each equipment were selected. The NUCAS-3D program for the 3 dimensional numerical analysis of containment building using the embedded tendon element and rebar element was developed. The tension behavior of containment building was examined and the leakage rate of the concrete crack was determined. The results of this research can be successfully used for many fields of integrity of NPP site. It can be used for development of design earthquake for the seismic design and safety evaluation and establishment of seismic safety evaluation program and seismic capacity improvement program for existing NPP. In case of seismic isolation part, it can be used for the application to the selection of optimum isolation devices for equipment isolation and to the effective evaluation of each seismic isolation devices. In containment analysis part, it can be used for ultimate pressure capacity evaluation of prestressed concrete

SRGULL - AN ADVANCED ENGINEERING MODEL FOR THE PREDICTION OF AIRFRAME INTEGRATED SCRAMJET CYCLE PERFORMANCE

Science.gov (United States)

Walton, J. T.

1994-01-01

The development of a single-stage-to-orbit aerospace vehicle intended to be launched horizontally into low Earth orbit, such as the National Aero-Space Plane (NASP), has concentrated on the use of the supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) propulsion cycle. SRGULL, a scramjet cycle analysis code, is an engineer's tool capable of nose-to-tail, hydrogen-fueled, airframe-integrated scramjet simulation in a real gas flow with equilibrium thermodynamic properties. This program facilitates initial estimates of scramjet cycle performance by linking a two-dimensional forebody, inlet and nozzle code with a one-dimensional combustor code. Five computer codes (SCRAM, SEAGUL, INLET, Progam HUD, and GASH) originally developed at NASA Langley Research Center in support of hypersonic technology are integrated in this program to analyze changing flow conditions. The one-dimensional combustor code is based on the combustor subroutine from SCRAM and the two-dimensional coding is based on an inviscid Euler program (SEAGUL). Kinetic energy efficiency input for sidewall area variation modeling can be calculated by the INLET program code. At the completion of inviscid component analysis, Program HUD, an integral boundary layer code based on the Spaulding-Chi method, is applied to determine the friction coefficient which is then used in a modified Reynolds Analogy to calculate heat transfer. Real gas flow properties such as flow composition, enthalpy, entropy, and density are calculated by the subroutine GASH. Combustor input conditions are taken from one-dimensionalizing the two-dimensional inlet exit flow. The SEAGUL portions of this program are limited to supersonic flows, but the combustor (SCRAM) section can handle supersonic and dual-mode operation. SRGULL has been compared to scramjet engine tests with excellent results. SRGULL was written in FORTRAN 77 on an IBM PC compatible using IBM's FORTRAN/2 or Microway's NDP386 F77 compiler. The program is fully user interactive, but can

Application of life cycle assessment for an evaluation of wastewater treatment and reuse project--case study of Xi'an, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Q H; Wang, X C; Xiong, J Q; Chen, R; Cao, B

2010-03-01

In order to illuminate the benefit of a wastewater treatment and reuse project, a life cycle assessment (LCA) model was proposed by combining the process-based LCA and the input-output based LCA in one framework and using energy consumption as the sole parameter for quantitative evaluation of the project. The life cycle consumption was evaluated mainly by life cycle inventory (LCI) analysis taking into account the construction phase, operation phase and demolishment phase of the project. For evaluating the life cycle benefit of treated water reuse, attention was paid to the decrease of secondary effluent discharge and water saving. As a result of comprehensive LCA analysis of a case project in Xi'an, China, it was understood that the life cycle benefit gained from treated wastewater reuse much surpassed the life cycle energy consumption. The advantage of wastewater treatment and reuse was well shown by LCA analysis using the proposed model. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Peer groups and operational cycle enhancements to the performance indicator report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stromberg, H.M.; DeHaan, M.S.; Gentillon, C.D.; Wilson, G.E.; Vanden Heuvel, L.N.

1992-01-01

Accurate performance evaluation and plant trending by the performance indicator program are integral parts of monitoring the operation of commercial nuclear power plants. The presentations of the NRC/AEOD performance indicator program have undergone a number of enhancements. The diversity of the commercial nuclear plants, coupled with continued improvements in the performance indicator program, has resulted in the evaluation of plants in logical peer groups and highlighted the need to evaluate the impact of plant operational conditions on the performance indicators. These enhancements allow a more-meaningful evaluation of operating commercial nuclear power plant performance. This report proposes methods to enhance the presentation of the performance indicator data by analyzing the data in logical peer groups and displaying the performance indicator data based on the operational status of the plants. Previously, preliminary development of the operational cycle displays of the performance indicator data was documented. This report extends the earlier findings and presents the continued development of the peer groups and operational cycle trend and deviation data and displays. This report describes the peer groups and enhanced PI data presentations by considering the operational cycle phase breakdowns, calculation methods, and presentation methods

New integrable model of propagation of the few-cycle pulses in an anisotropic microdispersed medium

Science.gov (United States)

Sazonov, S. V.; Ustinov, N. V.

2018-03-01

We investigate the propagation of the few-cycle electromagnetic pulses in the anisotropic microdispersed medium. The effects of the anisotropy and spatial dispersion of the medium are created by the two sorts of the two-level atoms. The system of the material equations describing an evolution of the states of the atoms and the wave equations for the ordinary and extraordinary components of the pulses is derived. By applying the approximation of the sudden excitation to exclude the material variables, we reduce this system to the single nonlinear wave equation that generalizes the modified sine-Gordon equation and the Rabelo-Fokas equation. It is shown that this equation is integrable by means of the inverse scattering transformation method if an additional restriction on the parameters is imposed. The multisoliton solutions of this integrable generalization are constructed and investigated.

Thermodynamic analysis of application of organic Rankine cycle for heat recovery from an integrated DIR-MCFC with pre-reformer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vatani, Ali; Khazaeli, Ali; Roshandel, Ramin; Panjeshahi, Mohammad Hassan

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Using an integrated pre-reformer before feeding a DIR-MCFC is proposed. ► An ORC with different working fluid is used for waste heat recovery from the proposed plant. ► Performance of compound system is evaluated by thermodynamic analysis. ► An improvement on simultaneously heat integration between the units and waste heat recovery is performed. ► Overall energy and exergy efficiencies are found to be 60.45% and 57.75%. - Abstract: This work deals with waste heat recovery from a proposed direct internal reforming molten carbonate fuel cell (DIR-MCFC), including an integrated pre-reformer. In this regard, some advantages are attainable over exhaust gas recycling. For instance, due to low temperature in the pre-reformer, carbon deposition and coke formation resulting from higher hydrocarbons can be eliminated. In this study, the cathode outlet provides the heat requirement for the pre-reforming process. After partial heat recovery from the cathode outlet, the stream still has a considerable energy and exergy (352.55 °C and 83.687 kW respectively). This study investigates waste heat recovery from the proposed DIR-MCFC, using an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) with two different configurations. In the first case, the cathode outlet provides the heat requirement for the pre-reforming process; then, it enters the heat recovery vapor generator of the organic Rankine cycle. In the second case, the cathode outlet is split into two streams for using in an ORC and supplying the pre-reforming process required heat. Several substances are selected as working fluids in order to compare their performance in the waste heat recovery system. The overall results at optimum conditions indicate that the energy and exergy efficiencies of the compound system are increased and its exergy loss is decreased with cathode splitting for all substances (1.1% average over all fluids). It is concluded that cathode splitting has a significant impact on the substances which

CTBT integrated verification system evaluation model supplement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

EDENBURN, MICHAEL W.; BUNTING, MARCUS; PAYNE, ARTHUR C. JR.; TROST, LAWRENCE C.

2000-01-01

Sandia National Laboratories has developed a computer based model called IVSEM (Integrated Verification System Evaluation Model) to estimate the performance of a nuclear detonation monitoring system. The IVSEM project was initiated in June 1994, by Sandia's Monitoring Systems and Technology Center and has been funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nonproliferation and National Security (DOE/NN). IVSEM is a simple, ''top-level,'' modeling tool which estimates the performance of a Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) monitoring system and can help explore the impact of various sensor system concepts and technology advancements on CTBT monitoring. One of IVSEM's unique features is that it integrates results from the various CTBT sensor technologies (seismic, in sound, radionuclide, and hydroacoustic) and allows the user to investigate synergy among the technologies. Specifically, IVSEM estimates the detection effectiveness (probability of detection), location accuracy, and identification capability of the integrated system and of each technology subsystem individually. The model attempts to accurately estimate the monitoring system's performance at medium interfaces (air-land, air-water) and for some evasive testing methods such as seismic decoupling. The original IVSEM report, CTBT Integrated Verification System Evaluation Model, SAND97-25 18, described version 1.2 of IVSEM. This report describes the changes made to IVSEM version 1.2 and the addition of identification capability estimates that have been incorporated into IVSEM version 2.0

Integration of risk aversion in the evaluation of the external cost of a nuclear accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eeckhoudt, L.; Schieber, C.; Schneider, Th.

1998-01-01

Full text of publication follows: the external costs of fuel cycles used in the production of electricity are those imposed on society and environment that are not accounted for by the producers and consumers of energy. Within the evaluation of the external cost of the nuclear fuel cycle, the evaluation of a nuclear accident has to be addressed. For this purpose, the basic approach consists in calculating the expected value of various occident scenarios. the main criticism of this approach is that there is a discrepancy between the social acceptability of the risk and the average monetary value which corresponds in principle to the compensation of the consequences for each individual of the population affected by the accident. The aim of this paper is to propose a methodology for the integration of risk aversion, relying on the expected utility approach, as well as a numerical application based on the French data for the external cost of a nuclear accident. Although a huge range of values has been published for the relative risk aversion coefficient, it seems reasonable to adopt a value of 2 for the specific case of nuclear accident. This leads to an estimated multiplying coefficient approximately equal to 20 to be applied to the expected external cost of a nuclear accident corresponding to a release of about 1% of the core. In this case, the external cost of the nuclear accident is estimated to 0.046 mECU/kWh (i.e. about 50% of the total external costs of the nuclear fuel cycle estimated at 0.1 mECU/kWh with a 3% discount rate), instead of 0.0023 mECU/kWh without taking into account risk aversion. (authors)

Contribution to the integration methodology of environment in the small and medium enterprises or industries: evaluation of environmental performances; Contribution a la methodologie d'integration de l'environnement dans les PME-PMI: evaluation des performances environnementales

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Personne, M

1998-01-16

The integration of environmental criteria into industrial plants working is nowadays an obligation for companies. Implementation of an Environmental Management System (EMS) is a mean to integrate these criteria, and the system registration (by ISO 14001 or EMAS standards) enables companies to demonstrate the validity of their environmental behaviour to interested parties. Our experience in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) has allowed us to note the inadequacy between their environmental integration level and EMS requirements. In addition to that, we have observed that environmental assessment methods, which could enable SMEs to make up for lost time, were not adapted to their specificities. However, two recent approaches are innovative: the first one is based on a progressive processes, the second one on an environmental information system, based on indicators construction. On the basis of existing methods study, improved with our SMEs experience, our approach consists of developing an environmental integration method, joining the progressive aspect (construction of a 'multi-phases' method) and the information treatment (exploitation of environmental data by indicators construction). We propose a four phases method, - environmental performance evaluation, internal and external results exploitation, process perpetuation -, setting up an information treatment system, by means of compliance, progress and monitoring indicators. Leading to implementation of an environmental performance continuous improvement cycle, this process enables companies to step forward EMS implementation. (author)

Plant characteristics of an integrated solid oxide fuel cell cycle and a steam cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rokni, Masoud

2010-01-01

Plant characteristics of a system containing a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cycle on the top of a Rankine cycle were investigated. A desulfurization reactor removes the sulfur content in the fuel, while a pre-reformer broke down the heavier hydrocarbons in an adiabatic steam reformer (ASR). The pre-treated fuel then entered to the anode side of the SOFC. The remaining fuels after the SOFC stacks entered a catalytic burner for further combusting. The burned gases from the burner were then used to produce steam for the Rankine cycle in a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). The remaining energy of the off-gases was recycled back to the topping cycle for further utilization. Several parameter studies were carried out to investigate the sensitivity of the suggested plant. It was shown that the operation temperature of the desulfurization and the pre-reformer had no effect on the plant efficiency, which was also true when decreasing the anode temperature. However, increasing the cathode temperature had a significant effect on the plant efficiency. In addition, decreasing the SOFC utilization factor from 0.8 to 0.7, increases the plant efficiency by about 6%. An optimal plant efficiency of about 71% was achieved by optimizing the plant.

Plant characteristics of an integrated solid oxide fuel cell cycle and a steam cycle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rokni, Masoud [Technical University of Denmark, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Energy System, Building 402, 2800 Kgs, Lyngby (Denmark)

2010-12-15

Plant characteristics of a system containing a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cycle on the top of a Rankine cycle were investigated. A desulfurization reactor removes the sulfur content in the fuel, while a pre-reformer broke down the heavier hydrocarbons in an adiabatic steam reformer (ASR). The pre-treated fuel then entered to the anode side of the SOFC. The remaining fuels after the SOFC stacks entered a catalytic burner for further combusting. The burned gases from the burner were then used to produce steam for the Rankine cycle in a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). The remaining energy of the off-gases was recycled back to the topping cycle for further utilization. Several parameter studies were carried out to investigate the sensitivity of the suggested plant. It was shown that the operation temperature of the desulfurization and the pre-reformer had no effect on the plant efficiency, which was also true when decreasing the anode temperature. However, increasing the cathode temperature had a significant effect on the plant efficiency. In addition, decreasing the SOFC utilization factor from 0.8 to 0.7, increases the plant efficiency by about 6%. An optimal plant efficiency of about 71% was achieved by optimizing the plant. (author)

Proposal of a nuclear cycle research and development plan in Tokai works. The roadmap from LWR cycle to FBR cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Hirofumi; Abe, Tomoyuki; Kashimura, Takuo; Nagai, Toshihisa; Maeda, Seichiro; Yamaguchi, Toshiya; Kuroki, Ryoichiro

2003-07-01

The Generation-II Project Task Force Team has investigated a research and development plan of a future nuclear fuel cycle in Tokai works for about three months from December 19, 2002. First we have discussed about the present condition of Japanese nuclear fuel cycle and have recognized it as the following. The relation of the technology between the LWR-cycle and the FBR-cycle is not clear. MOX Fuel Use in Light Water Reactors is important to establish technology of the FBR fuel cycle. Radioactive waste disposal issue is urgent. Next we have proposed the three basic policies on R and D plan of nuclear fuel cycle in consideration of the F.S. on FBR-cycle. Establishment and advancement of 'the tough nuclear fuel cycle'. Early establishment of the FBR cycle technology to be able to supply energy stably for long-term. Establishment of the radioactive waste treatment and disposal technology, and optimization of nuclear fuel cycle technology from the viewpoint of radioactive waste. And we have proposed the Japanese technical holder system to integrate all LWR and FBR cycle technology. (author)

Thermodynamic Analysis of an Integrated Gasification Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Plant with a Kalina Cycle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pierobon, Leonardo; Rokni, Masoud

2015-01-01

% is achieved; plant size and nominal power are selected based on the required cultivation area. SOFC heat recovery with SKC is compared to a Steam Cycle (SC). Although ammonia-water more accurately fits the temperature profile of the off-gases, the presence of a Hybrid Recuperator enhances the available work......-treated fuel then enters the anode side of the SOFC. Complete fuel oxidation is ensured in a burner by off-gases exiting the SOFC stacks. Off-gases are utilized as heat source for a SKC where a mixture of ammonia and water is expanded in a turbine to produce additional electric power. Thus, a triple novel......A hybrid plant that consists of a gasification system, Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) and a Simple Kalina Cycle (SKC) is investigated. Woodchips are introduced into a fixed bed gasification plant to produce syngas, which is then fed into an integrated SOFC-SKC plant to produce electricity. The pre...

Integral fast reactor concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Y.I.; Marchaterre, J.F.; Sevy, R.H.

1984-01-01

Key features of the IFR consist of a pool-type plant arrangement, a metal fuel-based core design, and an integral fuel cycle with colocated fuel cycle facility. Both the basic concept and the technology base have been demonstrated through actual integral cycle operation in EBR-II. This paper discusses the inherent safety characteristics of the IFR concept

Thermodynamic analysis of engineering solutions aimed at raising the efficiency of integrated gasification combined cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Gordeev, S. I.; Bogatova, T. F.; Ryzhkov, A. F.

2017-11-01

Raising the efficiency and environmental friendliness of electric power generation from coal is the aim of numerous research groups today. The traditional approach based on the steam power cycle has reached its efficiency limit, prompted by materials development and maneuverability performance. The rival approach based on the combined cycle is also drawing nearer to its efficiency limit. However, there is a reserve for efficiency increase of the integrated gasification combined cycle, which has the energy efficiency at the level of modern steam-turbine power units. The limit of increase in efficiency is the efficiency of NGCC. One of the main problems of the IGCC is higher costs of receiving and preparing fuel gas for GTU. It would be reasonable to decrease the necessary amount of fuel gas in the power unit to minimize the costs. The effect can be reached by raising of the heat value of fuel gas, its heat content and the heat content of cycle air. On the example of the process flowsheet of the IGCC with a power of 500 MW, running on Kuznetsk bituminous coal, by means of software Thermoflex, the influence of the developed technical solutions on the efficiency of the power plant is considered. It is received that rise in steam-air blast temperature to 900°C leads to an increase in conversion efficiency up to 84.2%. An increase in temperature levels of fuel gas clean-up to 900°C leads to an increase in the IGCC efficiency gross/net by 3.42%. Cycle air heating reduces the need for fuel gas by 40% and raises the IGCC efficiency gross/net by 0.85-1.22%. The offered solutions for IGCC allow to exceed net efficiency of analogous plants by 1.8-2.3%.

Development and preliminary analyses of material balance evaluation model in nuclear fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumura, Tetsuo

1994-01-01

Material balance evaluation model in nuclear fuel cycle has been developed using ORIGEN-2 code as basic engine. This model has feature of: It can treat more than 1000 nuclides including minor actinides and fission products. It has flexibility of modeling and graph output using a engineering work station. I made preliminary calculation of LWR fuel high burnup effect (reloading fuel average burnup of 60 GWd/t) on nuclear fuel cycle. The preliminary calculation shows LWR fuel high burnup has much effect on Japanese Pu balance problem. (author)

The glutathione cycle: Glutathione metabolism beyond the γ-glutamyl cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Bachhawat, Anand Kumar; Yadav, Shambhu

2018-04-17

Glutathione was discovered in 1888, over 125 years ago. Since then, our understanding of various functions and metabolism of this important molecule has grown over these years. But it is only now, in the last decade, that a somewhat complete picture of its metabolism has emerged. Glutathione metabolism has till now been largely depicted and understood by the γ-glutamyl cycle that was proposed in 1970. However, new findings and knowledge particularly on the transport and degradation of glutathione have revealed that many aspects of the γ-glutamyl cycle are incorrect. Despite this, an integrated critical analysis of the cycle has never been undertaken and this has led to the cycle and its errors perpetuating in the literature. This review takes a careful look at the γ-glutamyl cycle and its shortcomings and presents a "glutathione cycle" that captures the current understanding of glutathione metabolism. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 2018. © 2018 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Evaluation of Functional Electrical Stimulation to Assist Cycling in Four Adolescents with Spastic Cerebral Palsy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ann Tokay Harrington

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP often have difficulty participating in exercise at intensities necessary to improve cardiovascular fitness. Functional electrical stimulation- (FES- assisted cycling is proposed as a form of exercise for adolescents with CP. The aims of this paper were to adapt methods and assess the feasibility of applying FES cycling technology in adolescents with CP, determine methods of performing cycling tests in adolescents with CP, and evaluate the immediate effects of FES assistance on cycling performance. Materials/Methods. Four participants (12–14 years old; GMFCS levels III-IV participated in a case-based pilot study of FES-assisted cycling in which bilateral quadriceps muscles were activated using surface electrodes. Cycling cadence, power output, and heart rate were collected. Results. FES-assisted cycling was well tolerated (n=4 and cases are presented demonstrating increased cadence (2–43 rpm, power output (19–70%, and heart rates (4-5% and decreased variability (8–13% in cycling performance when FES was applied, compared to volitional cycling without FES assistance. Some participants (n=2 required the use of an auxiliary hub motor for assistance. Conclusions. FES-assisted cycling is feasible for individuals with CP and may lead to immediate improvements in cycling performance. Future work will examine the potential for long-term fitness gains using this intervention.

Effect of Autoclave Cycles on Surface Characteristics of S-File Evaluated by Scanning Electron Microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Razavian, Hamid; Iranmanesh, Pedram; Mojtahedi, Hamid; Nazeri, Rahman

2016-01-01

Presence of surface defects in endodontic instruments can lead to unwanted complications such as instrument fracture and incomplete preparation of the canal. The current study was conducted to evaluate the effect of autoclave cycles on surface characteristics of S-File by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In this experimental study, 17 brand new S-Files (#30) were used. The surface characteristics of the files were examined in four steps (without autoclave, 1 autoclave cycle, 5 autoclave cycles and 10 autoclave cycles) by SEM under 200× and 1000× magnifications. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software and the paired sample t-test, independent sample t-test and multifactorial repeated measures ANOVA. The level of significance was set at 0.05. New files had debris and pitting on their surfaces. When the autoclave cycles were increased, the mean of surface roughness also increased at both magnifications (Pautoclave increased the surface roughness of the files and this had was directly related to the number of autoclave cycles.

Evaluation of stream ecological integrity using litter decomposition and benthic invertebrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castela, Jose [Departamento de Zoologia and IMAR-CIC, Universidade de Coimbra, Largo Marques de Pombal, 3004-517 Coimbra (Portugal)], E-mail: jcccastela@gmail.com; Ferreira, Veronica [Departamento de Zoologia and IMAR-CIC, Universidade de Coimbra, Largo Marques de Pombal, 3004-517 Coimbra (Portugal)], E-mail: veronica@ci.uc.pt; Graca, Manuel A.S. [Departamento de Zoologia and IMAR-CIC, Universidade de Coimbra, Largo Marques de Pombal, 3004-517 Coimbra (Portugal)], E-mail: mgraca@ci.uc.pt

2008-05-15

Biomonitoring programs to access the ecological integrity of freshwaters tend to rely exclusively on structural parameters. Here we evaluated stream ecological integrity using (a) benthic macroinvertebrate derived metrics and a biotic index as measures of structural integrity and (b) oak litter decomposition and associated fungal sporulation rates as measures of functional integrity. The study was done at four sites (S1, S2, S3 and S4) along a downstream increasing phosphorus and habitat degradation gradient in a small stream. The biotic index, invertebrate metrics, invertebrate and fungal communities' structure and sporulation rates discriminated upstream and downstream sites. Decomposition rates classified sites S4 and S2 as having a compromised ecosystem functioning. Although both functional and structural approaches gave the same results for the most impacted site (S4), they were complementary for moderately impacted sites (S2 and S3), and we therefore support the need for incorporating functional measures in evaluations of stream ecological integrity. - This study supports the need for incorporating functional measures in evaluations of stream ecological integrity.

Evaluation of stream ecological integrity using litter decomposition and benthic invertebrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castela, Jose; Ferreira, Veronica; Graca, Manuel A.S.

2008-01-01

Biomonitoring programs to access the ecological integrity of freshwaters tend to rely exclusively on structural parameters. Here we evaluated stream ecological integrity using (a) benthic macroinvertebrate derived metrics and a biotic index as measures of structural integrity and (b) oak litter decomposition and associated fungal sporulation rates as measures of functional integrity. The study was done at four sites (S1, S2, S3 and S4) along a downstream increasing phosphorus and habitat degradation gradient in a small stream. The biotic index, invertebrate metrics, invertebrate and fungal communities' structure and sporulation rates discriminated upstream and downstream sites. Decomposition rates classified sites S4 and S2 as having a compromised ecosystem functioning. Although both functional and structural approaches gave the same results for the most impacted site (S4), they were complementary for moderately impacted sites (S2 and S3), and we therefore support the need for incorporating functional measures in evaluations of stream ecological integrity. - This study supports the need for incorporating functional measures in evaluations of stream ecological integrity

A review of the use of organic Rankine cycle power systems for maritime applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mondejar, M. E.; Andreasen, J. G.; Pierobon, L.

2018-01-01

Diesel engines are by far the most common means of propulsion aboard ships. It is estimated that around half of their fuel energy consumption is dissipated as low-grade heat. The organic Rankine cycle technology is a well-established solution for the energy conversion of thermal power from biomass...... combustion, geothermal reservoirs, and waste heat from industrial processes. However, its economic feasibility has not yet been demonstrated for marine applications. This paper aims at evaluating the potential of using organic Rankine cycle systems for waste heat recovery aboard ships. The suitable vessels...... and engine heat sources are identified by estimating the total recoverable energy. Different cycle architectures, working fluids, components, and control strategies are analyzed. The economic feasibility and integration on board are also evaluated. A number of research and development areas are identified...

An Integrated Framework for Life Cycle Engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hauschild, Michael Zwicky; Herrmann, Christoph; Kara, Sami

2017-01-01

Life Cycle Engineering (LCE) was introduced as a concept more than 24 years ago in order to address emerging concerns about environmental sustainability in engineering. A number of methods and tools have been introduced to operationalise the LCE concept, but since then, the scope of sustainability...... has broadened, and as a result, LCE has evolved in parallel with other disciplines with similar aims. Currently, in addition to LCE, there exist a number of concepts such as Industrial Ecology, Cleaner Production, Life Cycle Management (LCM), Industrial Symbiosis, and Circular Economy. As a result......-down and bottom-up approach, the framework establishes a relationship between LCE and the other concepts and positions them relative to the planetary boundaries and the concept of absolute environmental sustainability. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V....

The watershed-scale optimized and rearranged landscape design (WORLD) model and local biomass processing depots for sustainable biofuel production: Integrated life cycle assessments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eranki, Pragnya L.; Manowitz, David H.; Bals, Bryan D.; Izaurralde, Roberto C.; Kim, Seungdo; Dale, Bruce E.

2013-07-23

An array of feedstock is being evaluated as potential raw material for cellulosic biofuel production. Thorough assessments are required in regional landscape settings before these feedstocks can be cultivated and sustainable management practices can be implemented. On the processing side, a potential solution to the logistical challenges of large biorefi neries is provided by a network of distributed processing facilities called local biomass processing depots. A large-scale cellulosic ethanol industry is likely to emerge soon in the United States. We have the opportunity to influence the sustainability of this emerging industry. The watershed-scale optimized and rearranged landscape design (WORLD) model estimates land allocations for different cellulosic feedstocks at biorefinery scale without displacing current animal nutrition requirements. This model also incorporates a network of the aforementioned depots. An integrated life cycle assessment is then conducted over the unified system of optimized feedstock production, processing, and associated transport operations to evaluate net energy yields (NEYs) and environmental impacts.

A New Framework for Evaluating the Functional Capabilities of Intra-Enterprise Application Integration Technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hossein Moradi

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Enterprise Application Integration (EAI technologies facilitate the sharing of information and business processes of interrelated information systems in order to achieve the target integrated systems. Different EAI solutions and technologies provide various capabilities which lead to the complexity of their evaluation process. To reduce this complexity, appropriate tools for evaluating the functional capabilities of EAI technologies are required. This paper proposes a new framework for evaluating the functional capabilities of EAI technologies, which simplify the process of evaluating the functional capabilities of intra-enterprise integration technologies and solutions.The proposed framework for evaluating the EAI technologies was enhanced using the structural and conceptual aspects of previous frameworks. It offers a new schema for which various EAI technologies are categorized in different classes and are evaluated based on their supporting level for functional integration capabilities’ criteria.The new framework offers two lists containing integration technologies and their associated classifications, and functional capabilities of integration technologies. The proposed framework is a novel one which can be used by information system experts for evaluation and comparison purposes of various integration technologies.

Integrated Test and Evaluation Flight Test 3 Flight Test Plan

Science.gov (United States)

Marston, Michael Lawrence

2015-01-01

The desire and ability to fly Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the National Airspace System (NAS) is of increasing urgency. The application of unmanned aircraft to perform national security, defense, scientific, and emergency management are driving the critical need for less restrictive access by UAS to the NAS. UAS represent a new capability that will provide a variety of services in the government (public) and commercial (civil) aviation sectors. The growth of this potential industry has not yet been realized due to the lack of a common understanding of what is required to safely operate UAS in the NAS. NASA's UAS Integration into the NAS Project is conducting research in the areas of Separation Assurance/Sense and Avoid Interoperability, Human Systems Integration (HSI), and Communication to support reducing the barriers of UAS access to the NAS. This research is broken into two research themes namely, UAS Integration and Test Infrastructure. UAS Integration focuses on airspace integration procedures and performance standards to enable UAS integration in the air transportation system, covering Sense and Avoid (SAA) performance standards, command and control performance standards, and human systems integration. The focus of Test Infrastructure is to enable development and validation of airspace integration procedures and performance standards, including the integrated test and evaluation. In support of the integrated test and evaluation efforts, the Project will develop an adaptable, scalable, and schedulable relevant test environment capable of evaluating concepts and technologies for unmanned aircraft systems to safely operate in the NAS. To accomplish this task, the Project will conduct a series of Human-in-the-Loop and Flight Test activities that integrate key concepts, technologies and/or procedures in a relevant air traffic environment. Each of the integrated events will build on the technical achievements, fidelity and complexity of the previous tests and

CTBT integrated verification system evaluation model supplement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

EDENBURN,MICHAEL W.; BUNTING,MARCUS; PAYNE JR.,ARTHUR C.; TROST,LAWRENCE C.

2000-03-02

Sandia National Laboratories has developed a computer based model called IVSEM (Integrated Verification System Evaluation Model) to estimate the performance of a nuclear detonation monitoring system. The IVSEM project was initiated in June 1994, by Sandia's Monitoring Systems and Technology Center and has been funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nonproliferation and National Security (DOE/NN). IVSEM is a simple, ''top-level,'' modeling tool which estimates the performance of a Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) monitoring system and can help explore the impact of various sensor system concepts and technology advancements on CTBT monitoring. One of IVSEM's unique features is that it integrates results from the various CTBT sensor technologies (seismic, in sound, radionuclide, and hydroacoustic) and allows the user to investigate synergy among the technologies. Specifically, IVSEM estimates the detection effectiveness (probability of detection), location accuracy, and identification capability of the integrated system and of each technology subsystem individually. The model attempts to accurately estimate the monitoring system's performance at medium interfaces (air-land, air-water) and for some evasive testing methods such as seismic decoupling. The original IVSEM report, CTBT Integrated Verification System Evaluation Model, SAND97-25 18, described version 1.2 of IVSEM. This report describes the changes made to IVSEM version 1.2 and the addition of identification capability estimates that have been incorporated into IVSEM version 2.0.

Life-cycle analysis of renewable energy systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Bent

1994-01-01

An imlementation of life-cycle analysis (LCA) for energy systems is presented and applied to two renewable energy systems (wind turbines and building-integrated photovoltaic modules) and compared with coal plants......An imlementation of life-cycle analysis (LCA) for energy systems is presented and applied to two renewable energy systems (wind turbines and building-integrated photovoltaic modules) and compared with coal plants...

The Application of Supercritical CO{sub 2} Power Cycle to Various Nuclear Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jeong Ik [KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

The main reason why the S-CO{sub 2} Brayton cycle has these advantages is that the compressor operates near the critical point of CO{sub 2} (30.98 .deg. C, 7.38MPa) to reduce the compression work significantly compared to the other Brayton cycles. In this paper, various applications of supercritical CO{sub 2} power cycle to nuclear systems will be presented and summarized. The S-CO{sub 2} cycle can achieve relatively high efficiency within the mild turbine inlet temperature range (450 - 850 .deg. C) compared with other power conversion systems. The main benefit of the S-CO{sub 2} cycle is the small size of the overall system and its application includes not only the next generation nuclear reactors but also conventional water-cooled reactors too. Various layouts were compared and the recompression cycle shows the best efficiency. The layout is suitable for application to advanced nuclear reactor systems. To evaluate the S-CO{sub 2} cycle performance, various countries constructed and demonstrated S-CO{sub 2} integral system test loops and similar research works are ongoing in Korea as well. However, to evaluate the commercial S-CO{sub 2} power systems, development of a large scale (> 10 MW) prototype S-CO{sub 2} system is necessary.

Advanced modeling and simulation of integrated gasification combined cycle power plants with CO{sub 2}-capture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rieger, Mathias

2014-04-17

The objective of this thesis is to provide an extensive description of the correlations in some of the most crucial sub-processes for hard coal fired IGCC with carbon capture (CC-IGCC). For this purpose, process simulation models are developed for four industrial gasification processes, the CO-shift cycle, the acid gas removal unit, the sulfur recovery process, the gas turbine, the water-/steam cycle and the air separation unit (ASU). Process simulations clarify the influence of certain boundary conditions on plant operation, performance and economics. Based on that, a comparative benchmark of CC-IGCC concepts is conducted. Furthermore, the influence of integration between the gas turbine and the ASU is analyzed in detail. The generated findings are used to develop an advanced plant configuration with improved economics. Nevertheless, IGCC power plants with carbon capture are not found to be an economically efficient power generation technology at present day boundary conditions.

Evaluation of plutonium, uranium, and thorium use in power reactor fuel cycles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasten, P.R.; Homan, F.J.

1977-01-01

The increased cost of uranium and separative work has increased the attractiveness of plutonium use in both uranium and thorium fuel cycles in thermal reactors. A technology, fuel utilization, and economic evaluation is given for uranium and thorium fuel cycles in various reactor types, along with the use of plutonium and 238 U. Reactors considered are LWRs, HWRs, LWBRs, HTGRs, and FBRs. Key technology factors are fuel irradiation performance and associated physical property values. Key economic factors are unit costs for fuel fabrication and reprocessing, and for refabrication of recycle fuels; consistent cost estimates are utilized. In thermal reactors, the irradiation performance of ceramic fuels appears to be satisfactory. At present costs for uranium ore and separative work, recycle of plutonium with thorium rather than uranium is preferable from fuel utilization and economic viewpoints. Further, the unit recovery cost of plutonium is lower from LWR fuels than from natural-uranium HWR fuels; use of LWR product permits plutonium/thorium fueling to compete with uranium cycles. Converting uranium cycles to thorium cycles increases the energy which can be extracted from a given uranium resource. Thus, additional fuel utilization improvement can be obtained by fueling all thermal reactors with thorium, but this requires use of highly enriched uranium; use of 235 U with thorium is most economic in HTGRs followed by HWRs and then LWRs. Marked improvement in long-term fuel utilization can be obtained through high thorium loadings and short fuel cycle irradiations as in the LWBR, but this imposes significant economic penalties. Similar operating modes are possible in HWRs and HTGRs. In fast reactors, use of the plutonium-uranium cycle gives advantageous fuel resource utilization in both LMFBRs and GCFRs; use of the thorium cycle provides more negative core reactivity coefficients and more flexibility relative to use of recycle fuels containing uranium of less than 20

On the structural integrity evaluation about aged components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-08-15

About one third of the nuclear power plants in Japan have been operated more than 30 years and flaws due to age-related degradation mechanisms have been detected in some components such as piping systems or core shrouds these years. Moreover, several severe earthquakes such as the Tohoku District - off the Pacific Ocean Earthquake or the Niigata-ken Chuetsu-oki Earthquake have struck some nuclear power plants in Japan recent years. Therefore, the structural integrity evaluation about nuclear installations and components considering seismic loads and aging mechanisms has become more and more important. In this study, several evaluation methods were proposed to assess the crack growth rate under the seismic loading conditions, to assess the failure conditions or the realistic failure capacities of the aged piping systems considering seismic or general loading conditions. Furthermore, analysis codes were developed considering aging mechanisms to carry out the integrity evaluation, or the failure probability evaluation which is useful in the seismic PSA evaluation. All of these assessment methods and analysis codes are being used and will be used more and more in the cross-check analyses or the safety reviews about nuclear installations and components. (author)