WorldWideScience

Sample records for greatly increases power

  1. 'Great Power Style' in China's Economic Policy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jiang, Yang

    2011-01-01

    China’s ascendance attracts concern, even though Beijing claims to be a responsible great power and tries to demonstrate its ‘great power style’ in economic diplomacy. This article therefore discusses the following questions: to what extent does the current notion and practice of Chinese ‘great...... power style’ in economic diplomacy comply with, or differ from, the criteria of benign hegemony; and what are the major constraining factors? Conceptually, China’s ‘great power style’ is rooted in ancient Chinese political philosophy and institution, but it highly resembles the Western notion of benign...

  2. Improved Symmetry Greatly Increases X-Ray Power from Wire-Array Z-Pinches

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanford, T.W.; Allshouse, G.O.; Marder, B.M.; Nash, T.J.; Mock, R.C.; Spielman, R.B.; Seamen, J.F.; McGurn, J.S.; Jobe, D.; Gilliland, T.L.; Vargas, M.; Struve, K.W.; Stygar, W.A.; Douglas, M.R.; Matzen, M.K.; Hammer, J.H.; De Groot, J.S.; Eddleman, J.L.; Peterson, D.L.; Mosher, D.; Whitney, K.G.; Thornhill, J.W.; Pulsifer, P.E.; Apruzese, J.P.; Maron, Y.

    1996-01-01

    A systematic experimental study of annular aluminum-wire Z-pinches on a 20-TW electrical generator shows that the measured spatial characteristics and emitted x-ray power agree more closely with rad-hydro simulations when large numbers of wires are used. The measured x-ray power increases first slowly and then rapidly with decreasing interwire gap spacing. Simulations suggested that this increase reflects the transition from implosion of individual wire plasmas to one of an azimuthally symmetric plasma shell. In the plasma-shell regime, x-ray powers of 40TW are achieved. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

  3. The power mix in Great-Britain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trebuchet, Charlotte

    2012-11-01

    This study addresses a new reform of the electric power sector in Great Britain: RIIO (Revenue = Incentives + Innovations + Outputs). The author discusses aspects related to market organisation and aspects related to the grid. First, she gives an overview of the situation of the electricity sector in Great-Britain by describing its evolution from the start of the liberalisation policy until our days, and by presenting the regulation of the electric power transport network. In a second part, she analyses which changes will be introduced by RIIO. She comments the general principles of this reform and discusses its implications for the sector. Appendices describe the LCN Fund (Low carbon network Fund) mechanism which is a specific bidding and selection process, and briefly indicate the projects selected by this fund in 2010 and 2011

  4. War or Peace? How the Subjective Perception of Great Power Interdependence Shapes Preemptive Defensive Aggression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jing, Yiming; Gries, Peter H; Li, Yang; Stivers, Adam W; Mifune, Nobuhiro; Kuhlman, D M; Bai, Liying

    2017-01-01

    Why do great powers with benign intentions end up fighting each other in wars they do not seek? We utilize an incentivized, two-person "Preemptive Strike Game" (PSG) to explore how the subjective perception of great power interdependence shapes defensive aggression against persons from rival great powers. In Study 1, college students from the United States ( N = 115), China ( N = 106), and Japan ( N = 99) made PSG decisions facing each other. This natural experiment revealed that Chinese and Japanese participants (a) made more preemptive attacks against each other and Americans than against their compatriots, and that (b) greater preexisting perceptions of bilateral competition increased intergroup attack rates. In Study 2, adult Americans ( N = 127) watched real CNN expert interviews portraying United States-China economic interdependence as more positive or negative. This randomized experiment revealed that the more positive portrayal reduced preemptive American strikes against Chinese (but not Japanese), while the more negative portrayal amplified American anger about China's rise, increasing preemptive attacks against Chinese. We also found, however, that preemptive strikes were primarily defensive and not offensive. Interventions to reduce defensive aggression and promote great power peace are discussed.

  5. War or Peace? How the Subjective Perception of Great Power Interdependence Shapes Preemptive Defensive Aggression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yiming Jing

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Why do great powers with benign intentions end up fighting each other in wars they do not seek? We utilize an incentivized, two-person “Preemptive Strike Game” (PSG to explore how the subjective perception of great power interdependence shapes defensive aggression against persons from rival great powers. In Study 1, college students from the United States (N = 115, China (N = 106, and Japan (N = 99 made PSG decisions facing each other. This natural experiment revealed that Chinese and Japanese participants (a made more preemptive attacks against each other and Americans than against their compatriots, and that (b greater preexisting perceptions of bilateral competition increased intergroup attack rates. In Study 2, adult Americans (N = 127 watched real CNN expert interviews portraying United States–China economic interdependence as more positive or negative. This randomized experiment revealed that the more positive portrayal reduced preemptive American strikes against Chinese (but not Japanese, while the more negative portrayal amplified American anger about China’s rise, increasing preemptive attacks against Chinese. We also found, however, that preemptive strikes were primarily defensive and not offensive. Interventions to reduce defensive aggression and promote great power peace are discussed.

  6. Increased nuclear safety and reliability through power beaming

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coomes, E.P.; Widrig, R.D.

    1989-01-01

    Space satellites and platforms currently include self-contained power systems to supply the energy necessary to accomplish mission objectives. With power beaming, the power system is separate from the satellite and the two are connected by an energy beam. This approach is analogous to earth-based central station power generation and distribution over transmission lines to various customers. In space, power is produced by power satellites (central power generating stations) and transmitted via energy beams to individual users. Power beaming has the ability to provide an order of magnitude increase in power availability over solar-based power systems with less mass on orbit. The technologies needed for power beaming are being developed today under existing programs directed by the Strategic Defense Initiative Office, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the US Department of Energy. A space power architecture based on power beaming would greatly increase the safety and reliability of employing nuclear power in space

  7. A great potential for market power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trong, Maj Dang

    2003-01-01

    In a report the competition authorities of Norway, Sweden and Denmark conclude that there is a great potential for exerting market power in the Nordic countries. Bottlenecks in the transmission grid divide the Nordic market in shifting constellations of geographic markets and the market concentration in each market may therefore become very high

  8. A "New Type of Great Power Relationship" and Governance in the International System of the 21st

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhongying Pang

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available In the early decades of the 21st century, the real world of powers is neither the so-called unipolarity of the United States of America as the sole superpower, nor the trans-Atlantic domination of the joint Western hegemony. Things are no longer that simple. A fundamental fact of the contemporary international system is that several great powers co-exist – a great powers system has emerged. Clearly, the emergence of the great powers system is a major global challenge. Unfortunately, there are still no effective solutions to the challenge posed by the great powers system. However, China’s proposal a “new type of great power relationship” touches on the issue of the management of the 21st century’s great powers system. The concept of a “new type of great power relationship” still needs time to be further developed theoretically. The management of the great powers system could be the main aim of the concept. In order for 2 America to maintain its dominant position, America turns towards Asia. However, this may help consolidate American hegemony for a short time but it cannot manage the great powers system on a long-term basis. This article argues that China’s “new type of great power relationship” can be seen as a foreign policy innovation in managing the great powers system. It notices that, like China’s new proposal, similar arguments on how to deal with the global challenge posed by a great powers system are emerging in Europe and the Asia Pacific.

  9. Green certificates will lead to increased electric power production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lind, Oddvar

    2004-01-01

    The implementation of green certificates will lead to increased electricity production from renewable energy sources and less risk of price crises. For the time being, a common market for green certificates will be established with Sweden from January 1, 2006. It is possible to realise a ''compulsory total quota'' of 20 TWh by 2016. Green certificates will imply a premium on the electricity bill. However, the quota system will imply increased power generation, which in turn tends to lower the price. Norway should in principle follow Sweden's definition of renewable energy: all new hydroelectric power, wind power, solar energy, wave and tidal power, biomass energy, and energy recovery. The certificate regime will apply to new investments in renewable power production. However, it would be natural to include the established renewable power production that is currently receiving support. Some critics fear that the consumers rather than the authorities will subsidize the production of green power. The point is being made that central EU countries may save great sums by investing in renewable energy in Norway

  10. Optical fiber cable for transmission of high power laser energy over great distances

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zediker, Mark S.; Rinzler, Charles C.; Faircloth, Brian O.; Moxley, Joel F.; Koblick, Yeshaya

    2016-05-24

    There is provided a system and apparatus for the transmission of high power laser energy over great distances without substantial power loss and without the presence of stimulated Raman scattering. There is further provided systems and optical fiber cable configurations and optical fiber structures for the delivering high power laser energy over great distances to a tool or surface to perform an operation or work with the tool or upon the surface.

  11. Smart power. Great leaders know when hard power is not enough.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nye, Joseph S

    2008-11-01

    The next U.S. administration will face enormous challenges to world peace, the global economy, and the environment. Exercising military and economic muscle alone will not bring peace and prosperity. According to Nye, a former U.S. government official and a former dean at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, the next president must be able to combine hard power, characterized by coercion, and what Nye calls "soft" power, which relies instead on attraction. The result is smart power, a tool great leaders use to mobilize people around agendas that look beyond current problems. Hard power is often necessary, Nye explains. In the 1990s, when the Taliban was providing refuge to Al Oaeda, President Clinton tried---and failed--to solve the problem diplomatically instead of destroying terrorist havens in Afghanistan. In other situations, however, soft power is more effective, though it has been too often overlooked. In Iraq, Nye argues, the use of soft power could draw young people toward something other than terrorism. "I think that there's an awakening to the need for soft power as people look at the crisis in the Middle East and begin to realize that hard power is not sufficient to resolve it," he says. Solving today's global problems will require smart power--a judicious blend of the other two powers. While there are notable examples of men who have used smart power--Teddy Roosevelt, for instance--it's much more difficult for women to lead with smart power, especially in the United States, where women feel pressure to prove that they are not "soft." Only by exercising smart power, Nye says, can the next president of the United States set a new tone for U.S. foreign policy in this century.

  12. Marginal greenhouse gas emissions displacement of wind power in Great Britain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomson, R. Camilla; Harrison, Gareth P.; Chick, John P.

    2017-01-01

    There is considerable uncertainty over the effect of wind power on the operation of power systems, and the consequent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions displacement; this is used to project emissions reductions that inform energy policy. Currently, it is approximated as the average emissions of the whole system, despite an acknowledgement that wind will actually displace only the generators operating on the margin. This article presents a methodology to isolate the marginal emissions displacement of wind power from historical empirical data, taking into account the impact on the operating efficiency of coal and CCGT plants. For Great Britain over 2009–2014, it was found that marginal emissions displacement has generally been underestimated with, for example, the emissions displacement factor for wind being 21% higher than that the average emissions factor in 2010. The actual displacement depends upon the relative merit of coal and CCGT, with a greater discrepancy between marginal displacement and average emissions during more normal system operation, suggesting that policies to penalise high-carbon generation can increase the effectiveness of wind at reducing GHG emissions. Furthermore, it was also identified that wind power is almost as technically effective as demand-side reductions at decreasing GHG emissions from power generation. - Highlights: • Marginal emissions displacement was calculated from operational data for 2009–2014. • Existing estimates of emissions displacement are generally low. • Emissions displacement is a function of the relative merit of coal and CCGT plants. • Policies to penalise high-carbon generation should increase emissions displacement. • Wind almost as effective as demand-reduction at reducing emissions.

  13. Bringing China In: International Order and the Role of the Great Powers

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-01

    powers. Can China Learn to Behave Like a Great Power: Spoiler, Supporter or Shirker? Realists generally contend that a structural transformation from...abandonment of American values, but for a distinction between the realizable and the absolute.”33 When Washington and Beijing ruminate on how to

  14. Quantifying the increasing sensitivity of power systems to climate variability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bloomfield, H. C.; Brayshaw, D. J.; Shaffrey, L. C.; Coker, P. J.; Thornton, H. E.

    2016-12-01

    Large quantities of weather-dependent renewable energy generation are expected in power systems under climate change mitigation policies, yet little attention has been given to the impact of long term climate variability. By combining state-of-the-art multi-decadal meteorological records with a parsimonious representation of a power system, this study characterises the impact of year-to-year climate variability on multiple aspects of the power system of Great Britain (including coal, gas and nuclear generation), demonstrating why multi-decadal approaches are necessary. All aspects of the example system are impacted by inter-annual climate variability, with the impacts being most pronounced for baseload generation. The impacts of inter-annual climate variability increase in a 2025 wind-power scenario, with a 4-fold increase in the inter-annual range of operating hours for baseload such as nuclear. The impacts on peak load and peaking-plant are comparably small. Less than 10 years of power supply and demand data are shown to be insufficient for providing robust power system planning guidance. This suggests renewable integration studies—widely used in policy, investment and system design—should adopt a more robust approach to climate characterisation.

  15. Increased SRP reactor power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MacAfee, I.M.

    1983-01-01

    Major changes in the current reactor hydraulic systems could be made to achieve a total of about 1500 MW increase of reactor power for P, K, and C reactors. The changes would be to install new, larger heat exchangers in the reactor buildings to increase heat transfer area about 24%, to increase H 2 O flow about 30% per reactor, to increase D 2 O flow 15 to 18% per reactor, and increase reactor blanket gas pressure from 5 psig to 10 psig. The increased reactor power is possible because of reduced inlet temperature of reactor coolant, increased heat removal capacity, and increased operating pressure (larger margin from boiling). The 23% reactor power increase, after adjustment for increased off-line time for reactor reloading, will provide a 15% increase of production from P, K, and C reactors. Restart of L Reactor would increase SRP production 33%

  16. Developing a hybrid solar/wind powered irrigation system for crops in the Great Plains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Some small scale irrigation systems (powered by wind or solar do not require subsidies, but this paper discusses ways to achieve an economical renewable energy powered center pivot irrigation system for crops in the Great Plains. By adding a solar-photovoltaic (PV) array together with a wind...

  17. Preserving ‘Great Power Status’: The Complex Case of the British Intervention in the Falklands (1982

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grandpierron Matthieu

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available This article aims to examine the importance of an often overlooked argument when it comes to explaining why great powers go to war against a weaker actor. This argument involves great power status considerations. The article argues that states care deeply about their status, especially states which are current and former great powers, and would opt to go to war to preserve this status even if the political and military consequences of such intervention are negligible to objective observers. To illustrate this argument, I will be looking at why the British decided to reestablish their sovereignty over the Falklands in 1982. The empirical part of the analysis is based on formerly secret documents declassified by the British government. This qualitative primary analysis of British documents provides new insights about the crisis and suggests that status considerations played a large role in the British decision to re-conquer the Falklands.

  18. Social Power Increases Interoceptive Accuracy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehrad Moeini-Jazani

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Building on recent psychological research showing that power increases self-focused attention, we propose that having power increases accuracy in perception of bodily signals, a phenomenon known as interoceptive accuracy. Consistent with our proposition, participants in a high-power experimental condition outperformed those in the control and low-power conditions in the Schandry heartbeat-detection task. We demonstrate that the effect of power on interoceptive accuracy is not explained by participants’ physiological arousal, affective state, or general intention for accuracy. Rather, consistent with our reasoning that experiencing power shifts attentional resources inward, we show that the effect of power on interoceptive accuracy is dependent on individuals’ chronic tendency to focus on their internal sensations. Moreover, we demonstrate that individuals’ chronic sense of power also predicts interoceptive accuracy similar to, and independent of, how their situationally induced feeling of power does. We therefore provide further support on the relation between power and enhanced perception of bodily signals. Our findings offer a novel perspective–a psychophysiological account–on how power might affect judgments and behavior. We highlight and discuss some of these intriguing possibilities for future research.

  19. Economic feasibility of sail power devices on Great Lakes bulk carriers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1982-03-24

    Progress is reported in a project to determine whether retro-fitting existing Great Lakes bulk carriers with auxiliary sail powering devices is economically feasible. The approach being used is to apply known technology both in terms of sail devices and calculation methods to determine the amount of fuel that can be saved and the probable cost of the sail device. Progress includes the identification and collection of data needed to determine the state of the art as well as to model the problem. Several sail powering devices were compared and an unstayed cat rig was chosen for further analysis and its performance characteristics were incorporated into a computer model, which is flow charted. (LEW)

  20. Changes in the structure and relations of property in the Great Britain nuclear power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rumyantsev, V.V.

    1990-01-01

    Analysis of nuclear power development in the Great Britain is given. Currently it is reoriented to a wide application of PWR reactors instead of gas cooled ones, their economic indices being incapable of providing sufficient competitiveness on the British market. Reasons and state of affairs in denationalizing nuclear power, economic and financial difficulties connected with the realization of this politico-economic procedure are reported

  1. China in search of 'legitimate' great power intervention

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Camilla T. N.

    2016-01-01

    Thanks to Beijing’s expanding global role and interests, it is no longer possible for China to follow its traditional ‘lay low’ [tao guang yang hui] strategy and the traditionally rather strict interpretation of the principle of non-intervention. Consequently, among Chinese International Relations...... (IR) scholars there is an intense debate on how China can protect and promote its global presence and interests while at the same time continuing to ‘stay within’ the principle of non-intervention. New concepts and approaches are developing as the debate progresses. Current Chinese foreign...... and security policy reflects a more flexible and pragmatic Chinese interpretation – and implementation – of the principle of non-intervention. This chapter examines the search for ‘legitimate’ great-power intervention that characterizes both the debate among Chinese IR scholars and current Chinese foreign...

  2. Import of electric power increased by 19 %

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    2000-01-01

    The import of electric power increased by 19% in 1999. Due to the decrease in the electric power export the net import of electric power increased even more. Electric power import from Sweden was 6000 GWh, import from Russia 5200 GWh and import from Norway 100 GWh. The electric power export in 1999 was only 200 GWh. The generation of nuclear power increased 5% and the consumption of wood-based fuels by 3%. The increase in nuclear power generation is based on increment of the power output capacities of the power plants. The consumption of peat decreased by 12% and the production of hydroelectric power by 15%. The decrement of the peat consumption is based on the changes in energy taxation. The production of hydroelectric power decreased to the normal level after the rainy year 1998. Oil consumption remained nearly the same as in 1998 even though the national product increased in 1999 by 3.5%. The wind power generation was doubled in 1999. The share of it is still only about 0.01% of the total energy consumption. Carbon dioxide emissions from coal and peat, decreased by 1.0 million tons, down to 56 million tons. The present emissions are now only about 2 million tons higher than during the reference year 1990. The emissions have decreased by 5 million tons since 1996 when they were at their highest

  3. Increased power supplied to the shelf from land

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-01-01

    The report analyses how increasing the power supply from land to the offshore installations will affect the emissions of carbon dioxide from the power production on land. For the time being the CO 2 emissions from the production in existing power plants outside Norway will increase. Since the power price also rises, this checks the rise in consumption. This means that the total emission of carbon dioxide does not increase as much as it would have done if the power supply to the shelf had been covered entirely by increased production in existing coal power plants. If in the long term new conventional gas power capacity can be developed commercially, then increased power supply to the shelf will cause the CO 2 emission from power production on land in Norway to increase. Should conventional gas power plants not be granted concession, then the effect will be to increase the power production in existing plants in other countries and to check the rise in consumption. The net rise in consumption increases the emission of carbon dioxide from production in coal, oil, or gas power plants in Denmark, Finland, Germany or Poland

  4. Thermoelectric self-cooling for power electronics: Increasing the cooling power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martinez, Alvaro; Astrain, David; Aranguren, Patricia

    2016-01-01

    Thermoelectric self-cooling was firstly conceived to increase, without electricity consumption, the cooling power of passive cooling systems. This paper studies the combination of heat pipe exchangers and thermoelectric self-cooling, and demonstrates its applicability to the cooling of power electronics. Experimental tests indicate that source-to-ambient thermal resistance reduces by around 30% when thermoelectric self-cooling system is installed, compared to that of the heat pipe exchanger under natural convection. Neither additional electric power nor cooling fluids are required. This thermal resistance reaches 0.346 K/W for a heat flux of 24.1 kW/m"2, being one order of magnitude lower than that obtained in previous designs. In addition, the system adapts to the cooling demand, reducing this thermal resistance for increasing heat. Simulation tests have indicated that simple system modifications allow relevant improvements in the cooling power. Replacement of a thermoelectric module with a thermal bridge leads to 33.54 kW/m"2 of top cooling power. Likewise, thermoelectric modules with shorter legs and higher number of pairs lead to a top cooling power of 44.17 kW/m"2. These results demonstrate the applicability of thermoelectric self-cooling to power electronics. - Highlights: • Cooling power of passive systems increased. • No electric power consumption. • Applicable for the cooling of power electronics. • Up to 44.17 kW/m"2 of cooling power, one order of magnitude higher. • Source-to-ambient thermal resistance reduces by 30%.

  5. The impact of increased interconnection on electricity systems with large penetrations of wind generation. A case study of Ireland and Great Britain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Denny, E.; Tuohy, A.; Keane, A.; Flynn, D.; O'Malley, M.; Meibom, P.; Mullane, A.

    2010-01-01

    Increased interconnection has been highlighted as potentially facilitating the integration of wind generation in power systems by increasing the flexibility to balance the variable wind output. This paper utilizes a stochastic unit commitment model to simulate the impacts of increased interconnection for the island of Ireland with large penetrations of wind generation. The results suggest that increased interconnection should reduce average prices in Ireland, and the variability of those prices. The simulations also suggest that while increased interconnection may reduce carbon dioxide emissions in Ireland, Great Britain would experience an increase in emissions, resulting in total emissions remaining almost unchanged. The studies suggest that increased interconnection would not reduce excess wind generation. This is because under unit commitment techniques which incorporate wind power forecasts in the scheduling decisions, wind curtailment is minimal even with low levels of interconnection. As would be expected an increase in interconnection should improve system adequacy considerably with a significant reduction in the number of hours when the load and reserve constraints are not met. (author)

  6. Investigating power control in autonomous power systems with increasing wind power penetration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Margaris, Ioannis D. [National Technical Univ. of Athens (Greece). Electric Energy Systems Lab.; Hansen, Anca D.; Sorensen, Poul [Risoe National Laboratory, Roskilde (Denmark). Wind Energy Dept.; Hatziargyriou, Nikos D. [National Technical Univ. of Athens (Greece). Electric Energy Systems Lab.; Public Power Corporation S.A., Athens (Greece)

    2009-07-01

    Increasing levels of wind penetration in autonomous power systems has set intensively high standards with respect to wind turbine technology during the last years. Special features of non-interconnected power systems make security issues rather critical, as the operation of large wind farms like conventional power plants is becoming a necessity. This paper includes the study case of Rhodos island, in Greece, where rapidly increasing wind penetration has started to impose serious security issues for the immediate future. The scenarios studied here correspond to reference year of study 2012 and include wind farms with three different wind turbine technologies - namely Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG), Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator (PMSG) and Active Stall Induction Generator (ASIG) based wind turbines. Aggregated models of the wind farms are being used and results for different load cases are being analyzed and discussed. The ability of wind farms to assist in some of the power system control services traditionally carried out by conventional synchronous generation is being investigated and discussed. The power grid of the island, including speed governors and automatic voltage regulators, is simulated in the dedicated power system simulation program Power Factory from DIgSILENT. (orig.)

  7. Licensing process for the power increase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perez P, R.; Mamani A, Y.R.; Salgado G, J.R.

    2006-01-01

    The licensing process for the power increase of a nuclear power station is presented, this includes the description of the effective normative framework, the attributions of the one Mexican regulator organism in nuclear matter, the definition and importance of the power level of a nuclear reactor for the safety studies. Also, the types of power increase according to its magnitude, and the regulator process that it includes the scope and the detail of the required information that it should be evaluated by the one regulator organism are discussed. Finally it offers a summary of the experience that one has in Mexico for this type of processes. (Author)

  8. Public perception of risks from nuclear power plants in Japan, before the Great East Japan Earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murayama, Rumiko; Nakaune, Naoko; Kishikawa, Hiroki; Uchiyama, Iwao

    2011-01-01

    On this research we aim to clarify public perception of risks from nuclear power plants before the Great East Japan Earthquake. The findings of the questionnaire survey conducted in 2010 showed that 1) about 70% of the people felt that they gained benefit from nuclear power plants and these were needed for their daily life. 2) Fifty percent respondents recognized there was danger to themselves and their family members with regards to nuclear power plants. The risks of nuclear power plants to Japanese society ware estimated higher than that risk to individuals of Japanese public. 3) Perception of risks from nuclear power plants to individual Japanese tended to be slightly lower between 1999 and 2010. (author)

  9. The Great Recession And Increased Cost Sharing In European Health Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palladino, Raffaele; Lee, John Tayu; Hone, Thomas; Filippidis, Filippos T; Millett, Christopher

    2016-07-01

    European health systems are increasingly adopting cost-sharing models, potentially increasing out-of-pocket expenditures for patients who use health care services or buy medications. Government policies that increase patient cost sharing are responding to incremental growth in cost pressures from aging populations and the need to invest in new health technologies, as well as to general constraints on public expenditures resulting from the Great Recession (2007-09). We used data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe to examine changes from 2006-07 to 2013 in out-of-pocket expenditures among people ages fifty and older in eleven European countries. Our results identify increases both in the proportion of older European citizens who incurred out-of-pocket expenditures and in mean out-of-pocket expenditures over this period. We also identified a significant increase over time in the percentage of people who incurred catastrophic health expenditures (greater than 30 percent of the household income) in the Czech Republic, Italy, and Spain. Poorer populations were less likely than those in the highest income quintile to incur an out-of-pocket expenditure and reported lower mean out-of-pocket expenditures, which suggests that measures are in place to provide poorer groups with some financial protection. These findings indicate the substantial weakening of financial protection for people ages fifty and older in European health systems after the Great Recession. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  10. THE ROLE OF THE “NEW COLD WAR” CONCEPT IN CONSTRUCTING RUSSIA’S GREAT POWER NARRATIVE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ionela Maria CIOLAN

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available For the past two years, since the annexation of Crimea (2014, there is strong evidence to confirm that the relations between the West and Moscow have deteriorated. As conflicts are unfolding both in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, the tensions between the United States and Russia are at their highest point since the end of Cold War. In this context, the concept of “New Cold War” started to be more frequently used in Western media and think tank analyses, but also in Russian high officials’ discourses. The concept was frequently used as a metaphor in public discourse with various tensed occasions in the last 2 decades. But it was most frequently used after the events in Ukraine. The main purpose of the article is to investigate the present context in which this concept is being used in relation with the main premises of Russian foreign policy. We are initializing our research with our research question: “How the “New Cold War” concept fosters the idea of the Russian Federation as a great power?”. This paper argues that the “New Cold War” is a symbolic concept used to strengthen Russia’s great power narrative. Using constructivists’ arguments of the international relations theory, we will examine this idea and will observe how this social construct helps Russia to strengthen its great power and offers a new interpretation to the international environment.

  11. The discharge of radioactive effluents from the nuclear power programme into western waters of Great Britain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allday, C.

    1977-01-01

    A brief account is presented of the British nuclear power programme and the types of radioactive effluent that arise from the power stations and from the Windscale reprocessing plant. Routes by which these effluents could affect human populations, and radiation dose limits which have been laid down, are discussed. The discharge of permitted amounts of activity into western coastal waters of Great Britain, and the requirements for monitoring the discharges, are described. (U.K.)

  12. Summary of Great East Japan Earthquake response at Onagawa Nuclear Power Station and further safety improvement measures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sato, Toru

    2013-01-01

    A large earthquake occurred on March 11, 2011 and tsunami was generated following it. The East Japan suffered serious damage by the earthquake and tsunami. This is called the Great East Japan Earthquake. Onagawa Nuclear Power Station (NPS) is located closest to the epicenter of Great East Japan Earthquake. We experienced intense shake by the earthquake and some flooding from the tsunami, however, we have succeeded safely cold shutdown of the reactors. In this paper, we introduce summary of Great East Japan Earthquake response a Onagawa NPS and safety improvement measures which are based on both experience of Onagawa NPS and lesson from Fukushima Daiichi NPS accident. (author)

  13. Laguna Verde after the extended power increase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herrera C, M. N.; Castaneda G, M. A.; Cardenas J, J. B.; Garcia de la C, F. M.

    2012-10-01

    The project of extended power increase that was implemented in both units of the nuclear power plant of Laguna Verde beginning with the stage feasibility evaluation in nuclear side of the facilities, that is to say the affectation of the power increase in the equipment s, systems and components of the nuclear power plant; besides the feasibility evaluation a study cost-benefit for the rehabilitated and modernization of the equipment s, systems and components of Plant Balance was realized. Once considered technical and economically feasible the project began the engineering evaluations required to carry out the licensing of the new operation conditions, as well as beginning to the elaboration of the technical specifications purchase of the equipment s, systems and components of the Plant Balance. While on one hand was carried out the administration of the licensing of the extended power increase for other was carried out the necessary engineering to make the physical changes in the conventional side of the nuclear power plant. Once concluded the constructive stage beginning the final stage of the project, the starting-up tests, operation and performance of the Units under the new operation conditions. This work describes this last stage that contains the technical base, the realized tests and the obtained results. (Author)

  14. System-wide emissions implications of increased wind power penetration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valentino, Lauren; Valenzuela, Viviana; Botterud, Audun; Zhou, Zhi; Conzelmann, Guenter

    2012-04-03

    This paper discusses the environmental effects of incorporating wind energy into the electric power system. We present a detailed emissions analysis based on comprehensive modeling of power system operations with unit commitment and economic dispatch for different wind penetration levels. First, by minimizing cost, the unit commitment model decides which thermal power plants will be utilized based on a wind power forecast, and then, the economic dispatch model dictates the level of production for each unit as a function of the realized wind power generation. Finally, knowing the power production from each power plant, the emissions are calculated. The emissions model incorporates the effects of both cycling and start-ups of thermal power plants in analyzing emissions from an electric power system with increasing levels of wind power. Our results for the power system in the state of Illinois show significant emissions effects from increased cycling and particularly start-ups of thermal power plants. However, we conclude that as the wind power penetration increases, pollutant emissions decrease overall due to the replacement of fossil fuels.

  15. Hydroelectric power in Switzerland: large growth potential by increasing the installed power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schleiss, A.

    2007-01-01

    Due to its important hydroelectric power generation facilities (about 525 plants with a total power of 13,314 MW producing about 35.3 TWh annually) Switzerland plays an important role in the interconnected European power system. Large artificial storage lakes in the Swiss Alps can generate peak power during hours of highest demand: 9700 MW are available from accumulated energy and the total power of pumped-storage facilities amounts to 1700 MW. The latter allow refilling the reservoirs at periods of low power demand and generating power at periods of peak demand. In the case of favorable conditions, the yearly average power production could be increased by 6% and the production during the winter period (October to March) by 20% by the year 2020. However, looking forward to the year 2050, the annual production is expected to decrease by 3% despite a possible extension of hydropower. This decrease is due to the enforcement of the minimum residual water flow rates required by a new legislation to protect the rivers. The enforcement is due at latest when the present licenses for water utilization expire. On the other hand, the installed (peak) power might be further increased by 50% by retrofitting the existing installations and constructing the pumped-storage plants currently at the planning stage

  16. Auxetic piezoelectric energy harvesters for increased electric power output

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiang Li

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This letter presents a piezoelectric bimorph with auxetic (negative Poisson’s ratio behaviors for increased power output in vibration energy harvesting. The piezoelectric bimorph comprises a 2D auxetic substrate sandwiched between two piezoelectric layers. The auxetic substrate is capable of introducing auxetic behaviors and thus increasing the transverse stress in the piezoelectric layers when the bimorph is subjected to a longitudinal stretching load. As a result, both 31- and 32-modes are simultaneously exploited to generate electric power, leading to an increased power output. The increasing power output principle was theoretically analyzed and verified by finite element (FE modelling. The FE modelling results showed that the auxetic substrate can increase the transverse stress of a bimorph by 16.7 times. The average power generated by the auxetic bimorph is 2.76 times of that generated by a conventional bimorph.

  17. Increase of hydroelectric power plant operation reliability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koshumbaev, M.B.

    2006-01-01

    The new design of the turbine of hydroelectric power plant (HPP) is executed in the form of a pipe with plates. Proposed solution allows increasing the hydroelectric power plant capacity at existing head and water flow. At that time the HPP turbine reliability is increase, its operation performances are improving. Design efficiency is effective mostly for small-scale and micro-HPP due to reliable operation, low-end technology, and harmless ecological application. (author)

  18. Caesarean section greatly increases risk of scar endometriosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nominato, Nilo Sérgio; Prates, Luis Felipe Victor Spyer; Lauar, Isabela; Morais, Jaqueline; Maia, Laura; Geber, Selmo

    2010-09-01

    To estimate the incidence of scar endometriosis after different surgical procedures. A retrospective study of 72 patients diagnosed with scar endometriosis between 1978 and 2003 was performed. Patient age, site of endometriosis, previous operations, time-gap between last surgery and onset of symptoms, nodule characteristics, and recurrence were evaluated. Age ranged from 16 to 48 years. Location varied according to the previous surgery: 46 caesarean section, one hysterectomy, one in abdominal surgery, 19 episiotomy, one was a relapse and two pelvic floor procedures, two women with no previous surgery. The incidence of scar endometriosis after caesarean section was significantly higher than after episiotomy (0.2 and 0.06%, respectively: p<0.00001) with a relative risk of 3.3. Pain was the most frequent symptom. The mean time between surgery and onset of symptoms was 3.7 years. Our findings confirm that scar endometriosis is a rare condition and indicate, probably for the first time, that caesarean section greatly increases the risk of developing scar endometriosis. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. INFLUENCE OF GREAT HYDRAULIC WORKS UPON NATURE AND MANKIND

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mircea O. POPOVICIU

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available The great hydraulic works represent heavy environmental modifications and influence both humans (during the construction and the utilization and nature. The present paper compares these influences for two such works the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal. Both are relatively recent, have the same purpose (the increase of the East-West trade and were initiated by Ferdinand de Lesseps. The possibility of realization was analyzed long time before the beginning of the work. Both works are sources of huge incomes and created endless disputes between the great powers. The forecast level increase of the planetary ocean will affect differently these works.

  20. Analysis of the Opportunity for an Increase in the Thermal Power of Power Generating Units of Nuclear Power Plants (Part 1)

    OpenAIRE

    Chernousenko, Olga Yuriivna; Nikulenkova, Tetiana Volodymyrivna; Nikulenkov, Anatolii Hennadiiovych

    2017-01-01

    For Ukraine the realization of available reserves to increase the power of operating power units of nuclear plants is a vital problem the solution of which would allow us to increase electric power output. A special role is also played by economic priorities; in particular an increase in power by 1 kW is ten times cheaper in comparison with the construction of 1 kW of new power facilities. One more factor is the world experience in the field of an increase in the thermal power of operating po...

  1. Credit spread variability in U.S. business cycles: the Great Moderation versus the Great Recession

    OpenAIRE

    Hylton Hollander; Guangling Liu

    2014-01-01

    This paper establishes the prevailing financial factors that influence credit spread variability, and its impact on the U.S. business cycle over the Great Moderation and Great Recession periods. To do so, we develop a dynamic general equilibrium framework with a central role of financial intermediation and equity assets. Over the Great Moderation and Great Recession periods, we find an important role for bank market power (sticky rate adjustments and loan rate markups) on credit spread variab...

  2. Credit spread variability in U.S. business cycles: The Great Moderation versus the Great Recession

    OpenAIRE

    Hylton Hollander and Guangling Liu

    2014-01-01

    This paper establishes the prevailing financial factors that influence credit spread variability, and its impact on the U.S. business cycle over the Great Moderation and Great Recession periods. To do so, we develop a dynamic general equilibrium framework with a central role of financial intermediation and equity assets. Over the Great Moderation and Great Recession periods, we find an important role for bank market power (sticky rate adjustments and loan rate markups) on credit spread variab...

  3. Power increases infidelity among men and women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lammers, Joris; Stoker, Janka I; Jordan, Jennifer; Pollmann, Monique; Stapel, Diederik A

    2011-09-01

    Data from a large survey of 1,561 professionals were used to examine the relationship between power and infidelity and the process underlying this relationship. Results showed that elevated power is positively associated with infidelity because power increases confidence in the ability to attract partners. This association was found for both actual infidelity and intentions to engage in infidelity in the future. Gender did not moderate these results: The relationship between power and infidelity was the same for women as for men, and for the same reason. These findings suggest that the common assumption (and often-found effect) that women are less likely than men to engage in infidelity is, at least partially, a reflection of traditional gender-based differences in power that exist in society.

  4. Survey of fish impingement at power plants in the United States. Volume I. The Great Lakes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharma, R.K.; Freeman, R.F. III.

    1977-03-01

    Impingement of fish at cooling-water intakes of 20 power plants located on the Great Lakes has been surveyed and data are presented. Descriptions of site, plant, and intake design and operation are provided. Reports in this volume summarize impingement data for individual plants in tabular and histogram formats. Information was available from differing sources such as the utilities themselves, public documents, regulatory agencies, and others. Thus, the extent of detail in the reports varies greatly from plant to plant. Histogram preparation involved an extrapolation procedure that has inadequacies. The reader is cautioned in the use of information presented in this volume to determine intake-design acceptability or intensity of impacts on ecosystems. No conclusions are presented herein; data comparisons are made in Volume IV

  5. Patient organizations in Finland: increasing numbers and great variation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toiviainen, Hanna K; Vuorenkoski, Lauri H; Hemminki, Elina K

    2010-09-01

    There is very little research on patient organizations (POs), even though their numbers and influence seem to be increasing. The purpose of this study was to describe the establishment, membership, size, organization, decision making and basic funding of national POs in Finland. National POs (n = 130) were identified from their umbrella organizations and by Internet searches. Data were collected from POs' web pages (87% of POs had one), Finland's Slot Machine Association (RAY, an important public financier of POs), a relevant survey done by a local TV-company, and interviews and written materials of POs. Some current national POs were established around the turn of the 19(th) century. The rate of establishment of new POs increased from the 1970s and particularly in the 1990s when POs were characterized by increasing specialization. POs focused on different patient groups and diseases and were founded by philanthropists, physicians, patients, parents and the drug industry. Members could be patients, patient relatives, health-care professionals and organizations. POs widely varied in memberships (20-145 000, in 2002) and in number of paid personnel (0-1395, in 2002), organizational structure and decision making. Interest groups and financiers were often represented in decision-making organs. Activities included mutual support and service production, and, increasingly, informing and lobbying. POs had wide domestic and international co-operation and networking. Drug industry marketing was visible on PO web pages. Budget sizes varied (4000-15 million euros, in 2001). The main public financier was RAY. The old national POs were large and part of national social and health care, but newer ones were often established for mutual support and lobbying. National POs are not uniform but characterized by great variation. The number of national POs is increasing suggesting tighter competition for financing and visibility in the future.

  6. Renewables, nuclear, or fossil fuels? Scenarios for Great Britain’s power system considering costs, emissions and energy security

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pfenninger, Stefan; Keirstead, James

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • We compare a large number of cost-optimal future power systems for Great Britain. • Scenarios are assessed on cost, emissions reductions, and energy security. • Up to 60% of variable renewable capacity is possible with little cost increase. • Higher shares require storage, imports or dispatchable renewables such as tidal range. - Abstract: Mitigating climate change is driving the need to decarbonize the electricity sector, for which various possible technological options exist, alongside uncertainty over which options are preferable in terms of cost, emissions reductions, and energy security. To reduce this uncertainty, we here quantify two questions for the power system of Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland): First, when compared within the same high-resolution modeling framework, how much do different combinations of technologies differ in these three respects? Second, how strongly does the cost and availability of grid-scale storage affect overall system cost, and would it favor some technology combinations above others? We compare three main possible generation technologies: (1) renewables, (2) nuclear, and (3) fossil fuels (with/without carbon capture and storage). Our results show that across a wide range of these combinations, the overall costs remain similar, implying that different configurations are equally feasible both technically and economically. However, the most economically favorable scenarios are not necessarily favorable in terms of emissions or energy security. The availability of grid-scale storage in scenarios with little dispatchable generation can reduce overall levelized electricity cost by up to 50%, depending on storage capacity costs. The UK can rely on its domestic wind and solar PV generation at lower renewable shares, with levelized costs only rising more than 10% above the mean of 0.084 GBP/kWh for shares of 50% and below at a 70% share, which is 35% higher. However, for more than an 80% renewable

  7. Modernisation of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant increases the power production efficiency under safe limits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Valkeapaeae, R.

    1995-01-01

    Teollisuuden Voima Oy published the efficiency increment plans as a part of the modernisation of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant. The power of the reactor units, originally designed for 660 MW will now be increased for a second time. The former improvements were made in 1994. The power of the units was increased to 710 MW. After this new renovation the power of the both units will be 830-840 MW. (2 figs.)

  8. With great power comes great responsibility : Max Havelaar Lecture 2010

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    R.J.M. van Tulder (Rob)

    2010-01-01

    textabstractThis is the motto of the struggling hero Spiderman. The continuous struggle of Spiderman with grasping his powers as well as linking this to his responsibilities not only provides an exiting sequel, but also a strong metaphor for the struggle of big corporations around the world when

  9. Did the Great Recession increase suicides in the USA? Evidence from an interrupted time-series analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harper, Sam; Bruckner, Tim A

    2017-07-01

    Research suggests that the Great Recession of 2007-2009 led to nearly 5000 excess suicides in the United States. However, prior work has not accounted for seasonal patterning and unique suicide trends by age and gender. We calculated monthly suicide rates from 1999 to 2013 for men and women aged 15 and above. Suicide rates before the Great Recession were used to predict the rate during and after the Great Recession. Death rates for each age-gender group were modeled using Poisson regression with robust variance, accounting for seasonal and nonlinear suicide trajectories. There were 56,658 suicide deaths during the Great Recession. Age- and gender-specific suicide trends before the recession demonstrated clear seasonal and nonlinear trajectories. Our models predicted 57,140 expected suicide deaths, leading to 482 fewer observed than expected suicides (95% confidence interval -2079, 943). We found little evidence to suggest that the Great Recession interrupted existing trajectories of suicide rates. Suicide rates were already increasing before the Great Recession for middle-aged men and women. Future studies estimating the impact of recessions on suicide should account for the diverse and unique suicide trajectories of different social groups. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Effect of increased renewables generation on operation of thermal power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eser, Patrick; Singh, Antriksh; Chokani, Ndaona; Abhari, Reza S.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Impacts of increased renewables in central European transmission system are assessed. • Individual transmission lines and power plants of transmission system are modelled. • Starts and ramps of thermal power plants significantly increase with increased renewables. • Impact of renewables on thermal power plants is highly dependent on location. - Abstract: High spatial and temporal resolution optimal power flow simulations of the 2013 and 2020 interconnected grid in Central Western and Eastern Europe regions are undertaken to assess the impact of an increased penetration of renewables on thermal power plants. In contrast to prior studies, the present work models each individual transmission line and power plant within the two regions. Furthermore, for conventional plants, electricity costs are determined with respect to fuel type, nameplate capacity, operating condition and geographic location; cycling costs are modeled as function of the recent operational history. For renewable power plants, costs and available power are determined using mesoscale weather simulations and hydrology models. Countrywide validation of the simulations shows that all renewable and most conventional power production is predicted with less than 10% error. It is shown that the increased penetration of renewables in 2020 will induce a 4–23% increase in the number of starts of conventional plants. The number of load ramps significantly increases by 63–181%, which underlines the necessity for equipment manufacturers and utilities to adapt to scenarios of high penetration of renewables. The increased cycling operation of coal plants is shown to depend strongly on the power plant’s location and is mainly observed in Germany and the Czech Republic. Austrian coal plants are cycled less because they supply more base load power to southern Germany, where several nuclear power plants will be phased out by 2020. Thus there is a need for more transmission capacity along

  11. Power and death: Mortality salience increases power seeking while feeling powerful reduces death anxiety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belmi, Peter; Pfeffer, Jeffrey

    2016-05-01

    According to Terror Management Theory, people respond to reminders of mortality by seeking psychological security and bolstering their self-esteem. Because previous research suggests that having power can provide individuals a sense of security and self-worth, we hypothesize that mortality salience leads to an increased motivation to acquire power, especially among men. Study 1 found that men (but not women) who wrote about their death reported more interest in acquiring power. Study 2A and Study 2B demonstrated that when primed with reminders of death, men (but not women) reported behaving more dominantly during the subsequent week, while both men and women reported behaving more prosocially during that week. Thus, mortality salience prompts people to respond in ways that help them manage their death anxiety but in ways consistent with normative gender expectations. Furthermore, Studies 3-5 showed that feeling powerful reduces anxiety when mortality is salient. Specifically, we found that when primed to feel more powerful, both men and women experienced less mortality anxiety. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  12. Performance of industrial melting pots in the provision of dynamic frequency response in the Great Britain power system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheng, Meng; Wu, Jianzhong; Galsworthy, Stephen J.; Gargov, Nikola; Hung, William H.; Zhou, Yue

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: •Thermodynamics of Melting Pot (MP) loads is modeled based on field measurements. •Power consumption of MPs is controlled to keep varying with grid frequency changes. •Frequency response (FR) of MPs is similar but faster than that of generators. •FR provided by loads can mitigate the impact of reduced system inertia. •Firm FR in the GB power system is most beneficial for load aggregators to tender. -- Abstract: As a result of the increasing integration of Renewable Energy Source (RES), maintenance of the balance between supply and demand in the power system is more challenging because of RES’s intermittency and uncontrollability. The smart control of demand is able to contribute to the balance by providing the grid frequency response. This paper uses the industrial Melting Pot (MP) loads as an example. A thermodynamic model depicting the physical characteristics of MPs was firstly developed based on field measurements carried out by Open Energi. A distributed control was applied to each MP which dynamically changes the aggregated power consumption of MPs in proportion to changes in grid frequency while maintaining the primary heating function of each MP. An aggregation of individual MP models equipped with the control was integrated with the Great Britain (GB) power system models. Case studies verified that the aggregated MPs are able to provide frequency response to the power system. The response from MPs is similar but faster than the conventional generators and therefore contributes to the reduction of carbon emissions by replacing the spinning reserve capacity of fossil-fuel generators. Through the reviews of the present balancing services in the GB power system, with the proposed frequency control strategy, the Firm Frequency Response service is most beneficial at present for demand aggregators to tender for. All studies have been conducted in partnership between Cardiff University, Open Energi London – Demand Aggregator, and National

  13. Hydrologic Vulnerability and Risk Assessment Associated With the Increased Role of Fire on Western Landscapes, Great Basin, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, C. J.; Pierson, F. B.; Robichaud, P. R.; Spaeth, K. E.; Hardegree, S. P.; Clark, P. E.; Moffet, C. A.; Al-Hamdan, O. Z.; Boll, J.

    2010-12-01

    Landscape-scale plant community transitions and altered fire regimes across Great Basin, USA, rangelands have increased the likelihood of post-fire flooding and erosion events. These hazards are particularly concerning for western urban centers along the rangeland urban-wildland interface where natural resources, property, and human life are at risk. Extensive conversion of 4-7 million hectares of Great Basin shrub-steppe to cheatgrass-dominated (Bromus tectorum) grasslands has increased the frequency and size of wildland fires within these ecosystems. Fire frequencies have increased by more than an order of magnitude and occur on 3-10 year intervals across much of the cheatgrass-dominated landscape. Extensive tree (Pinus spp. and Juniperus spp.) encroachment into wooded shrub-steppe has increased heavy fuel loads. Ladder fuels in these ecosystems promote rapidly spreading, high-intensity and severe ground-surface-crown fires. These altered fuel structures across much of the historical Great Basin shrub-steppe have initiated an upsurge in large rangeland wildfires and have increased the spatial and temporal vulnerability of these landscapes to amplified runoff and erosion. Resource and infrastructure damages, and loss of life have been reported due to flooding following recent large-scale burning of western rangelands and dry forests. We present a decade of post-fire rangeland hydrologic research that provides a foundation for conceptual modeling of the hydrologic impacts associated with an increased role of rangeland wildfires. We highlight advancements in predictive tools to address this large-scale phenomenon and discuss vital research voids requiring attention. Our geographic emphasis is the Great Basin Region, however, these concepts likely extend elsewhere given the increased role of fire in many geographic regions and across rangeland-to-forest ecotones in the western United States.

  14. Increase in the import of the electric power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kangas, H.

    2000-01-01

    Exceptionally large amounts of electric power were imported in Finland from Sweden during the spring and early summer. The reason for this was the good conditions for production of hydroelectric power. Because of the imports it has been possible to reduce the generation of the expensive domestic condensing power. The consumption of electric power increased, compared to May 1998, by 1.7%. The private consumption of electric power was 7-8% due to the lower average temperature of the year 1999. May 1999 has been about two deg C lower than the long-term average. About 6.1 TWh of power was consumed in Finland in May 1999, while the consumption in May 1998 was about 100 GWh lower. The power consumption of the past 12 months was 76.9 TWh, which is about 2.1% higher than the value of the previous 12 months. The long lasting increase in production of hydroelectric power started to cease. The hydroelectric power generated in May-June 1999 exceeded 1.2 TWh, the reduction, compared to the previous year, was only a little over 5%. The production of hydroelectric power during the past 12 months was 15.4 TWh. This corresponds to 20% of the total power demand in Finland. The corresponding value of the previous year was nearly 22%. The generation of wind power in May-June 1999 was about 5 GWh, the amount of the previous 12 months being 29 GWh. Both of these values are about twice higher than the figures of the 12 months before that. The power generation capacity of Finnish nuclear power plants in May-June 1999 less than 3.4 TWh, which are about 15% higher than the value of the previous year. The share of nuclear power during May-June 1999 of the total amount of power consumption was 30%. The amount of nuclear power generated during the first half of the year in Finland was more than 11 TWh. The nuclear power generation capacity of the previous 12 months was 21.8 TWh. Cogeneration of power and heat has been nearly the same both in 1998 and 1999, the growth being only 1.4%. The

  15. The Increase of Power Efficiency of Underground Coal Mining by the Forecasting of Electric Power Consumption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Efremenko, Vladimir; Belyaevsky, Roman; Skrebneva, Evgeniya

    2017-11-01

    In article the analysis of electric power consumption and problems of power saving on coal mines are considered. Nowadays the share of conditionally constant costs of electric power for providing safe working conditions underground on coal mines is big. Therefore, the power efficiency of underground coal mining depends on electric power expense of the main technological processes and size of conditionally constant costs. The important direction of increase of power efficiency of coal mining is forecasting of a power consumption and monitoring of electric power expense. One of the main approaches to reducing of electric power costs is increase in accuracy of the enterprise demand in the wholesale electric power market. It is offered to use artificial neural networks to forecasting of day-ahead power consumption with hourly breakdown. At the same time use of neural and indistinct (hybrid) systems on the principles of fuzzy logic, neural networks and genetic algorithms is more preferable. This model allows to do exact short-term forecasts at a small array of input data. A set of the input parameters characterizing mining-and-geological and technological features of the enterprise is offered.

  16. The pawn of great powers: The East–West competition for Caucasia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronald Grigor Suny

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available My argument in this paper is that Caucasia has become an area of contention, like much of post-Soviet Eurasia, between the East and West, particularly between Russia's Caucasian policy, which revolves around its long-term interest in re-establishing its regional hegemony in the so-called Near Abroad, and the United States' grander ambition for global hegemony. The South Caucasus has provided the first opportunity for Russia to demonstrate its will to prevent the United States, NATO, and the European Community from penetrating the southern tier of the former USSR. Russia's move is not a program of imperial control, but rather a determined effort to contain or even roll back the influence of other powers, most importantly, the United States and NATO in the regions closest to Russia's borders. The “southern tier” of the former Soviet Union – Caucasia and Central Asia – contains the most vulnerable regions in which other powers might intervene, and it is here where Russia will test its new policies. Up until August 2008 it used primarily “soft power” vigorously to prevent other powers from increasing their influence in the region. In August it demonstrated it was prepared, when pushed, to use “hard power.” The Russo–Georgian War was a watershed in East–West relations with a more assertive Russia willing to take on its more powerful competitors.

  17. Great Lakes Energy Institute

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alexander, J. Iwan [Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH (United States)

    2012-11-18

    The vision of the Great Lakes Energy Institute is to enable the transition to advanced, sustainable energy generation, storage, distribution and utilization through coordinated research, development, and education. The Institute will place emphasis on translating leading edge research into next generation energy technology. The Institute’s research thrusts focus on coordinated research in decentralized power generation devices (e.g. fuel cells, wind turbines, solar photovoltaic devices), management of electrical power transmission and distribution, energy storage, and energy efficiency.

  18. Evaluation of a rural demonstration program to increase seat belt use in the Great Lakes Region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-03-01

    Six States in the Great Lakes Region (Region 5) participated in a Rural Demonstration Program to increase seat belt : use in rural areas and among high-risk occupants, such as young males and occupants of pickup trucks. These : efforts, which include...

  19. Fuel design with low peak of local power for BWR reactors with increased nominal power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perusquia C, R.; Montes, J.L.; Hernandez, J.L.; Ortiz, J.J.; Castillo, A.

    2006-01-01

    The Federal Commission of Electricity recently announcement the beginning of the works related with the increase of the power to 120% of the original nominal one in the Boiling Water Reactors (BWR) of the Laguna Verde Central (CLV): In the National Institute of Nuclear Research (ININ) are carried out studies of the impact on the design of the recharge of derived fuel of this increase. One of the main effects of the power increase type that it is promoting, is the increment of the flow of generated vapor, what takes, to a bigger fraction of vacuum in the core presenting increased values of the maximum fraction to the limit, so much of the ratio of lineal heat generation (XFLPD) as of the ratio of critic power (MFLCPR). In the made studies, it is found that these fractions rise lineally with the increase of the nominal power. Considering that the reactors of the CLV at the moment operate to 105% of the original nominal power, it would imply an increment of the order of 13.35% in the XFLPD and in the MFLCPR operating to a nominal power of 120% of the original one. This would propitiate bigger problems to design appropriately the fuel cycle and the necessity, almost unavoidable, of to resort to a fuel assembly type more advanced for the recharges of the cores. As option, in the ININ the feasibility of continuing using the same type of it fuel assembles that one has come using recently in the CLV, the type GE12 is analyzed. To achieve it was outlined to diminish the peak factor of local power (LPPF) of the power cells that compose the fuel recharge in 13.35%. It was started of a fuel design previously used in the recharge of the unit 1 cycle 12 and it was re-design to use it in the recharge design of the cycle 13 of the unit 1, considering an increase to 120% of the original power and the same requirements of cycle extension. For the re-design of the fuel assembly cell it was used the PreDiCeldas computer program developed in the ININ. It was able to diminish the LPPF

  20. Thermal power plant operating regimes in future British power systems with increasing variable renewable penetration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Edmunds, Ray; Davies, Lloyd; Deane, Paul; Pourkashanian, Mohamed

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • This work investigates thermal power operating regimes in future power systems. • Gas plants have low utilisation in the scenarios considered. • Ramping intensity increases for gas plants and pumped storage. • Coal plants frequently operate at minimum stable levels and start-ups increase. • Grid emission intensity and total emission production remains substantial. - Abstract: This work investigates the operational requirements of thermal power plants in a number of potential future British power systems with increasing variable renewable penetration. The PLEXOS Integrated Energy Model has been used to develop the market models, with PLEXOS employing mixed integer programming to solve the unit commitment and economic dispatch problem, subject to a number of constraints. Initially, a model of the British power system was developed and validated. Subsequently, a 2020 test model was developed to analyse a number of future system structures with differing fuel and carbon prices and generation mixes. The study has found that in three of the four scenarios considered, the utilisation of gas power plants will be relatively low, but remains fundamental to the security of supply. Also, gas plants will be subject to more intense ramping. The findings have consequent implications for energy policy as expensive government interventions may be required to prevent early decommissioning of gas capacity, should the prevailing market conditions not guarantee revenue adequacy.

  1. Idaho Power's reverses decline with employee increase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1990-01-01

    Following several years of decline, the number of full-time Idaho Power employees increased to 1,528 at the end of 1989, up from 1,500 in 1988. The increase reversed a steady decline that began in 1984 when the company had a peak employment of 1,725. Last year's increase in the work force in part reflects recent additions in customers served and the electric demands of an expanding economy in the service area, as well as new regulatory requirements, the company said

  2. Seismic measures and defence in depth of nuclear power plant. Lessons learned from the great east Japan earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ochiai, Kanehiro

    2011-01-01

    The Great East Japan Earthquake occurred in March 11, 2011 brought about severe accident at nuclear power plant, which gave significant lessons to nuclear experts concerned with safety measures. Concepts of defence in depth was basic philosophy to assure safety of nuclear power plant even against uncertainties exceeding design basis. This concept consisted of prevention, monitoring, and action to mitigate consequences of failures such as a series of physical barriers between the reactor core and the environment, which were called multiple safety systems, each with backup and designed to accommodate human error. As for natural disaster, depth of recognition of characteristic of natural phenomena and its effect and engineering judgment was of prime importance. Different waveforms of ground motion at Fukushima and Onagawa at the Great East Japan Earthquake showed that design ground motion should have large uncertainties. To cope with uncertainties of ground motion, robust seismic measures based on experience were such as design of static seismic intensity and rigid structure of natural period less than 0.1 sec. As for tsunami, defence in depth measures were prepared for the cooling of reactor core, spent fuel and related electric generation equipment with taking into account 1) time lag between tsunami generation and arrival, 2) tsunami affected area could be limited by coastal levee or anti-inundation measure, 3) system redundancy could be assured by different locations of equipments and 4) repair works could be done by shipment of replacement equipment from outside due to limitation of affected regional area. Success examples of Onagawa, Tokai unit 2, Fukushima Daiichi unit 6 and Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plants could suggest definite tsunami defence in depth measures. Containment vent system as final heat sink and emergency condenser as reactor core cooling at outage should be properly utilized for Fukushima Daiichi unit 1 Nuclear Power Plant. (T. Tanaka)

  3. Does green consumerism increase the acceptance of wind power?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thøgersen, John; Noblet, Caroline

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, we discuss what might be termed an action-based learning approach to promoting important pro-environmental actions, such as support for or acceptance of environmental policy. Such an approach involves promoting simple and easy behaviours as entry points for more radical steps towards sustainability, referred to as “catalytic” or “wedge” behaviours. Despite the obvious need for innovative approaches to promote important pro-environmental behaviour, and sound theoretical backing for such concepts, there is a lack of research testing the key propositions of this approach. In a survey study based on a random sample of residents of the state of Maine, USA, we find that both everyday “green” behaviour and the acceptance of an expansion of wind power are rooted in environmental concern and that everyday “green” behaviour gives a significant contribution to predicting acceptance of wind power when controlling for environmental concern. Hence, the promotion of everyday “green” behaviours may prepare the grounds for increasing acceptance of more far-reaching changes in the population, such as an expansion of wind power. - Highlights: ► Acceptance of wind power increases with environmental concern. ► So does everyday “green” consumerism. ► Green consumerism further increases acceptance of wind power. ► The effect of environmental concern on acceptance is partly mediated through green consumerism. ► Participants in the study are a random sample of residents of Maine, USA.

  4. Prospects of increasing the power of a two-circuit geothermal power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alkhasov, A.B.

    2001-01-01

    The results of analysis of the thermodynamical cycle of the geothermal NPPs secondary circuit with various versions of the geothermal circulation system are presented. It is shown, that the technological scheme with horizontal well is the optimal one. The conclusion is made that by further assimilation of thermal power with application of the experience, accumulated by petroleum specialist, it is necessary to built up geothermal circulation systems with horizontal wells. This will sharply increase the indices of the geothermal branch, its efficiency and competivity as compared to the traditional power engineering [ru

  5. Control of a hybrid HVDC link to increase inter-regional power transfer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kotb, Omar; Ghandhari, Mehrdad; Eriksson, Robert

    2016-01-01

    This paper examines the application of a hybrid HVDC link in a two area power system with the purpose of increasing the inter-regional power transfer. A hybrid HVDC system combines both LCCs and VSCs, and hence it is capable of combining the benefits of both converter technologies, such as reduced...... cost and power losses due to the LCCs, and ability to connect to weak AC grids due to the VSCs. The mathematical model of the power system including the HVDC link is presented. The increase in inter-area power transfer is demonstrated and compared to the case when the hybrid HVDC link is not used....... Furthermore, the transient stability of the AC/DC power system was enhanced using auxiliary controllers for Power Oscillation Damping (POD). The results show the ability of the hybrid HVDC link to increase the unidirectional inter-area power transfer, while enhancing the transient stability of the power...

  6. Humans and great apes share increased neocortical neuropeptide Y innervation compared to other haplorhine primates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mary Ann eRaghanti

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Neuropeptide Y (NPY plays a role in a variety of basic physiological functions and has also been implicated in regulating cognition, including learning and memory. A decrease in neocortical NPY has been reported for Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression, potentially contributing to associated cognitive deficits. The goal of the present analysis was to examine variation in neocortical NPY-immunoreactive axon and varicosity density among haplorhine primates (monkeys, apes, and humans. Stereologic methods were used to measure the ratios of NPY-expressing axon length density to total neuron density (ALv/Nv and NPY-immunoreactive varicosity density to neuron density (Vv/Nv, as well as the mean varicosity spacing in neocortical areas 10, 24, 44, and 22 (Tpt of humans, African great apes, New World monkeys, and Old World monkeys. Humans and great apes showed increased cortical NPY innervation relative to monkey species for ALv/Nv and Vv/Nv. Furthermore, humans and great apes displayed a conserved pattern of varicosity spacing across cortical areas and layers, with no differences between cortical layers or among cortical areas. These phylogenetic differences may be related to shared life history variables and may reflect specific cognitive abilities.

  7. Hybrid combined cycle power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Veszely, K.

    2002-01-01

    In case of re-powering the existing pressurised water nuclear power plants by the proposed HCCPP solution, we can increase the electricity output and efficiency significantly. If we convert a traditional nuclear power plant unit to a HCCPP solution, we can achieve a 3.2-5.5 times increase in electricity output and the achievable gross efficiency falls between 46.8-52% and above, depending on the applied solution. These figures emphasise that we should rethink our power plant technologies and we have to explore a great variety of HCCPP solutions. This may give a new direction in the development of nuclear reactors and power plants as well.(author)

  8. Balance of the LVC plant with increase in 15 % of power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ortiz, J.J.; Hernandez, J.L.; Perusquia, R.; Castillo, A.; Montes, J.L.

    2005-01-01

    One of the tendencies in many power reactors has been to modify some operation conditions, in order to increasing the electricity generation. The Laguna Verde Nuclear power plant (CNLV) it has not been the exception and in the recent past an increment of 5% was made in the original nominal thermal power. In the face of the possibility of carrying out more modifications, a study was made in the one that one simulates an eventual increment of the power of the reactor in 15% of the original value. With this increment one carries out the balance of the plant and the thermodynamic properties were determined. With this purpose it was developed a computer tool to calculate the thermodynamic properties of the plant in several points of the power cycle, as well as to carry out energy and mass balances to determine the flows in the different extractions of steam of the turbines. The program is compared with the results to 100% and 105% of increase of power obtaining good results, for what it is concluded that the extrapolation to 115% of power increase is acceptable. (Author)

  9. Resolution 8.069/012 It approval the regulations for the installation of of great bearing structures, intended for wind power generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2012-01-01

    This resolution is about: regulations made by the Florida Administration, Oriental Republic of Uruguay to locate of great bearing structures intended for wind power generation.At the same time they have been included them :definition, objectives, installation rights, site areas, minimum distances, presentation, technical responsibility, maintenance, external documentation

  10. Community College Presidents' Perspectives of Dichotomous Events: The Consequences of the Great Recession & Coincidental Increased Enrollment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlson, Corey W.

    2013-01-01

    The community college, like all of higher education, has been significantly impacted by the Great Recession and coincidental increased enrollment. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the decision making processes of community college presidents as related to resource allocation and the impact of these decisions on the…

  11. Investigations on the inadvertent power increase in a PHWR as ASSET experience

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumar, S H [Operating Plants Safety Div., Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, Mumbai (India)

    1997-12-31

    Investigations were carried out using the ASSET methodology to find out the root cause of an incident involving inadvertent increase in reactor power in the Unit 1 of Narora Atomic Power Station (NAPS) in India. NAPS is a twin Unit, 220 MWe PHWR based power station. On December 4, 1992, when NPAS Unit 1 was operating at 130 MWe, the reactor power increased steadily on its own and touched 147 MWe, over a period of 14 minutes. The set (demand) power of the triplicated reactor regulating system had increased on its own and in turn has made the reactor to operated at higher power. The power was brought down to 120 MWe by manual intervention. Since adequate system related data during the incident was not available, laboratory studies were carried out using computer simulations for the various process disturbances which could affect the reactor regulating system, for establishing the causes of the event. 4 figs.

  12. Investigations on the inadvertent power increase in a PHWR as ASSET experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, S.H.

    1996-01-01

    Investigations were carried out using the ASSET methodology to find out the root cause of an incident involving inadvertent increase in reactor power in the Unit 1 of Narora Atomic Power Station (NAPS) in India. NAPS is a twin Unit, 220 MWe PHWR based power station. On December 4, 1992, when NPAS Unit 1 was operating at 130 MWe, the reactor power increased steadily on its own and touched 147 MWe, over a period of 14 minutes. The set (demand) power of the triplicated reactor regulating system had increased on its own and in turn has made the reactor to operated at higher power. The power was brought down to 120 MWe by manual intervention. Since adequate system related data during the incident was not available, laboratory studies were carried out using computer simulations for the various process disturbances which could affect the reactor regulating system, for establishing the causes of the event. 4 figs

  13. Powering China: reforming the power industry in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Yi Chong

    2002-06-01

    This, the first text to study the Chinese electric power industry in great detail, examines the ownership and the restructuring of the industry. The reform of the electric power industry is also seen as part of the wider economic development that has been taking place in China, thus providing fresh perspectives on the changes taking place in both the economy and society more generally. Presenting a wealth of extensive research on the subject, the book elucidates the power struggle between political and bureaucratic elite and explains the sensitive and volatile relationship between the central and provincial government against an increasingly complex global background. (Author)

  14. Great expectations. Projections of nuclear power around the world

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McDonald, Alan; Rogner, Hans-Holger; Gritsevskyi, Andrii

    2009-01-01

    In its 2008 edition of Energy, Electricity and Nuclear Power Estimates for the Period to 2030, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has again revised its projections for nuclear power upwards. Every year since 1981 the IAEA has published 2 updated projections for the world's nuclear power generating capacity, a low projection and a high projection. The low projection is a down to earth, business-as-usual projection. The high projection takes into account government and corporate announcements about longer-term plans for nuclear investments as well as potential new national policies, e.g., to combat climate change. The results for the 2008 projections are presented. In the low projection, the projected nuclear power capacity in 2030 is 473 GW(e), some 27% higher than today's 372 GW(e). In the high projection, nuclear capacity in 2030 is 748 GW(e), double today's capacity. But while projections for nuclear power's future rose, its share of the world's electricity generation today dropped from 15% in 2006 to 14% in 2007. The main reason is that while total global electricity generation rose 4.8% from 2007 to 2008, nuclear electricity actually dropped slightly. The overall message from the IAEA's 2008 edition of Energy, Electricity and Nuclear Power Estimates for the Period to 2030 is that global electricity use will grow significantly, that nuclear power will have to expand more rapidly than it has done recently in order to maintain its share, and that nuclear power can meet the challenge. (orig.)

  15. Japanese energy balances after the Great East Japan Earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsuzuki, Kazuhiro; Moriyama, Ryo; Ishimoto, Yuki; Tomikatsu, Koji; Hagiwara, Naoto

    2012-01-01

    After the Great East Japan Earthquake, disaster response and risk of nuclear accident became a new issue and the public against nuclear power was increasing with knowing a long-term period required for restoration from Fukushima accident. This article described effects of 'de-nuclear power' policy with no additional plants on energy balances in 2030 and 2050 with simulated energy model based on government's long-term energy supply-demand outlook issued in 2009. Main assumed conditions were as follows; (1) nuclear power of case B) 40 years operation and C) 60 years operation, (2) share of photovoltaic and wind power was assumed to be 9% of total power generation and the same as planned before the earthquake disaster, which could not replace nuclear power and (3) final consumption of case 2) 8% saving and 3) 20% saving. Effects of 'de-nuclear power' in 2030 were (1) CO 2 emission difference between B) and C) was 50 Mt and (2) estimated cost increase between B) and C) was 0.1 T yen/year for CO 2 emission, 1 T yen/year for LNG procurement and 2.4 T yen for thermal power construction. Energy balances in 2050 were much influenced by trend of renewable energy technology development and fossil energy procurement and use. Sophisticated power change measures using storage battery for renewable energy should be developed, otherwise if power change were dealt with thermal power, share would be limited to 15-20% of total power generation. If CO 2 emission in 2050 was limited to 50% instead of formally announced 80% of CO 2 emission in 1990, share of non-fossil power (nuclear power + renewable energy) became almost 100% for case 3). Base technology of nuclear power should remain as option for the case where fossil energy procurement and CO 2 emission limit became restrictive in 2050. (T. Tanaka)

  16. The great 2006 heat wave over California and Nevada: Signal of an increasing trend

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gershunov, A.; Cayan, D.R.; Iacobellis, S.F.

    2009-01-01

    Most of the great California-Nevada heat waves can be classified into primarily daytime or nighttime events depending on whether atmospheric conditions are dry or humid. A rash of nighttime-accentuated events in the last decade was punctuated by an unusually intense case in July 2006, which was the largest heat wave on record (1948-2006). Generally, there is a positive trend in heat wave activity over the entire region that is expressed most strongly and clearly in nighttime rather than daytime temperature extremes. This trend in nighttime heat wave activity has intensified markedly since the 1980s and especially since 2000. The two most recent nighttime heat waves were also strongly expressed in extreme daytime temperatures. Circulations associated with great regional heat waves advect hot air into the region. This air can be dry or moist, depending on whether a moisture source is available, causing heat waves to be expressed preferentially during day or night. A remote moisture source centered within a marine region west of Baja California has been increasing in prominence because of gradual sea surface warming and a related increase in atmospheric humidity. Adding to the very strong synoptic dynamics during the 2006 heat wave were a prolonged stream of moisture from this southwestern source and, despite the heightened humidity, an environment in which afternoon convection was suppressed, keeping cloudiness low and daytime temperatures high. The relative contributions of these factors and possible relations to global warming are discussed. ?? 2009 American Meteorological Society.

  17. Research on the security of nuclear power equipment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Jiong; Wu Jinzong

    2008-06-01

    Recently, the rapidly growing economy in conflict with the lack of power in the whole country become more and more seriously in our country. In other hand, there is also various kind of problems such as greenhouse effect and the oil price rising conditions. It greatly promote our country's development of Nuclear power project. As forecast, the number of Nuclear Power Plant will increase greatly in the future. However, the security of the Nuclear Power Plant is one of the topics that people always pay more attention to. Combining with the practice experience of Nuclear Power Plant in Japanese, the security of Nuclear Power Plant in multi-angles is discussed. It is pointed that the risk assesment and management system of nuclear power plant are effective measure for security of the development of nuclear power. (authors)

  18. Filtering for increased power for microarray data analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hess Ann M

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Due to the large number of hypothesis tests performed during the process of routine analysis of microarray data, a multiple testing adjustment is certainly warranted. However, when the number of tests is very large and the proportion of differentially expressed genes is relatively low, the use of a multiple testing adjustment can result in very low power to detect those genes which are truly differentially expressed. Filtering allows for a reduction in the number of tests and a corresponding increase in power. Common filtering methods include filtering by variance, average signal or MAS detection call (for Affymetrix arrays. We study the effects of filtering in combination with the Benjamini-Hochberg method for false discovery rate control and q-value for false discovery rate estimation. Results Three case studies are used to compare three different filtering methods in combination with the two false discovery rate methods and three different preprocessing methods. For the case studies considered, filtering by detection call and variance (on the original scale consistently led to an increase in the number of differentially expressed genes identified. On the other hand, filtering by variance on the log2 scale had a detrimental effect when paired with MAS5 or PLIER preprocessing methods, even when the testing was done on the log2 scale. A simulation study was done to further examine the effect of filtering by variance. We find that filtering by variance leads to higher power, often with a decrease in false discovery rate, when paired with either of the false discovery rate methods considered. This holds regardless of the proportion of genes which are differentially expressed or whether we assume dependence or independence among genes. Conclusion The case studies show that both detection call and variance filtering are viable methods of filtering which can increase the number of differentially expressed genes identified. The

  19. Well-Being Analysis of Power Systems Considering Increasing Deployment of Gas Turbines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bomiao Liang

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available With the significant decrease in natural gas prices in many parts of the world, the employment of gas turbine (GT units has increased steadily in recent years. The ever-increasing deployment of GT units is strengthening the interconnections between electric power and natural gas systems, which could provide a higher level of operational flexibility and reliability. As a result, the planning and operation issues in the interconnected electric power and natural gas systems have aroused concern. In these circumstances, the impacts of increasing deployment of GT units in power system operation are studied and evaluated through well-being analysis (WBA. The fast responsive characteristics of GT units are analyzed first, and the definition and adaption of WBA in a power system with increasing deployment of GT units are addressed. Then the equivalent reserve capacity of GT units is estimated, taking demand fluctuations, commitment plans, and operational risks of GT units into account. The WBA of a power system with increasing deployment of GT units is conducted considering the uncertainties of system operation states and renewable energy sources. Finally, the proposed methods are validated through an integrated version of the IEEE 118-bus power system and a 10-bus natural gas system, and the impacts of GT units on power system security under various penetration levels are examined. Simulation results demonstrate that the role of a GT unit as a low-cost electricity producer may conflict with its role as a reserve provider, but through maintaining a proper proportion of idle GT capacities for reserve, the well-being performance of the power system concerned can be significantly improved.

  20. Great Apes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sleeman, Jonathan M.; Cerveny, Shannon

    2014-01-01

    Anesthesia of great apes is often necessary to conduct diagnostic analysis, provide therapeutics, facilitate surgical procedures, and enable transport and translocation for conservation purposes. Due to the stress of remote delivery injection of anesthetic agents, recent studies have focused on oral delivery and/or transmucosal absorption of preanesthetic and anesthetic agents. Maintenance of the airway and provision of oxygen is an important aspect of anesthesia in great ape species. The provision of analgesia is an important aspect of the anesthesia protocol for any procedure involving painful stimuli. Opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often administered alone, or in combination to provide multi-modal analgesia. There is increasing conservation management of in situ great ape populations, which has resulted in the development of field anesthesia techniques for free-living great apes for the purposes of translocation, reintroduction into the wild, and clinical interventions.

  1. Retrofitting a Geothermal Plant with Solar and Storage to Increase Power Generation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhu, Guangdong [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); McTigue, Joshua Dominic P [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Turchi, Craig S [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Castro, Jose [Coso Operating Co.; Mungas, Greg [Hyperlight Energy; Kramer, Nick [Hyperlight Energy; King, John [Hyperlight Energy

    2017-10-04

    Solar hybridization using concentrating solar power (CSP) can be an effective approach to augment the power generation and power cycle efficiency of a geothermal power plant with a declining resource. Thermal storage can further increase the dispatchability of a geothermal/solar hybrid system, which is particularly valued for a national grid with high renewable penetration. In this paper, a hybrid plant design with thermal storage is proposed based on the requirements of the Coso geothermal field in China Lake, California. The objective is to increase the power production by 4 MWe. In this system, a portion of the injection brine is recirculated through a heat exchanger with the solar heat transfer fluid, before being mixed with the production well brine. In the solar heating loop the brine should be heated to at least 155 degrees C to increase the net power. The solar field and storage were sized based on solar data for China Lake. Thermal storage is used to store excess power at the high-solar-irradiation hours and generate additional power during the evenings. The solar field size, the type and capacity of thermal storage and the operating temperatures are critical factors in determining the most economic hybrid system. Further investigations are required to optimize the hybrid system and evaluate its economic feasibility.

  2. The Concert of Europe and Great Power Governance Today: What Can the Order of 19th-Century Europe Teach Policymakers About International Order in the 21st Century

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-01-01

    13 These differences became alarmingly clear once liberal revolutions broke out across multiple European polities in 1820.61 The eastern powers ...dealings with that eastern power that they had so often worked with in concert. For in that treat- ment, the western powers ultimately “ broke the first...KYLE LASCURETTES The Concert of Europe and Great- Power Governance Today What Can the Order of 19th-Century Europe Teach Policymakers About

  3. Energy and water in the Great Lakes.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tidwell, Vincent Carroll

    2011-11-01

    The nexus between thermoelectric power production and water use is not uniform across the U.S., but rather differs according to regional physiography, demography, power plant fleet composition, and the transmission network. That is, in some regions water demand for thermoelectric production is relatively small while in other regions it represents the dominate use. The later is the case for the Great Lakes region, which has important implications for the water resources and aquatic ecology of the Great Lakes watershed. This is today, but what about the future? Projected demographic trends, shifting lifestyles, and economic growth coupled with the threat of global climate change and mounting pressure for greater U.S. energy security could have profound effects on the region's energy future. Planning for such an uncertain future is further complicated by the fact that energy and environmental planning and regulatory decisionmaking is largely bifurcated in the region, with environmental and water resource concerns generally taken into account after new energy facilities and technologies have been proposed, or practices are already in place. Based on these confounding needs, the objective of this effort is to develop Great Lakes-specific methods and tools to integrate energy and water resource planning and thereby support the dual goals of smarter energy planning and development, and protection of Great Lakes water resources. Guiding policies for this planning are the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The desired outcome of integrated energy-water-aquatic resource planning is a more sustainable regional energy mix for the Great Lakes basin ecosystem.

  4. Increased household financial strain, the Great Recession and child health-findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKenna, Caoimhe; Law, Catherine; Pearce, Anna

    2017-03-09

    There is a growing body of evidence associating financial strain (FS) with poor health but most of this research has been cross-sectional and adult-focused. During the 'Great Recession' many UK households experienced increased FS. The primary aim of this study was to determine the impact of increased FS on child health. We analysed the Millennium Cohort Study, a longitudinal study of children born in the UK between 2000 and 2002. Surveys at 7 years (T1, 2008) and 11 years (T2, 2012) spanned the 'Great Recession'. Three measures of increased FS were defined; 'became income poor' (self-reported household income dropped below the 'poverty line' between T1 and T2); 'developed difficulty managing' (parental report of being 'financially comfortable' at T1 and finding it 'difficult to manage' at T2); 'felt worse off' (parental report of feeling financially 'worse off' at T2 compared with T1). Poisson regression was used to estimate risk ratios (RR), adjusted risk ratios (aRR) and 95% CIs for six child health outcomes: measured overweight/obesity, problematic behaviour as scored by parents and teachers, and parental reports of fair/poor general health, long-standing illness and bedwetting at T2 (N=13 112). In subanalyses we limited our sample to those who were above the poverty line at T2. Compared with those who were not financially strained at both time points, children in households which experienced increased FS were at an increased risk of all unhealthy outcomes examined. In most cases, these increased risks persisted after adjustment for confounding and when limiting the sample to those above the poverty line. FS is associated with a range of new or continued poor child health outcomes. During times of widespread economic hardship, such as the 'Great Recession', measures should be taken to buffer children and their families from the impact of FS, and these should not be limited to those who are income poor. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For

  5. Techniques used to increase the resolving power of magnetic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Magnetic resonance imaging is a method which can be used to obtain highly detailed and clear images of organs inside the body. The objective of this article is evaluation of techniques used to increase the resolving power of magnetic resonance images. The use of gradient techniques with high functionality will increase ...

  6. Influence of wind power, plug-in electric vehicles, and heat storages on power system investments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kiviluoma, Juha; Meibom, Peter

    2010-01-01

    Due to rising fuel costs, the substantial price for CO 2 emissions and decreasing wind power costs, wind power might become the least expensive source of power for an increasing number of power systems. This poses the questions of how wind power might change optimal investments in other forms of power production and what kind of means could be used to increase power system flexibility in order to incorporate the variable power production from wind power in a cost-effective manner. We have analysed possible effects using an investment model that combines heat and power production and simulates electric vehicles. The model runs in an hourly time scale in order to accommodate the impact of variable power production from wind power. Electric vehicles store electricity for later use and can thus serve to increase the flexibility of the power system. Flexibility can also be upgraded by using heat storages with heat from heat pumps, electric heat boilers and combined heat and power (CHP) plants. Results show that there is great potential for additional power system flexibility in the production and use of heat. (author)

  7. Microbicide excipients can greatly increase susceptibility to genital herpes transmission in the mouse

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sun Mianmian

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Several active ingredients proposed as vaginal microbicides have been shown paradoxically to increase susceptibility to infection in mouse genital herpes (HSV-2 vaginal susceptibility models and in clinical trials. In addition, "inactive ingredients" (or excipients used in topical products to formulate and deliver the active ingredient might also cause epithelial toxicities that increase viral susceptibility. However, excipients have not previously been tested in susceptibility models. Methods Excipients commonly used in topical products were formulated in a non-toxic vehicle (the "HEC universal placebo", or other formulations as specified. Twelve hours after exposure to the excipient or a control treatment, mice were challenged with a vaginal dose of HSV-2, and three days later were assessed for infection by vaginal lavage culture to assess susceptibility. Results The following excipients markedly increased susceptibility to HSV-2 after a single exposure: 5% glycerol monolaurate (GML formulated in K-Y® Warming Jelly, 5% GML as a colloidal suspension in phosphate buffered saline, K-Y Warming Jelly alone, and both of its humectant/solvent ingredients (neat propylene glycol and neat PEG-8. For excipients formulated in the HEC vehicle, 30% glycerin significantly increased susceptibility, and a trend toward increased HSV-2 susceptibility was observed after 10% glycerin, and 0.1% disodium EDTA, but not after 0.0186% disodium EDTA. The following excipients did not increase susceptibility: 10% propylene glycol, 0.18%, methylparaben plus 0.02% propylparaben, and 1% benzyl alcohol. Conclusions As reported with other surfactants, the surfactant/emulsifier GML markedly increased susceptibility to HSV-2. Glycerin at 30% significantly increased susceptibility, and, undiluted propylene glycol and PEG-8 greatly increased susceptibility.

  8. Emergency response of Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station during the Great East Japan Earthquake and its lessons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawamura, Shinichi

    2016-01-01

    At the time of the occurrence of the Great East Japan Earthquake, Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station (hereinafter, Fukushima Daini) was operating four units of BWRS-5 type plants with an output of 1,100 MWe/unit. Among these plants, No. 1, 2, and 4 Units lost all the functions of heat removal equipment of reactors affected by tsunami. However, ad-hoc activities such as the exchange of submerged motors and temporary power installation allowed the recovery of residual heat removal (RHR) system, leading to a success in cold shutdown. This is a success story more than expectation in dealing with emergency situations, but not necessarily all of the correspondences were successfully carried out, leaving some problems. As lessons, the following are pointed out: (1) confirmation of the damage situation of the site and setting of priority rank of recovery, (2) securement of the means that do not depend on initial on-site activities, and (3) possession at the site of the skills of emergency restoration, equipment diagnostic technology, and repair technology. With reflecting lessons and challenges in these correspondences, Tokyo Electric Power Company is working to improve the accident response capability of the organization including Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station. As an example of effort of emergency response capability strengthening, there is an application of the US Incident Management System (IMS). The company is continuously making efforts for improving safety through training. (A.O.)

  9. Startup program after SGR and power increase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krajnc, B.; Dudas, M.; Spiler, J.; Novsak, M.

    2000-01-01

    NPP Krsko replaced steam generators during the outage 2000. Parallel with the steam generator replacement all required systems modifications to accommodate new steam generators into the existing plant (upper feed,..) and support plant power increase of 6.3%, have been implemented. During the years 1997 - 2000 all the required licensing, technical analyses and systems verifications to support such plant changes have been completed. One of the activities within this effort was also the preparation of a detailed Plant Startup Program, which was subject of licensing review and approval process. An integrated plant startup program was then developed based on the plant startup test program, performed regularly during plant startup after refueling and above-mentioned Plant Startup Program. These additional tests defined by the Startup Test Program have been required due to new steam generators, steam generator replacement and related modifications, and power increase from previous 1882 MWt to 2000 MWt. During the preparation period, a startup team was established and procedures were written. All procedures sensitive to the operation were validated on the plant specific simulator. This paper presents more about the Startup Test Program, analysis of its implementation, the results of some key tests as well as the lessons learned. (author)

  10. Bidirectional dc-to-dc Power Converter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griesbach, C. R.

    1986-01-01

    Solid-state, series-resonant converter uses high-voltage thyristors. Converter used either to convert high-voltage, low-current dc power to lowvoltage, high current power or reverse. Taking advantage of newly-available high-voltage thyristors to provide better reliability and efficiency than traditional converters that use vacuum tubes as power switches. New converter essentially maintenance free and provides greatly increased mean time between failures. Attractive in industrial applications whether or not bidirectional capability is required.

  11. Russia, China, and the United States in Central Asia: Prospects for Great Power Competition and Cooperation in the Shadow of the Georgian Crisis

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-02-01

    energy, public health, and food safety) shape Chinese foreign relations with neighboring states. Professor Wishnick also writes about great power...Dismisses Georgia’s Leader as ‘Political Corpse’,” The New York Times, September 3, 2008, p. A10; Ellen Barry, “Russians with Pumpkins Protest Many U.S

  12. Wind power and market power in competitive markets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Twomey, Paul; Neuhoff, Karsten

    2010-01-01

    Average market prices for intermittent generation technologies are lower than for conventional generation. This has a technical reason but can be exaggerated in the presence of market power. When there is much wind smaller amounts of conventional generation technologies are required, and prices are lower, while at times of little wind prices are higher. This effect reflects the value of different generation technologies to the system. But under conditions of market power, conventional generators with market power can further depress the prices if they have to buy back energy at times of large wind output and can increase prices if they have to sell additional power at times of little wind output. This greatly exaggerates the effect. Forward contracting does not reduce the effect. An important consequence is that allowing market power profit margins as a support mechanism for generation capacity investment is not a technologically neutral policy.

  13. Nuclear power generation and global heating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taboada, Horacio

    1999-01-01

    The Professionals Association and Nuclear Activity of National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) are following with great interest the worldwide discussions on global heating and the role that nuclear power is going to play. The Association has an active presence, as part of the WONUC (recognized by the United Nations as a Non-Governmental Organization) in the COP4, which was held in Buenos Aires in November 1998. The environmental problems are closely related to human development, the way of power production, the techniques for industrial production and exploitation fields. CO 2 is the most important gas with hothouse effects, responsible of progressive climatic changes, as floods, desertification, increase of average global temperature, thermal expansion in seas and even polar casks melting and ice falls. The consequences that global heating will have on the life and economy of human society cannot be sufficiently emphasized, great economical impact, destruction of ecosystems, loss of great coast areas and complete disappearance of islands owing to water level rise. The increase of power retained in the atmosphere generates more violent hurricanes and storms. In this work, the topics presented in the former AATN Meeting is analyzed in detail and different technological options and perspectives to mitigate CO 2 emission, as well as economical-financial aspects, are explored. (author)

  14. Money in the bank : Feeling powerful increases saving

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Garbinsky, E.; Klesse, A.K.; Aaker, J.

    2014-01-01

    Across five studies, this research reveals that feeling powerful increases saving. This effect is driven by the desire to maintain one’s current state. When the purpose of saving is no longer to accumulate money but to spend it on a status-related product, the basic effect is reversed, and those who

  15. Increasing power generation for scaling up single-chamber air cathode microbial fuel cells

    KAUST Repository

    Cheng, Shaoan; Logan, Bruce E.

    2011-01-01

    Scaling up microbial fuel cells (MFCs) requires a better understanding the importance of the different factors such as electrode surface area and reactor geometry relative to solution conditions such as conductivity and substrate concentration. It is shown here that the substrate concentration has significant effect on anode but not cathode performance, while the solution conductivity has a significant effect on the cathode but not the anode. The cathode surface area is always important for increasing power. Doubling the cathode size can increase power by 62% with domestic wastewater, but doubling the anode size increases power by 12%. Volumetric power density was shown to be a linear function of cathode specific surface area (ratio of cathode surface area to reactor volume), but the impact of cathode size on power generation depended on the substrate strength (COD) and conductivity. These results demonstrate the cathode specific surface area is the most critical factor for scaling-up MFCs to obtain high power densities. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

  16. Increasing power generation for scaling up single-chamber air cathode microbial fuel cells

    KAUST Repository

    Cheng, Shaoan

    2011-03-01

    Scaling up microbial fuel cells (MFCs) requires a better understanding the importance of the different factors such as electrode surface area and reactor geometry relative to solution conditions such as conductivity and substrate concentration. It is shown here that the substrate concentration has significant effect on anode but not cathode performance, while the solution conductivity has a significant effect on the cathode but not the anode. The cathode surface area is always important for increasing power. Doubling the cathode size can increase power by 62% with domestic wastewater, but doubling the anode size increases power by 12%. Volumetric power density was shown to be a linear function of cathode specific surface area (ratio of cathode surface area to reactor volume), but the impact of cathode size on power generation depended on the substrate strength (COD) and conductivity. These results demonstrate the cathode specific surface area is the most critical factor for scaling-up MFCs to obtain high power densities. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

  17. Decreased triadin and increased calstabin2 expression in Great Danes with dilated cardiomyopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oyama, M A; Chittur, S V; Reynolds, C A

    2009-01-01

    Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common cardiac disease of Great Dane dogs, yet very little is known about the underlying molecular abnormalities that contribute to disease. Discover a set of genes that are differentially expressed in Great Dane dogs with DCM as a way to identify candidate genes for further study as well as to better understand the molecular abnormalities that underlie the disease. Three Great Dane dogs with end-stage DCM and 3 large breed control dogs. Prospective study. Transcriptional activity of 42,869 canine DNA sequences was determined with a canine-specific oligonucleotide microarray. Genome expression patterns of left ventricular tissue samples from affected Great Dane dogs were evaluated by measuring the relative amount of complementary RNA hybridization to the microarray probes and comparing it with expression from large breed dogs with noncardiac disease. Three hundred and twenty-three transcripts were differentially expressed (> or = 2-fold change). The transcript with the greatest degree of upregulation (+61.3-fold) was calstabin2 (FKBP12.6), whereas the transcript with the greatest degree of downregulation (-9.07-fold) was triadin. Calstabin2 and triadin are both regulatory components of the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) and are critical to normal intracellular Ca2+ release and excitation-contraction coupling. Great Dane dogs with DCM demonstrate abnormal calstabin2 and triadin expression. These changes likely affect Ca2+ flux within cardiac cells and may contribute to the pathophysiology of disease. Microarray-based analysis identifies calstabin2, triadin, and RyR2 function as targets of future study.

  18. Warm weather conditions moderated the increase of power consumption in Finland in 2000

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kangas, H.

    2001-01-01

    Year 2000 was exceptionally warm in Finland. The amount of rainfalls in Northern Finland was larger than in 1999. This is shown clearly in the production of hydroelectric power. The wind conditions were also better, so the wind power generation doubled in 2000. The increase in power consumption in 2000 was only 1.7%. The power consumption rate was slightly over 79 TWh. The power consumption of household and agricultural sectors decreased by nearly 2% and in the public sector by 0.2%. The industrial power consumption increased by nearly 3%. Year 2000 was excellent for the industrial sector. The industrial production increased by 11%. The increment of power demand in heavy metal industry, chemical industry and forest industry was 5-7%. Power demand of process industry in 2000 exceeded 43.4 TWh, of which the share of building industry was more than 200 GWh. Process industry use about 55% of the total power consumption in Finland in 2000. The power demand of forest industry was 26.3 TWh, which is about 2% higher than in 1999. The corresponding figures for metal industry were 7.1 TWh and growth rate 3%. Chemical industry used in 2000 about 5.9 TWh of electric power. The growth rate was more that 4% higher in 2000 than in 1999. Power consumption of other industrial sectors in 2000 increased about 3% being now about 3.9 TWh. Hydroelectric power generation in 2000 was nearly 14.4 TWh, which is nearly 14.4 % higher than in 1999. The share of hydroelectric power generation of the total power consumption in Finland in 2000 was 18%. The wind power generation in 2000 was nearly 80 GWh, which are about 60% higher than in 1999. The number of wind power plants is 63, and the capacity of them 38 MW. The production of nuclear power in 2000 decreased by about 2% because of the longer and more thorough maintenance stoppages in the Loviisa 1 reactor. The utilisation rates of Finnish nuclear power plants in 2000 were high, Loviisa 1 by nearly 85%, Loviisa 2 by 91%, Olkiluoto 1 by 96

  19. PowerPoint and Concept Maps: A Great Double Act

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, Jon

    2015-01-01

    This article explores how concept maps can provide a useful addition to PowerPoint slides to convey interconnections of knowledge and help students see how knowledge is often non-linear. While most accounting educators are familiar with PowerPoint, they are likely to be less familiar with concept maps and this article shows how the tool can be…

  20. Increase of the positive ion source power in JT-60 NBI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawai, Mikito; Akino, Noboru; Ebisawa, Noboru

    1998-09-01

    Neutral Beam Injection (NBI) heating experiment in JT-60 started in 1986, and the rated injection power of 20MW at 75keV with hydrogen was achieved after several month operation. In 1991, the ion sources and power supply had been upgraded for a higher beam energy up to 120keV with deuterium, following which the ion source operation re-started aiming for an injection power of 40MW at 110keV. In the operation, the beam acceleration voltage was tried to increase by modifying the ion source structure against the break-down which occurred frequently in the ion source. The beam acceleration was, however, unstable in a beam energy range of more than 105keV because of voltage-holding deterioration in the accelerator. Therefore we changed the strategy to increase the injection power: i.e. we tried to increase the beam current with keeping the beam energy. The structure of the source has been modified to be operated in a high current regime. As a result, the deuterium neutral beam injection of 40MW at 91-96keV was achieved in July 1996. (author)

  1. Air-cooling viability to increase the power in the thermal power stations of gas: Colombian case

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amell, Andres; Bedoya, H. A

    2000-01-01

    Thermal power decreases as air temperature increases, which reduce both efficiency and projects yielding. Technologically it is possible to eliminate the environment temperature incidence on reduction of power and efficiency, cooling the input air to the turbine, obtaining important power and efficiency improvements. In this work, the technical and economical viability, when applying air cooling technologies (evaporative cooling, steam compression, and production and ice storage (TES) were studied, having in mind meteorological conditions and Colombian electric marketing features, in which, nearly 2800 MW of natural gas thermal power have been installed in the last decade. as a result of applying these cooling technologies the study determined: the mean potential of recoverable power at the second peak of the national demand curve, shows several schemes in which they are technically and economically viable in the Colombian context

  2. Malaysia’s Great Power Balance and the South China Sea Disputes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-01

    Mahathir Mohamed (1981-2003) first visited China in 1985. Much like his pragmatic economic approach to the U.S. (another powerful country with...Senior Officials Consultation in 1995, and the ASEAN Plus Three in 1997.18 Following the 22-year tenure of Prime Minister Mahathir , who evolved from...high-value agricultural products.27 11 Much as Mahathir had looked to China in the 1990s to help pull Malaysia out of recession by increasing

  3. [Voluntary alpha-power increasing training impact on the heart rate variability].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bazanova, O M; Balioz, N V; Muravleva, K B; Skoraia, M V

    2013-01-01

    In order to study the effect of the alpha EEG power increasing training at heart rate variability (HRV) as the index of the autonomic regulation of cognitive functions there were follow tasks: (1) to figure out the impact of biofeedback in the voluntary increasing the power in the individual high-frequency alpha-band effect on heart rate variability and related characteristics of cognitive and emotional spheres, (2) to determine the nature of the relationship between alpha activity indices and heart rate variability, depending on the alpha-frequency EEG pattern at rest (3) to examine how the individual alpha frequency EEG pattern is reflected in changes HRV as a result of biofeedback training. Psychometric indicators of cognitive performance, the characteristics of the alpha-EEG activity and heart rate variability (HRV) as LF/HF and pNN50 were recorded in 27 healthy men aged 18-34 years, before, during, and after 10 sessions of training of voluntary increase in alpha power in the individual high-frequency alpha band with eyes closed. To determine the biofeedback effect on the alpha power increasing training, data subjects are compared in 2 groups: experimental (14) with the real and the control group (13 people)--with mock biofeedback. The follow up effect of trainings was studied through month over the 10 training sessions. Results showed that alpha biofeedback training enhanced the fluency and accuracy in cognitive performance, decreased anxiety and frontal EMG, increased resting frequency, width and power in individual upper alpha range only in participants with low baseline alpha frequency. While mock biofeedback increased resting alpha power only in participants with high baseline resting alpha frequency and did change neither cognitive performance, nor HRV indices. Biofeedback training eliminated the alpha power decrease in response to arithmetic task in both with high and low alpha frequency participants and this effect was followed up over the month. Mock

  4. Assessment of biomass cogeneration in the Great Lakes region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burnham, M.; Easterly, J.L.

    1994-01-01

    Many biomass cogeneration facilities have successfully entered into power sales agreements with utilities across the country, often after overcoming various difficulties or barriers. Under a project sponsored by the Great Lakes Regional Biomass Energy Program of the U.S. Department of Energy, DynCorp sm-bullet Meridian has conducted a survey of biomass facilities in the seven Great Lakes states, selecting 10 facilities for case studies with at least one facility in each of the seven states. The purpose of the case studies was to address obstacles that biomass processors face in adding power production to their process heat systems, and to provide examples of successful strategies for entering into power sales agreements with utilities. The case studies showed that the primary incentives for investing in cogeneration and power sales are to reduce operating costs through improved biomass waste management and lower energy expenditures. Common barriers to cogeneration and power sales were high utility stand-by charges for unplanned outages and low utility avoided cost payments due to excess utility generation capacity

  5. Yoga Poses Increase Subjective Energy and State Self-Esteem in Comparison to 'Power Poses'.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golec de Zavala, Agnieszka; Lantos, Dorottya; Bowden, Deborah

    2017-01-01

    Research on beneficial consequences of yoga focuses on the effects of yogic breathing and meditation. Less is known about the psychological effects of performing yoga postures. The present study investigated the effects of yoga poses on subjective sense of energy and self-esteem. The effects of yoga postures were compared to the effects of 'power poses,' which arguably increase the sense of power and self-confidence due to their association with interpersonal dominance (Carney et al., 2010). The study tested the novel prediction that yoga poses, which are not associated with interpersonal dominance but increase bodily energy, would increase the subjective feeling of energy and therefore increase self-esteem compared to 'high power' and 'low power' poses. A two factorial, between participants design was employed. Participants performed either two standing yoga poses with open front of the body ( n = 19), two standing yoga poses with covered front of the body ( n = 22), two expansive, high power poses ( n = 21), or two constrictive, low power poses ( n = 20) for 1-min each. The results showed that yoga poses in comparison to 'power poses' increased self-esteem. This effect was mediated by an increased subjective sense of energy and was observed when baseline trait self-esteem was controlled for. These results suggest that the effects of performing open, expansive body postures may be driven by processes other than the poses' association with interpersonal power and dominance. This study demonstrates that positive effects of yoga practice can occur after performing yoga poses for only 2 min.

  6. 1994 - Starting a new era for nuclear power in Great Britain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Collier, J.G.

    2004-01-01

    design is an APWR offering standards of design, construction, operation and of reactor safety unmatched anywhere in the world. The stringent demands of the United Kingdom Nuclear Installations Inspectorate require high levels of redundancy and 'defence in depth'. Furthermore, Sizewell B has undergone the most complete safety review ever conducted for a nuclear plant anywhere in the world. The bid also includes a comprehensive package of training and technology transfer. It is supported by a very large Industrial Co-operation Program. The aim is to promote the development of technology and industrial capability in Taiwan, to improve co-operative relationships and to generate long term mutual benefits between the participating countries. It is now over four years since the UK Government withdrew the nuclear generating business from its programme for privatising the electricity supply industry in the UK and promised a thorough review of the future of nuclear power in my country. That review is about to begin; we have reached a key stage in the development of nuclear power in the UK. The nuclear industry in the UK is confident that this Government Review will consolidate the key role of nuclear power in UK energy supply into the 21st century. We will bring to that Review evidence that the operating and business performance of the nuclear generators, Nuclear Electric and, north of the border, Scottish Nuclear has improved dramatically and continues to improve. Furthermore, satisfactory progress is being made towards long-term disposal of radioactive waste, consistent with Government policy. The continuing delay in the operation of THORP has been a matter of concern for the UK nuclear industry; commissioning is, however, now under way and at last it looks as if we can put that delay behind us. There can be no doubt about the crucial role of nuclear power in the sustainable development of an increasing energy-hungry world. Nuclear Electric and the rest of the UK nuclear

  7. Energy system, electricity market and economic studies on increasing nuclear power capacity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forsstrom, J.; Pursiheimo, E.; Kekkonen, V.; Honkatukia, J.

    2010-04-01

    Objective of this research project is to examine effects of addition of nuclear capacity from three different angles by using energy system, electricity market and economic analysis. In each area the analysis is based on computational methods. Finland is a member of Nordic electricity market which is further connected to networks of Continental Europe and Russia. Due to the foreign connections Finland has been able to import inexpensive electricity from its neighboring countries and this state is expected to continue. Addition of nuclear capacity lowers electricity import demand, affects level of electricity price decreasingly and decreases shortfall of installed production capacity. Substantial additions of nuclear power capacity and generous import supply have disadvantageous effect on profitability of combined heat and power production. The development of import possibilities depends on progression of difficult-to-estimate balance between electricity consumption and production in the neighboring countries. Investments on nuclear power increase national product during the construction phase. Growth of employment is also rather significant, especially during the construction phase. In the long term permanent jobs will be created too. Increase of employment is held back by increasing real wages, but it is though evident that consumer purchasing power is improved due to these nuclear power developments. (orig.)

  8. Damage of the Unit 1 reactor building overhead bridge crane at Onagawa Nuclear Power Station caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and its repair works

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugamata, Norihiko

    2014-01-01

    The driving shaft bearings of the Unit 1 overhead bridge crane were damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake at Onagawa Nuclear Power Station. The situation, investigation and repair works of the bearing failure are introduced in this paper. (author)

  9. Wired: impacts of increasing power line use by a growing bird population

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreira, Francisco; Encarnação, Vitor; Rosa, Gonçalo; Gilbert, Nathalie; Infante, Samuel; Costa, Julieta; D'Amico, Marcello; Martins, Ricardo C.; Catry, Inês

    2017-02-01

    Power lines are increasingly widespread across many regions of the planet. Although these linear infrastructures are known for their negative impacts on bird populations, through collision and electrocution, some species take advantage of electricity pylons for nesting. In this case, estimation of the net impact of these infrastructures at the population level requires an assessment of trade-offs between positive and negative impacts. We compiled historical information (1958-2014) of the Portuguese white stork Ciconia ciconia population to analyze long-term changes in numbers, distribution range and use of nesting structures. White stork population size increased 660% up to 12000 breeding pairs between 1984 and 2014. In the same period, the proportion of nests on electricity pylons increased from 1% to 25%, likely facilitated by the 60% increase in the length of the very high tension power line grid (holding the majority of the nests) in the stork’s distribution range. No differences in breeding success were registered for storks nesting on electricity pylons versus other structures, but a high risk of mortality by collision and electrocution with power lines was estimated. We discuss the implications of this behavioral change, and of the management responses by power line companies, both for stork populations and for managers.

  10. On the protection and operation of nuclear power plants and great structures in Central Europe with respect to the tectonics of European Alps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nedoma, J.

    1991-01-01

    The aim of the study is to show that the financial resources needed for exploitation of the energetical resources as well as for the security of great energetical structures (i.e. nuclear power plants (NPP), deep mines, great waterdams, etc.), can be employed with high efficiency only when using appropriate basic and applied geological and geophysical investigations. One can only by this way save money expended during the last years to great structures built in critical regions. The breakdown of the Chernobyl NPP and the catastrophic earthquake in Armenia as well as the construction of a NPP there, situated on the Ararat deep fault, in a relatively small distance from the earthquake region, warn us and constitute the main reason for the realization of the research programme presented here as well as for the recommendation of this research programme to be solved within the framework of a Pentagonal group. (author) 13 refs.; 2 figs

  11. DENINT power plant cost benefit analysis code: Analysis of methane fuelled power plant/district heating system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cincotti, V.; D'Andrea, A.

    1989-07-01

    The DENINT power plant cost benefit analysis code takes into consideration, not only power production costs at the generator terminals, but also, in the case of cogeneration, the costs of the fuel supply and heat and power distribution systems which depend greatly on the location of the plant. The code is able to allow comparisons of alternatives with varying annual operation hours, fuel cost increases, and different types of fossil fuels and production systems. For illustrative purposes, this paper examines two methane fired cogeneration plant/district heating alternatives

  12. Thermohydraulic analysis for power increase of IEAR-1 reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Umbehaun, Pedro E.; Bastos, Jose L.F.

    1996-01-01

    In this work has been presented the reactor core thermohydraulic model of IEAR-1, aiming its power operation increase from 2MW to 5MW. The design criteria adopted have been established in Safety Series 35. Three configurations of reactor core were analysed: fuel elements 20, 25 and 30

  13. Case study of medical evacuation before and after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in the great east Japan earthquake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okumura, Tetsu; Tokuno, Shinichi

    2015-01-01

    In Japan, participants in the disaster-specific medical transportation system have received ongoing training since 2002, incorporating lessons learned from the Great Hanshin Earthquake. The Great East Japan Earthquake occurred on March 11, 2011, and the very first disaster-specific medical transport was performed. This article reviews in detail the central government's control and coordination of the disaster medical transportation process following the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident. In total, 124 patients were air transported under the coordination of the C5 team in the emergency response headquarter of the Japanese Government. C5 includes experts from the Cabinet Office, Cabinet Secretariat, Fire Defense Agency, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and Ministry of Defense. In the 20-30 km evacuation zone around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, 509 bedridden patients were successfully evacuated without any fatalities during transportation. Many lessons have been learned in disaster-specific medical transportation. The national government, local government, police, and fire agencies have made significant progress in their mutual communication and collaboration. Fortunately, hospital evacuation from the 20-30 km area was successfully performed with the aid of local emergency physicians and Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs) who have vast experience in patient transport in the course of day-to-day activities. The emergency procedures that are required during crises are an extension of basic daily procedures that are performed by emergency medical staff and first responders, such as fire fighters, emergency medical technicians, or police officers. Medical facilities including nursing homes should have a plan for long-distance (over 100 km) evacuation, and the plan should be routinely reevaluated with full-scale exercises. In addition, hospital evacuation in disaster settings should be

  14. Increasing reliability of nuclear energy equipment and at nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ochrana, L.

    1997-01-01

    The Institute of Nuclear Energy at the Technical University in Brno cooperates with nuclear power plants in increasing their reliability. The teaching programme is briefly described. The scientific research programme of the Department of Heat and Nuclear Power Energy Equipment in the field of reliability is based on a complex systematic concept securing a high level of reliability. In 1996 the Department prepared a study dealing with the evaluation of the maintenance system in a nuclear power plant. The proposed techniques make it possible to evaluate the reliability and maintenance characteristics of any individual component in a nuclear power plant, and to monitor, record and evaluate data at any given time intervals. (M.D.)

  15. Increasing the carbon capture efficiency of the Ca/Cu looping process for power production with advanced process schemes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Martini, M.; Martinez, I.; Romano, M.C.; Chiesa, P.; Gallucci, F.; van Sint Annaland, M.

    2017-01-01

    The Ca-Cu process is a novel concept for hydrogen production with inherent CO2 capture that has received great attention in the last years as potential low-CO2 emission technology for power generation and hydrogen production from natural gas. The process is based on the reforming of natural gas in

  16. The Great Depression and the Great Recession: A Comparative Analysis of their Analogies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristina Peicuti

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The decades preceding the Great Depression and the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis have close similarities. Both decades were characterized by rapid growth without major contractions, by an increase in liquidity, a lack of inflation, and a generalized decrease in risk premiums. Additional similarities included significant changes in the financing of real estate by commercial banks along with a consolidation of the banking sector and high hopes that the efficiency of monetary policy would prevent financial crises. These decades were also characterized by the consolidation of the powers of young central banks (the Federal Reserve System in the 1920s and the European Central Bank in the 2000s, by unsuccessful attempts to control market speculation, by their international dimensions, and by the eruption of crises after the failure of a major American financial institution that could have been avoided. Understanding these analogies help us better identify the causes of the subprime mortgage crisis and prevent history from repeating itself to the extentof such large-scale devastating consequences.

  17. Effect of nuclear power on CO₂ emission from power plant sector in Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kargari, Nargess; Mastouri, Reza

    2011-01-01

    It is predicted that demand for electricity in Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to increase dramatically in the future due to the rapid pace of economic development leading to construction of new power plants. At the present time, most of electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels which result in emission of great deal of pollutants and greenhouse gases (GHG) such as SO₂, NOx, and CO₂. The power industry is the largest contributor to these emissions. Due to minimal emission of GHG by renewable and nuclear power plants, they are most suitable replacements for the fossil-fueled power plants. However, the nuclear power plants are more suitable than renewable power plants in providing baseload electricity. The Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, the only nuclear power plant of Iran, is expected to start operation in 2010. This paper attempts to interpret the role of Bushehr nuclear power plant (BNPP) in CO₂ emission trend of power plant sector in Iran. In order to calculate CO₂ emissions from power plants, National CO₂ coefficients have been used. The National CO₂ emission coefficients are according to different fuels (natural gas, fuels gas, fuel oil). By operating Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in 2010, nominal capacity of electricity generation in Iran will increase by about 1,000 MW, which increases the electricity generation by almost 7,000 MWh/year (it is calculated according to availability factor and nominal capacity of BNPP). Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant will decrease the CO₂ emission in Iran power sector, by about 3% in 2010.

  18. Prolonged Living as a Refugee from the Area Around a Stricken Nuclear Power Plant Increases the Risk of Death.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanaka, Reiichiro

    2015-08-01

    Although it is well known that the Great East Japan Earthquake (March 11, 2011) resulted in a large number of disaster-related deaths, it is not common knowledge that the number of disaster-related deaths continues to increase, even four years after the earthquake, in Fukushima Prefecture, where the nuclear power plant accident occurred. There has been a lack of a minute and critical analysis for the causes for this continuous increase. In this report, the causes for the increase in disaster-related deaths in Fukushima Prefecture were analyzed by aggregating and comparing multiple data released by public organizations (the Reconstruction Agency, the National Police Agency, and Fukushima Prefecture), which may also have implications for developing response strategies to other disasters. The disaster-related death rate, the dead or missing rate, and the refugee rate (the number of disaster-related deaths, dead or missing persons, and refugees per 1,000 people) in each prefecture in stricken areas, and also each city, county, town, and village in Fukushima Prefecture, were calculated and compared with each other. The populations which were used for the calculation of each death rate in the area were based on the number of dead victims who had lived in the area when the earthquake occurred, regardless of where they were at the time of their death. The disaster-related death rate was higher than the dead or missing rate in the area around a stricken nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture. These areas coincide exactly with the Areas under Evacuation Orders because of unsafe radiation levels. The external and internal radiation doses of most of the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake have appeared not to be so high to harm their health, until now. The psychological stress associated with being displaced from one's home for a long time with an uncertain future may be the cause for these disaster-related deaths. There is an urgent need to recognize refugees

  19. Nuclear power, the great illusion. Promises, setbacks and threats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marignac, Y.

    2008-01-01

    In the context of high oil, gas and coal prices, and of ever deepening and more specific anxieties about global warming, France seems to have decided to use its EU presidency from July to December 2008 to do everything to persuade its European partners that a massive resurgence in nuclear energy is absolutely necessary. This will, of course, be to the great benefit of France's industry. Nicolas Sarkozy has made it a key point of the 'energy/climate package' whose negotiation he hopes to have completed by the end of his European mandate. He has received significant support from the current President of the European Commission for this initiative, which has been widely debated across Europe. More widely, the French President has undertaken nothing short of an international crusade on the subject, focusing in particular on Mediterranean countries such as Morocco and Algeria, to whom he has proposed active collaboration with French industry and the French Government, stressing the advantages of such cooperation in the 'war on terror'. In so doing, he is relying on the global reputation which France and its industry has acquired in this field by tirelessly extolling the virtues of energy independence and the economic boost that large-scale nuclear electricity production can bring to a country's energy system, while being environmentally harmless and perfectly safe, secure and long-lasting. This line of argument, developed over decades by French governments both right and left, and the nuclear lobby which is closely linked to them, has managed to take hold in a France weak in independent expertise. This weakness has been deliberately maintained by the authorities and the elites, who prefer the comfort of an almost religious consensus to the debate which would inevitably be triggered by an independent and unrestricted evaluation. The French President is counting on the self-declared virtues of nuclear energy and the exemplary nature of the French experience to convince

  20. Increasing power generation in horizontal axis wind turbines using optimized flow control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooney, John A., Jr.

    In order to effectively realize future goals for wind energy, the efficiency of wind turbines must increase beyond existing technology. One direct method for achieving increased efficiency is by improving the individual power generation characteristics of horizontal axis wind turbines. The potential for additional improvement by traditional approaches is diminishing rapidly however. As a result, a research program was undertaken to assess the potential of using distributed flow control to increase power generation. The overall objective was the development of validated aerodynamic simulations and flow control approaches to improve wind turbine power generation characteristics. BEM analysis was conducted for a general set of wind turbine models encompassing last, current, and next generation designs. This analysis indicated that rotor lift control applied in Region II of the turbine power curve would produce a notable increase in annual power generated. This was achieved by optimizing induction factors along the rotor blade for maximum power generation. In order to demonstrate this approach and other advanced concepts, the University of Notre Dame established the Laboratory for Enhanced Wind Energy Design (eWiND). This initiative includes a fully instrumented meteorological tower and two pitch-controlled wind turbines. The wind turbines are representative in their design and operation to larger multi-megawatt turbines, but of a scale that allows rotors to be easily instrumented and replaced to explore new design concepts. Baseline data detailing typical site conditions and turbine operation is presented. To realize optimized performance, lift control systems were designed and evaluated in CFD simulations coupled with shape optimization tools. These were integrated into a systematic design methodology involving BEM simulations, CFD simulations and shape optimization, and selected experimental validation. To refine and illustrate the proposed design methodology, a

  1. TradeWind Deliverable 5.1: Effects of increasing wind power penetration on the power flows in European grids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lemström, Bettina; Uski-Joutsenvuo, Sanna; Holttinen, Hannele

    2008-01-01

    This report presents the main activities and results of Work Package 5 – Effects of increasing wind power penetration on the power flows in European grids in the TradeWind project. VTT is the leader of Work Package 5 and carries the overall responsibility of this report. The work is based on power...... flow simulations with a grid and market model developed in TradeWind Work Package 3, led by Sintef Energy Research. VTT, Sintef Energy Research and Risø have carried out the simulations of the different scenarios, analysed the results and written Chapter 4 about the impact of wind power on cross...

  2. The great intimidators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kramer, Roderick M

    2006-02-01

    After Disney's Michael Eisner, Miramax's Harvey Weinstein, and Hewlett-Packard's Carly Fiorina fell from their heights of power, the business media quickly proclaimed thatthe reign of abrasive, intimidating leaders was over. However, it's premature to proclaim their extinction. Many great intimidators have done fine for a long time and continue to thrive. Their modus operandi runs counter to a lot of preconceptions about what it takes to be a good leader. They're rough, loud, and in your face. Their tactics include invading others' personal space, staging tantrums, keeping people guessing, and possessing an indisputable command of facts. But make no mistake--great intimidators are not your typical bullies. They're driven by vision, not by sheer ego or malice. Beneath their tough exteriors and sharp edges are some genuine, deep insights into human motivation and organizational behavior. Indeed, these leaders possess political intelligence, which can make the difference between paralysis and successful--if sometimes wrenching--organizational change. Like socially intelligent leaders, politically intelligent leaders are adept at sizing up others, but they notice different things. Those with social intelligence assess people's strengths and figure out how to leverage them; those with political intelligence exploit people's weaknesses and insecurities. Despite all the obvious drawbacks of working under them, great intimidators often attract the best and brightest. And their appeal goes beyond their ability to inspire high performance. Many accomplished professionals who gravitate toward these leaders want to cultivate a little "inner intimidator" of their own. In the author's research, quite a few individuals reported having positive relationships with intimidating leaders. In fact, some described these relationships as profoundly educational and even transformational. So before we throw out all the great intimidators, the author argues, we should stop to consider what

  3. Designing low-carbon power systems for Great Britain in 2050 that are robust to the spatiotemporal and inter-annual variability of weather

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeyringer, Marianne; Price, James; Fais, Birgit; Li, Pei-Hao; Sharp, Ed

    2018-05-01

    The design of cost-effective power systems with high shares of variable renewable energy (VRE) technologies requires a modelling approach that simultaneously represents the whole energy system combined with the spatiotemporal and inter-annual variability of VRE. Here, we soft-link a long-term energy system model, which explores new energy system configurations from years to decades, with a high spatial and temporal resolution power system model that captures VRE variability from hours to years. Applying this methodology to Great Britain for 2050, we find that VRE-focused power system design is highly sensitive to the inter-annual variability of weather and that planning based on a single year can lead to operational inadequacy and failure to meet long-term decarbonization objectives. However, some insights do emerge that are relatively stable to weather-year. Reinforcement of the transmission system consistently leads to a decrease in system costs while electricity storage and flexible generation, needed to integrate VRE into the system, are generally deployed close to demand centres.

  4. Wind power in political whirlwind

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morch, Stein

    2002-01-01

    In Norway, according to this article, shifting fair wind and head wind for wind power have changed to unpredictable political whirlwinds. That is, there is great uncertainty with respect to further development of wind power in Norway as well as in nearby markets such as Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands. The government, represented by Enova, has announced reduced investment grants, and so the realization of a ''green'' market, at home or across the frontiers, becomes very important. The political goal of producing 3 TWh of wind power per year by 2010 apparently is still valid, but it is difficult to see any robust and convincing clarity when it comes to policy instruments and economical frames that will make it possible to reach that goal. In its directive on renewable energy sources in the energy generation, the EU has quoted a total increase in capacity from 14 percent in 1997 to 22 percent in 2010. This has been shared among the member countries as indicative targets and there is great freedom in the selection of policy instruments. At the end of 2002, the wind power production in Norway is 0.3 TWh/year

  5. Increasing the efficiency of thermal power stations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwarz, N.F.

    1984-01-01

    High energy prices and an increased investment of costs in power plants as well as the necessity to minimize all kinds of environmental pollution have severe consequences on the construction and operation of thermal power stations. One of the most promising measures to cope with the mentioned problems is to raise the thermal efficiency of power plants. With the example of an Austrian electric utility it can be shown that by application of high efficiency combined cycles primary energy can be converted into electricity in a most efficient manner. Excellent operating experience has proved the high reliability of these relatively complex systems. Raising the temperature of the gas topping process still higher will not raise the efficiency considerably. In this respect a Rankine cycle is superior to a Brayton cycle. In a temperature range of 850 to 900 0 C were conventional materials with known properties can still be used, only the alkali metals cesium and potassium have the necessary physical and thermodynamic properties for application in Rankine topping cycles. Building on experience gained in the Fast Breeder development and from the US space program, a potassium topping cycle linked to a conventional water steam cycle with an intermediate diphenyl vapour cycle has been proposed which should give thermal efficiencies in excess of 50%. In a multi-national program this so called Treble Rankine Cycle is being investigated under the auspices of the International Energy Agency. Work is in progress to investigate the technical and economic feasibility of this energy conversion system. Experimental investigations are already under way in the Austrian Research Center Seibersdorf where high temperature liquid metal test facilities have been operated since 1968. (Author)

  6. Power control of the Angra-2 Nuclear Power Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Souza Mendes, J.E. de

    1986-01-01

    The systems for the power control of the Nuclear Power Plant Angra 2 have a high degree of automation so that few operator actions are required during power operation. The power control strategy and the operation principles of the control systems, here presented, make possible a great flexibility of the Plant operation. (Author) [pt

  7. Automatic control of load increases power and efficiency in a microbial fuel cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Premier, Giuliano C.; Kim, Jung Rae; Michie, Iain [Sustainable Environment Research Centre (SERC), Faculty of Advanced Technology, University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, Mid-Glamorgan CF37 1DL (United Kingdom); Dinsdale, Richard M.; Guwy, Alan J. [Sustainable Environment Research Centre (SERC), Faculty of Health, Sport and Science, University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, Mid-Glamorgan CF37 1DL (United Kingdom)

    2011-02-15

    Increasing power production and coulombic efficiency (CE) of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is a common research ambition as the viability of the technology depends to some extent on these measures of performance. As MFCs are typically time varying systems, comparative studies of controlled and un-controlled external load impedance are needed to show if control affects the biocatalyst development and hence MFC performance. The application of logic based control of external load resistance is shown to increase the power generated by the MFC, when compared to an equivalent system which has a static resistive load. The controlled MFC generated 1600 {+-} 400 C, compared to 300 {+-} 10 C with an otherwise replicate fixed load MFC system. The use of a parsimonious gradient based control was able to increase the CE to within the range of 15.1-22.7%, while the CE for a 200 {omega} statically loaded MFC lay in the range 3.3-3.7%. The controlled MFC improves the electrogenic anodic biofilm selection for power production, indicating that greater power and substrate conversion can be achieved by controlling load impedance. Load control ensured sustainable current demand, applied microbial selection pressures and provided near-optimal impedance for power transference, compared to the un-controlled system. (author)

  8. Adaptive reactive power control of PV power plants for improved power transfer capability under ultra-weak grid conditions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yang, Dongsheng; Wang, Xiongfei; Liu, Fangcheng

    2017-01-01

    The Photovoltaic (PV) power plants are usually deployed in remote areas with the high solar irradiance, and their power transfer capabilities can be greatly limited by the large impedance of long-distance transmission lines. This paper investigates first the power transfer limit of the PV power p...

  9. Increased productivity in power plants by the computer-based information system PRAUT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hanbaba, P.

    1978-01-01

    Decrease of commissionning times, reduction of shut-down periods, avoiding of power reductions, fast adaption to load requirement variations act in the direction of increasing the productivity of a power plant. An essential contribution to this is provided by harmonized control, monitoring and communications concepts as realized, e.g. in the PRO-CONTROL system by Brown Boveri. (orig.) [de

  10. Increased power delivery from the DIII-D neutral beam injection system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Colleraine, A.P.; Callis, R.W.; Hong, R.M.; Kellman, D.H.; Kim, J.; Langhorn, A.R.; Lee, R.; Phillips, J.C.; Wight, J.J.

    1989-12-01

    The neutral beam system installed on the DIII-D tokamak employs eight 80 kV Long Pulse Sources (LPS) mounted on four beamlines and was originally designed to deliver a nominal 12 MW of H degree power to a plasma for pulses of up to 5 sec duration. Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory designed the LPS for the US Fusion Program to fill the requirements of both the DIII-D and the TFTR machines. Essentially all source components are of a common design; the DIII-D version is therefore conservative in its rated parameters. Recently a neutron shield has been constructed around the torus hall allowing D degree injection to become routine. Because deuterium beams have a better neutralization efficiency, the nominal power delivery per source has been measured to be approximately 2 MW (for a total of 16 MW) without any modifications. However, by reoptimizing the voltage gradients in the source, the perveance can be increased without degrading the optics. A change of gradient grid voltage from 0.83 V accel to 0.79 V accel raises the perveance from 2.5 to 3.0 μPerv with a corresponding gain in beam power of about 20%. The arc power required also must be increased to the range of 100 to 120 kW but this is well within the design limits of the LPS. Further studies of our systems are now underway to assess the possibilities of raising V accel above 80 kV. An additional gain in power is possible by this technique. 6 refs., 6 figs

  11. A computerized total-radiation management system for Shikoku Electric Power's Ikata nuclear-power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hirao, Toshiyuki; Sakakihara, Tetsuro; Tanabe, Shozo; Kano, Mamoru; Hoshi, Jun-ichi.

    1985-01-01

    This system allows on-line, real-time radiation management at nuclear-power plants. It increases management precision, decreases management workloads, and saves labor in operations that previously required specialized technicians to expend great amounts of time and effort on radiation management at facilities and their environments, environmental radiation evaluation, and control of radioactive waste. The article outlines the already installed system. (author)

  12. The great battles of the energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chevalier, J.M.

    2004-10-01

    This book presents an introduction to the great world energy challenges. The first part of this book, is devoted to the energy sources history with a special interest for the petroleum. The advantages and disadvantages of the energy sources as the natural gas, the coal, the nuclear power and the renewable energies, are also discussed. Two chapters are devoted to the analysis of the energy sectors deregulation in Europe, in particular the electric power market. The last part proposes to discuss on the twenty century challenge: how to reconcile the energy demand, the environment protection and the developing countries economic development? (A.L.B.)

  13. Main problems of increasing labour productivity in the power plant construction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Falaleev, P.P.

    1984-01-01

    The reserve for labour productivity growth in power-, industrial- and civil engineering in the USSR Minenergo system are discussed. Such reserve comprises: introduction of effective designs, increase of technological readiness of structures; a higher mechanization level in construction, improvement of industrial organization, economical and social aspects. Decrease of labour inputs in NPP construction will be attained by using unified designs of serial WWER-1000, RBMK-1000- and RBMK-1500 reactors as well as by developing nuclear power construction complexes-industrial-construction enterprises for manufacturing and transport of special structures as well as for performing civil engineering and installation work on the ground part of the reactor building and special structure. Other potentialities for increasing labour productivity in NPP construction are considered

  14. Datafile: [nuclear power in] Japan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1989-01-01

    Japan is third after the USA and France in terms of the Western World's installed nuclear capacity, but it has by far the largest forward programme. Great effort is also being put into the fuel cycle and advanced reactors. There is close co-operation between the government, utilities and manufacturers, but Japan has not sought to export reactors. The government has responded to the growing public opposition to nuclear power with a massive increase in its budget for public relations. Details of the nuclear power programme are given. (author)

  15. Increased wheeze but not bronchial hyperreactivity near power stations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halliday, J A; Henry, R L; Hankin, R G; Hensley, M J

    1993-08-01

    In a previous study a higher than expected prevalence of asthma was found in Lake Munmorah, a coastal town near two power stations, compared with another coastal control town. This study aimed to compare atopy, bronchial hyperreactivity, and reported symptoms of asthma in the power station town and a second control area with greater socioeconomic similarity. A cross sectional survey was undertaken. Lake Munmorah, a coastal town near two power stations, and Dungog, a country town in the Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia. All children attending kindergarten to year 6 at all schools in the two towns were invited to participate in 1990. The response rates for the questionnaire for reported symptoms and associated demographic data were 92% in Lake Munmorah and 93% in Dungog, with 84% and 90% of children respectively being measured for lung function, atopy, and bronchial reactivity. There were 419 boys and 432 girls aged 5 to 12 years. Main outcome measures were current wheeze and bronchial hyper-reactivity, defined as a fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) or peak expiratory flow (PEF) of 20% or more. Current wheeze was reported in 24.8% of the Lake Munmorah children compared with 14.6% of the Dungog children. Bronchial hyper-reactivity was similar for both groups--25.2% in Lake Munmorah and 22.3% in Dungog. The mean baseline FEV1 was lower in Lake Munmorah than in Dungog (p power station town, but bronchial hyper-reactivity and skin test defined atopy were similar in the two communities. These results are consistent with the previous study and confirm the increased presence of reported symptomatic illness in the town near power stations.

  16. Impacts of nuclear and hydroelectric great projects: economical, technological, environmental and social aspects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosa, L.P.; Sigaud, L.; Mielnik, O.

    1988-01-01

    Some studies about the Great Impacts of Energy Sources, mainly nuclear power plant and hydroelectric power plant, in Brazil are presented. The technological, economical, social and environmental aspects are described [pt

  17. POWER AND CULTURE IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-02-16

    of Great Power Politics (New York: W.W. Norton , 2001), 19. 10 As quoted in Mearsheimer, The Tragedy of Great Power Politics, 19. 11 Mearsheimer...century’s defining battleground” by Robert Kaplan , land power is largely irrelevant. As Samuels pointed out, PRC moves in 1974 were the result of a new...University Press, 1995. Mearsheimer, John J. The Tragedy of Great Power Politics. New York: W. W. Norton , 2001. Poling, Gregory. Spratley

  18. Increasing coal-fired power generation efficiency to reduce electric cost and environmental emissions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Torrens, I.M.; Stenzel, W.C.

    1997-01-01

    New generating capacity required globally between 1993 and 2010 is estimated to be around 1500 GW, of which some two-thirds will be outside the OECD, and some 40 % in the Asian non-OECD countries. Coal is likely to account for a substantial fraction of this new generation. Today's state-of-the-art supercritical coal-fired power plant has a conversion efficiency of some 42-45 %. The capital cost increase associated with the supercritical or ultra-supercritical pulverized coal power plant compared to a conventional subcritical plant is small to negligible. The increased efficiency associated with the supercritical plant leads to an actual reduction in the total cost of electricity generated in cents/kWh, relative to a conventional plant. Despite this, the power sector continues to build subcritical plants and has no near term plans to increase the efficiency of power plants in the projects it is developing. Advanced clean coal technologies such as integrated gasification combined cycle and pressurized fluidized bed combustion will be selected for independent power projects only in very specific circumstances. Advanced clean coal plants can be operated reliably and with superior performance, and specifically that their present estimated capital costs can be reduced substantially to a point where they are competitive with state-of-the-art pulverized coal technologies. (R.P.)

  19. THE GREAT SILK ROAD BECOMES THE GREAT OIL AND GAS ROAD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. S. Zonn

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The Great Silk Road (GSR called so in the late 19th century by German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen started shaping in the 2nd century B.C. In the minds of peoples the Silk Road is a generalized symbol of trade caravan routes crossing Central Asia, connecting until the 16th century the Far East, in particular Japan, China, with Middle Asia. Appearance in the early 21st century of new independent states in Central Asia along the GSR route was a powerful impetus for revival of the ancient trade route. In September 2013 Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China, during his visit to the Central Asian countries offered the strategic concept of joint construction of the “economic corridor along the Silk Road” based on innovative cooperation in order to revive and consolidate the economic contacts among the Eurasian countries. Establishment of the modern analog of GSR, a powerful transport and pipeline corridor includes the integrated system of railroads and automobile roads, oil and gas pipelines, airlines, and sea lines.

  20. Process computers automate CERN power supply installations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ullrich, H.; Martin, A.

    1974-01-01

    Higher standards of performance and reliability in the power plants of large particle accelerators necessitate increasing use of automation. The CERN (European Nuclear Research Centre) in Geneva started to employ process computers for plant automation at an early stage in its history. The great complexity and extent of the plants for high-energy physics first led to the setting-up of decentralized automatic systems which are now being increasingly combined into one interconnected automation system. One of these automatic systems controls and monitors the extensive power supply installations for the main ring magnets in the experimental zones. (orig.) [de

  1. Soft power geopolitics: how does the diminishing utility of military power affect the Russia – West confrontation over the “Common Neighbourhood”

    OpenAIRE

    Vasif HUSEYNOV

    2016-01-01

    This paper is based on the fact that a number of factors, but particularly the restricting utility of military force between great powers, increase the significance of soft power as a tool both for legitimization and expansion in international relations in general, and in the West – Russia confrontation over the “common (or shared) neighbourhood” in particular. It explores how this fact affects the policies of the Western powers and Russia within the frame of the confrontation they are in. Th...

  2. Yoga Poses Increase Subjective Energy and State Self-Esteem in Comparison to ‘Power Poses’

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnieszka Golec de Zavala

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Research on beneficial consequences of yoga focuses on the effects of yogic breathing and meditation. Less is known about the psychological effects of performing yoga postures. The present study investigated the effects of yoga poses on subjective sense of energy and self-esteem. The effects of yoga postures were compared to the effects of ‘power poses,’ which arguably increase the sense of power and self-confidence due to their association with interpersonal dominance (Carney et al., 2010. The study tested the novel prediction that yoga poses, which are not associated with interpersonal dominance but increase bodily energy, would increase the subjective feeling of energy and therefore increase self-esteem compared to ‘high power’ and ‘low power’ poses. A two factorial, between participants design was employed. Participants performed either two standing yoga poses with open front of the body (n = 19, two standing yoga poses with covered front of the body (n = 22, two expansive, high power poses (n = 21, or two constrictive, low power poses (n = 20 for 1-min each. The results showed that yoga poses in comparison to ‘power poses’ increased self-esteem. This effect was mediated by an increased subjective sense of energy and was observed when baseline trait self-esteem was controlled for. These results suggest that the effects of performing open, expansive body postures may be driven by processes other than the poses’ association with interpersonal power and dominance. This study demonstrates that positive effects of yoga practice can occur after performing yoga poses for only 2 min.

  3. Analyzing the Impacts of Increased Wind Power on Generation Revenue Sufficiency: Preprint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Qin; Wu, Hongyu; Tan, Jin; Hodge, Bri-Mathias; Li, Wanning; Luo, Cheng

    2016-08-01

    The Revenue Sufficiency Guarantee (RSG), as part of make-whole (or uplift) payments in electricity markets, is designed to recover the generation resources' offer-based production costs that are not otherwise covered by their market revenues. Increased penetrations of wind power will bring significant impacts to the RSG payments in the markets. However, literature related to this topic is sparse. This paper first reviews the industrial practices of implementing RSG in major U.S. independent system operators (ISOs) and regional transmission operators (RTOs) and then develops a general RSG calculation method. Finally, an 18-bus test system is adopted to demonstrate the impacts of increased wind power on RSG payments.

  4. Residual services and power increases for components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pauli, W.

    1991-01-01

    As part of the moratorium in Switzerland work in nuclear power stations has been concentrating more on increasing capacity, reducing radiation levels to which personnel is exposed and extending the service life of existing plants. This has meant the requalification, repair or replacement of components and systems some of which have been in operation for more than 20 years. In addition to the classic role of manufacturer, the industry which acts as both supplier and manufacturer of these components also has to be the expertise holder, documentation pool and analysts. The examples described in this article show that close cooperation with operators leads to solutions which fully ensure the safe and successful operation of the plants, even in the second section of their service life. 4 refs

  5. Power-to-heat in adiabatic compressed air energy storage power plants for cost reduction and increased flexibility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dreißigacker, Volker

    2018-04-01

    The development of new technologies for large-scale electricity storage is a key element in future flexible electricity transmission systems. Electricity storage in adiabatic compressed air energy storage (A-CAES) power plants offers the prospect of making a substantial contribution to reach this goal. This concept allows efficient, local zero-emission electricity storage on the basis of compressed air in underground caverns. The compression and expansion of air in turbomachinery help to balance power generation peaks that are not demand-driven on the one hand and consumption-induced load peaks on the other. For further improvements in cost efficiencies and flexibility, system modifications are necessary. Therefore, a novel concept regarding the integration of an electrical heating component is investigated. This modification allows increased power plant flexibilities and decreasing component sizes due to the generated high temperature heat with simultaneously decreasing total round trip efficiencies. For an exemplarily A-CAES case simulation studies regarding the electrical heating power and thermal energy storage sizes were conducted to identify the potentials in cost reduction of the central power plant components and the loss in round trip efficiency.

  6. Increased theta band EEG power in sickle cell disease patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Case M

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Michelle Case,1 Sina Shirinpour,1 Huishi Zhang,1 Yvonne H Datta,2 Stephen C Nelson,3 Karim T Sadak,4 Kalpna Gupta,2 Bin He1,5 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, 2Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 3Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, 4Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital, 5Institute for Engineering in Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA Objective: Pain is a major issue in the care of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD. The mechanisms behind pain and the best way to treat it are not well understood. We studied how electroencephalography (EEG is altered in SCD patients. Methods: We recruited 20 SCD patients and compared their resting state EEG to that of 14 healthy controls. EEG power was found across frequency bands using Welch’s method. Electrophysiological source imaging was assessed for each frequency band using the eLORETA algorithm. Results: SCD patients had increased theta power and decreased beta2 power compared to controls. Source localization revealed that areas of greater theta band activity were in areas related to pain processing. Imaging parameters were significantly correlated to emergency department visits, which indicate disease severity and chronic pain intensity. Conclusion: The present results support the pain mechanism referred to as thalamocortical dysrhythmia. This mechanism causes increased theta power in patients. Significance: Our findings show that EEG can be used to quantitatively evaluate differences between controls and SCD patients. Our results show the potential of EEG to differentiate between different levels of pain in an unbiased setting, where specific frequency bands could be used as biomarkers for chronic pain. Keywords: sickle cell disease, electroencephalography, chronic pain, electrophysiological source imaging, thalamocortical dysrhythmia

  7. Great deal achieved at Cape's nuclear island

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1979-01-01

    Since the civil engineering contract commenced a great deal has been achieved at Escom's Koeberg nuclear power station north of Cape Town. About 50 percent of the civil work has now been done and the entire project remains on schedule for a January 1982 start-up on nuclear reactor unit number one and a January 1983 start-up on unit two. Final handover is scheduled for January 1984. Completion of the civil works is scheduled for December 1981. The construction of the Koeberg nuclear power station is discussed, as well as the contractors for the civil engineering work

  8. Power system damping - Structural aspects of controlling active power

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Samuelsson, O.

    1997-04-01

    Environmental and economical aspects make it difficult to build new power lines and to reinforce existing ones. The continued growth in demand for electric power must therefore to a great extent be met by increased loading of available lines. A consequence is that power system damping is reduced, leading to a risk of poorly damped power oscillations between the generators. This thesis proposes the use of controlled active loads to increase damping of such electro-mechanical oscillations. The focus is on structural aspects of controller interaction and of sensor and actuator placement. On-off control based on machine frequency in a single machine infinite bus system is analysed using energy function analysis and phase plane plots. An on-off controller with estimated machine frequency as input has been implemented. At a field test it damped oscillations of a 0.9 MW hydro power generator by controlling a 20kW load. The linear analysis uses two power system models with three and twenty-three machines respectively. Each damper has active power as output and local bus frequency or machine frequency as input. The power system simulator EUROSTAG is used both for generation of the linearized models and for time simulations. Measures of active power mode controllability and phase angle mode observability are obtained from the eigenvectors of the differential-algebraic models. The geographical variation in the network of these quantities is illustrated using the resemblance to bending modes of flexible mechanical structures. Eigenvalue sensitivities are used to determine suitable damper locations. A spring-mass equivalent to an inter-area mode provides analytical expressions, that together with the concept of impedance matching explain the structural behaviour of the power systems. For large gains this is investigated using root locus plots. 64 refs, 99 figs, 20 tabs

  9. Modeling market power in Korea's emerging power market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahn, Nam-sung; Niemeyer, Victor

    2007-01-01

    The Korean power market is being formed from the unbundled generation, transmission and distribution assets of Korea Electric Power Corporation. The KEPCO generation has been allocated to six independent gencos with a combined generating capacity of 46,629 MW in 2002. This gave an 11% margin over the peak load that year (41,921 MW). One of the concerns for any power market is whether individual participants can increase profits (and prices) by withholding generation from the market. To address this concern, a Cournot-based model of Korean power system was created and applied to a set of loads representing the load duration curve for Korea's system loads in 2002. Our simulation results show a strong possibility for exercise of market power to increase market price in Korean market. Under tight market conditions, even 1 GW of withholding can cause a large increase in market price. If loads unexpectedly grow faster than the 5% recent experience, the gencos will have the collective ability and incentive to spike prices further. Vesting contracts can reduce the incentive to act strategically. Requiring that the gencos offer 50% of their capacity in long-term forward contracts greatly reduces the payoff to act strategically, and requiring vesting for 75% of their capacity results in prices that are essentially the same as the competitive equilibrium. Depending on the price for the vesting contracts, this policy can reduce the incentives to add new generation by gencos or the competitive fringe. Another approach to reducing the effects of market power is establishing demand-response programs, simulated here by increasing the elasticity of overall demand. These programs can reduce the incentives to withhold capacity, but to a lesser degree than vesting contracts. The genco with the greatest ability to influence prices through withholding is the largest, KNHP. However, acting on its own, without the support of the other gencos, its ability to raise prices is limited. This

  10. Increasing the solar cell power output by coating with transition metal-oxide nanorods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuznetsov, I.A.; Greenfield, M.J.; Mehta, Y.U.; Merchan-Merchan, W.; Salkar, G.; Saveliev, A.V.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Nanoparticles enhance solar cell efficiency. → Solar cell power increase by nanorod coating. → Metal-oxide nanorods are prepared in flames. → Molybdenum oxide nanorods effectively scatter light on solar cell surface. → Scattering efficiency depends on coating density. -- Abstract: Photovoltaic cells produce electric current through interactions among photons from an ambient light source and electrons in the semiconductor layer of the cell. However, much of the light incident on the panel is reflected or absorbed without inducing the photovoltaic effect. Transition metal-oxide nanoparticles, an inexpensive product of a process called flame synthesis, can cause scattering of light. Scattering can redirect photon flux, increasing the fraction of light absorbed in the thin active layer of silicon solar cells. This research aims to demonstrate that the application of transition metal-oxide nanorods to the surface of silicon solar panels can enhance the power output of the panels. Several solar panels were coated with a nanoparticle-methanol suspension, and the power outputs of the panels before and after the treatment were compared. The results demonstrate an increase in power output of up to 5% after the treatment. The presence of metal-oxide nanorods on the surface of the coated solar cells is confirmed by electron microscopy.

  11. Effects of High Intensity Interval Training on Increasing Explosive Power, Speed, and Agility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fajrin, F.; Kusnanik, N. W.; Wijono

    2018-01-01

    High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a type of exercise that combines high-intensity exercise and low intensity exercise in a certain time interval. This type of training is very effective and efficient to improve the physical components. The process of improving athletes achievement related to how the process of improving the physical components, so the selection of a good practice method will be very helpful. This study aims to analyze how is the effects of HIIT on increasing explosive power, speed, and agility. This type of research is quantitative with quasi-experimental methods. The design of this study used the Matching-Only Design, with data analysis using the t-test (paired sample t-test). After being given the treatment for six weeks, the results showed there are significant increasing in explosive power, speed, and agility. HIIT in this study used a form of exercise plyometric as high-intensity exercise and jogging as mild or moderate intensity exercise. Increase was due to the improvement of neuromuscular characteristics that affect the increase in muscle strength and performance. From the data analysis, researchers concluded that, Exercises of High Intensity Interval Training significantly effect on the increase in Power Limbs, speed, and agility.

  12. Introduction of fuel GE14 in the nuclear power plant of Laguna Verde for the extended increase of power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hernandez M, N.; Vargas A, A. F.; Cardenas J, J. B.; Contreras C, P.

    2008-01-01

    The project of extended increase of power responds to a necessity of electrical energy in the country, increasing the thermal exit of the reactors of the nuclear power plant of Laguna Verde of 2027 MWt to 2317 MWt. In order to support this transition, changes will make in the configuration of the reactor core and in the operation strategies of the cycle, also they will take initiatives to optimize the economy in fuel cycle. At present in both reactors of the nuclear plant of Laguna Verde fuel GE12 is used. The fuel GE14 presents displays with respect to the GE12, some improvements in the mechanical design and consequently in its performance generally. Between these improvements we can mention: 1. Spacers of high performance. 2. Shielding with barrier. 3. Filter for sweepings d ebris a nd 4. Fuel rods of minor partial length. The management of nuclear power plants has decided to introduce the use of fuel GE14 in Laguna Verde in the reload 14 for Unit 1 and of the reload 10 for Unit 2. The process of new introduction fuel GE14 consists of two stages, first consists on subjecting the one new design of fuel to the regulator organism in the USA: Nuclear Regulatory Commission, in Mexico the design must be analyzed and authorized by the National Commission of Nuclear Safety and Safeguards, for its approval of generic form, by means of the demonstration of the fulfillment with the amendment 22 of GESTAR II, the second stage includes the specific analyses of plant to justify the use of the new fuel design in a reload core. The nuclear plant of Laguna Verde would use some of the results of the security analyses that have been realized for the project of extended increase of power with fuel GE14, to document the specific analyses of plant with the new fuel design. The result of the analyses indicates that the reload lots are increased of 116-120 assemblies in present conditions (2027 MWt) to 140-148 assemblies in conditions of extended increase of power (2317 MWt). (Author)

  13. The Great Recession was not so Great

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Ours, J.C.

    2015-01-01

    The Great Recession is characterized by a GDP-decline that was unprecedented in the past decades. This paper discusses the implications of the Great Recession analyzing labor market data from 20 OECD countries. Comparing the Great Recession with the 1980s recession it is concluded that there is a

  14. Mixed-Methods Resistance Training Increases Power and Strength of Young and Older Men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newton, Robert U.; Hakkinen, Keijo; Hakkinen, Arja; McCormick, Matt; Volek, Jeff; Kraemer, William J.

    2002-01-01

    Examined the effects of a 10-week, mixed-methods resistance training program on young and older men. Although results confirmed some age-related reductions in muscle strength and power, the older men demonstrated similar capacity to the younger men for increases in muscle strength and power via an appropriate, periodized resistance training…

  15. Pollution control technologies applied to coal-fired power plant operation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maciej Rozpondek

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Burning of fossil fuels is the major source of energy in today's global economy with over one-third of the world's powergeneration derived from coal combustion. Although coal has been a reliable, abundant, and relatively inexpensive fuel source for mostof the 20th century, its future in electric power generation is under increasing pressure as environmental regulations become morestringent worldwide. Current pollution control technologies for combustion exhaust gas generally treat the release of regulatedpollutants: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter as three separate problems instead of as parts of one problem. Newand improved technologies have greatly reduced the emissions produced per ton of burning coal. The term “Clean Coal CombustionTechnology” applies generically to a range of technologies designed to greatly reduce the emissions from coal-fired power plants.The wet methods of desulfurization at present are the widest applied technology in professional energetics. This method is economicand gives good final results but a future for clean technologies is the biomass. Power from biomass is a proven commercial optionof the electricity generation in the World. An increasing number of power marketers are starting to offer environmentally friendlyelectricity, including biomass power, in response to the consumer demand and regulatory requirements.

  16. Nuclear power--the hope of green economy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tian Jiashu; Wang Chuang

    2010-01-01

    The thesis introduces the current situation of nuclear power development and developed countries' attitude towards nuclear power as the demand for energy consumption is continuously increasing with the global economic and social development and the green house gas emission leads to global warming. By comparison of the impact to the environment and the generating cost between thermal power and nuclear power, it is of great significance to strengthen nuclear power development to carry out international cooperation on low-carbon economy and to enhance self-innovation for developing the green economy and dealing with climate change. Based on the analysis of nuclear industry development in China, the Mid-Long Term Development Plan for Nuclear Power has been set up, and challenges and objectives of nuclear and radiation safety regulation have been brought forward. (authors)

  17. Increasing efficiency and optimizing thermoelectric power plant equipment. Povyshenie effektivnosti i optimizatsiia teploenergeticheskikh ustanovok

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andriushchenko, A.I.

    1981-01-01

    The problems of increasing the efficiency and optimizing the operational conditions of a thermoelectric power plant and providing efficient operational conditions of the primary and auxillary equipment at a thermoelectric power plant are examined. Methodologies and designs for optimizing the primary parameters of the power-generating equipment based on economic factors are given. A number of recommendations for designing equipment based on the research results are given.

  18. Hidden in Plain Sight: Signs of Great Power War

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-06-01

    China can change the strategic balance of power in the region without ever fighting—the acme of skill according to Sun Tzu . In fact, the balance of...68 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...put anyone into the shade, but we demand a place for ourselves in the sun .”20 This speech became the ideological foundation for Germany’s

  19. Company of the month: French EDF opts for nuclear power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jansen, Siw Linnea

    2006-01-01

    EDF is Europe's largest power company with 640 TWh produced in 2005 and 36,7 million customers in Europe. On a global scale the company has more than 40 million customers. EDF has significant positions in the four big energy markets in Europe: Germany, France, Great Britain and Italy. EDF has an ambitious investment program in the area of nuclear power, and holds that increased investments in this sector is the best and most beneficial way of keeping up with Europe's increasing energy demand (ml)

  20. Increased power to heat ratio of small scale CHP plants using biomass fuels and natural gas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Savola, Tuula; Fogelholm, Carl-Johan

    2006-01-01

    In this paper, we present a systematic study of process changes for increased power production in 1-20 MW e combined heat and power (CHP) plants. The changes are simulated, and their economic feasibility evaluated by using existing small scale CHP case plants. Increasing power production in decentralised CHP plants that operate according to a certain heat demand could reduce the fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions per power unit produced and improve the feasibility of CHP plant investments. The CHP plant process changes were simulated under design and off design conditions and an analysis of power and heat production, investment costs and CO 2 emissions was performed over the whole annual heat demand. The results show that using biomass fuels, there are profitable possibilities to increase the current power to heat ratios, 0.23-0.48, of the small scale CHP plants up to 0.26-0.56, depending on the size of the plant. The profitable changes were a two stage district heat exchanger and the addition of a steam reheater and a feed water preheater. If natural gas is used as an additional fuel, the power to heat ratio may be increased up to 0.35-0.65 by integrating a gas engine into the process. If the CO 2 savings from the changes are also taken into account, the economic feasibility of the changes increases. The results of this work offer useful performance simulation and investment cost knowledge for the development of more efficient and economically feasible small scale CHP processes

  1. Wind power

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1979-01-01

    This publication describes some of the technical, economic, safety and institutional considerations involved in the selection, installation and evaluation of a wind generation system. This information is presented, where possible, in practical, non-technical terms. The first four sections provide background information, theory, and general knowledge, while the remaining six sections are of a more specific nature to assist the prospective owner of a wind generator in his calculations and selections. Meteorological information is provided relating to the wind regime in Nova Scotia. The section on cost analysis discusses some of the factors and considerations which must be examined in order to provide a logical comparison between the alternatives of electricity produced from other sources. The final two sections are brief summaries of the regulations and hazards pertaining to the use of wind generators. The cost of wind-generated electricity is high compared to present Nova Scotia Power Corporation rates, even on Sable Island, Nova Scotia's highest wind area. However, it may be observed that Sable Island is one of the areas of Nova Scotia which is not presently supplied through the power grid and, particularly if there was a significant increase in the price of diesel oil, wind-generated electricity may well be the most economical alternative in that area. Generally speaking, however, where a consumer can purchase electricity at the normal domestic rate, wind generators are not economical, and they will not become economical unless there is a great reduction in their cost, an great increase in electricity rates, or both. Includes glossary. 23 figs., 11 tabs.

  2. Distributed Power Flow Controller

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yuan, Z.

    2010-01-01

    In modern power systems, there is a great demand to control the power flow actively. Power flow controlling devices (PFCDs) are required for such purpose, because the power flow over the lines is the nature result of the impedance of each line. Due to the control capabilities of different types of

  3. [Design and optimization of wireless power and data transmission for visual prosthesis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lei, Xuping; Wu, Kaijie; Zhao, Lei; Chai, Xinyu

    2013-11-01

    Boosting spatial resolution of visual prostheses is an effective method to improve implant subjects' visual perception. However, power consumption of visual implants greatly rises with the increasing number of implanted electrodes. In respond to this trend, visual prostheses need to develop high-efficiency wireless power transmission and high-speed data transmission. This paper presents a review of current research progress on wireless power and data transmission for visual prostheses, analyzes relative principles and requirement, and introduces design methods of power and data transmission.

  4. Study of electrical power facilities and measures for planned outages in Japanese hemodialysis clinics after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishida, Kai; Sawa, Manami; Fujiwara, Kousaku; Hirose, Minoru; Tsuruta, Harukazu; Takeuchi, Akihiro; Ikeda, Noriaki

    2013-02-01

    The Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011 caused major damage in northeastern Japan. The Kanto region experienced a massive electrical power shortage in the summer of 2011. A questionnaire was submitted to 354 hemodialysis clinics in Kanagawa prefecture and the Tokyo metropolitan area, excluding isolated islands, and 176 responses were analyzed (49.7%). The questions included evaluation of the availability of a private electricity generator, countermeasures in case of a planned outage, awareness of saving electricity, and improvement of safety of medical devices or electrical facilities after the earthquake. Only 12% of the clinics had private electricity generators and many clinics had no plans to introduce this facility. However, 96% of the clinics had established countermeasures to deal with a planned outage. Many clinics planned to provide dialysis on a different day or at a different time. All clinics had tried hard to establish procedures to save electricity in the summer of 2011, and 84% of the clinics had reconsidered and improved the safety of medical devices or electricity facilities after the earthquake. These results show that the awareness of crisis management was greatly improved in the wake of the earthquake. © 2012 The Authors. Therapeutic Apheresis and Dialysis © 2012 International Society for Apheresis.

  5. Dynamic security issues in autonomous power systems with increasing wind power penetration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Margaris, I.D.; Hansen, Anca Daniela; Sørensen, Poul Ejnar

    2011-01-01

    Asynchronous Generator (DFAG) and Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator (PMSG) – are applied and issues regarding interaction with the power system are investigated. This paper provides conclusions about the dynamic security of non-interconnected power systems with high wind power penetration based...... on a complete model representation of the individual components of the system; three different types of conventional generators are included in the model, while the protection system is also incorporated. The load shedding following faults is finally discussed....

  6. Aggregated Modelling for Wind Farms for Power System Transient Stability Studies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liu, Hongzhi; Chen, Zhe

    2012-01-01

    Wind energy is consistently attracting great research effort and actively developed in many countries. As a result, the penetration level of wind power in the power grid is increasing as well as the size of wind farms. A large-scale wind farm may consist of hundreds of wind turbines and its total...... on a wind farm with permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) wind turbines. Simulation results of the aggregated models and the detailed model are compared and analyzed respectively to prove the effectiveness of the aggregating techniques.......Wind energy is consistently attracting great research effort and actively developed in many countries. As a result, the penetration level of wind power in the power grid is increasing as well as the size of wind farms. A large-scale wind farm may consist of hundreds of wind turbines and its total...... installed capacity could be at a level of 1000MW or even more. Consequently, the large-scale wind farm could seriously impact the operation and control of the grid. To represent a large-scale wind farm, aggregated modelling takes advantage of fast computation and simplified implementation compared...

  7. Growth In SNAP Retailers Was Associated With Increased Client Enrollment In Georgia During The Great Recession.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shannon, Jerry; Shannon, Sarah; Adams, Grace Bagwell; Lee, Jung Sun

    2016-11-01

    Policies to improve food accessibility in underserved areas often use direct financial incentives to attract new food retailers. Our analysis of data on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Georgia before and after the Great Recession suggests that increased program enrollment improves access to food for SNAP beneficiaries by acting as an indirect subsidy to retailers. We divided food stores into four categories: large, midsize, small, and specialty retailers. Between 2008 and 2011 the number of SNAP enrollees increased by 87 percent, and between 2007 and 2014 the number of SNAP retailers in Georgia increased by 82 percent, primarily because of growth in the number of authorized small retailers. Inside metropolitan Atlanta, changes in the numbers of SNAP enrollees and authorized retailers were positively and significantly associated for small retailers. For the areas outside of metropolitan Atlanta, the association between changes in numbers of enrollees and authorized retailers was strongest for small retailers; more modest associations were also seen for large and specialty retailers. Policy makers should consider how retailers' sensitivity to and reliance on SNAP funding can be leveraged to improve not only food availability, but also access to healthy foods. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  8. Study on development system of increasing gearbox for high-performance wind-power generator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Hongbin; Yan, Kejun; Zhao, Junyu

    2005-12-01

    Based on the analysis of the development potentiality of wind-power generator and domestic manufacture of its key parts in China, an independent development system of the Increasing Gearbox for High-performance Wind-power Generator (IGHPWG) was introduced. The main elements of the system were studied, including the procedure design, design analysis system, manufacturing technology and detecting system, and the relative important technologies were analyzed such as mixed optimal joint transmission structure of the first planetary drive with two grade parallel axle drive based on equal strength, tooth root round cutting technology before milling hard tooth surface, high-precise tooth grinding technology, heat treatment optimal technology and complex surface technique, and rig test and detection technique of IGHPWG. The development conception was advanced the data share and quality assurance system through all the elements of the development system. The increasing Gearboxes for 600KW and 1MW Wind-power Generator have been successfully developed through the application of the development system.

  9. Public Willingness to Pay for Increasing Photovoltaic Power Generation: The Case of Korea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Min-Kyu Lee

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Renewable energy receives particular attention in Korea because of concerns about climate change and scarce traditional energy resources. The government plans to enhance photovoltaic (PV power’s share of total power generation from 0.5% in 2014 to 10.1% in 2029. The present study tries to look into the public willingness to pay (WTP for increasing PV power generation, applying the contingent valuation approach. A survey of 1000 interviewees was carried out in Korea. The observations of the WTP responses were gathered using a dichotomous choice question and analyzed employing the mixture model. The mean household WTP estimate is obtained as KRW 2183 (USD 1.9 per month, which possesses statistical significance. The total yearly WTP expanded to the population is worth KRW 476.9 billion (USD 423.1 million. These values can provide a useful basis for policy-making and decision-making about the economic feasibility of increasing PV power generation.

  10. Optimization of power rationing order based on fuzzy evaluation model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Siyuan; Liu, Li; Xie, Peiyuan; Tang, Jihong; Wang, Canlin

    2018-04-01

    With the development of production and economic growth, China's electricity load has experienced a significant increase. Over the years, in order to alleviate the contradiction of power shortage, a series of policies and measures to speed up electric power construction have been made in china, which promotes the rapid development of the power industry and the power construction has made great achievements. For China, after large-scale power facilities, power grid long-term power shortage situation has been improved to some extent, but in a certain period of time, the power development still exists uneven development. On the whole, it is still in the state of insufficient power, and the situation of power restriction is still severe in some areas, so it is necessary to study on the power rationing.

  11. The future of nuclear power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Corak, Z.

    2004-01-01

    Energy production and use will contribute to global warming through greenhouse gas emissions in the next 50 years. Although nuclear power is faced with a lot of problems to be accepted by the public, it is still a significant option for the world to meet future needs without emitting carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and other atmospheric pollutants. In 2002, nuclear power provided approximately 17% of world energy consumption. There is belief that worldwide electricity consumption will increase in the next few years, especially in the developing countries followed by economic growth and social progress. Official forecasts shows that there will be a mere increase of 5% in nuclear electricity worldwide by 2020. There are also predictions that electricity use may increase at 75%. These predictions require a necessity for construction of new nuclear power plants. There are only a few realistic options for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation: Increase efficiency in electricity generation and use; Expand use of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, biomass and geothermal; Capture carbon dioxide emissions at fossil-fuelled electric generating plants and permanently sequester the carbon; Increase use of nuclear power. In spite of the advantages that nuclear power has, it is faced with stagnation and decline today. Nuclear power is faced with four critical problems that must be successfully defeat for the large expansion of nuclear power to succeed. Those problems are cost, safety, waste and proliferation. Disapproval of nuclear power is strengthened by accidents that occurred at Three Mile Island in 1979, at Chernobyl in 1986 and by accidents at fuel cycle facilities in Japan, Russia and in the United States of America. There is also great concern about the safety and security of transportation of nuclear materials and the security of nuclear facilities from terrorist attack. The paper will provide summarized review regarding cost, safety, waste and

  12. The Power of Eloquence: Moderation of Style in Puritan Great Awakening Sermons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelms, Gerald

    The latter part of the twentieth century has brought explicit emotional appeals; some by advertisers for commercial goods and others from political and religious leaders. The religious appeals to feelings can be traced back in history to the revivals in the mid-eighteenth century where the "Great Awakening" opened up religious…

  13. Pricing regulations in Great Britain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cicoletti, G.

    1993-01-01

    This paper briefly describes the structure and functions of Great Britain's essential electric power regulatory authority institutionalized by the 1989 British Electricity Act, i.e., the Office of Electricity Regulation, OFFER, and the responsibilities and tasks of the head of OFFER -the Director General of Electricity Supply (DGES). In particular, with regard to the latter, the paper describes how the DGES works together with regional electricity commissions to ensure the respect, by the various utilities, of consumer price caps and compliance with overall quality of service standards, as well as, to oversee 'pooling' activities by producers and distributors

  14. Pricing regulations in Great Britain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cicoletti, G.

    1993-01-01

    This paper briefly describes the structure and functions of Great Britain's essential electric power regulatory authority institutionalized by the 1989 British Electricity Act, i.e., the Office of Electricity Regulation, OFFER, and the responsibilities and tasks of the head of OFFER - the Director General of Electricity Supply (DGES). In particular, with regard to the latter, the paper describes how the DGES works together with regional electricity commissions to ensure the respect, by the various utilities, of consumer price caps and compliance with overall quality of service standards, as well as, to oversee 'pooling' activities by producers and distributors

  15. Disintegration of power grid as part of the task of increasing functionality of electric system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mukatov Bekzhan

    2017-01-01

    operation is inevitable with reduced reliability or, otherwise, with incomplete functionality where functionality is the set of functions provided by the power system and the quality of their performance. With the mass input of distributed small generation in grids of almost all voltage classes it is necessary to solve the problem of ensuring stability in previously passive distribution networks. The traditional approach based on the “struggle” to maintain synchronism between power plants in the distribution networks is associated with a number of difficulties, which causes to apply another approach to control modes in distribution networks. Complication of the power grid, automatic devices, increase in possible variations of modes, and tendency to maximize the use of production assets lead to an increase in the complexity of tasks solved by dispatch centers. In this regard, it is important to note that availability of cascade failures in power systems speaks of the urgency of the task of ensuring the survivability of energy supply systems both globally and locally. The paper shows how disintegration of the power grid can solve the task of ensuring the functionality of traditional power systems and help to create favorable conditions for distributed small generation integration into the integrated electric power system.

  16. Modernization and power increase nuclear power plant Laguna Verde (Mexico)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcia-Serrano, J. L.; Merino, A.; Ruiz Gutierrez, L.

    2011-01-01

    The objective of this project is to perform the modifications on the thermal cycle of the plant required by an Extended Power Uprate, to achieve a safe and reliable operation of the plant at 120% of its original thermal power. The scope includes the design, engineering training, supply of equipment, dismantling, installation, testing and commissioning. The duration of the project is 4 years (82007-2010), and all the modifications have been implemented in four outages, two per unit. The main modification carried out are the change of the condenser, moisture separator and main steam reheaters, the feedwater haters, the turbogenerator and its auxiliaries, transformers, isolated phase bus and main circuit breaker, etc. (Author)

  17. Design of embedded control system for high-power tetrode modulator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tu Rui; Yao Lieying; Xuan Weimin

    2010-01-01

    The design of embedded control system for the high-power tetrode modulator and its test results are given. This control system is a closed-loop feedback system based on the DSP and embedded into the high-voltage modulator. A new modified method of VF fiber transmission is used in the embedded control system. The new method improves the speed of the transmission of feedback system. The results of the experiment demonstrate that the embedded feedback control system greatly increases the response speed of the whole system and improves the performance of the high-power tetrode on the HL-2A tokamak. This embedded feedback control system greatly simplifies the complexity of the original centralized control system. The operation of the control system is reliable. (authors)

  18. Civil engineering in power plant technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krolewski, H.

    1982-01-01

    Guaranteeing our power supplies requires increasingly large, bold or novel construction works (for example, 200 m chimney with installation of stays over a wide area for a wind power plant in Spain; up to 400 m structure height on floating drill rigs). The layman admires the impressiveness with which these demand great ability and responsibility on the part of the civil engineer. The inland power station builder has to concentrate on few spectacular methods of construction or dimensions. The success of the total undertaking is however no less attributable to structural prerequisites. Civil engineering problems have to be displaced by means of static and dynamic problems in order to meet licensing requirements (planning of construction supervision, fire prevention, structure of supply and disposal). (orig.) [de

  19. Small Molecules, Diversity and Great Expectations

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Small Molecules, Diversity and Great Expectations · PowerPoint Presentation · Slide 3 · Slide 4 · Slide 5 · Slide 6 · Slide 7 · Slide 8 · Slide 9 · Slide 10 · Slide 11 · Slide 12 · Slide 13 · Slide 14 · Slide 15 · Slide 16 · Slide 17 · Slide 18 · Slide 19 · Slide 20 · Slide 21 · Slide 22 · Slide 23 · Slide 24 · Slide 25 · Slide 26 · Slide 27.

  20. Power supply for magnetic coils in thermonuclear devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimada, Ryuichi; Tamura, Sanae; Kishimoto, Hiroshi.

    1981-01-01

    Purpose: To decrease the load fluctuations in an external power supply, as well as to increase the operation efficiency capacity of thermonuclear devices. Constitution: Electrical power with the same frequency as that of a dynamo generator is supplied by a power supply-driving power source including a frequency converter and the like to DC converters for driving plasma-exciting and -controlling coils. At the same time, the electrical power from the frequency converter is supplied to the dynamo generator with flywheel to add accumulate energies to the EC converters. Accordingly, the energy for the great power pulses in a short time comprises the sum of the energy supplied from the dynamo generator with flywheel and the energy supplied continuously from the outside to eliminate the need of providing a stand-by period for the re-acceleration of the dynamo generator with flywheel even if the scale of the thermonuclear device is enlarged and energy consumed in one cycle is increased, whereby the decrease in the operation efficiency can be prevented and the capacity of the flywheel can be reduced. (Yoshino, Y.)

  1. Ejectors of power plants turbine units efficiency and reliability increasing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aronson, K. E.; Ryabchikov, A. Yu.; Kuptsov, V. K.; Murmanskii, I. B.; Brodov, Yu. M.; Zhelonkin, N. V.; Khaet, S. I.

    2017-11-01

    The functioning of steam turbines condensation systems influence on the efficiency and reliability of a power plant a lot. At the same time, the condensation system operating is provided by basic ejectors, which maintain the vacuum level in the condenser. Development of methods of efficiency and reliability increasing for ejector functioning is an actual problem of up-to-date power engineering. In the paper there is presented statistical analysis of ejector breakdowns, revealed during repairing processes, the influence of such damages on the steam turbine operating reliability. It is determined, that 3% of steam turbine equipment breakdowns are the ejector breakdowns. At the same time, about 7% of turbine breakdowns are caused by different ejector malfunctions. Developed and approved design solutions, which can increase the ejector functioning indexes, are presented. Intercoolers are designed in separated cases, so the air-steam mixture can’t move from the high-pressure zones to the low-pressure zones and the maintainability of the apparatuses is increased. By U-type tubes application, the thermal expansion effect of intercooler tubes is compensated and the heat-transfer area is increased. By the applied nozzle fixing construction, it is possible to change the distance between a nozzle and a mixing chamber (nozzle exit position) for operating performance optimization. In operating conditions there are provided experimental researches of more than 30 serial ejectors and also high-efficient 3-staged ejector EPO-3-80, designed by authors. The measurement scheme of the designed ejector includes 21 indicator. The results of experimental tests with different nozzle exit positions of the ejector EPO-3-80 stream devices are presented. The pressure of primary stream (water steam) is optimized. Experimental data are well-approved by the calculation results.

  2. Evolution of multicellularity coincided with increased diversification of cyanobacteria and the Great Oxidation Event

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schirrmeister, Bettina E.; de Vos, Jurriaan M.; Antonelli, Alexandre; Bagheri, Homayoun C.

    2013-01-01

    Cyanobacteria are among the most diverse prokaryotic phyla, with morphotypes ranging from unicellular to multicellular filamentous forms, including those able to terminally (i.e., irreversibly) differentiate in form and function. It has been suggested that cyanobacteria raised oxygen levels in the atmosphere around 2.45–2.32 billion y ago during the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), hence dramatically changing life on the planet. However, little is known about the temporal evolution of cyanobacterial lineages, and possible interplay between the origin of multicellularity, diversification of cyanobacteria, and the rise of atmospheric oxygen. We estimated divergence times of extant cyanobacterial lineages under Bayesian relaxed clocks for a dataset of 16S rRNA sequences representing the entire known diversity of this phylum. We tested whether the evolution of multicellularity overlaps with the GOE, and whether multicellularity is associated with significant shifts in diversification rates in cyanobacteria. Our results indicate an origin of cyanobacteria before the rise of atmospheric oxygen. The evolution of multicellular forms coincides with the onset of the GOE and an increase in diversification rates. These results suggest that multicellularity could have played a key role in triggering cyanobacterial evolution around the GOE. PMID:23319632

  3. Investigation into the absorptivity change in metals with increased laser power

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blidegn, Kristian; Olsen, Flemmming Ove

    1996-01-01

    At a first glance the low absorptivity of metals in the infrared (IR) makes the use of YAG and CO2 lasers in metal processing very inefficient. However industrial inert gas cutting abilities demonstrates that the absorptivity can reach significantly higher levels during the high power laser...... interaction. An increase which can not be explained by the increase in temperature only. The interaction between laser light and metals is a major physical phenomena in laser material processing. The Drude free electron model or simplifications like the Hagen-Rubens relation has often been used to model...

  4. 600 MW nuclear power database

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cao Ruiding; Chen Guorong; Chen Xianfeng; Zhang Yishu

    1996-01-01

    600 MW Nuclear power database, based on ORACLE 6.0, consists of three parts, i.e. nuclear power plant database, nuclear power position database and nuclear power equipment database. In the database, there are a great deal of technique data and picture of nuclear power, provided by engineering designing units and individual. The database can give help to the designers of nuclear power

  5. Credit Risk Evaluation of Large Power Consumers Considering Power Market Transaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fulin, Li; Erfeng, Xu; ke, Sun; Dunnan, Liu; Shuyi, Shen

    2018-03-01

    Large power users will participate in power market in various forms after power system reform. Meanwhile, great importance has always attached to the construction of the credit system in power industry. Due to the difference between the awareness of performance and the ability to perform, credit risk of power customer will emerge accordingly. Therefore, it is critical to evaluate credit risk of large power customers in the new situation of power market. Firstly, this paper constructs index system of credit risk of large power customers, and establishes evaluation model of interval number and AHP-entropy weight method.

  6. The potential for increased power from combining P-values testing the same hypothesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganju, Jitendra; Julie Ma, Guoguang

    2017-02-01

    The conventional approach to hypothesis testing for formal inference is to prespecify a single test statistic thought to be optimal. However, we usually have more than one test statistic in mind for testing the null hypothesis of no treatment effect but we do not know which one is the most powerful. Rather than relying on a single p-value, combining p-values from prespecified multiple test statistics can be used for inference. Combining functions include Fisher's combination test and the minimum p-value. Using randomization-based tests, the increase in power can be remarkable when compared with a single test and Simes's method. The versatility of the method is that it also applies when the number of covariates exceeds the number of observations. The increase in power is large enough to prefer combined p-values over a single p-value. The limitation is that the method does not provide an unbiased estimator of the treatment effect and does not apply to situations when the model includes treatment by covariate interaction.

  7. Increased power to weight ratio of piezoelectric energy harvesters through integration of cellular honeycomb structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chandrasekharan, N; Thompson, L L

    2016-01-01

    The limitations posed by batteries have compelled the need to investigate energy harvesting methods to power small electronic devices that require very low operational power. Vibration based energy harvesting methods with piezoelectric transduction in particular has been shown to possess potential towards energy harvesters replacing batteries. Current piezoelectric energy harvesters exhibit considerably lower power to weight ratio or specific power when compared to batteries the harvesters seek to replace. To attain the goal of battery-less self-sustainable device operation the power to weight ratio gap between piezoelectric energy harvesters and batteries need to be bridged. In this paper the potential of integrating lightweight honeycomb structures with existing piezoelectric device configurations (bimorph) towards achieving higher specific power is investigated. It is shown in this study that at low excitation frequency ranges, replacing the solid continuous substrate of conventional bimorph with honeycomb structures of the same material results in a significant increase in power to weight ratio of the piezoelectric harvester. At higher driving frequency ranges it is shown that unlike the traditional piezoelectric bimorph with solid continuous substrate, the honeycomb substrate bimorph can preserve optimum global design parameters through manipulation of honeycomb unit cell parameters. Increased operating lifetime and design flexibility of the honeycomb core piezoelectric bimorph is demonstrated as unit cell parameters of the honeycomb structures can be manipulated to alter mass and stiffness properties of the substrate, resulting in unit cell parameter significantly influencing power generation. (paper)

  8. Hydropower: a vital asset in a power system with increased need for flexibility and firm capacity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weisrock, Ghislain

    2016-02-01

    In a power system with increased need for flexibility, wind and solar power are characterised by considerable volatility across different scales and their output cannot be predicted with certainty. In order to deal with the resulting variations and forecast errors, system operators as well as electricity markets will need to have access to increasing volumes of flexibility as the penetration of wind and solar power grows. Due to their flexibility and size, hydropower plants are perfectly suited for supplying these capabilities to current and future electricity markets and power systems. Storage as well as pump storage plants can be quickly started within a few minutes and adjust their output within seconds. Consequently, hydropower plants are able to follow even major variations in real time. (author)

  9. Nuclear power and sustainable development. Maintaining and increasing the overall assets available to future generations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-01-01

    A central goal of sustainable development is to maintain or increase the overall assets available to future generations, while minimizing consumption of finite resources and not exceeding the carrying capacities of ecosystems. The development of nuclear power broadens the natural resource base usable for energy production, increases human and man-made capital, and, when safely handled, has little impact on ecosystems. Energy is essential for sustainable development. With continuing population and economic growth, and increasing needs in the developing world, substantially greater energy demand is a given, even taking into account continuing and accelerated energy efficiency and intensity improvements. Today, nuclear power is mostly utilized in industrialized countries that have the necessary technological, institutional and financial resources. Many of the industrialized countries that are able and willing to use nuclear power are also large energy consumers. Nuclear power currently generates 16% of the world's electricity. It produces virtually no sulfur dioxide, particulates, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds or greenhouse gases. Globally, nuclear power currently avoids approximately 600 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually, about the same as hydropower. The 600 MtC avoided by nuclear power equals 8% of current global greenhouse gases emissions. In the OECD countries, nuclear power has for 35 years accounted for most of the reduction in the carbon intensity per unit of delivered energy. Existing operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) for which initial capital investments are largely depreciated are also often the most cost-effective way to reduce carbon emissions from electricity generation. In fact in the United States in 2000, NPPs were the most cost-effective way to generate electricity, irrespective of avoided carbon emissions. In other countries the advantages of existing nuclear generating stations are also increasingly recognized. Interest

  10. Modernization and power upgrading of the Loviisa NPP

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Keskinen, A. [IVO Power Engineering Ltd., Vantaa (Finland)

    1997-12-31

    In 1995, Imatran Voima Oy (IVO) started a project for modernization and power upgrading of the Loviisa NPP. The main objectives of the project are to ensure plant safety, to increase electricity production and to improve the expertise of the IVO staff. The total electricity output of Loviisa 1 and 2 units is planned to be increased by about 100 MW. This will be achieved through renovation of the steam turbines and through gradual increase in the thermal reactor power up to 1,500 MW from the present level of 1,375 MW. The Loviisa NPP Final Safety Analysis Report has been revised to a great extent in connection with the licensing process of the reactor power upgrading. The project also includes certain improvements in the primary and safety systems to ensure plant safety. The total cost estimate of the project is around 200 million FIM. The project implementation started in 1995 and in accordance with the plans in 2000 after several phases the last measures at power plant will be completed. (orig.). 4 refs.

  11. Modernization and power upgrading of the Loviisa NPP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keskinen, A.

    1997-01-01

    In 1995, Imatran Voima Oy (IVO) started a project for modernization and power upgrading of the Loviisa NPP. The main objectives of the project are to ensure plant safety, to increase electricity production and to improve the expertise of the IVO staff. The total electricity output of Loviisa 1 and 2 units is planned to be increased by about 100 MW. This will be achieved through renovation of the steam turbines and through gradual increase in the thermal reactor power up to 1,500 MW from the present level of 1,375 MW. The Loviisa NPP Final Safety Analysis Report has been revised to a great extent in connection with the licensing process of the reactor power upgrading. The project also includes certain improvements in the primary and safety systems to ensure plant safety. The total cost estimate of the project is around 200 million FIM. The project implementation started in 1995 and in accordance with the plans in 2000 after several phases the last measures at power plant will be completed. (orig.)

  12. Modernization and power upgrading of the Loviisa NPP

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Keskinen, A [IVO Power Engineering Ltd., Vantaa (Finland)

    1998-12-31

    In 1995, Imatran Voima Oy (IVO) started a project for modernization and power upgrading of the Loviisa NPP. The main objectives of the project are to ensure plant safety, to increase electricity production and to improve the expertise of the IVO staff. The total electricity output of Loviisa 1 and 2 units is planned to be increased by about 100 MW. This will be achieved through renovation of the steam turbines and through gradual increase in the thermal reactor power up to 1,500 MW from the present level of 1,375 MW. The Loviisa NPP Final Safety Analysis Report has been revised to a great extent in connection with the licensing process of the reactor power upgrading. The project also includes certain improvements in the primary and safety systems to ensure plant safety. The total cost estimate of the project is around 200 million FIM. The project implementation started in 1995 and in accordance with the plans in 2000 after several phases the last measures at power plant will be completed. (orig.). 4 refs.

  13. Pregnancy and birth survey after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in Fukushima prefecture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujimori, Keiya; Kyozuka, Hyo; Yasuda, Shun; Goto, Aya; Yasumura, Seiji; Ota, Misao; Ohtsuru, Akira; Nomura, Yasuhisa; Hata, Kenichi; Suzuki, Kouta; Nakai, Akihito; Sato, Mieko; Matsui, Shiro; Nakano, Kyoko; Abe, Masafumi

    2014-01-01

    On 11 March 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake followed by a powerful tsunami hit the Pacific Coast of Northeast Japan and damaged Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, causing a radiation hazard in Fukushima Prefecture. The objective of this report is to describe some results of a questionnaire-based pregnancy and birth survey conducted by the Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey. Questionnaires were sent to women who received maternal and child health handbooks from municipal officers in Fukushima Prefecture between 1 August 2010 and 31 July 2011, with the aim of reaching those who were pregnant at the time of the disaster. Mailing began 18 January 2012. Data were analyzed separately for six geographic areas in Fukushima Prefecture. The total number of women meeting survey criteria was 15,972. The number of responses received to date is 9,298 (58.2%). Data from 8602 respondents were analyzed after excluding 634 invalid responses and 5 induced and 57 spontaneous abortions (less than 22 gestational weeks). The incidences of stillbirth (over 22 completed gestational weeks), preterm birth, low birth weight and congenital anomalies were 0.25%, 4.4%, 8.7% and 2.72%, respectively. These incidences are similar to recent averages elsewhere in Japan. Considering the pregnancy and birth survey data in aggregate, our disaster seemed to provoke no significant adverse outcomes over the whole of Fukushima prefecture. But post-disaster prenatal care and support intended for patients' safety and security should be coupled with ongoing surveillance and rigorous data analysis.

  14. Urgent Safety Measures in Japan after Great East Japan Earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taniura, W.; Otani, H.

    2012-01-01

    Due to tsunami triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, the operating and refueling reactor facilities at Fukushima Dai-ichi and Dai-ni Nuclear Power Plants of Tokyo Electric Power Co. caused a nuclear hazard. Japanese electric power companies voluntarily began to compile various urgent measures against tsunami within the week the hazard was caused. As for the urgent safety measures of each licensee, it is clarified that effective measures have been appropriately implemented as a result of the inspection of the national government, the verification based on the guideline of the Japan Society of Maintenology and the stress test. (author)

  15. Great Britain 1994: Starting a new era for nuclear power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Collier, J.G.

    1994-01-01

    In the course of the British program of privatization of the state-owned electricity generating industry the nuclear power plants in England and Wales were incorporated into the newly founded (and state-owned) NE in 1989. In addition, the government decided in favor of a moratorium in the construction of more nuclear power plants. Only Sizewell B, Britain's first pressurized water reactor (PWR), was to be completed. At that point in time, three other PWRs were in the planning stage. The government decision included a review of the future of nuclear technology to be held in 1994. At the beginning of 1994, the nuclear future of Britain appears in a much more positive light than had been thought possible in 1989. When founding NE, the British government endowed it with a startup capital and also instituted a tax levied on fossil energy sources, the revenue from which is being made available to NE in compensation for the old liabilities NE had to assume. (orig./UA) [de

  16. Parametric Simulations of the Great Dark Spots of Neptune

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Xiaolong; Le Beau, R.

    2006-09-01

    Observations by Voyager II and the Hubble Space Telescope of the Great Dark Spots (GDS) of Neptune suggest that large vortices with lifespans of years are not uncommon occurrences in the atmosphere of Neptune. The variability of these features over time, in particular the complex motions of GDS-89, make them challenging candidates to simulate in atmospheric models. Previously, using the Explicit Planetary Isentropic-Coordinate (EPIC) General Circulation Model, LeBeau and Dowling (1998) simulated the GDS-like vortex features. Qualitatively, the drift, oscillation, and tail-like features of GDS-89 were recreated, although precise numerical matches were only achieved for the meridional drift rate. In 2001, Stratman et al. applied EPIC to simulate the formation of bright companion clouds to the Great Dark Spots. In 2006, Dowling et al. presented a new version of EPIC, which includes hybrid vertical coordinate, cloud physics, advanced chemistry, and new turbulence models. With the new version of EPIC, more observation results, and more powerful computers, it is the time to revisit CFD simulations of the Neptune's atmosphere and do more detailed work on GDS-like vortices. In this presentation, we apply the new version of EPIC to simulate GDS-89. We test the influences of different parameters in the EPIC model: potential vorticity gradient, wind profile, initial latitude, vortex shape, and vertical structure. The observed motions, especially the latitudinal drift and oscillations in orientation angle and aspect ratio, are used as diagnostics of these unobserved atmospheric conditions. Increased computing power allows for more refined and longer simulations and greater coverage of the parameter space than previous efforts. Improved quantitative results have been achieved, including voritices with near eight-day oscillations and comparable variations in shape to GDS-89. This research has been supported by Kentucky NASA EPSCoR.

  17. Losses in German nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abinger, R.

    1982-01-01

    The author illustrates the special features of engineering insurance for nuclear power plants. The shares of the Allianz Versicherungs-AG in the insurance of construction and erection work and in machinery insurance are dealt with. Risk estimation is usually based on statistical analysis of losses. Loss analysis in the conventional sector of nuclear power plants shows typical characteristics of traditional erection and machinery losses. In the nuclear field, however, costs are greatly increased by added safety measures. For this reason, additional cover is allocated and incorporated in premium assessment. Examples from erection and machinery reveal the greater costs involved in handling losses. (orig.) [de

  18. Wire number doubling in plasma-shell regime increases z-accelerator x-ray power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanford, T.W.L.; Spielman, R.B.; Chandler, G.A.

    1997-11-01

    Doubling the number of tungsten wires from 120 to 240, keeping the mass fixed, increased the radiated x-ray power relative to the electrical power at the insulator stack of the z accelerator by (40±20)% for 8.75- and 20-mm-radii z-pinch wire arrays. Radiation-magneto-hydrodynamic calculations suggest that the arrays were operating in the 'plasma shell' regime, where the plasmas generated by the individual wires merge prior to the inward implosion of the entire array

  19. Wire number doubling in plasma-shell regime increases Z-accelerator X-ray power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanford, T.W.L.; Spielman, R.B.; Chandler, G.A.

    1997-01-01

    Doubling the number of tungsten wires from 120 to 240, keeping the mass fixed, increased the radiated x-ray power relative to the electrical power at the insulator stack of the z accelerator by (40 ± 20)% for 8.75- and 20-mm-radii z-pinch wire arrays. Radiation-magneto-hydrodynamic calculations suggest that the arrays were operating in the plasma shell regime, where the plasma generated by the individual wires merge prior to the inward implosion of the entire array

  20. Wire number doubling in plasma-shell regime increases Z-accelerator X-ray power

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanford, T.W.L.; Spielman, R.B.; Chandler, G.A. [and others

    1997-12-01

    Doubling the number of tungsten wires from 120 to 240, keeping the mass fixed, increased the radiated x-ray power relative to the electrical power at the insulator stack of the z accelerator by (40 {+-} 20)% for 8.75- and 20-mm-radii z-pinch wire arrays. Radiation-magneto-hydrodynamic calculations suggest that the arrays were operating in the plasma shell regime, where the plasma generated by the individual wires merge prior to the inward implosion of the entire array.

  1. Cooling intensification during quenching of power plant components - the way to increase reliability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borisov, I.A.

    1989-01-01

    To enchance the complex of mechanical properties and to increase operation time of large components of power facilities, regimes of accelerated cooling are developed. Results of heat treatment with accelerated cooling of turbine rotor of steel 26KhN3M2FAA, disks of turbine welded rotor of steel 20KhN2MFAA, components of steel 35KhN3MFA, are given. Special steels with carbon content less than 0.30% for details of power machine-building are developed

  2. Perspective of Japanese energy policy after the Great East Japan Earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kikkawa, Takeo

    2012-01-01

    After the Great East Japan Earthquake and following shutdown of damaged Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) with no admittance of restart of periodically inspected NPPs, Japan was to face a great danger of shortage of power supply which led to hollowing out of Japanese industry and shifting production capacity overseas. Toward needed restart of NPPs, safety standards against severe accidents should be newly established so as to implement hazards minimization measures of NPPs, which was harmonized with the requests of Fukui prefecture having the oldest and most numerous NPPs. Author's short-term or urgent proposals were (1) safety standards should incorporate site-specific historical utmost earthquake and tsunami and be updated by reflecting latest knowledge, (2) restart of old NPPs should be put off until investigation committee concluded the relation between oldness of Fukushima Daiichi NPPs and accident progression, and (3) separation of electric power production from power distribution and transmission should be careful and not be concluded with more haste than caution. Mid-and-long-term proposals were (1) reform of nuclear power; establishment of independent nuclear regulatory authority, separation of nuclear business from private company and nationalization, and promotion of transfer of power-resources development tax to local government, (2) institutional reform of electric power; reinforcement and expansion of frequency converter and electricity interconnectors, and promotion of intense competition among electric power companies, (3) thermal power shift response; gaining bargaining power for LNG procurement and carbon dioxide reduction using bilateral offset credit mechanism through technology transfer of coal-fired thermal power; (4) expansion of renewable energy; use of geothermal, small hydro and biomass power, use of solar and wind power as distributed generation, and promotion of Smart Community activities in north Kyushu and Kamaishi. Electric power sources

  3. Increase of power and efficiency of the 900 MW supercritical power plant through incorporation of the ORC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ziółkowski, Paweł; Mikielewicz, Dariusz; Mikielewicz, Jarosław

    2013-12-01

    The objective of the paper is to analyse thermodynamical and operational parameters of the supercritical power plant with reference conditions as well as following the introduction of the hybrid system incorporating ORC. In ORC the upper heat source is a stream of hot water from the system of heat recovery having temperature of 90 °C, which is additionally aided by heat from the bleeds of the steam turbine. Thermodynamical analysis of the supercritical plant with and without incorporation of ORC was accomplished using computational flow mechanics numerical codes. Investigated were six working fluids such as propane, isobutane, pentane, ethanol, R236ea and R245fa. In the course of calculations determined were primarily the increase of the unit power and efficiency for the reference case and that with the ORC.

  4. Future perspective of cost for nuclear power generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maeda, Ichiro

    1988-01-01

    The report presents and discussed results of evaluation of the cost for power generation in this and forthcoming years on the basis of an analysis of the current fuel prices and the economics of various power sources. Calculations show that nuclear power generation at present is inferior to coal-firing power generation in terms of required costs, but can become superior in the future due to an increased burn-up and reduced construction cost. Investigations are made of possible contributions of future technical improvements to reduction in the overall cost. Results suggest that nuclear power generation will be the most efficient among the various electric sources because of its technology-intensive feature. Development of improved light water reactors is of special importance to achieve a high burn-up and reduced construction costs. In general, the fixed cost accounts for a large part of the overall nuclear power generation cost, indicating that a reduction in construction cost can greatly increase the economic efficiency. Changes in the yen's exchange rate seem to have little effect on the economics of nuclear power generation, which represents another favorable aspect of this type of energy. (Nogami, K.)

  5. Increasing the reliability of power semiconductors using DAB-substrates; Steigerung der Zuverlaessigkeit von Leistungshalbleitern durch Verwendung von DAB-Substraten

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grieger, F.; Lindemann, A. [Magdeburg Univ. (Germany); Boettge, B.; Klengel, S.; Petzold, M. [Fraunhofer IWM, Halle an der Saale (Germany)

    2012-07-01

    Besides power electronic loads, power electronic sources for decentralised generation have established in the grid. In the smart grid, the use of power electronics will even increase because of the introduction of more HVDC transmission lines and the necessity to control power flows. This paper deals with direct aluminium bonded (DAB) substrates which can serve as carriers of power electronic components with further increased reliability as desirable for long-term usage in the smart grid. (orig.)

  6. The Great London Smog of 1952.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polivka, Barbara J

    2018-04-01

    : The Great London Smog of December 1952 lasted five days and killed up to 12,000 people. The smog developed primarily because of extensive burning of high-sulfur coal. The health effects were both immediate and long lasting, with a recent study revealing an increased likelihood of childhood asthma development in those exposed to the Great Smog while in utero or during their first year of life. Subsequent pollution legislation-including the U.S. Clean Air Act and its amendments-have demonstrably reduced air pollution and positively impacted health outcomes. With poor air quality events like the Great Smog continuing to occur today, nurses need to be aware of the impact such environmental disasters can have on human health.

  7. Wireless electricity (Power) transmission using solar based power satellite technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maqsood, M; Nasir, M Nauman

    2013-01-01

    In the near future due to extensive use of energy, limited supply of resources and the pollution in environment from present resources e.g. (wood, coal, fossil fuel) etc, alternative sources of energy and new ways to generate energy which are efficient, cost effective and produce minimum losses are of great concern. Wireless electricity (Power) transmission (WET) has become a focal point as research point of view and nowadays lies at top 10 future hot burning technologies that are under research these days. In this paper, we present the concept of transmitting power wirelessly to reduce transmission and distribution losses. The wired distribution losses are 70 – 75% efficient. We cannot imagine the world without electric power which is efficient, cost effective and produce minimum losses is of great concern. This paper tells us the benefits of using WET technology specially by using Solar based Power satellites (SBPS) and also focuses that how we make electric system cost effective, optimized and well organized. Moreover, attempts are made to highlight future issues so as to index some emerging solutions.

  8. Operating the Irish power system with increased levels of wind power

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tuohy, A.; Denny, E.; Meibom, Peter

    2008-01-01

    This paper summarises some of the main impacts of large amounts of wind power installed in the island of Ireland. Using results from various studies performed on this system, it is shown that wind power will impact on all time frames, from seconds to daily planning of the system operation. Results...... from studies examining operation of the system with up to approximately 40% of electricity provided by wind show that some of the most important aspects to be considered include the type of wind turbine technology, the provision of reserve to accommodate wind forecasting error and the method used...

  9. Osmotic power. A great energy source for renewable energy; Una gran fuente de energia renovable para electricidad. Potencia osmotica

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alonso Alvarez, J.

    2009-07-01

    When freshwater meets saltwater, for example, where a river flows out into the sea, enormous quantities of energy can be utilised to generate power, through the natural phenomenon of osmosis. Osmotic power is based on the natural phenomenon of osmosis, defined as the transport of water through a semi-permeable membranes, enclosing their cells, and tho produce osmotic power one has to design similar, artificial membranes. In an osmotic power plant we feed freshwater into separate chambers, separated by an artificial membranes. The salt molecules in the seawater then draw the freshwater through the membranes, causing the pressure on the seawater side to increase. This pressure corresponds to a water column of 120 meters or a large waterfall, and can be utilised in a turbine which generated electricity. The idea to generate power through osmosis is originates from the 1970s. At the time, however, the membranes had low efficiency and power price were too low to enable anyone to profitable invest in such a project. many years later, research scientists al SINTEF brought the idea to STAT kraft. The collaboration was initiated in 1997, and the development of a new, renewable energy source was initiated. (Author)

  10. Core design experience of WWER-440 reactors when they working on increased power level

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adeev, V.; Panov, A.; Melenchuk, I.

    2015-01-01

    The Kola NPP continues commercial operation of 2nd generation fuel (FA-2) and trial operation of 3rd generation fuel (FA-3), which has a number of design features providing the best operational characteristics. This report gives the results of VVER-440 core operation with FA-2 and FA-3 with enrichment increased up to 4.87%, and at the power level uprated to 107% of nominal power level. Brief analysis of obtained data is carried out. Peculiarities and techniques of developing loading patterns with new types of nuclear fuel for operation at the uprated power level are reviewed. (authors)

  11. WWER-440 reactor thermal power increase. Up-to-date approaches to substantiation of the core heat-engineering reliability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vasilchenko, I.; Lushin, V.; Zubtsov, D.

    2006-01-01

    Increasing the Units power is an urgent problem for nuclear power plants with WWER-440 reactors. Improving the fuel assembly designs and calculated codes creates all prerequisites to fulfil this purpose. The decrease in the core power peaking is reached by using the profiled fuel assemblies, burnable absorber integrated into the fuel, the FA with the modernized interface attachment, modern calculated codes that allows to reduce conservatism of the RP safety substantiation. A wide spectrum of experimental study of behaviour of the fuel having reached burn-up (50-60) MW days / kg U under the transients and accident conditions was carried out, the post-irradiated examination of the fuel assemblies, fuel rods and fuel pellets with four and five annual operating fuel cycle were performed as well and confirmed the high reliability of the fuel, the presence of large margins of the fuel stack state that contributes to reactor operation at the increased power. The results of the carried out experiments on implementing the five and six annual fuel cycles show that the limiting fuel state as to its serviceability in the WWER-440 reactors is far from being reached. Presently there is an experience of the increased power operation of Kola NPP, Units 1, 2, 4 and Rovno NPP, Unit 2. The Loviisa NPP Units are operated at 109 % power. The Russian experts had gained an experience in substantiating the core operation at 108 % power for Paks NPP, Unit 4. In this paper the additional conditions for increasing the power of the Kola NPP, Units 1 and 2 and the main results of substantiation of increase in power of the Paks NPP, Unit 4 up to 1485 MW are presented in details

  12. CMOS Active Pixel Sensors for Low Power, Highly Miniaturized Imaging Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fossum, Eric R.

    1996-01-01

    The complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) active pixel sensor (APS) technology has been developed over the past three years by NASA at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and has reached a level of performance comparable to CCDs with greatly increased functionality but at a very reduced power level.

  13. Wire number doubling in plasma-shell regime increases z-accelerator x-ray power

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanford, T.W.L.; Spielman, R.B.; Chandler, G.A. [and others

    1997-11-01

    Doubling the number of tungsten wires from 120 to 240, keeping the mass fixed, increased the radiated x-ray power relative to the electrical power at the insulator stack of the z accelerator by (40{+-}20)% for 8.75- and 20-mm-radii z-pinch wire arrays. Radiation-magneto-hydrodynamic calculations suggest that the arrays were operating in the {open_quotes}plasma shell{close_quotes} regime, where the plasmas generated by the individual wires merge prior to the inward implosion of the entire array.

  14. Increased power spectral density in resting-state pain-related brain networks in fibromyalgia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ji-Young; Kim, Seong-Ho; Seo, Jeehye; Kim, Sang-Hyon; Han, Seung Woo; Nam, Eon Jeong; Kim, Seong-Kyu; Lee, Hui Joong; Lee, Seung-Jae; Kim, Yang-Tae; Chang, Yongmin

    2013-09-01

    Fibromyalgia (FM), characterized by chronic widespread pain, is known to be associated with heightened responses to painful stimuli and atypical resting-state functional connectivity among pain-related regions of the brain. Previous studies of FM using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) have focused on intrinsic functional connectivity, which maps the spatial distribution of temporal correlations among spontaneous low-frequency fluctuation in functional MRI (fMRI) resting-state data. In the current study, using rs-fMRI data in the frequency domain, we investigated the possible alteration of power spectral density (PSD) of low-frequency fluctuation in brain regions associated with central pain processing in patients with FM. rsfMRI data were obtained from 19 patients with FM and 20 age-matched healthy female control subjects. For each subject, the PSDs for each brain region identified from functional connectivity maps were computed for the frequency band of 0.01 to 0.25 Hz. For each group, the average PSD was determined for each brain region and a 2-sample t test was performed to determine the difference in power between the 2 groups. According to the results, patients with FM exhibited significantly increased frequency power in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), supplementary motor area (SMA), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. In patients with FM, the increase in PSD did not show an association with depression or anxiety. Therefore, our findings of atypical increased frequency power during the resting state in pain-related brain regions may implicate the enhanced resting-state baseline neural activity in several brain regions associated with pain processing in FM. Copyright © 2013 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Oil and the geopolitics of Central Asia: A "new 'great game'"?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Sati, Saud M.

    The nineteenth century rivalry between the Russian Empire and Great Britain over Central Asia, known as the "great game," was triggered by the quest for power and dominance. This study revisits Sir Halford Mackinder's thesis, which viewed the "heartland," consisting of Russia and Central Asia, as being crucial for international politics. It also discusses the influence of Mackinder's ideas on twentieth century geopolitical thinking. The study also examines the common assumption that the new "great game" in Central Asia is evolving around the exploitation of energy resources, and analyzes the consequences of this new factor for the geopolitical significance of the region. The landlocked nature of the Central Asian countries makes it necessary for them to rely on their neighbors for the export of oil and gas to international markets. Thus, the political and economic interests of Russia, Iran, and Turkey motivate them to compete with each other for export routes through their territories. This study also shows that the estimates of Central Asian proven oil reserves are characterized by considerable ambiguity. Estimates vary from seven to twenty-two billion barrels. Despite the fact that these proven oil reserves are limited compared to those of other regions, such as the Middle East, continued exploration is compatible with the Western strategy of energy resource diversification. Another primary aim of American involvement is to prevent the reintegration of Central Asia into the Russian federation and to block Chinese influence in Central Asia. This study reveals that realities in today's Central Asia are different from those of the nineteenth century. Central Asia now consists of independent countries; the competing powers have changed, with the exception of Russia; and oil has emerged as a new factor. However, the perpetual quest for power and dominance that marked the historical "great game" is still at work in the last decade of the twentieth century. Finally, the

  16. An evaluation of greenhouse gas mitigation options for coal-fired power plants in the US Great Lakes States

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Froese, Robert E.; Shonnard, David R.; Miller, Chris A.; Koers, Ken P.; Johnson, Dana M.

    2010-01-01

    We assessed options for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation in the US Great Lakes States, a region heavily dependent on coal-fired power plants. A proposed 600 MW power plant in northern Lower Michigan, USA provided context for our evaluation. Options to offset fossil CO 2 emissions by 20% included biomass fuel substitution from (1) forest residuals, (2) short-rotation woody crops, or (3) switchgrass; (4) biologic sequestration in forest plantations; and (5) geologic sequestration using CO 2 capture. Review of timber product output data, land cover data, and expected energy crop productivity on idle agriculture land within 120 km of the plant revealed that biomass from forestry residuals has the potential to offset 6% and from energy crops 27% of the annual fossil fuel requirement. Furthermore, annual forest harvest in the region is only 26% of growth and the surplus represents a large opportunity for forest products and bioenergy applications. We used Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to compare mitigation options, using fossil energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions per unit electricity generation as criteria. LCA results revealed that co-firing with forestry residuals is the most attractive option and geologic sequestration is the least attractive option, based on the two criteria. Biologic sequestration is intermediate but likely infeasible because of very large land area requirements. Our study revealed that biomass feedstock potentials from land and forest resources are not limiting mitigation activities, but the most practical approach is likely a combination of options that optimize additional social, environmental and economic criteria.

  17. Valka to increase biofuel power capacity

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    2011-01-01

    Eesti Energia omandas enamusosaluse Valka soojusettevõttes Host Energo. Eesti Energiale kuulub nüüd 90% ettevõttest ja linnale 10%. Ettevõte uus nimi on Enefit Heat&Power Valka ja viimane rajab aastaks 2012 Valka uue biokütusel koostootmisjaama

  18. Increasing productivity by improved arc and beam welding technologies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dilthey, Ulrich; Stein, Lars

    2005-01-01

    In the early sixties, GMA welding methods were introduced into industrial manufacturing and they have been consequently developed further ever since. Recent advances do not only refer to power-source technology but also improved wire feed systems and new consumables such as filler materials and shielding gases. Great efforts have been made to increase deposition rates, and with this efficiency and welding speeds, by extending the frontiers of known processes and by developing new ones

  19. Analysis of power and frequency control requirements in view of increased decentralized production and market liberalization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roffel, B.; Boer, W.W. de

    2003-01-01

    This paper presents a systematic approach of the analysis of the minimum control requirements that are imposed on power producing units in the Netherlands, especially in the case when decentralized production increases. Also some effects of the liberalization on the control behavior are analyzed. First an overview is given of the amount and type of power production in the Netherlands, followed by a review of the control requirements. Next models are described, including a simplified model for the UCTE power system. The model was tested against frequency and power measurements after failure of a 558 MW production unit in the Netherlands. Agreement between measurements and model predictions proved to be good. The model was subsequently used to analyze the primary and secondary control requirements and the impact of an increase in decentralized power production on the fault restoration capabilities of the power system. Since the latter production units are not actively participating in primary and secondary control, fault restoration takes longer and becomes unacceptable when only 35% of the power producing units participate in secondary control. Finally, the model was used to study the impact of deregulation, especially the effect of 'block scheduling', on additional control actions of the secondary control. (Author)

  20. The Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident: a triple disaster affecting the mental health of the country.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamashita, Jun; Shigemura, Jun

    2013-09-01

    The Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 caused 2 other serious disasters: a tsunami and a nuclear power plant accident. A chronic shortage of mental health resources had been previously reported in the Tohoku region, and the triple disaster worsened the situation. Eventually a public health approach was implemented by providing a common room in temporary housing developments to build a sense of community and to approach evacuees so that they could be triaged and referred to mental health teams. Japan now advocates using psychological first aid to educate first responders. This article extracts key lessons from relevant literature. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Application of sorption heat pumps for increasing of new power sources efficiency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasiliev, L.; Filatova, O.; Tsitovich, A.

    2010-07-01

    In the 21st century the way to increase the efficiency of new sources of energy is directly related with extended exploration of renewable energy. This modern tendency ensures the fuel economy needs to be realized with nature protection. The increasing of new power sources efficiency (cogeneration, trigeneration systems, fuel cells, photovoltaic systems) can be performed by application of solid sorption heat pumps, regrigerators, heat and cold accumulators, heat transformers, natural gas and hydrogen storage systems and efficient heat exchangers.

  2. Having the Power to Forgive: When the Experience of Power Increases Interpersonal Forgiveness

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Karremans, J.C.T.M.; Smith, P.K.

    2010-01-01

    The present research examined the association between power, defined in terms of experienced control over outcomes and resources in a relationship, and interpersonal forgiveness. Based on recent findings in the literature suggesting that power is associated with goal directedness, it was

  3. Caffeine Increases Work Done above Critical Power, but Not Anaerobic Work.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silveira, Rodrigo; Andrade-Souza, Victor Amorim; Arcoverde, Lucyana; Tomazini, Fabiano; Sansonio, André; Bishop, David John; Bertuzzi, Romulo; Lima-Silva, Adriano Eduardo

    2018-01-01

    The assumption that the curvature constant (W') of the power-duration relationship represents anaerobic work capacity is a controversial, unresolved question. We investigated if caffeine ingestion could increase total work done above critical power (CP), and if this would be accompanied by greater anaerobic energy expenditure and by an enhanced maintenance of maximal oxidative metabolic rate. Nine men (26.6 ± 5.3 yr, V˙O2max 40.6 ± 5.8 mL·kg·min) cycled until exhaustion at different exercise intensities on different days to determine the CP and W'. On separated days, participants cycled until exhaustion in the severe-intensity domain (136% ± 7% of CP) after ingesting either caffeine (5 mg·kg body mass) or a placebo. Time to exhaustion was 34% longer with caffeine compared with placebo, and this was accompanied by a greater work done above CP (23.7 ± 5.7 vs 17.5 ± 3.6 kJ; 130% ± 30% vs 95% ± 14% of W', P Caffeine increased the aerobic energy expenditure (296.4 ± 91.0 vs 210.2 ± 71.9 kJ, P caffeine, but the V˙O2 end was similar between conditions and was not different from V˙O2max. Caffeine did not change time to reach V˙O2max but increased time maintained at V˙O2max (199.3 ± 105.9 vs 111.9 ± 87.1 s, P Caffeine increased total work done above CP, but this was not associated with greater anaerobic work. Rather, this was associated with a higher tolerance to maintain exercise at maximal oxidative metabolic rate.

  4. Application of ORC power station to increase electric power of gas compression ignition engine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mocarski Szymon

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents the calculation results of efficiency of the subcritical low temperature ORC power station powered by waste heat resulting from the process of cooling a stationary compression ignition engine. The source of heat to supply the ORC power station is the heat in a form of water jet cooling the engine at a temperature of 92°C, and the exhaust gas stream at a temperature of 420°C. The study considers three variants of systems with the ORC power stations with different ways of using heat source. The first variant assumes using just engine cooling water to power the ORC station. In the second variant the ORC system is powered solely by a heat flux from the combustion gases by means of an intermediary medium - thermal oil, while the third variant provides the simultaneous management of both heat fluxes to heat the water stream as a source of power supply to the ORC station. The calculations were made for the eight working media belonging both to groups of so-called dry media (R218, R1234yf, R227ea and wet media (R32, R161, R152a, R134a, R22.

  5. Soft power geopolitics: how does the diminishing utility of military power affect the Russia – West confrontation over the “Common Neighbourhood”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vasif HUSEYNOV

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper is based on the fact that a number of factors, but particularly the restricting utility of military force between great powers, increase the significance of soft power as a tool both for legitimization and expansion in international relations in general, and in the West – Russia confrontation over the “common (or shared neighbourhood” in particular. It explores how this fact affects the policies of the Western powers and Russia within the frame of the confrontation they are in. The paper narrows down its analytical focus on the efforts of the Kremlin to affect the public opinion in its neighbourhood and to counter Western soft power. It is argued that the Ukraine crisis has affected Russia’s perception of soft power, re-constructed its counter-revolutionary agenda, and increased the profile of propaganda in its foreign policy. The paper concludes that the soft power competition between Russia and West and the policies of the two powers to win over the hearts and minds of people in the shared neighbourhood re-define the character of geopolitical games in the Former Soviet Union.

  6. Rapid ascent: Rocky Mountain National Park in the Great Acceleration, 1945-present

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boxell, Mark

    After the Second World War's conclusion, Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) experienced a massive rise in visitation. Mobilized by an affluent economy and a growing, auto-centric infrastructure, Americans rushed to RMNP in droves, setting off new concerns over the need for infrastructure improvements in the park. National parks across the country experienced similar explosions in visitation, inspiring utilities- and road-building campaigns throughout the park units administered by the National Park Service. The quasi-urbanization of parks like RMNP implicated the United States' public lands in a process of global change, whereby wartime technologies, cheap fossil fuels, and a culture of techno-optimism--epitomized by the Mission 66 development program--helped foster a "Great Acceleration" of human alterations of Earth's natural systems. This transformation culminated in worldwide turns toward mass-urbanization, industrial agriculture, and globalized markets. The Great Acceleration, part of the Anthropocene--a new geologic epoch we have likely entered, which proposes that humans have become a force of geologic change--is used as a conceptual tool for understanding the connections between local and global changes which shaped the park after World War II. The Great Acceleration and its array of novel technologies and hydrocarbon-powered infrastructures produced specific cultures of tourism and management techniques within RMNP. After World War II, the park increasingly became the product and distillation of a fossil fuel-dependent society.

  7. Phalanx force magnitude and trajectory deviation increased during power grip with an increased coefficient of friction at the hand-object interface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enders, Leah R; Seo, Na Jin

    2011-05-17

    This study examined the effect of friction between the hand and grip surface on a person's grip strategy and force generation capacity. Twelve young healthy adults performed power grip exertions on an instrumented vertical cylinder with the maximum and 50% of maximum efforts (far above the grip force required to hold the cylinder), while normal and shear forces at each phalanx of all five fingers in the direction orthogonal to the gravity were recorded. The cylinder surface was varied for high-friction rubber and low-friction paper coverings. An increase in surface friction by replacing the paper covering with the rubber covering resulted in 4% greater mean phalanx normal force (perpendicular to the cylinder surface) and 22% greater mean phalanx shear force in either the proximal or distal direction of the digits (pfriction with the rubber surface compared to the paper surface was associated with a 20% increase in the angular deviation of the phalanx force from the direction normal to the cylinder surface (p<0.05). This study demonstrates that people significantly changed the magnitude and direction of phalanx forces depending on the surface they gripped. Such change in the grip strategy appears to help increase grip force generation capacity. This finding suggests that a seemingly simple power grip exertion involves sensory feedback-based motor control, and that people's power grip capacity may be reduced in cases of numbness, glove use, or injuries resulting in reduced sensation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Optimal rate of power increase in nuclear fuel. Pellet behaviour under dynamic conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karlsson, B.G.

    1976-05-01

    A mathematical model has been worked out for the determination of the optium power escalation rate for nuclear power plants from the view-pint of fuel integrity. The model calculates the stress and strain transients in the pellet-cladding system with rapid power increase. No burnup effects are included due to the short time scale involved. An elastic solution has been transposed to a linear viscoelastic one using the correspondence principle. The cladding has however been treated under the programme assumptions as purely elastic. The fuel material has been assumed to be completely relaxed prior to the power transient. Radial cracking is included. The UO 2 -material distortion has been assumed to be linear viscoelastic, while the dilation is assumed as elastic. The system has been treated assuming plane strain since friction between the pellet and the cladding is large with practical burnsups, and the pellet column can be regarded as infinitely long, compared to the diameter of the pellet. The results of the calculations made show that under the above assumptions the clad stress is independent of the rate of power increase in the pellet. Scince this result is in opposition to general opinion an experimental programme was performed in order to test the results of the model. These results were confirmed. The occurance of clad failures in practice is not determined purely by clad straining. Current thought pays attention to the influence of e.g. stress-corrosion phenomena as significant. The programme reported here pays no attention such-like effects, or the effects of clad creep which could be of considerable significance with local deformations. These later effects are receiving attention in work now being initiated at the Department.(author)

  9. Magnetic metamaterial superlens for increased range wireless power transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lipworth, Guy; Ensworth, Joshua; Seetharam, Kushal; Huang, Da; Lee, Jae Seung; Schmalenberg, Paul; Nomura, Tsuyoshi; Reynolds, Matthew S; Smith, David R; Urzhumov, Yaroslav

    2014-01-10

    The ability to wirelessly power electrical devices is becoming of greater urgency as a component of energy conservation and sustainability efforts. Due to health and safety concerns, most wireless power transfer (WPT) schemes utilize very low frequency, quasi-static, magnetic fields; power transfer occurs via magneto-inductive (MI) coupling between conducting loops serving as transmitter and receiver. At the "long range" regime - referring to distances larger than the diameter of the largest loop - WPT efficiency in free space falls off as (1/d)(6); power loss quickly approaches 100% and limits practical implementations of WPT to relatively tight distances between power source and device. A "superlens", however, can concentrate the magnetic near fields of a source. Here, we demonstrate the impact of a magnetic metamaterial (MM) superlens on long-range near-field WPT, quantitatively confirming in simulation and measurement at 13-16 MHz the conditions under which the superlens can enhance power transfer efficiency compared to the lens-less free-space system.

  10. Electricity - a great asset for Canada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chretien, Jean.

    1983-06-01

    Canada has a great national asset in its ability to generate electricity economically from its abundant hydro, coal, and uranium resources. Its nuclear industry has an excellent product. Despite lack of orders for now, the CANDU will be a competitive force when the reactor market recovers. Canada has a proven record of reliability for electricity trade with the United States. There appear to be some opportunities for plants in Canada dedicated to the export of electric power. The federal government is prepared to work closely with the provinces to develop projects which will be attractive to customers in the United States

  11. Power increases the socially toxic component of narcissism among individuals with high baseline testosterone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mead, Nicole L; Baumeister, Roy F; Stuppy, Anika; Vohs, Kathleen D

    2018-04-01

    The corrosive effects of power have been noted for centuries, but the self-related changes responsible for those effects have remained somewhat elusive. Narcissists tend to rise to-and abuse-positions of power, so we considered the possibility that positions of power may corrupt because they inflate narcissism. Two pathways were considered: Powerholders abuse their power because having power over others makes them feel superior (grandiosity pathway) or deserving of special treatment (entitlement pathway). Supporting the entitlement pathway, assigning participants to a position of power (vs. equal control) over a group task increased scores on the Exploitative/Entitlement component of narcissism among those with high baseline testosterone. What is more, heightened Exploitative/Entitlement scores among high-testosterone participants endowed with power (vs. equal control) statistically explained amplified self-reported willingness to misuse their power (e.g., taking fringe benefits as extra compensation). The grandiosity pathway was not well supported. The Superiority/Arrogance, Self-Absorption/Self-Admiration, and Leadership/Authority facets of narcissism did not change as a function of the power manipulation and testosterone levels. Taken together, these results suggest that people with high (but not low) testosterone may be inclined to misuse their power because having power over others makes them feel entitled to special treatment. This work identifies testosterone as a characteristic that contributes to the development of the socially toxic component of narcissism (Exploitative/Entitlement). It points to the possibility that structural positions of power and individual differences in narcissism may be mutually reinforcing, suggesting a vicious cycle with personal, relational, and societal implications. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  12. A Compound Algorithm for Maximum Power Point Tracking Used in Laser Power Beaming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Cheng; Liu, Qiang; Gao, Shan; Teng, Yun; Cheng, Lin; Yu, Chengtao; Peng, Kai

    2018-03-01

    With the high voltage intelligent substation developing in a pretty high speed, more and more artificial intelligent techniques have been incorporated into the power devices to meet the automation needs. For the sake of the line maintenance staff’s safety, the high voltage isolating switch draws great attention among the most important power devices because of its capability of connecting and disconnecting the high voltage circuit. However, due to the very high level voltage of the high voltage isolating switch’s working environment, the power supply system of the surveillance devices could suffer from great electromagnetic interference. Laser power beaming exhibits its merits in such situation because it can provide steady power from a distance despite the day or the night. Then the energy conversion efficiency arises as a new concern. To make as much use of the laser power as possible, our work mainly focuses on extracting maximum power from the photovoltaic (PV) panel. In this paper, we proposed a neural network based algorithm which relates both the intrinsic and the extrinsic features of the PV panel to the proportion of the voltage at the maximum power point (MPP) to the open circuit voltage of the PV panel. Simulations and experiments were carried out to verify the validness of our algorithm.

  13. The Great Hedge of India

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moxham, Roy

    2015-01-01

    The 'Great Hedge of India', a 3 700 kilometre-long hedge installed by the British customs to safeguard the colonial salt tax system and avoid salt smuggling totally faded from both memory and records (e.g. maps) in less than a century. Roy Moxham found traces of the hedge in a book footnote and searched it for several years until he found its meagre remains. The speaker wrote a book about this quest. He said that this story reveals how things disappear when they are no longer useful and, especially, when they are linked to parts of history that are not deemed particularly positive (the hedge was a means of colonial power)

  14. Study of LANs access technologies in wind power system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wei, Mu; Chen, Zhe

    2010-01-01

    Due to the energy challenges in the world, new types of generation technologies, such as renewable energy based generators, attract great attention and are being quickly developed, which results in the dramatic developments and changes in modern power systems, the communication technologies play...... a increasingly important role in guaranteeing the power system’s stability, reliability, and security. In this paper the necessity of communication technologies employed in wind power system are introduced. According the International Standards Organization (ISO) reference 7-layered model, the communication...... power environment are explained and discussed. Furthermore the simulation of application of Ethernet in an offshore wind farm communication network by a software, OPNET, is elaborated. With the investigation of the communication technologies in this paper, the offshore wind farm SCADA system can...

  15. Final Environmental Statement related to license renewal and power increase for the National Bureau of Standards Reactor: Docket No. 50-184

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1982-08-01

    This Final Environmental Statement contains an assessment of the environmental impact associated with renewal of Operating License No. TR-5 for the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) reactor for a period of 20 years at a power level of 20 MW. This reactor is located on the 576-acre NBS site near Gaithersburg in Montgomery County, Maryland, about 20 mi northwest of the center of Washington, DC. The reactor is a high-flux heavy-water-moderated, cooled and reflected test reactor, which first went critical on December 7, 1967. Though the reactor was originally designed for 20-MW operation, it has been operating for 14 years at a maximum authorized power level to 10 MW. Program demand is now great enough to warrant operation at a power level of 20 MW. No additional major changes to the physical plant are required to operate at 20 MW

  16. The Power of Positive Emotions

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español The Power of Positive Emotions KidsHealth / For Teens / The Power ... great one. 2. Practice Positivity Every Day Building habits that encourage us to feel more positive emotions ...

  17. Use of computers at nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sen'kin, V.I.; Ozhigano, Yu.V.

    1974-01-01

    Applications of information and control computors in reacter central systems in Great Britain, Federal Republic of Germany, France, Canada, and the USA is surveyed. For the purpose of increasing the reliability of the computers effective means were designed for emergency operation and automatic computerized controls, and highly reliable micromodel modifications were developed. Numerical data units were handled along with development of methods and diagrams for converting analog values to numerical values, in accordance with modern requirements. Some data are presented on computer reliability in operating nuclear power plants both proposed and under construction. It is concluded that in foreign nuclear power stations the informational and calculational computers are finding increasingly wide distribution. Rapid action, the possibility of controlling large parameters, and operation of the computer in conjunction with increasing reliability are speeding up the process of introducing computers in atomic energy and broadenig their functions. (V.P.)

  18. Study on Impact of Electric Vehicles Charging Models on Power Load

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Chen; Hui-mei, Yuan

    2017-05-01

    With the rapid increase in the number of electric vehicles, which will lead the power load on grid increased and have an adversely affect. This paper gives a detailed analysis of the following factors, such as scale of the electric cars, charging mode, initial charging time, initial state of charge, charging power and other factors. Monte Carlo simulation method is used to compare the two charging modes, which are conventional charging and fast charging, and MATLAB is used to model and simulate the electric vehicle charging load. The results show that compared with the conventional charging mode, fast charging mode can meet the requirements of fast charging, but also bring great load to the distribution network which will affect the reliability of power grid.

  19. The Great War and Dutch Contract Law : Resistance, Responsiveness and Neutrality

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boom, van W.H.

    2014-01-01

    Throughout the Great War, the Netherlands tried frantically to remain a neutral nation between the warring Central Powers and the Entente Forces. Notwithstanding its neutrality, the war left distinct marks on Dutch society and economy. This article argues that it also left marks, both temporary and

  20. Hydrogen-oxygen steam generator applications for increasing the efficiency, maneuverability and reliability of power production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schastlivtsev, A. I.; Borzenko, V. I.

    2017-11-01

    The comparative feasibility study of the energy storage technologies showed good applicability of hydrogen-oxygen steam generators (HOSG) based energy storage systems with large-scale hydrogen production. The developed scheme solutions for the use of HOSGs for thermal power (TPP) and nuclear power plants (NPP), and the feasibility analysis that have been carried out have shown that their use makes it possible to increase the maneuverability of steam turbines and provide backup power supply in the event of failure of the main steam generating equipment. The main design solutions for the integration of hydrogen-oxygen steam generators into the main power equipment of TPPs and NPPs, as well as their optimal operation modes, are considered.

  1. Eight Personal Characteristics Associated with the Power to Live with Disasters as Indicated by Survivors of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Motoaki Sugiura

    Full Text Available People perceive, judge, and behave differently in disasters and in a wide range of other difficult situations depending on their personal characteristics. The power to live, as captured by characteristics that are advantageous for survival in such situations, has thus far been modeled in arbitrary ways. Conceptualizing such characteristics in more objective ways may be helpful for systematic preparations for future disasters and life difficulties. Here, we attempted to identify the major factors of the power to live by summarizing the opinions of survivors of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake disaster. We conducted personal interviews with 78 survivors about their survival experiences and elicited their opinions about the power to live as relevant to those experiences. We then incorporated these opinions into a questionnaire that was completed by 1400 survivors. Factor analysis identified eight factors related to the power to live: leadership, problem solving, altruism, stubbornness, etiquette, emotional regulation, self-transcendence, and active well-being. All factors had sufficient internal construct validity, and six of them showed significant associations with one or more measures of survival success in the disaster, including immediate tsunami evacuation, problem solving in refugee situations, recovery during reconstruction, physical health, and mental health. Overall, the personal characteristics described by the eight factors largely overlap with those described in previous arbitrary models. Further research should investigate the domains, phases, and contexts in which each factor contributes to survival, address whether the factors are rooted in nature or in nurture, and explore their psychological or physiological bases.

  2. Eight Personal Characteristics Associated with the Power to Live with Disasters as Indicated by Survivors of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sugiura, Motoaki; Sato, Shosuke; Nouchi, Rui; Honda, Akio; Abe, Tsuneyuki; Muramoto, Toshiaki; Imamura, Fumihiko

    2015-01-01

    People perceive, judge, and behave differently in disasters and in a wide range of other difficult situations depending on their personal characteristics. The power to live, as captured by characteristics that are advantageous for survival in such situations, has thus far been modeled in arbitrary ways. Conceptualizing such characteristics in more objective ways may be helpful for systematic preparations for future disasters and life difficulties. Here, we attempted to identify the major factors of the power to live by summarizing the opinions of survivors of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake disaster. We conducted personal interviews with 78 survivors about their survival experiences and elicited their opinions about the power to live as relevant to those experiences. We then incorporated these opinions into a questionnaire that was completed by 1400 survivors. Factor analysis identified eight factors related to the power to live: leadership, problem solving, altruism, stubbornness, etiquette, emotional regulation, self-transcendence, and active well-being. All factors had sufficient internal construct validity, and six of them showed significant associations with one or more measures of survival success in the disaster, including immediate tsunami evacuation, problem solving in refugee situations, recovery during reconstruction, physical health, and mental health. Overall, the personal characteristics described by the eight factors largely overlap with those described in previous arbitrary models. Further research should investigate the domains, phases, and contexts in which each factor contributes to survival, address whether the factors are rooted in nature or in nurture, and explore their psychological or physiological bases.

  3. INCREASED PROLIFERATION RESISTANCE FOR 21ST CENTURY NUCLEAR POWER

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Demuth, Scott F.; Thomas, Ken E.; Wallace, Richard K.

    2007-01-01

    World energy demand and greenhouse gases are expected to significantly increase in the near future. Key developing countries have identified nuclear power as a major contributor to their future energy sources. Consequently, the US and others are currently exploring the concept of a Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) to address the concerns of nuclear proliferation. This effort is also being encouraged by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). While the IAEA currently provides the framework for monitoring of state sponsored nuclear proliferation by way of international treaties, a complimentary action is to promote more proliferation resistant fuel cycles and advanced safeguards technology. As such, it is the responsibility of current technology owners to increase their nuclear fuel cycle proliferation resistance. For those countries that have an active and well-developed fuel cycle, it will require future enhancements. For those countries with extensive nuclear energy experience, yet less active programs, it requires re-engagement for technology development and deployment. The following paper discusses potential fuel cycle and technology changes that affect proliferation resistance; and consequently, may form the basis of future technology development efforts.

  4. Electronic mode of control to obtain increased torque and improved power factor from an asynchronous machine

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wyk, van J.D.

    1970-01-01

    It is indicated that, by changing the electronic switching mode of the rotor current of an induction machine, it is possible to operate the machine at improved (capacitive) power factors and increased torque, or conversely at lower effective current and capacitive power factors at rated torque.

  5. Innovative models of power generation: the captive-collective experience of consumer participation in power development in India

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sankar, T.L.

    1998-01-01

    While the need for power increases, and costs of generation are on the rise, developing nations face the particular challenge of developing power systems despite a lack of national and local government funds. In this paper, it is suggested that consumer participation, technical innovation, and managerial flexibility may provide the answers, and the Andhra Pradesh Gas Power Corporation Limited in India is offered as a model venture which successfully responds to the region's power and resource specifications. Through the formation of a 'captive-collective' and 'capital-cooperative' plant, a joint venture of the Andhra Pradesh State Electricity Board and some bulk industrial consumers, the respective needs of all parties were met with great success. Such large-scale power projects, set up and managed by consumers with the technical assistance of State Electricity Boards, can substantially reduce costs for consumers while engaging in technologies that reduce environmental pollution and resource degradation. Consumer participation is highlighted as the key element for positive power development, and it is argued that the success of projects such as the one undertaken in Andhra Pradesh illustrate the possibility and necessity for consumer-initiated and consumer-managed power ventures. (author)

  6. The selection of flying roller as an effort to increase the power of scooter-matic as the main power of centrifugal pump for fire fighter motor cycle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadi Sutrisno, Himawan

    2018-03-01

    In densely populated settlements, fires often occur and cause losses. In some instances, the process of the occurrence of fires takes place so quickly that to reduce and avoid the occurrence of a fire disaster effort is required in accordance with the existing environmental condition. Fire fighter motorcycle by using motorcycle scooter-matic is considered suitable as one alternative to combating fire hazard in densely populated residential settlements. The use of motorcycle engines as the driving force of the pump often leads to unstable and not optimum power. Thus, the water spray on the centrifugal pump also becomes not maximum. To increase the engine power at scooter-matic engine idle rotation (700-2000 rpm), then the flying roller replacement with certain mass weight becomes an option. By selecting a 10 to 14 gram flying roller mass, the power analysis using a dynotest engine produces several variations. Of the calculation, the mass of a 14 gram flying roller provides a significant increase in motor power on the upper rotation. Meanwhile, on the lower power rotation using a flying roller with a mass of 10 grams provides an increase in power compared to a standard flying roller on a scooter matic motor engine. As a reference to the use of scooter-matic motor power as the pump power, the result of use of the flying roller with a mass of 10 grams becomes the best option.

  7. A study of thermal-hydraulic requirements for increasing the power rates for natural-circulation boiling water reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yasuo, A.; Inada, F.; Hidaka, M.

    1992-01-01

    In this paper, the feasibility of higher power rates for natural-circulation boiling water reactors (BWRs) is studied with the objective of examining the flexibility of the plant power rate in constructing such plants to cope with the increasing demand for electricity. By applying existing one-dimensional design codes, the riser heights necessary to meet two major thermal-hydraulic requirements, i.e., critical power and core stability, are systematically calculated. Several restrictions on the maximum diameter and height of the pressure vessel are also considered because these restrictions could make construction impossible or drastically increase the construction costs. A very simple map of the dominant parameters for higher power rates is obtained. It is concluded that natural-circulation BWRs of >1000 MW (electric) will be feasible within the restrictions considered here

  8. Advances in power station construction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1986-01-01

    This book is about power stations - specifically about the construction of modern power stations by the Central Electricity Generating Board in England and Wales over the past decade. It describes the work of the CEGB's Generation Development and Construction Division, perhaps better known throughout the world as simply 'Barnwood' where it has its Headquarters in Gloucester, UK. Barnwood was formed in the early 1970s to concentrate the CEGB's then dispersed engineering construction resources to cope with the smaller number but greatly increased size and complexity of modern power station projects. Perhaps uniquely over the ten years since its formation Barnwood has managed the construction of all types of station; coal-fired, oil-fired, nuclear, pumped storage and hydro. This book tells the story of these various projects and gives detailed descriptions of the respective stations. However, it is not intended as a comprehensive description of power station technology. Rather it is intended to convey the scale of such projects and the many decisions and compromises which have to be made in the course of managing their construction

  9. A coupled piezoelectric–electromagnetic energy harvesting technique for achieving increased power output through damping matching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Challa, Vinod R; Prasad, M G; Fisher, Frank T

    2009-01-01

    Vibration energy harvesting is being pursued as a means to power wireless sensors and ultra-low power autonomous devices. From a design standpoint, matching the electrical damping induced by the energy harvesting mechanism to the mechanical damping in the system is necessary for maximum efficiency. In this work two independent energy harvesting techniques are coupled to provide higher electrical damping within the system. Here the coupled energy harvesting device consists of a primary piezoelectric energy harvesting device to which an electromagnetic component is added to better match the total electrical damping to the mechanical damping in the system. The first coupled device has a resonance frequency of 21.6 Hz and generates a peak power output of ∼332 µW, compared to 257 and 244 µW obtained from the optimized, stand-alone piezoelectric and electromagnetic energy harvesting devices, respectively, resulting in a 30% increase in power output. A theoretical model has been developed which closely agrees with the experimental results. A second coupled device, which utilizes the d 33 piezoelectric mode, shows a 65% increase in power output in comparison to the corresponding stand-alone, single harvesting mode devices. This work illustrates the design considerations and limitations that one must consider to enhance device performance through the coupling of multiple harvesting mechanisms within a single energy harvesting device

  10. A novel nuclear-powered propulsion system for ship

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Tao; Han Weishi

    2003-01-01

    A novel nuclear-powered propulsion system for ship is presented in this paper. In this system, a minitype liquid sodium-cooled reactor is used as power; alkali-metal thermal-to-electric conversion (AMTEC) cells are utilized to transform the heat energy to electric energy and superconducting magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) work as propulsion. This nuclear-powered propulsion system has great advantages in low noise, high speed, long survivability and simple manipulation. It has great significance for the development of propulsion system. (author)

  11. Necessity of nuclear power engineering development in Kazakstan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takibaev, Zh.S.; Cherepnin, Yu.S.

    1996-01-01

    Kazakstan is a great land country. Mining and delivery of great coal amount to power facilities will require to rise prices for electrical power. High expenditures for energy will lead to rising prime cost of every industry production unit produced in the country. If all power supply in the country is obtained from solid fuel, than geographical factor would be a heavy weight for it economy that would be not able to produce competition able. There is no doubt, that Kazakstan coal power supply will be prevailing electric power source for a long period of future. But it is urgently necessary consider and develop alternative conceptions for development of young country. There are a number of favourable reasons for atomic power engineering development

  12. An Advanced Bayesian Method for Short-Term Probabilistic Forecasting of the Generation of Wind Power

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Bracale

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Currently, among renewable distributed generation systems, wind generators are receiving a great deal of interest due to the great economic, technological, and environmental incentives they involve. However, the uncertainties due to the intermittent nature of wind energy make it difficult to operate electrical power systems optimally and make decisions that satisfy the needs of all the stakeholders of the electricity energy market. Thus, there is increasing interest determining how to forecast wind power production accurately. Most the methods that have been published in the relevant literature provided deterministic forecasts even though great interest has been focused recently on probabilistic forecast methods. In this paper, an advanced probabilistic method is proposed for short-term forecasting of wind power production. A mixture of two Weibull distributions was used as a probability function to model the uncertainties associated with wind speed. Then, a Bayesian inference approach with a particularly-effective, autoregressive, integrated, moving-average model was used to determine the parameters of the mixture Weibull distribution. Numerical applications also are presented to provide evidence of the forecasting performance of the Bayesian-based approach.

  13. PERFORMANCE OF LEAKAGE POWER MINIMIZATION TECHNIQUE FOR CMOS VLSI TECHNOLOGY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. Tharaneeswaran

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Leakage power of CMOS VLSI Technology is a great concern. To reduce leakage power in CMOS circuits, a Leakage Power Minimiza-tion Technique (LPMT is implemented in this paper. Leakage cur-rents are monitored and compared. The Comparator kicks the charge pump to give body voltage (Vbody. Simulations of these circuits are done using TSMC 0.35µm technology with various operating temper-atures. Current steering Digital-to-Analog Converter (CSDAC is used as test core to validate the idea. The Test core (eg.8-bit CSDAC had power consumption of 347.63 mW. LPMT circuit alone consumes power of 6.3405 mW. This technique results in reduction of leakage power of 8-bit CSDAC by 5.51mW and increases the reliability of test core. Mentor Graphics ELDO and EZ-wave are used for simulations.

  14. Summary of IEA-R1 research a reactor licensing related to its power increase from 2 to 10 MW

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-04-01

    This work is a summary of IEA-R1 research reactor licensing related to its power increase from 2 to 10 MW. It reports also safety requirements, fuel elements, and reactor control modifications inherent to power increase. (A.C.A.S.)

  15. Optimum voltage of auxiliary systems for thermal and nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tokumitsu, Iwao; Segawa, Motomichi

    1979-01-01

    In the power plants in Japan, their unit power output has been greatly enhanced since the introduction of new powerful thermal power plants from 1950's to 1960's. In both thermal and nuclear power plants, 1,000 MW machines have been already in operation. The increase of unit power output results in the increase of in-plant load capacity. Of these the voltage adopted for in-plant low voltage systems is now mainly 440 V at load terminals, and the voltage for in-plant high voltage systems has been changing to 6 kV level via 3 kV and 4 kV levels. As plant capacity increases, the load of low voltage systems significantly increases, and it is required to raise the voltage of 400 V level. By the way, the low voltage in AC is specified to be not higher than 600 V. This makes the change within the above range comparatively easy. Considering these conditions, it is recommended to change the voltage for low voltage systems to 575 V at power source terminals and 550 V at load terminals. Some merits in constructing power systems and in economy by raising the voltage were examined. Though demerits are also found, they are only about 15% of total merits. The most advantageous point in raising the voltage is to be capable of increasing the supplying range to low voltage system loads. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

  16. Fungal levels in houses in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant evacuation zone after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shinohara, Naohide; Tokumura, Masahiro; Hashimoto, Kazuhiro; Asano, Katsuyoshi; Kawakami, Yuji

    2017-10-01

    Residences located within 20 km of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant were evacuated shortly after the Great East Japan Earthquake. The levels of airborne and surface fungi were measured in six houses in the evacuation zone in August 2012 and February 2013. Airborne fungal levels in all of the houses in the summer were higher than the environmental standard levels for residential houses published in Architectural Institute of Japan (>1000 colony-forming units [CFU]/m 3 ). In two houses whose residents rarely returned to visit, fungal levels were extremely high (>52,000 CFU/m 3 ). Although fungal levels in the winter were much lower than those in the summer, they were still higher than environmental standard levels in several houses. Indoor fungal levels were significantly inversely related to the frequency with which residents returned, but they were not correlated with the air exchange rates, temperature, humidity, or radiation levels. Cladosporium spp. and Penicillium spp. were detected in every house. Aspergillus section Circumdati (Aspergillus ochraceus group) was also detected in several houses. These fungi produced ochratoxin A and ochratoxin B, which have nephrotoxic and carcinogenic potential. The present study suggests that further monitoring of fungal levels is necessary in houses in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant evacuation zone, and that some houses may require fungal disinfection. The results suggest that residents' health could be at risk owing to the high levels of airborne fungi and toxic fungi Aspergillus section Circumdati. Therefore, monitoring and decontamination/disinfection of fungi are strongly recommended before residents are allowed to return permanently to their homes. In addition, returning to home with a certain frequency and adequate ventilation are necessary during similar situations, e.g., when residents cannot stay in their homes for a long period, because fungal levels in houses in the Fukushima Daiichi

  17. Development of Standardized Power Electronic Components, Subsystems, and Systems for Increased Modularity and Scalability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chakraborty, S.; Pink, C.; Price, J.; Kroposki, B.; Kern, G.

    2007-11-01

    Power electronics devices hold substantial promise for making distributed energy applications more efficient and cost effective. This project is motivated towards developing and testing inverters that will allow distributed energy systems to provide ancillary services such as voltage and VAR regulation, and increased grid reliability by seamlessly transitioning between grid-tied and stand-alone operation modes. The objectives of this project are to identify system integration and optimization issues and technologies and to provide solutions through research, analysis, and testing of power electronic interfaces for distributed energy applications that are cost-competitive and have substantially faster response times than conventional technologies. In addition, the testing of power electronics interfaces will develop a technical basis for performance assessment for distributed energy systems, subsystems, and components that will finally create a foundation for standardized measurements and test procedures. The ultimate goal for this research is to advance the potential benefits of distributed energy to provide ancillary services, enhance power system reliability, and allow customer choice.

  18. Nuclear power perspective in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Xinrong; Xu Changhua

    2003-01-01

    China started developing nuclear technology for power generation in the 1970s. A substantial step toward building nuclear power plants was taken as the beginning of 1980 s. The successful constructions and operations of Qinshan - 1 NPP, which was an indigenous PWR design with the capacity of 300 MWe, and Daya Bay NPP, which was an imported twin-unit PWR plant from France with the capacity of 900 MWe each, give impetus to further Chinese nuclear power development. Now there are 8 units with the total capacity of 6100 MWe in operation and 3 units with the total capacity of 2600 MWe under construction. For the sake of meeting the increasing demand for electricity for the sustainable economic development, changing the energy mix and mitigating the environment pollution impact caused by fossil fuel power plant, a near and middle term electrical power development program will be established soon. It is preliminarily predicted that the total power installation capacity will be 750-800GWe by the year 2020. The nuclear share will account for at least 4.0-4.5 percent of the total. This situation leaves the Chinese nuclear power industry with a good opportunity but also a great challenge. A practical nuclear power program and a consistent policy and strategy for future nuclear power development will be carefully prepared and implemented so as to maintain the nuclear power industry to be healthfully developed. (author)

  19. Professionals Cultivations: critical to the safe operation & sustainable development of nuclear power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng, Mingguang

    2017-01-01

    Challenges to nuclear power development: Challenges to nuclear power: •Public acceptance & confidences shaking after SAs •Ecology concerning seriously on rad-waste & spent fuel •Both AP1000 & EPR delayed with investment greatly increased •Economic competition from Renewable & marginal effects from severe regulatory guides; Challenges from HR: •No peoples willing to enter industry for countries with NP phased out •No motivations to develop or innovate the new technology for countries with NP operation but no further planning •Professionals need badly for developing countries looking for more nuclear power •HR setup the balance between money & missions, prides & success

  20. Long-term outcomes of patients evacuated from hospitals near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Igarashi, Yutaka; Tagami, Takashi; Hagiwara, Jun; Kanaya, Takahiro; Kido, Norihiro; Omura, Mariko; Tosa, Ryoichi; Yokota, Hiroyuki

    2018-01-01

    After the accident of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant due to the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011, the Japanese government issued a mandatory evacuation order for people living within a 20 km radius of the nuclear power plant. The aim of the current study was to investigate long-term outcomes of these patients and identify factors related to mortality. Patients who were evacuated from hospitals near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to the Aizu Chuo Hospital from 15 to 26 March, 2011 were included in this study. The following data were collected from medical records: age, sex, activities of daily life, hospital they were admitted in at the time of earthquake, distance between the facility and the nuclear power plant, reasons of evacuation and number of transfers. The patient outcomes were collected from medical records and/or investigated on the telephone in January 2012. A total of 97 patients (28 men and 69 women) were transferred from 10 hospitals via ambulances or buses. No patients died or experienced exacerbation during transfer. Median age of the patients was 86 years. Of the total, 36 patients were not able to obey commands, 44 were bed-ridden and 61 were unable to sustain themselves via oral intake of food. Among 86 patients who were followed-up, 41 (48%) died at the end of 2011. Multiple-regression analysis showed that non-oral intake [Hazard Ratio (HR): 6.07, 95% Confidence interval (CI): 1.94-19.0] and male sex [HR: 8.35, 95% CI: 2.14-32.5] had significant impact on mortality. This study found that 48% of the evacuated patients died 9 months after the earthquake and they had significantly higher mortality rate than the nursing home residents. Non-oral intake and male sex had significant impact on mortality. These patients should be considered as especially vulnerable in case of hospital evacuation.

  1. Post-War Economics. Micro-Level Evidence from the African Great Lakes Region

    OpenAIRE

    D'Aoust, Olivia

    2015-01-01

    This thesis starts by arguing that the civil conflicts that erupted in the African Great Lakes are rooted in a continuous pursuit of power, in which ethnic, regional and political identifiers are used by the contenders for power to rally community support. In an introductory chapter, I go back to the colonial era, drawing attention to Burundi and Rwanda, and then describe in more details Burundi's refugee crisis, ex-combatants' demobilization and the 2010 elections, all of which will be addre...

  2. Natural phenolics greatly increase flax (Linum usitatissimum) oil stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasiewicz-Derkacz, Karolina; Kulma, Anna; Czuj, Tadeusz; Prescha, Anna; Żuk, Magdalena; Grajzer, Magdalena; Łukaszewicz, Marcin; Szopa, Jan

    2015-06-30

    Flaxseed oil is characterized by high content of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) promoted as a human dietary supplement protecting against atherosclerosis. The disadvantage of the high PUFA content in flax oil is high susceptibility to oxidation, which can result in carcinogenic compound formation. Linola flax cultivar is characterized by high linoleic acid content in comparison to traditional flax cultivars rich in linolenic acid. The changes in fatty acid proportions increase oxidative stability of Linola oil and broaden its use as an edible oil for cooking. However one of investigated transgenic lines has high ALA content making it suitable as omega-3 source. Protection of PUFA oxidation is a critical factor in oil quality. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of phenylpropanoid contents on the oil properties important during the whole technological process from seed storage to grinding and oil pressing, which may influence health benefits as well as shelf-life, and to establish guidelines for the selection of new cultivars. The composition of oils was determined by chromatographic (GS-FID and LC-PDA-MS) methods. Antioxidant properties of secondary metabolites were analyzed by DPPH method. The stability of oils was investigated: a) during regular storage by measuring acid value peroxide value p-anisidine value malondialdehyde, conjugated dienes and trienes; b) by using accelerated rancidity tests by TBARS reaction; c) by thermoanalytical - differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In one approach, in order to increase oil stability, exogenous substances added are mainly lipid soluble antioxidants from the isoprenoid pathway, such as tocopherol and carotene. The other approach is based on transgenic plant generation that accumulates water soluble compounds. Increased accumulation of phenolic compounds in flax seeds was achieved by three different strategies that modify genes coding for enzymes from the phenylpropanoid pathway. The three

  3. Family nurture intervention in preterm infants increases early development of cortical activity and independence of regional power trajectories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welch, Martha G; Stark, Raymond I; Grieve, Philip G; Ludwig, Robert J; Isler, Joseph R; Barone, Joseph L; Myers, Michael M

    2017-12-01

    Premature delivery and maternal separation during hospitalisation increase infant neurodevelopmental risk. Previously, a randomised controlled trial of Family Nurture Intervention (FNI) in the neonatal intensive care unit demonstrated improvement across multiple mother and infant domains including increased electroencephalographic (EEG) power in the frontal polar region at term age. New aims were to quantify developmental changes in EEG power in all brain regions and frequencies and correlate developmental changes in EEG power among regions. EEG (128 electrodes) was obtained at 34-44 weeks postmenstrual age from preterm infants born 26-34 weeks. Forty-four infants were treated with Standard Care and 53 with FNI. EEG power was computed in 10 frequency bands (1-48 Hz) in 10 brain regions and in active and quiet sleep. Percent change/week in EEG power was increased in FNI in 132/200 tests (p regional independence in those developmental rates of change. This study strengthens the conclusion that FNI promotes cerebral cortical development of preterm infants. The findings indicate that developmental changes in EEG may provide biomarkers for risk in preterm infants as well as proximal markers of effects of FNI. ©2017 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Public opinion on environmental and energy issues. Result of the census after 3 years of the Great East Japan Earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kosugi, Motoko

    2014-01-01

    The public opinion on the energy and environmental issues has changed greatly in Japan through experiences in and along the Great East Japan Earthquake. We conducted a social survey in order to grasp public opinions for environment and energy issues in March, 2014, which obtained 2313 valid responses (response rate was 64.3%). For the energy and environmental issues, while respondents show high interests in matters related to the Fukushima accident and nuclear power generation as well as electricity prices, they show relatively low interest in every other aspect. With regard to Japan's energy policy in the future, as expectations for renewable and natural sources of energy are large, about 60% of respondents have negative attitude in restart of nuclear power. For nuclear power, as compared to the previous survey conducted in August 2008, evaluation of 'control-ability of environmental impacts' and 'the power companies' risk management ability' was greatly reduced in particular. These results suggest the importance of provoke interest in the energy issues in general, as a premise to seek an understanding of the activities of the government and power companies. Furthermore, in order for the power companies to restore trust from the public, it is important to sympathize to public's anticipations of impacts on the health and environment through uses of nuclear power in the future. (author)

  5. Wind power: public policies; Energia eolica: politicas publicas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ferreira, Henrique Tavares; Faga, Murilo Tadeu Werneck [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil). Inst. de Eletrotecnica e Energia. Programa Interunidades de Pos-graduacao em Energia]. E-mail: henrique@iee.usp.br; murfaga@iee.usp.br

    2006-07-01

    This paper presents the incentive models to the wind power applied in Germany and Denmark, two countries with great participation of wind power in their energetic matrixes, analysing the barriers found to the wind power development.

  6. Improvement of nuclear power plant operation and maintenance in Japan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kazushige Hamazaki

    1987-01-01

    Following the inauguration of commercial nuclear power generation in Japan in 1966, capacity factors were held in the relatively low level until around 1975 due to initial-period troubles. With subsequent improvement, however, capacity factors have climbed steadily and recently been sustaining more than 70%. To obtain this successful result, a various kind of improvement have been made not only for the operation management area but also for the maintenance management area in conjunction with the successive effort to reflect the operating experiences to the early stage design. Nowadays nuclear generation has assumed increasing importance for Japan's electrical power needs, and is making a great contribution to stabilizing power supply costs. (author)

  7. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Great Lakes Mussel Watch(2009-2014)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Following the inception of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) to address the significant environmental issues plaguing the Great Lakes region, the...

  8. Attenuated Increase in Maximal Force of Rat Medial Gastrocnemius Muscle after Concurrent Peak Power and Endurance Training

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Regula Furrer

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Improvement of muscle peak power and oxidative capacity are generally presumed to be mutually exclusive. However, this may not be valid by using fibre type-specific recruitment. Since rat medial gastrocnemius muscle (GM is composed of high and low oxidative compartments which are recruited task specifically, we hypothesised that the adaptive responses to peak power training were unaffected by additional endurance training. Thirty rats were subjected to either no training (control, peak power training (PT, or both peak power and endurance training (PET, which was performed on a treadmill 5 days per week for 6 weeks. Maximal running velocity increased 13.5% throughout the training and was similar in both training groups. Only after PT, GM maximal force was 10% higher than that of the control group. In the low oxidative compartment, mRNA levels of myostatin and MuRF-1 were higher after PT as compared to those of control and PET groups, respectively. Phospho-S6 ribosomal protein levels remained unchanged, suggesting that the elevated myostatin levels after PT did not inhibit mTOR signalling. In conclusion, even by using task-specific recruitment of the compartmentalized rat GM, additional endurance training interfered with the adaptive response of peak power training and attenuated the increase in maximal force after power training.

  9. Computation On dP Type power System Stabilizer Using Fuzzy Logic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iskandar, M.A.; Irwan, R.; Husdi; Riza; Mardhana, E.; Triputranto, A.

    1997-01-01

    Power system stabilizers (PSS) are widely applied in power generators to damp power oscillation caused by certain disturbances in order to increase the power supply capacity. PSS design is often suffered from the difficulty on setting periodically its parameters, which are gain and compensators, in order to have an optimal damping characteristic. This paper proposes a methode to determine parameters of dP type PSS by implementing fuzzy logic rules in a computer program,to obtain the appropriate characteristics of synchronous torque and damping torque. PSS with the calculated parameters is investigated on a simulation using a non-linear electric power system of a thermal generator connected to infinite bus system model. Simulation results show that great improvement in damping characteristic and enhancement of stability margin of electric power system are obtained by using the proposed PSS

  10. Optimization of reactor power by taking into consideration temperature increase in a reactor pumped 3He-Xe laser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cetin, Fuesun

    2009-01-01

    In nuclear pumped lasers, gas parameters are optimized in a manner such that output power is increased for constructing a high power laser. Since output power increases with the increase of energy deposited in the gas, high output power requires high pumping power. However, the high energy loading results in elevated gas temperature. Temperature increase of this magnitude can detrimentally influence the laser gain and efficiency, since it negatively impacts several important laser kinetic.processes. This fact may cause laser output to abruptly terminate before the peak of the pump pulse [1-3]. A nuclear pumped laser using a volumetric energy source through the 3 He(n, p) 3 H reaction has here been considered. It is assumed that TRIGA Mark II Reactor at Istanbul Technical University is used for nuclear pumping as the neutron source. In the previous papers, the optimal parameters for improving both output power and optical homogeneity were determined [4-5]. Spatial and temporal variations of gas temperature during pumping pulse for maximum peak power (1200 MW) were determined for various operating pressures in Ref. [6]. It was seen that gas temperature reaches up to 1000 0 K near the peak of the pumping pulse for the initial pressures of 1-4 atm. This means that laser output may terminate before the peak of the pump pulse due to overheating of laser gas. Under these conditions, a question arises about a further optimisation taking into consideration gas temperature. This question has been examined in this study. Experimental results (Batyrbekov et al, 1989) showed that temperature rise up to 650 C had no influence on Xe laser characteristics [ 7]. Therefore, It has here been assumed that the lasing will terminate when gas temperature reaches 1000 0 K for a Xe-laser with 3 He buffer gas. Under these conditions optimum reactor power is investigated by taking into consideration lasing duration also. (orig.)

  11. Economic feasibility of sail power devices on Great Lakes bulk carriers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1982-09-22

    Three ships were examined, the ED RYERSON, the ST. CLAIR, and the STEWART CORT to determine if retro-fitting these ships with a 3000 sq ft soft sail cat rig is economically feasible. By using existing weather data taken from recorded observations on Lake Michigan and Lake Superior and known performance characteristics of both the sailplan and hull, a computer program was written to model the problem. Three cases for each ship were estimated. The first was the average fuel savings, second was an optimistic estimate of fuel savings, and the third was a pessimistic estimate of fuel savings. Several considerations had to be taken into account that had serious consequences for the economic viability of the idea. One was the fact that all of the aforementioned ships have self unloading equipment that require about 80% of the deck space to be clear. This limited the choice of sailplans to one per ship. Another consideration is that due to bridge clearance problems an air draft of less than 125' was required. These two factors limited the size and efficiency of the sail plan. The third consideration is that due to the very tight shipping channels on the Great Lakes, there is no provision for altering course to take advantage of prevailing winds in order to maximize the usefulness of the sail device. The sail device on the ED RYERSON does not seem to be economically feasible. Even at the lowest interest rate investigated in this study (8%) the average annual cost improves only in the optimistic estimates. At 12% interest even this slight advantage disappears. The sail devices on the STEWART CORT and ST. CLAIR seem to be marginally feasible at low interest rates and the present cost of fuel. The STEWART CORT seems to benefit most from the fitting of a sail device. A modest increase in fuel prices, perhaps possible, will make both of these ships look substantially better.

  12. DUALISM OF GEOSTRATEGIC PROSPECTS OF GREAT BRITAIN IN THE MODERN SYSTEM OF GLOBAL UNCERTAINTIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexey N. Yeletsky

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Peculiarities of a modern position of Great Britain in the global economy are analysed. Its role as one of the local centres of influence in the European Union is emphasized. «Special relationship» between England and the United States in the context of formation of a new «Anglo-Saxon empire» is examined. Particular attention is paid to the key role of Great Britain in the alliance of English-speaking powers.

  13. The Great Recession, unemployment and suicide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norström, Thor; Grönqvist, Hans

    2015-02-01

    How have suicide rates responded to the marked increase in unemployment spurred by the Great Recession? Our paper puts this issue into a wider perspective by assessing (1) whether the unemployment-suicide link is modified by the degree of unemployment protection, and (2) whether the effect on suicide of the present crisis differs from the effects of previous economic downturns. We analysed the unemployment-suicide link using time-series data for 30 countries spanning the period 1960-2012. Separate fixed-effects models were estimated for each of five welfare state regimes with different levels of unemployment protection (Eastern, Southern, Anglo-Saxon, Bismarckian and Scandinavian). We included an interaction term to capture the possible excess effect of unemployment during the Great Recession. The largest unemployment increases occurred in the welfare state regimes with the least generous unemployment protection. The unemployment effect on male suicides was statistically significant in all welfare regimes, except the Scandinavian one. The effect on female suicides was significant only in the eastern European country group. There was a significant gradient in the effects, being stronger the less generous the unemployment protection. The interaction term capturing the possible excess effect of unemployment during the financial crisis was not significant. Our findings suggest that the more generous the unemployment protection the weaker the detrimental impact on suicide of the increasing unemployment during the Great Recession. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  14. Competition in the power markets of Northern Europe; Konkurranse i kraftmarkedene i Nord-Europa

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tennbakk, Berit

    1998-12-01

    This report analyses the question whether a working wholesale market for electricity will develop in Northern Europe despite the differences in external conditions and in industrial structure. A recent EC directive and the approach towards a liberalization of the European energy markets direct attention to increased integration and trade with electricity. It is unclear whether the directive will have the intended impact. Norway, Sweden and Finland have deregulated their power markets, while Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands still have a monopolistic market structure. The most important difference between the deregulated and the monopolistic systems is that in the deregulated system the technical network activities are separated out and regulated while the suppliers compete in a market. The technical properties of network operation and the systems properties of the network imply advantages under large-scale operation that indicate that network operation is a natural monopoly which must be regulated. However, there are few essential large-scale advantages in the production of electric power. Thus, business based on competition implies that transmission and distribution should be regulated and that competition is allowed in those parts of the trade that do not profit from large-scale operation. International power trade is not necessarily a goal in itself. If transporting the energy carriers used in power production is cheaper than electric power, then the power plants should be placed where the demand is. In the development of the national systems, requirements have been imposed on the power sector in addition to cost-efficiency. Hence there is great variation in production structure and costs among countries, which provides a basis for profitable trade. In fact, there is a great potential for increased efficiency by increasing the trade among the EC countries. 23 refs., 7 tabs.

  15. Diameter dependence of emission power in MgO-based nano-pillar spin-torque oscillators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Bochong; Kubota, Hitoshi, E-mail: hit-kubota@aist.go.jp; Yakushiji, Kay; Tamaru, Shingo; Arai, Hiroko; Imamura, Hiroshi; Fukushima, Akio; Yuasa, Shinji [Spintronics Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan)

    2016-06-20

    The dependence on diameter of the emission power in MgO-based nano-pillar spin torque oscillators (STOs) was systematically investigated. A maximum emission power of over 2.5 μW was obtained around 300 nm in diameter, which is the largest reported to date among the out-of-plane precession STOs. By analyzing physical quantities, precession cone angle of the free-layer magnetization was evaluated. In the diameter range below 300 nm, the increase in power was mainly due to the increase of the injected current. The power decrease above 300 nm is possibly attributed to the decrease in the averaged precession cone angle, suggesting spatial phase difference of magnetization precession. This study provides the method for estimating the optimum STO diameter, which is of great importance in practical use.

  16. The environmental challenges of power generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schelling, T.C.

    1998-01-01

    In two decades, three momentous changes have occurred that will influence power generation for decades to come. Coal has become a culprit responsible for respiratory disease and acid rain; carbon dioxide has become a culprit widely believed capable of changes in climate greater than any that have occurred in ten thousand years; and nuclear power in many countries has become an outcast. The irony is that nuclear power promised clean air and no greenhouse effect. The great gathering of heads of state in Rio in 1992 was the celebration of a problem; whether it was the beginning of a solution remains to be seen. The paper is followed by a discussion by Dominique Finon, Director, Institut d'Economie et de Politique de l'Energie, CNRS and Universite of Grenoble, France. He presents a divergent view to the wait-and-see attitude that appears from Schelling's discourse. He points to the increasing array of technological options available to the power industry and discusses the need for dynamic approaches to problems such as global warming. 5 refs

  17. Opening up the future in space with nuclear power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buden, D.; Angelo, J. Jr.

    1985-01-01

    Man's extraterrestrial development is dependent on abundant power. For example, space-based manufacturing facilities are projected to have a power demand of 300 kWe by the end of this Century, and several megawatts in the early part of next millennium. The development of the lunar resource base will result in power needs ranging from an initial 100 kW(e) to many megawatts. Human visits to Mars could be achieved using a multimegawatt nuclear electric propulsion system or high thrust nuclear rockets. Detailed exploration of the solar system will also be greatly enhanced by the availability of large nuclear electric propulsion systems. All of these activities will require substantial increases in space power - hundreds of kilowatts to many megawatts. The challenge is clear: how to effectively use nuclear energy to support humanity's expansion into space

  18. Ecology of fire in shortgrass prairie of the southern Great Plains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paulette L. Ford; Guy R. McPherson

    1996-01-01

    The ecology of fire in shortgrass prairie of the southern Great Plains includes a complex interaction between the shortgrass prairie ecosystem and its inhabitants, all inextricably linked to land-use patterns. The history of the relationship between man and fire has been filled with ambivalence and mistrust, along with an appreciation of the power of fire as a...

  19. Extending the applied software in the contemporary thermal power plants for increasing the intelligence of the automatic control system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krokhin, G.; Pestunov, A.; Arakelyan, E.; Mukhin, V.

    2017-11-01

    During the last decades, there can be noticed an increase of interest concerning various aspects of intellectual diagnostics and management in thermal power engineering according the hybrid principle. It is conditioned by the fact that conservative static methods does not allow to reflect the actual power installation state adequately. In order to improve the diagnostics quality, we use various fuzzy systems apparatus. In this paper, we introduce the intellectual system, called SKAIS, which is intended for quick and precise diagnostics of thermal power equipment. This system was developed as the result of the research carried out by specialists from National Research University “Moscow Power Engineering Institute” and Novosibirsk State University of Economics and Management. It drastically increases the level of intelligence of the automatic power plant control system.

  20. Increase of the Integration Degree of Wind Power Plants into the Energy System Using Wind Forecasting and Power Consumption Predictor Models by Transmission System Operator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manusov V.Z.

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Wind power plants’ (WPPs high penetration into the power system leads to various inconveniences in the work of system operators. This fact is associated with the unpredictable nature of wind speed and generated power, respectively. Due to these factors, such source of electricity must be connected to the power system to avoid detrimental effects on the stability and quality of electricity. The power generated by the WPPs is not regulated by the system operator. Accurate forecasting of wind speed and power, as well as power load can solve this problem, thereby making a significant contribution to improving the power supply systems reliability. The article presents a mathematical model for the wind speed prediction, which is based on autoregression and fuzzy logic derivation of Takagi-Sugeno. The new model of wavelet transform has been developed, which makes it possible to include unnecessary noise from the model, as well as to reveal the cycling of the processes and their trend. It has been proved, that the proposed combination of methods can be used simultaneously to predict the power consumption and the wind power plant potential power at any time interval, depending on the planning horizon. The proposed models support a new scientific concept for the predictive control system of wind power stations and increase their degree integration into the electric power system.

  1. Transient analysis models for nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agapito, J.R.

    1981-01-01

    The modelling used for the simulation of the Angra-1 start-up reactor tests, using the RETRAN computer code is presented. Three tests are simulated: a)nuclear power plant trip from 100% of power; b)great power excursions tests and c)'load swing' tests.(E.G.) [pt

  2. Containment pressure monitoring method after severe accident in nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo Chuanjie; Zhang Shishui

    2011-01-01

    The containment atmosphere monitoring system in nuclear power plant was designed on the basis of design accident. But containment pressure will increase greatly in a severe accident, and pressure instrument in the containment can't satisfy the monitoring requirement. A new method to monitor the pressure change in the containment after a severe accident was considered, through which accident soften methods can be adopted. Under present technical condition, adding a pressure monitoring channel out of containment for post-severe accident is a considerable method. Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant implemented this modification, by which the containment release time can be delayed during severe accident, and nuclear safety can be increased. After analysis, this method is safe and feasible. (authors)

  3. Reactor experiments, workshops, and human resource development education simulating the Great East Japan Earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horiguchi, Tetsuo; Yamamoto, Tomosada

    2012-01-01

    Kinki University Atomic Energy Research Institute has been implementing a social education program such as reactor experiments and training sessions for junior and senior high school teachers since 1987, and in recent years, it has been implementing an education program for common citizens. However, the Great East Japan Earthquake has made it necessary to consider not only the dissemination of accurate knowledge, but also responding to the anxiety on nuclear power. This paper explains the contents of the social contribution activities and workshops conducted at Kinki University Atomic Energy Research Institute, after the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident. As the activities that are carried out in addition to training sessions, it introduces the implementation state of telephone consultation about nuclear power, and earthquake reconstruction assistance advisory at Kawamata Town, Date-gun, Fukushima Prefecture. As workshop support, it reports human resource development education in the nuclear field at the university, activities at the workshops for junior/senior high school teachers and general public, and questionnaire survey at the time of the workshops. (A.O.)

  4. Increasing economic benefits by load-shifting of electrical heat pumps

    OpenAIRE

    Laveyne, Joannes; Zwaenepoel, Brecht; Van Eetvelde, Greet; Vandevelde, Lieven

    2014-01-01

    Electrical heating is still widely used in the process industry. While the use of immersion heaters for the production of hot water or steam is declining, the adoption rate of electrical heat pumps is increasing rapidly. Heat pumps show great flexibility and potential for energy savings, e.g. through low temperature waste heat recuperation. In combination with thermal storage they also allow for load shifting. Because their main power source is electricity, which up to now cannot be stored ef...

  5. Novel surveillance of psychological distress during the great recession.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayers, John W; Althouse, Benjamin M; Allem, Jon-Patrick; Childers, Matthew A; Zafar, Waleed; Latkin, Carl; Ribisl, Kurt M; Brownstein, John S

    2012-12-15

    Economic stressors have been retrospectively associated with net population increases in nonspecific psychological distress (PD). However, no sentinels exist to evaluate contemporaneous associations. Aggregate Internet search query surveillance was used to monitor population changes in PD around the United States' Great Recession. Monthly PD query trends were compared with unemployment, underemployment, homes in delinquency and foreclosure, median home value or sale prices, and S&P 500 trends for 2004-2010. Time series analyses, where economic indicators predicted PD one to seven months into the future, were performed in 2011. PD queries surpassed 1,000,000 per month, of which 300,000 may be attributable to the Great Recession. A one percentage point increase in mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures was associated with a 16% (95%CI, 9-24) increase in PD queries one-month, and 11% (95%CI, 3-18) four months later, in reference to a pre-Great Recession mean. Unemployment and underemployment had similar associations half and one-quarter the intensity. "Anxiety disorder", "what is depression", "signs of depression", "depression symptoms", and "symptoms of depression" were the queries exhibiting the strongest associations with mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures, unemployment or underemployment. Housing prices and S&P 500 trends were not associated with PD queries. A non-traditional measure of PD was used. It is unclear if actual clinically significant depression or anxiety increased during the Great Recession. Alternative explanations for strong associations between the Great Recession and PD queries, such as media, were explored and rejected. Because the economy is constantly changing, this work not only provides a snapshot of recent associations between the economy and PD queries but also a framework and toolkit for real-time surveillance going forward. Health resources, clinician screening patterns, and policy debate may be informed by changes in PD query

  6. Risk assessment and nuclear power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bodansky, D.

    1982-01-01

    The range of risk perceptions involving nuclear power is so great that there is little hope of bridging extreme positions, but a consensus based upon reasoned discussion among uncommitted people could determine a sensible path. Our concerns over the uncertainties of risk assessment have made it increasingly difficult to make responsible decisions fast enough to deal with modern needs. The result is an immobility in energy matters that can point to a 2% reduction in oil use as its only triumph. The risk of nuclear war as a result of military action over energy issues suggests to some that the solution is to abolish nuclear power (however impractical) and to others that a rapid spread of nuclear power will eliminate energy as an incentive for war. If nuclear war is the major risk to consider, risk assessments need to include the risks of war, as well as those of carbon dioxide buildup and socio-economic disruptions, all of which loom larger than the risks of nuclear-plant accidents. Energy choices should be aimed at diminishing these major risks, even if they include the use of nuclear power. 26 references

  7. Increased installation in existing hydro power plants. Potentials and costs; Oekt installasjon i eksisterende kraftverk. Potensial og kostnader

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stensby, Kjell Erik (ed.)

    2011-06-15

    This report seeks to highlight the costs associated with increased installed capacity of existing hydropower plants. Five selected power plant is further studied. Furthermore, given an overview of the technical possibilities of power expansions in Norway. (AG)

  8. Air quality impacts of increased use of indigenous fuels for power generation in the Philippines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Orbeta, E.M.

    2003-01-01

    The 2002-2011 Philippine Energy plan promotes the restructuring of its troubled power sector to ensure efficiency, reliability in supply and competitive electricity pricing. In particular, the plan promotes the use of indigenous fuels to increase self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on imported fuels. However, the indigenous fuel that will replace imported oil includes coal (a highly polluting energy source) and geothermal power. This paper assessed the environmental and health impacts associated with the development of coal and geothermal energy in the Philippines. It was determined that from 2001 to 2011, the development of geothermal energy could result in less air pollution than a scenario in which only current energy sources are developed. However, the expected increase in generating capacity in the Philippines will result in a general increase in air pollution levels. Local coal is singled out as the primary polluting energy source. Several pollution reduction initiatives were recommended, including improved pollution monitoring and energy efficiency measures. 18 refs., 21 tabs., 4 figs., 8 appendices

  9. Applications of power beaming from space-based nuclear power stations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Powell, J.R.; Botts, T.E.; Hertzberg, A.

    1981-01-01

    Power beaming from space-based reactor systems is examined using an advanced compact, lightweight Rotating Bed Reactor (RBR). Closed Brayton power conversion efficiencies in the range of 30 to 40% can be achieved with turbines, with reactor exit temperatures on the order of 2000 0 K and a liquid drop radiator to reject heat at temperatures of approx. 500 0 K. Higher RBR coolant temperatures (up to approx. 3000 0 K) are possible, but gains in power conversion efficiency are minimal, due to lower expander efficiency (e.g., a MHD generator). Two power beaming applications are examined - laser beaming to airplanes and microwave beaming to fixed ground receivers. Use of the RBR greatly reduces system weight and cost, as compared to solar power sources. Payback times are a few years at present prices for power and airplane fuel

  10. Analysis of a novel solar energy-powered Rankine cycle for combined power and heat generation using supercritical carbon dioxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, X.R.; Yamaguchi, H.; Uneno, D. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Doshisha University, Kyoto 630-0321 (Japan); Fujima, K. [Mayekawa MFG Co., Ltd., 2000 Tatsuzawa Moriya-city, Ibaraki-Pref. 302-0118 (Japan); Enomoto, M. [Showa Denko K. K., 1-480, Inuzuka, Oyama-city, Tochigi 323-8679 (Japan); Sawada, N. [Showa Tansan Co., Ltd., 7-1, Ogimachi, Kawasaki-Ku, Kawasaki-city, Kanagawa 210-0867 (Japan)

    2006-10-15

    Theoretical analysis of a solar energy-powered Rankine thermodynamic cycle utilizing an innovative new concept, which uses supercritical carbon dioxide as a working fluid, is presented. In this system, a truly 'natural' working fluid, carbon dioxide, is utilized to generate firstly electricity power and secondly high-grade heat power and low-grade heat power. The uniqueness of the system is in the way in which both solar energy and carbon dioxide, available in abundant quantities in all parts of the world, are simultaneously used to build up a thermodynamic cycle and has the potential to reduce energy shortage and greatly reduce carbon dioxide emissions and global warming, offering environmental and personal safety simultaneously. The system consists of an evacuated solar collector system, a power-generating turbine, a high-grade heat recovery system, a low-grade heat recovery system and a feed pump. The performances of this CO{sub 2}-based Rankine cycle were theoretically investigated and the effects of various design conditions, namely, solar radiation, solar collector area and CO{sub 2} flow rate, were studied. Numerical simulations show that the proposed system may have electricity power efficiency and heat power efficiency as high as 11.4% and 36.2%, respectively. It is also found that the cycle performances strongly depend on climate conditions. Also the electricity power and heat power outputs increase with the collector area and CO{sub 2} flow rate. The estimated COP{sub power} and COP{sub heat} increase with the CO{sub 2} flow rate, but decrease with the collector area. The CO{sub 2}-based cycle can be optimized to provide maximum power, maximum heat recovery or a combination of both. The results suggest the potential of this new concept for applications to electricity power and heat power generation. (author)

  11. Mitigating an increase of specific power consumption in a cryogenic air separation unit at reduced oxygen production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singla, Rohit; Chowdhury, Kanchan

    2017-02-01

    Specific power consumed in a Linde double column air separation unit (ASU) increases as the quantity of oxygen produced at a given purity is decreased due to the changes of system requirement or market demand. As the plant operates in part load condition, the specific power consumption (SPC) increases as the total power consumption remains the same. In order to mitigate the increase of SPC at lower oxygen production, the operating pressure of high pressure column (HPC) can be lowered by extending the low pressure column (LPC) by a few trays and adding a second reboiler. As the duty of second reboiler in LPC is increased, the recovery of oxygen decreases with a lowering of the HPC pressure. This results in mitigation of the increase of SPC of the plant. A Medium pressure ASU with dual reboiler that produces pressurised gaseous and liquid products of oxygen and nitrogen is simulated in Aspen Hysys 8.6®, a commercial process simulator to determine SPC at varying oxygen production. The effects of reduced pressure of air feed into the cold box on the size of heat exchangers (HX) are analysed. Operation strategy to obtain various oxygen production rates at varying demand is also proposed.

  12. Microsoft Hyper-V PowerShell automation

    CERN Document Server

    Menon, Vinith

    2015-01-01

    This book is great for administrators who are new to automating Hyper-V administration tasks using PowerShell. If you are familiar with the PowerShell command line and have some experience with the Windows Server, this book is perfect for you.

  13. Continuing studies of plasma erosion switches for power conditioning on multiterawatt pulsed power accelerators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stringfield, R.; Gilman, C.; James, G.; Peters, T.; Sincerny, P.; Wong, S.

    1983-01-01

    Recent PITHON experiments with plasma erosion switches (PES) have extended the range of operation of the switches by about 50 percent, in terms of closed time and charge passing through the switch. The quantity of charge passed through the switch has been increased to as much as 35 mC. Currents as large as 1 MA and voltages as great as 1.8 MV have been switched off to be diverted to a downstream load. The impedance of the erosion switch can be described as having three stages: 1) essentially zero impedance, 2) a transitional opening phase, and 3) an impedance which is very large (greater than 5 Ω) in comparison with the subohm downstream load. Current diagnostics, consisting of Rogowski coils and segmented shunts, have been successfully developed to monitor the current which propagates to the load region. These monitors have measured rise times as short as 38 ns and slew rates as great as 10 14 A/s at the load. With wire array loads, the pulse conditioning of the switch has been observed to reduce the magnitude of the current losses in the feed which are present when no switch is used. Correlations have been made between the switch closed time, voltage, current, and power with the feed inductance and the generator power injected into the magnetic insulated transmission line (MITL)

  14. Environmental Assessment for Lignite Fuel Enhancement Project, Coal Creek Station, Great River Energy, Underwood, North Dakota

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    N/A

    2004-01-16

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared this EA to assess the environmental impacts of the commercial application of lignite fuel enhancement. The proposed demonstration project would be implemented at Great River Energy's Coal Creek Station near Underwood, North Dakota. The proposed project would demonstrate a technology to increase the heating value of lignite and other high-moisture coals by reducing the moisture in the fuels. Waste heat that would normally be sent to the cooling towers would be used to drive off a percentage of the moisture contained within the lignite. Application of this technology would be expected to boost power-generating efficiencies, provide economic cost savings for lignite and sub-bituminous power plants, and reduce air emissions. The proposed project would be constructed on a previously disturbed site within the Coal Creek Station and no negative impacts would occur in any environmental resource area.

  15. Integrated equipment for increasing and maintaining coolant pressure in primary circuit of PWR nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sykora, D.

    1986-01-01

    An open heat pump circuit is claimed connected to the primary circuit. The pump circuit consists of a steam pressurizer with a built-in steam distributor, a compressor, an expander, a reducing valve, an auxiliary pump, and of water and steam pipes. The operation is described and a block diagram is shown of integrated equipment for increasing and maintaining pressure in the nuclear power plant primary circuit. The appropriate entropy diagram is also shown. The advantage of the open pump circuit consists in reducing the electric power input and electric power consumption for the steam pressurizers, removing entropy loss in heat transfer with high temperature gradient, in the possibility of inserting, between the expander and the auxiliary pump, a primary circuit coolant treatment station, in simplified design and manufacture of the high-pressure steam pressurizer vessel, reducing the weight of the steam pressurizer by changing its shape from cylindrical to spherical, increasing the rate of pressure growth in the primary circuit. (E.S.)

  16. Comparison of health and environmental effects of nuclear power plants and lignite-burning power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horacek, P.; Chytil, I.; Razga, J.

    1988-01-01

    The individual factors are discussed which characterize the impact of nuclear power plants and lignite-burning power plants on human health and on the environment. The study proceeds from the IAEA categorization of these impacts. In this light, attention is centred on the impact of the normal operation of power plants and on accidents. The former category is further divided into regional impacts such as the emission of chemical substances, the emission of radioactive substances, heat emissions and the sum of regional factors, and on global impacts such as emissions of carbon dioxide, emissions of long-lived radionuclides and the sum of global impacts. It is stated that research should pay more attention to the dangers of the effects of such a state of affairs when the infrastructure contaminated after a large-scale accident would be put out of operation, and the dangers of such a situation especially in small countries with great population densities. Such accidents represent the biggest danger of the use of nuclear power. The greatest danger of coal-burning power plants is their global impact on the atmosphere caused by the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels. (Z.M.). 4 figs., 13 refs

  17. Low power predictable memory and processing architectures

    OpenAIRE

    Chen, Jiaoyan

    2013-01-01

    Great demand in power optimized devices shows promising economic potential and draws lots of attention in industry and research area. Due to the continuously shrinking CMOS process, not only dynamic power but also static power has emerged as a big concern in power reduction. Other than power optimization, average-case power estimation is quite significant for power budget allocation but also challenging in terms of time and effort. In this thesis, we will introduce a methodology to support mo...

  18. Armature reaction of permanent magnet-excited small dc motors with shell type magnets and possibilities of power increase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gutt, H J; Tran, Q N

    1983-07-01

    Permanent magnet-excited small dc motors allow an increase of power up to 30% compared with present permanent excited motors. The calculation of immediate irreversible demagnetization of the air-gap situated shell type magnets is necessary for a good motor design. Numerical calculated field line plots show the critical zones of the irreversible demagnetization at high armature reaction and refer how to avoid the flux loss and to increase the motor power.

  19. Antenna size reduction as a strategy to increase biomass productivity: a great potential not yet realized

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mooij, de T.; Janssen, M.G.J.; Cerezo-Chinarro, O.; Mussgnug, J.H.; Kruse, O.; Ballottari, M.; Bassi, R.; Bujaldon, S.; Wollman, F.A.; Wijffels, R.H.

    2015-01-01

    A major limitation in achieving high photosynthetic efficiency in microalgae mass cultures is the fact that the intensity of direct sunlight greatly exceeds the photosynthetic capacity of the cells. Due to the high pigment content of algal cells, the light absorption rate surpasses the much slower

  20. Power gating of VLSI circuits using MEMS switches in low power applications

    KAUST Repository

    Shobak, Hosam

    2011-12-01

    Power dissipation poses a great challenge for VLSI designers. With the intense down-scaling of technology, the total power consumption of the chip is made up primarily of leakage power dissipation. This paper proposes combining a custom-designed MEMS switch to power gate VLSI circuits, such that leakage power is efficiently reduced while accounting for performance and reliability. The designed MEMS switch is characterized by an 0.1876 ? ON resistance and requires 4.5 V to switch. As a result of implementing this novel power gating technique, a standby leakage power reduction of 99% and energy savings of 33.3% are achieved. Finally the possible effects of surge currents and ground bounce noise are studied. These findings allow longer operation times for battery-operated systems characterized by long standby periods. © 2011 IEEE.

  1. Validation of the thermal balance of Laguna Verde turbine under conditions of extended power increase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castaneda G, M. A.; Cruz B, H. J.; Mercado V, J. J.; Cardenas J, J. B.; Garcia de la C, F. M.

    2012-10-01

    The present work is a continuation of the task: Modeling of the vapor cycle of Laguna Verde with the PEPSE code to conditions of thermal power licensed at present (2027 MWt) in which the modeling of the vapor cycle of the nuclear power plant of Laguna Verde was realized with PEPSE code (Performance Evaluation of Power System Efficiencies). Once reached the conditions of nominal operation of extended power increase, operating both units to 2371 MWt; after the tests phase of starting-up and operation is necessary to carry out a verification of the proposed design of the vapor cycle for the new operation conditions. All this, having in consideration that the vapor cycle designer only knows the detail of the prospective performance of the main turbine, for all the other components (for example pumps, heat inter changers, valves, reactor, humidity separators and re-heaters, condensers, etc.) makes generic suppositions based on engineering judgment. This way carries out the calculations of thermal balance to determine the guaranteed gross power. The purpose of the present work is to comment the detail of the validation carried out of the specific thermal balance (thermal kit) of the nuclear power plant, making use of the design characteristics of the different components that conform the vapor cycle. (Author)

  2. Great War legacies in Serbian culture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milojković-Đurić Jelena

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In the aftermath of the Great War, Ivo Andrić published a number of poems, essays and short stories describing the hard-won victorious outcome as transient to the dire reality of the inordinate loss of human lives and suffering. Yet, personal experiences, although perceived as ephemeral, helped to define the historical discourse capturing man’s resolve to persist in his chosen mission. Over time, Serbian literature and fine arts sustained an unfinished dialogue of the past and the present, merging the individual voices with the collective voices to construct the national narrative. The young writer Miloš Crnjanski observed the sights of destruction and despair that seemed to pale in new literary works pertaining to the war. His novel A Diary about Čarnojević was closely related to his own perilous wartime journey as a conscript in the Austrian army. The vastness of Pannonian plains and Galician woods must have invoked a comparison of sorts with another historic chapter recorded in the collective consciousness of his nation: the Great Migration of Serbs led by Patriarch Arsenije III Čarnojević (Crnojević in 1690. The very title of the novel contained a powerful reference to the migration, and its illustrious historic leader which has not been discussed or explored before.

  3. Economic Analysis of Cikaso Mini Hydro Power Plant as a CDM Project for Increasing IRR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irhan Febijanto

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Renewable energy fueled power generations are few developed by private sector in Indonesia. High-cost investment and low electricity selling price to PT PLN as a single buyer is main barriers for private sector to involve in the development of renewable energy fueled power generations. In this project, the economic feasibility of Mini Hydro Power Plant of Cikaso with capacity of 5.3 MW, located at Sukabumi Regency, West Java province was assessed. This project utilized revenue generated from carbon market to increase the economic feasibility. Procedure to register the project to United Nation for Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC as a Clean Development Mechanism project was explained in detail. Approved Consolidation Methodology (ACM 0002 Version 12.3.0 was used to calculate grid emission factor in Jawa-Bali-Madura the grid electricity system. It was calculated that the grid emission factor is 0.833 (t-CO2/MWh, and the carbon emission reduction generated for this project is 21,982 ton/year. From the analysis result, it can be proven that the additional revenue from carbon credit could increase the project IRR from 10.28% to 13.52%.

  4. Construction, Maintenance and Demolition of Nuclear Power Plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Smet, Camiel de [Hilti Corporation, P.O. Box 333, FL-9494 Schaan (Liechtenstein)

    2008-07-01

    Hilti is your reliable partner in nuclear power plant construction, maintenance and demolition worldwide. Professional advice and innovative solutions for virtually every phase of construction and supply technologically leading products and systems to increase your productivity and help to create and maintain safe and lasting plants is offered. The solutions for nuclear power plants construction, maintenance and demolition have been employed with great success in many different countries on a wide variety of projects due in no small way to their worldwide availability. An unbroken, international exchange of experience upholds a permanent innovation process. This assures our customers that they always receive products on the very latest technological standard. This paper is not intended to cover all topics related to nuclear power plants. The idea is more to give a kind of an overview. The paper covers briefly the following topics: safety (corrosion and fire), fastenings, measuring and finally decommissioning of nuclear power plants. (author)

  5. Construction, Maintenance and Demolition of Nuclear Power Plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smet, Camiel de

    2008-01-01

    Hilti is your reliable partner in nuclear power plant construction, maintenance and demolition worldwide. Professional advice and innovative solutions for virtually every phase of construction and supply technologically leading products and systems to increase your productivity and help to create and maintain safe and lasting plants is offered. The solutions for nuclear power plants construction, maintenance and demolition have been employed with great success in many different countries on a wide variety of projects due in no small way to their worldwide availability. An unbroken, international exchange of experience upholds a permanent innovation process. This assures our customers that they always receive products on the very latest technological standard. This paper is not intended to cover all topics related to nuclear power plants. The idea is more to give a kind of an overview. The paper covers briefly the following topics: safety (corrosion and fire), fastenings, measuring and finally decommissioning of nuclear power plants. (author)

  6. Urgent Safety Measures in Japan after Great East Japan Earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taniura, Wataru; Otani, Hiroyasu

    2012-01-01

    Due to tsunami triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake, the operating and refueling reactor facilities at Fukushima Dai-ichi and Dai-ni Nuclear Power Plants caused a nuclear hazard. Given the fact, Japanese electric power companies voluntarily began to compile various urgent measures against tsunami. And then the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) ordered the licensees to put into practice the voluntarily compiled urgent safety measures, in order to ensure the effectiveness of the means for recovering cooling functions along with avoiding the release of radioactive substances to the possible minimum, even if a huge tsunami following a severe earthquake hits nuclear power plants. The following describes the state and the effect of the urgent safety measures implemented for 44 reactors (under operation) and 1 reactor (under construction) in Japan and also describes the measures to be implemented by the licensees of reactor operation in the future.

  7. Present state of electric power business in United States and Europe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Onishi, Kenichi

    2011-01-01

    This article reported present state of nuclear power and electric power business in United States and Europe after Fukushima Daiichi Accident. As for the trend of demand and supply of electric power and policy, the accident forced Germany possibly to proceed with phase-out of nuclear power, but France and United States to sustain nuclear power with no great change of energy policy at this moment. As for the trend of electric power market, there was not state in United States with liberalized retail market of electric power after rolling blackouts occurred in California State in the early 2000s. In Germany proceeding with renewable energy introduction, renewable electricity fed into the grid was paid for by the network operators at fixed tariffs and the costs passed on to electricity consumers were increasing. Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) in United States forced the state to introduction of renewable energy to some ratio, and Feed-in Tariff (FIT) introduced in EU in 1990s lead to introduction of a large amount of renewable electricity targeted in 2020. Huge amount of wind power introduction brought about several problems to solve such that excess electric power above domestic demand had bad effects on grids in neighboring region. Enforcement of power transmission lines was also needed with increase of maximum electric power as well as introduction of a large amount of renewable electricity. (T. Tanaka)

  8. Policy for rekindling and re-powering of small scale hydroelectric power plants; Politica de rejuvenescimento e repotenciacao de PCH`s

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Souza, Wanderley I. de [Companhia Paulista de Forca e Luz (CPFL), Campinas, SP (Brazil). Div. de Geracao

    1997-12-31

    The demand of electric energy comes increasing gradually and the offer of energy with of growth of the market, becomes a product, a great concern. In this matter Small Hydroelectric Power Plant SHP`s can be fundamental to offer support to the electric section, but these small sources of energy need to be adapting rekindling and repowering, being used of new market technologies and of economic studies that can give reliability and speed in the evaluations of the processes. (author)

  9. ANALYSIS OF GROSS REGIONAL PRODUCT FLUCTUATIONS AND ELECTRIC POWER CONSUMPTION IN 2005- 2014. RESERVES FOR DECREASING ELECTRIC POWER PRICES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suslov N. I.

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available In this work we considered the trajectories of change in indicators characterizing the status of economics and power industry: gross regional product, electric power consumption, industrial production, energy prices and costs of delivering electric power to consumers in Russian regions for the last 10 years. Low global commodity prices and sanctions led to a sharp decrease of equipment import, which resulted in an acute problem of import substitution. The level of tariffs of natural monopolies is of great importance for industrial development. The goal of this work was to analyze possibilities for reducing electric power prices by changing the institutional and economic conditions of management. We analyzed not only the official information from Rosstat, but also government regulations, figures given in the official government publication «The Rossiyskaya Gazeta» as well as articles and interviews on economic problems of the electric power industry over the recent years published in «The Kommersant» newspaper. High tariffs of network marketing companies for electric energy transmission, state regulation of heating prices, financing the construction of new capacities by charging the payment in power provision contracts, high price of electric power of nuclear power plants lead to an annual increase in electric power prices for end users. In this work we considered possible solutions to limit the growth of electric power prices.

  10. Reduced recanalization rates of the great saphenous vein after endovenous laser treatment with increased energy dosing: definition of a threshold for the endovenous fluence equivalent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Proebstle, Thomas Michael; Moehler, Thomas; Herdemann, Sylvia

    2006-10-01

    Recent reports indicated a correlation between the amount of energy released during endovenous laser treatment (ELT) of the great saphenous vein (GSV) and the success and durability of the procedure. Our objective was to analyze the influence of increased energy dosing on immediate occlusion and recanalization rates after ELT of the GSV. GSVs were treated with either 15 or 30 W of laser power by using a 940-nm diode laser with continuous fiber pullback and tumescent local anesthesia. Patients were followed up prospectively with duplex ultrasonography at day 1 and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. A total of 114 GSVs were treated with 15 W, and 149 GSVs were treated with 30 W. The average endovenous fluence equivalents were 12.8 +/- 5.1 J/cm2 and 35.1 +/- 15.6 J/cm2, respectively. GSV occlusion rates according to the method of Kaplan and Meier for the 15- and 30-W groups were 95.6% and 100%, respectively, at day 1, 90.4% and 100% at 3 months, and 82.7% and 97.0% at 12 months after ELT (log-rank; P = .001). An endovenous fluence equivalent exceeding 20 J/cm2 was associated with durable GSV occlusion after 12 months' follow-up, thus suggesting a schedule for dosing of laser energy with respect to the vein diameter. Higher dosing of laser energy shows a 100% immediate success rate and a significantly reduced recanalization rate during 12 months' follow-up.

  11. Expanding exports, increasing smog : Ontario Power Generation's and Hydro One's strategies to continue coal-fired electricity generation in Ontario

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gibbons, J.

    2002-06-01

    The production of coal-fired electricity increased by approximately 150 per cent in Ontario between 1995 and 2000. As a result, the smog-causing emissions generated by the five coal-fired power plants operated by Ontario Power Generation caused an increase in smog and worsened air quality in the province as well as affecting air quality as far afield as the Atlantic provinces. Between 2002 and 2005, it is expected that the Pickering and Bruce nuclear plants will be returned to service, making the electricity generated by the coal plants surplus to Ontario's needs. Increasing this surplus are the planned natural gas generating stations. Ontario Power Generation is planning on using this surplus to export it to the United States rather than phasing out its reliance on coal. The increase in exports to the United States Northeast and Midwest is planned with Hydro One, already busy increasing its transmission capacity to the United States by 1,000 megawatt (MW). This plan involves laying 975 MW submarine cable from the Nanticoke Generating Station (operated by Ontario Power Generation) under Lake Erie to Pennsylvania, Ohio, or both states. At the moment, the exports are constrained by the government emissions limits imposed by the Ontario government on sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. This constraint could be removed if Ontario Power Generation decides to pay further for pollution controls for sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides at its coal stations. Unfortunately, increasing the exports would also result in emissions increases for 28 other uncapped pollutants such as lead, mercury and arsenic. The author recommended that the Ontario government ban non-emergency coal-fired electricity exports to improve air quality in the province. refs., 8 figs

  12. Good practice at Onagawa power plant during the 3.11 Great East Japan Earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wakabayashi, Toshiaki

    2016-01-01

    This paper describes the situation of Onagawa Nuclear Power Station after The off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake on March 11, 2011: (1) outline of situation of nuclear power plant Unit 1, 2 and 3, (2) assumption of push wave from the recognition of the tsunami due to large earthquakes that occurred in the past and tsunami countermeasures, and securement of cooling function at the time of push/pull wave based on emergency seawater pumps, (3) installation of handrail sticks on the central control room monitoring and control panel as a countermeasure from the lessons from the past earthquakes, (4) improvement of the seismic tolerance of facilities, and (5) earthquake resistant reinforcement of main office building and new construction of a seismic isolation office building. As response to emergency situation, the following are described: (1) unification of external response service at the head office, and the helicopter transportation of goods due to power plant needs as the power station support from the head office, and (2) as the countermeasures of on-site power plant, the duplication of information transmission route and the survey/examination and countermeasures by individual teams for each problem (especially, fire at Unit 1 and seawater infiltration at Unit 2). In additive, through the emergency response at the time of The off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake, this paper examined the required qualities of an on-site commander based on the experience stories of persons concerned. (A.O.)

  13. Between power and influence of states

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexei D. Bogaturov

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract: The author considers the contemporary state of affairs in international relations in the context of accelerating global trends of world development of the latest decade. In particular, the article deals with the issue of correlation between power and infl uence in foreign policies of great powers, taking into consideration the nuclear factor and current international crises. The author resort to and explains the notions of “supremacy” and “parity” to analyze the on-going transformation of world system and the role of key regional and great powers, including Russia, in this process. The article also proposes the typology of subjects in international interaction, as well as the potential of their infl uence on world political system, whose development scenarios is in the focus of author’s attention.

  14. The Time Scale of Recombination Rate Evolution in Great Apes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stevison, Laurie S.; Woerner, August E.; Kidd, Jeffrey M.; Kelley, Joanna L.; Veeramah, Krishna R.; McManus, Kimberly F.; Bustamante, Carlos D.; Hammer, Michael F.; Wall, Jeffrey D.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract We present three linkage-disequilibrium (LD)-based recombination maps generated using whole-genome sequence data from 10 Nigerian chimpanzees, 13 bonobos, and 15 western gorillas, collected as part of the Great Ape Genome Project (Prado-Martinez J, et al. 2013. Great ape genetic diversity and population history. Nature 499:471–475). We also identified species-specific recombination hotspots in each group using a modified LDhot framework, which greatly improves statistical power to detect hotspots at varying strengths. We show that fewer hotspots are shared among chimpanzee subspecies than within human populations, further narrowing the time scale of complete hotspot turnover. Further, using species-specific PRDM9 sequences to predict potential binding sites (PBS), we show higher predicted PRDM9 binding in recombination hotspots as compared to matched cold spot regions in multiple great ape species, including at least one chimpanzee subspecies. We found that correlations between broad-scale recombination rates decline more rapidly than nucleotide divergence between species. We also compared the skew of recombination rates at centromeres and telomeres between species and show a skew from chromosome means extending as far as 10–15 Mb from chromosome ends. Further, we examined broad-scale recombination rate changes near a translocation in gorillas and found minimal differences as compared to other great ape species perhaps because the coordinates relative to the chromosome ends were unaffected. Finally, on the basis of multiple linear regression analysis, we found that various correlates of recombination rate persist throughout the African great apes including repeats, diversity, and divergence. Our study is the first to analyze within- and between-species genome-wide recombination rate variation in several close relatives. PMID:26671457

  15. Great Lakes Literacy Principles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fortner, Rosanne W.; Manzo, Lyndsey

    2011-03-01

    Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Erie together form North America's Great Lakes, a region that contains 20% of the world's fresh surface water and is home to roughly one quarter of the U.S. population (Figure 1). Supporting a $4 billion sport fishing industry, plus $16 billion annually in boating, 1.5 million U.S. jobs, and $62 billion in annual wages directly, the Great Lakes form the backbone of a regional economy that is vital to the United States as a whole (see http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/downloads/economy/11-708-Great-Lakes-Jobs.pdf). Yet the grandeur and importance of this freshwater resource are little understood, not only by people in the rest of the country but also by many in the region itself. To help address this lack of knowledge, the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) Great Lakes, supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, developed literacy principles for the Great Lakes to serve as a guide for education of students and the public. These “Great Lakes Literacy Principles” represent an understanding of the Great Lakes' influences on society and society's influences on the Great Lakes.

  16. The strength of great apes and the speed of humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Alan

    2009-04-01

    Cliff Jolly developed a causal model of human origins in his paper "The Seed-Eaters," published in 1970. He was one of the first to attempt this, and the paper has since become a classic. I do not have such grand goals; instead, I seek to understand a major difference between the living great apes and humans. More than 50 years ago, Maynard Smith and Savage (1956) showed that the musculoskeletal systems of mammals can be adapted for strength at one extreme and speed at the other but not both. Great apes are adapted for strength--chimpanzees have been shown to be about four times as strong as fit young humans when normalized for body size. The corresponding speed that human limb systems gain at the expense of power is critical for effective human activities such as running, throwing, and manipulation, including tool making. The fossil record can shed light on when the change from power to speed occurred. I outline a hypothesis that suggests that the difference in muscular performance between the two species is caused by chimpanzees having many fewer small motor units than humans, which leads them, in turn, to contract more muscle fibers earlier in any particular task. I outline a histological test of this hypothesis.

  17. Leiomyosarcoma of the great saphenous vein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandre Campos Moraes Amato

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available A 56-year-old male patient presented with a complaint of two painful, hard, palpable nodules in the right lower limb. A Doppler ultrasound scan revealed the presence of nodules, likely to be neoplastic. Computed angiography showed two solid hypervascular nodules in the right great saphenous vein, fed by branches of the posterior tibial artery. Embolization of the nodules using surgical cyanoacrylate was performed, followed by an excisional biopsy. Anatomical pathology and immunohistochemical analysis identified the nodule as a high-grade leiomyosarcoma, characterized by ten mitotic figures per ten high-power fields, necrosis and cell pleomorphism. Immunohistochemical analysis results were positive for caldesmon and desmin labeling. A second surgical procedure was performed to enlarge the free margins.

  18. Ambient temperature effects on gas turbine power plant: A case study in Iran

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorji, M.; Fouladi, F.

    2007-01-01

    Actual thermal efficiency, electric-power output, fuel-air ratio and specific fuel consumption (SFC) vary according to the ambient conditions. The amount of these variations greatly affects those parameters as well as the plant incomes. In this paper the effect of ambient temperature as a seasonal variation on a gas power plant has been numerically studied. For this purpose, the gas turbine model and different climate seasonal variations of Ray in Iran are considered in this study. For the model, by using average monthly temperature data of the region, the different effective parameters were compared to those in standard design conditions. The results show that ambient temperature increase will decrease thermal efficiency, electric-power out put and fuel-air ratio of the gas turbine plant whereas increases the specific fuel consumption

  19. Study of Flexible Load Dispatch to Improve the Capacity of Wind Power Absorption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yunlei, Yang; Shifeng, Zhang; Xiao, Chang; Da, Lei; Min, Zhang; Jinhao, Wang; Shengwen, Li; Huipeng, Li

    2017-05-01

    The dispatch method which track the trend of load demand by arranging the generation scheme of controllable hydro or thermal units faces great difficulties and challenges. With the increase of renewable energy sources such as wind power and photovoltaic power introduced to grid, system has to arrange much more spinning reserve units to compensate the unbalanced power. How to exploit the peak-shaving potential of flexible load which can be shifted with time or storage energy has become many scholars’ research direction. However, the modelling of different kinds of load and control strategy is considerably difficult, this paper choose the Air Conditioner with compressor which can storage energy in fact to study. The equivalent thermal parameters of Air Conditioner has been established. And with the use of “loop control” strategies, we can predict the regulated power of Air Conditioner. Then we established the Gen-Load optimal scheduling model including flexible load based on traditional optimal scheduling model. At last, an improved IEEE-30 case is used to verify. The result of simulation shows that flexible load can fast-track renewable power changes. More than that, with flexible load and reasonable incentive method to consumers, the operating cost of the system can be greatly cut down.

  20. Windscale - power versus pollution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bonney, S.

    1977-01-01

    Protests from British environmental groups, scientists, politicians and private citizens has forced the Government to postpone a decision on plans to create the world's largest nuclear fuel oxide reprocessing complex at Windscale, on the north-west coast of England. Subjects considered here are the vast increase in the the quantity of lethal nuclear waste stored at Windscale, the risk of explosion or plant malfunction causing radioactive fall-out, the increased radioactive discharge into the Irish Sea and into the atmosphere and the danger of terrorism or sabotage. It is stated that critics of the Windscale project have yet to be convinced that the nuclear power industry is as risk-free as its proponents maintain in public statements. To satisfy the great anxieties shared by a large number of people about the expansion plan, a full public inquiry is essential. (U.K.)

  1. Increased power of resting-state gamma oscillations in autism spectrum disorder detected by routine electroencephalography

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Diessen, Eric; Senders, Joeky; Jansen, Floor E.; Boersma, Maria; Bruining, Hilgo

    2015-01-01

    Experimental studies suggest that increased resting-state power of gamma oscillations is associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To extend the clinical applicability of this finding, we retrospectively investigated routine electroencephalography (EEG) recordings of 19 patients with ASD and

  2. Macroeconomic effects and benefits of different power generation technologies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maeenpaeae, I.; Tervo, H.

    1994-01-01

    The report compares the overall economic effects and benefits of different power station technologies using the FMS long-term simulation model for the Finnish economy. Special emphasis is placed on domestic fuels and new technologies that are on the average of commercialization. The overall economic benefits are compared as such and also assuming the implementation of targets for reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. Without environmental targets nuclear power, natural gas combined cycle and coal gasification combined cycle were shown to be macroeconomically the most profitable means of generating electricity. For the municipal cogeneration of heat and power, a natural gas diesel plant was the most advantageous, followed by solid fuel gasification combined cycle plants. Upon implementation of CO 2 -emission reduction targets nuclear power would remain the most beneficial alternative, but the benefits of wood and wind power rises would be nearly as great. For municipal cogeneration, the wood gasification combined cycle type power plant surpasses gas diesel and the relative benefits of the fluidized bed combustion of wood also increases. (7 refs., 9 tabs.)

  3. Mathematical investigation of the possibility of a power increase of the subcritical assembly in Dubna (SAD) up to 100 kW

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petrochenkov, S.A.; Shvetsov, V.N.; Polanski, A.

    2007-01-01

    We present the results of Monte-Carlo modeling of the experimental accelerator-driven electronuclear system composed of the subcritical assembly and DLNP JINR Phasotron. The expected thermal power of the subcritical assembly in Dubna (SAD) is about 30 kW. The possibility of assembly power increase without changes in design and basic elements is considered. The proposed assembly upgrade gives power increase up to 100 kW. It is of importance that proposed upgrade operations can be performed both before and after the run with nominal power and partial fulfillment of a basic experimental program

  4. Introduction. Selection of power supply mix after Fukushima disaster

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kikkawa, Takeo

    2012-01-01

    After Fukushima accident, energy policy including nuclear power had been reviewed in Japan and Energy and Environment Council presented 3 options for nationwide discussions on the basis of reducing the dependence upon nuclear power generation in June 2012; (1) Reduce the nuclear power generation ration to 0% as soon as possible (0% as at 2030). Stick with the principle of zero nuclear power with no new construction or expansion, (2) Gradually reduce the nuclear power generation ratio to 15% by 2030. Lower the dependency on nuclear power generation and make the most strenuous efforts to promote green innovation and nuclear safety improvements, and (3) Lower the rate nuclear power generation to below that before that before the earthquake but maintain a certain portion including new construction. Make the ratio 20 - 25% as at 2030. This article showed details and problems of 3 options with the author's personal opinion. Great increase of power cost could be unavoidable with any option deployed, which caused enormous damage on Japanese economics. Reduction of Japanese procurement cost of natural gas might be indispensable for evasion of economics crisis. (T. Tanaka)

  5. The obtention of high reliability levels to the increasing of power in hydroelectric generators of modern power plants; A obtencao de altos indices de confiabilidade no aumento de potencia em hidrogeradores de usinas modernizadas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goncalves, Octavio A.; Uemori, Mauro K.I.; Spiridon, Michel W. [Asea Brown Boveri Ltda., Osasco, SP (Brazil)

    1993-12-31

    The increase in the power capacity of the generators of existing hydroelectric power plants is presented as an alternative technically feasible and economically advantageous to the increase of the power generation capacity of the Brazilian electric power system. This work presents the need of a global analysis of each case in order to optimize this process and also presents a methodology which may be applied to electric power generators, turbines, transformers and other electrical equipment. 2 refs., 8 figs.

  6. Trend in China's Wind Power

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2009-01-01

    @@ Attractive prospects for wind power development Sha Yiqiang:In recent years,the development and utilization of wind energy has achieved remarkable results.To the end of 2007,the installed capacity of the wind power had reached 94 000 MW all over the world,which is distributed over 60 countries.Over the past 20 years,the wind power generation installation cost has been reduced by 50% and is closing to that of the conventional energy resources.Meanwhile,the single unit capacity,efficiency and reliability of wind power have been greatly improved.

  7. Power Control for Passive QAM Multisensor Backscatter Communication Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shengbo Hu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available To achieve good quality of service level such as throughput, power control is of great importance to passive quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM multisensor backscatter communication systems. First, we established the RF energy harvesting model and gave the energy condition. In order to minimize the interference of subcarriers and increase the spectral efficiency, then, the colocated passive QAM backscatter communication signal model is presented and the nonlinear optimization problems of power control are solved for passive QAM backscatter communication systems. Solutions include maximum and minimum access interval, the maximum and minimum duty cycle, and the minimal RF-harvested energy under the energy condition for node operating. Using the solutions above, the maximum throughput of passive QAM backscatter communication systems is analyzed and numerical calculation is made finally. Numerical calculation shows that the maximal throughput decreases with the consumed power and the number of sensors, and the maximum throughput is decreased quickly with the increase of the number of sensors. Especially, for a given consumed power of sensor, it can be seen that the throughput decreases with the duty cycle and the number of sensors has little effect on the throughput.

  8. Energy system, electricity market and economic studies on increasing nuclear power capacity; Ydinvoimahankkeiden periaatepaeaetoekseen liittyvaet energia- ja kansantaloudelliset selvitykset

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Forsstrom, J.; Pursiheimo, E.; Kekkonen, V.; Honkatukia, J.

    2010-04-15

    Objective of this research project is to examine effects of addition of nuclear capacity from three different angles by using energy system, electricity market and economic analysis. In each area the analysis is based on computational methods. Finland is a member of Nordic electricity market which is further connected to networks of Continental Europe and Russia. Due to the foreign connections Finland has been able to import inexpensive electricity from its neighboring countries and this state is expected to continue. Addition of nuclear capacity lowers electricity import demand, affects level of electricity price decreasingly and decreases shortfall of installed production capacity. Substantial additions of nuclear power capacity and generous import supply have disadvantageous effect on profitability of combined heat and power production. The development of import possibilities depends on progression of difficult-to-estimate balance between electricity consumption and production in the neighboring countries. Investments on nuclear power increase national product during the construction phase. Growth of employment is also rather significant, especially during the construction phase. In the long term permanent jobs will be created too. Increase of employment is held back by increasing real wages, but it is though evident that consumer purchasing power is improved due to these nuclear power developments. (orig.)

  9. Mildly disabled persons with multiple sclerosis use similar net joint power strategies as healthy controls when walking speed increases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brincks, John; Christensen, Lars Ejsing; Rehnquist, Mette Voigt; Petersen, Jesper; Sørensen, Henrik; Dalgas, Ulrik

    2018-01-01

    To improve walking in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS), it is essential to understand the underlying mechanisms of walking. This study examined strategies in net joint power generated or absorbed by hip flexors, hip extensors, hip abductors, knee extensors, and plantar flexors in mildly disabled persons with MS and healthy controls at different walking speeds. Thirteen persons with MS and thirteen healthy controls participated and peak net joint power was calculated using 3D motion analysis. In general, no differences were found between speed-matched healthy controls and persons with MS, but the fastest walking speed was significantly higher in healthy controls (2.42 m/s vs. 1.70 m/s). The net joint power increased in hip flexors, hip extensors, hip abductors, knee extensors and plantar flexors in both groups, when walking speed increased. Significant correlations between changes in walking speed and changes in net joint power of plantar flexors, hip extensors and hip flexors existed in healthy controls and persons with MS, and in net knee extensor absorption power of persons with MS only. In contrast to previous studies, these findings suggest that mildly disabled persons with MS used similar kinetic strategies as healthy controls to increase walking speed.

  10. Regional ozone impacts of increased natural gas use in the Texas power sector and development in the Eagle Ford shale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pacsi, Adam P; Kimura, Yosuke; McGaughey, Gary; McDonald-Buller, Elena C; Allen, David T

    2015-03-17

    The combined emissions and air quality impacts of electricity generation in the Texas grid and natural gas production in the Eagle Ford shale were estimated at various natural gas price points for the power sector. The increased use of natural gas in the power sector, in place of coal-fired power generation, drove reductions in average daily maximum 8 h ozone concentration of 0.6-1.3 ppb in northeastern Texas for a high ozone episode used in air quality planning. The associated increase in Eagle Ford upstream oil and gas production nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions caused an estimated local increase, in south Texas, of 0.3-0.7 ppb in the same ozone metric. In addition, the potential ozone impacts of Eagle Ford emissions on nearby urban areas were estimated. On the basis of evidence from this work and a previous study on the Barnett shale, the combined ozone impact of increased natural gas development and use in the power sector is likely to vary regionally and must be analyzed on a case by case basis.

  11. Academic Performance and the Great Recession

    OpenAIRE

    Adamopoulou, Effrosyni; Tanzi, Giulia M.

    2014-01-01

    In this paper we study how the Great Recession affected university students in terms of performance, with a special focus on the dropout probability. To do so, we use individual-level data on a representative sample of university students in Italy in 2007 and 2011. We measure the severity of the recession in terms of increases in adult and youth unemployment rate and we exploit geographical variation to achieve identification. On the one hand, an increase in adult male unemployment rate deter...

  12. Combining Chalk Talk with PowerPoint to Increase In-class Student Engagement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Swati Betharia

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available In striving to attain a higher degree of in-class student engagement, and target a larger number of preferred student-learning styles, this case study describes a multimodal teaching approach. PowerPoint slides have gradually gained popularity over the more traditional chalk and talk lecture design. The student population in today’s age seeks more non-passive modes of information delivery. Numerous novel approaches to enhance active learning, such as flipped classroom and problem-based learning, have recently been explored. While working well for therapeutic and lab-based courses, these formats may not be best-suited for all basic science topics. The importance of basic science in a pharmacy curriculum is well emphasized in the 2016 ACPE Standards. To actively involve students in a pharmacology lecture on diuretics, a session was designed to combine the PowerPoint and chalk talk approaches. Students created 10 concept diagrams following an instructor, who explained each step in the process using a document camera. For visual learners, these diagrams provided a layered representation of the information, gradually increasing in complexity. For learners with a preference for the reading learning style, the information was also available in corresponding PowerPoint slides. Scores from pre- and post-session quizzes indicated a high level of concept understanding and recall (median 1 [IQR 0 – 2] vs 4 [IQR 3 – 5]; p<0.001. The student perception survey data reported higher in-class attention levels (76%, an appreciation for the utility of self-created concept diagrams (88%, and a call for additional sessions being presented in this format (73%. Targeting a variety of student learning styles by using the active development of concept diagrams, in addition to traditional PowerPoint slides, can promote student engagement and enhance content understanding.   Type: Case Study

  13. Potential for greenhouse gas reduction in industry through increased heat recovery and/or integration of combined heat and power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Axelsson, H.; Harvey, S.; Aasblad, A.; Berntsson, T.

    2003-01-01

    The potential for greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction in industry through process integration measures depends to a great extent on prevailing technical and economic conditions. A step-wise methodology developed at the author's department based on pinch technology was used to analyse how various parameters influence the cost-optimal configuration for the plant's energy system, and the opportunities for cost-effective GHG emissions reduction compared to this solution. The potential for reduction of GHG emissions from a given plant depends primarily on the design of the industrial process and its energy system (internal factors) and on the electricity-to-fuel price ratio and the specific GHG emissions from the national power generation system (external factors)

  14. Cooling Tower Optimization A Simple Way to Generate Green Megawatts and to Increase the Efficiency of a Power Plant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Strohmer, F.

    2014-07-01

    The profitability of nuclear power plants is worldwide challenged by low electricity prices. One hand low cost shale gas is offering a low price electricity production , other hand additional taxes on fuel are reducing the operating income of nuclear power stations. The optimization of cooling towers can help to increase the efficiency and profit of a nuclear power plant. (Author)

  15. Evaluation of actual costs of power sources and effects on balance sheets of electric utilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuo, Yuji; Yamaguchi, Yuji; Murakami, Tomoko

    2013-01-01

    After the Fukushima nuclear accident, almost all nuclear power stations continued to stop operation and sharp increase of purchase costs of fossil fuels forced some electric utilities to suffer a deficit. This article presented quantitative analysis of effects of present state on power costs and balance sheets of electric utilities. Levelized costs of electricity increased from 8.6 ¥/kWh (2010) to 11.6 ¥/kWh (2011) and 12.6 ¥/kWh (2012). Total power costs increased from 7.5 Trillion¥(2010) to 9.5 Trillion¥(2011). Due to increase of cost of fossil fuel compensated for nuclear power, electric utilities suffered a net loss of 0.8 Trillion¥ and decreased surplus to 2.5 Trillion¥ in 2011. Net loss of 1.3 Trillion¥ and surplus of 1.2 Trillion¥ was estimated for 2012. This state was beyond the limit of utilities' efforts to reduce costs and uncertain share of power sources became a great risk. Future share of power sources should be judged appropriately from various standpoints (costs, stable supply, energy security and national economic growth) and early public dissemination of new philosophy on share of power sources was highly required. (T. Tanaka)

  16. Preventive maintenance at the Forsmark Nuclear Power Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Danielsson, H.

    1985-01-01

    The maintenance system at the Forsmark Nuclear Power Plant began in 1975, and was drawn up in co-operation with other power stations within the control of the Swedish State Power Board. Preventive maintenance (PM) is part of the system and has been in operation since 1978. Great efforts have been made to build up the system and to gather input data. Since 1981, the system has been in continuous use; follow-ups and system and quality improvements in database contents have been carried out. Great effort has also been devoted to maintaining a high quality of database contents and to the interplay between the different PM measures. We believe that PM plays an important role in the safety and economic operation of the power station and that it is essential that interest in PM should exist at all levels of the power company. (author)

  17. Characteristics of Physician Outflow from Disaster Areas following the Great East Japan Earthquake.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saori Kashima

    Full Text Available The shortage of physicians after a major disaster is a crucial issue. We aimed to evaluate the characteristics of physicians who left affected areas following the accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011.Using data from a physician census conducted in 2010 (pre-disaster and 2012 (post-disaster, we evaluated changes in the number of physicians in affected areas. We then calculated the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals using a logistic regression model to evaluate the association between physician characteristics and outflow. We also conducted stratified analyses based on physician characteristics.The number of physicians decreased in Fukushima Prefecture (-5.3% and increased in Miyagi Prefecture (2.8%. The decrease in Fukushima and increase in Miyagi were evident even after taking the prefecture's population change into account (change in physician to population ratios: -1.9% and 3.2%, respectively. Compared with physicians who lived in areas >100 km from the nuclear power plant, physicians living 20-50 km and 50-100 km were, respectively, 3.9 times (95% confidence interval, 2.6-5.7 and 2.6 times (95% confidence interval, 1.7-3.8 more likely to migrate to distant areas. In the stratified analysis, younger physicians and those earlier in their careers had higher odds ratios for outflow than other physicians (P for interaction = 0.02 and <0.01, respectively.The risk of outflow was greater among younger and early-career physicians in areas around the power plant. Political support may be necessary to recruit and retain such physicians, who will be responsible for future community health in the disaster area.

  18. Facing the challenges of nuclear power at Ontario Power Generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Howes, H.

    1999-01-01

    Nuclear power represents a major portion of Ontario Power Generation's generation mix and it will be the bedrock upon which we build a successful, competitive company. Our nuclear units offer many environmental and economic benefits, the one most relevant to this meeting is their significant contribution to the relatively low carbon intensity of Ontario's and Canada's electricity supply. In recent weeks, we have listened with great interest to the endorsement by our federal Minister of the Environment of nuclear technology as a means of reducing global warming. But endorsements of this type alone are not sufficient to ensure that nuclear remains an acceptable option for managing greenhouse gas emissions. Without public acceptance and support, the entire nuclear investment is endangered. At OPG we face three challenges to building this public support: we must continue to improve our safety margins and operating performance; we must continue to improve the environmental performance at our stations; and we must increase our community outreach. Today I would like to focus on the last two challenges and the actions that we are taking to maintain our social and environmental 'licence to operate.' But before I describe these initiatives, I will tell you about: the new company - Ontario Power Generation; the changes in store for Ontario's electricity sector; and our greenhouse gas emissions - the legacy from Ontario Hydro. (author)

  19. An integrated reliability management system for nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kimura, T.; Shimokawa, H.; Matsushima, H.

    1998-01-01

    The responsibility in the nuclear field of the Government, utilities and manufactures has increased in the past years due to the need of stable operation and great reliability of nuclear power plants. The need to improve the reliability is not only for the new plants but also for those now running. So, several measures have been taken to improve reliability. In particular, the plant manufactures have developed a reliability management system for each phase (planning, construction, maintenance and operation) and these have been integrated as a unified system. This integrated reliability management system for nuclear power plants contains information about plant performance, failures and incidents which have occurred in the plants. (author)

  20. Power flow modelling in electric networks with renewable energy sources in large areas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buhawa, Z. M.; Dvorsky, E.

    2012-01-01

    In many worlds regions there is a great potential for utilizing home grid connected renewable power generating systems, with capacities of MW thousands. The optimal utilization of these sources is connected with power flow possibilities trough the power network in which they have to be connected. There is necessary to respect the long distances among the electric power sources with great outputs and power consumption and non even distribution of the power sources as well. The article gives the solution possibilities for Libya region under utilization of wind renewable sources in north in shore regions. (Authors)

  1. Power-Energy Simulation for Multi-Core Processors in Bench-marking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mona A. Abou-Of

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available At Microarchitectural level, multi-core processor, as a complex System on Chip, has sophisticated on-chip components including cores, shared caches, interconnects and system controllers such as memory and ethernet controllers. At technological level, architects should consider the device types forecast in the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS. Energy simulation enables architects to study two important metrics simultaneously. Timing is a key element of the CPU performance that imposes constraints on the CPU target clock frequency. Power and the resulting heat impose more severe design constraints, such as core clustering, while semiconductor industry is providing more transistors in the die area in pace with Moore’s law. Energy simulators provide a solution for such serious challenge. Energy is modelled either by combining performance benchmarking tool with a power simulator or by an integrated framework of both performance simulator and power profiling system. This article presents and asses trade-offs between different architectures using four cores battery-powered mobile systems by running a custom-made and a standard benchmark tools. The experimental results assure the Energy/ Frequency convexity rule over a range of frequency settings on different number of enabled cores. The reported results show that increasing the number of cores has a great effect on increasing the power consumption. However, a minimum energy dissipation will occur at a lower frequency which reduces the power consumption. Despite that, increasing the number of cores will also increase the effective cores value which will reflect a better processor performance.

  2. Electromechanical modeling of a honeycomb core integrated vibration energy converter with increased specific power for energy harvesting applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandrasekharan, Nataraj

    Innovation in integrated circuit technology along with improved manufacturing processes has resulted in considerable reduction in power consumption of electromechanical devices. Majority of these devices are currently powered by batteries. However, the issues posed by batteries, including the need for frequent battery recharge/replacement has resulted in a compelling need for alternate energy to achieve self-sufficient device operation or to supplement battery power. Vibration based energy harvesting methods through piezoelectric transduction provides with a promising potential towards replacing or supplementing battery power source. However, current piezoelectric energy harvesters generate low specific power (power-to-weight ratio) when compared to batteries that the harvesters seek to replace or supplement. In this study, the potential of integrating lightweight cellular honeycomb structures with existing piezoelectric device configurations (bimorph) to achieve higher specific power is investigated. It is shown in this study that at low excitation frequency ranges, replacing the solid continuous substrate of a conventional piezoelectric bimorph with honeycomb structures of the same material results in a significant increase in power-to-weight ratio of the piezoelectric harvester. In order to maximize the electrical response of vibration based power harvesters, the natural frequency of these harvesters is designed to match the input driving frequency. The commonly used technique of adding a tip mass is employed to lower the natural frequency (to match driving frequency) of both, solid and honeycomb substrate bimorphs. At higher excitation frequency, the natural frequency of the traditional solid substrate bimorph can only be altered (to match driving frequency) through a change in global geometric design parameters, typically achieved by increasing the thickness of the harvester. As a result, the size of the harvester is increased and can be disadvantageous

  3. The IAEA, nuclear power and sustainable development. Maintaining and increasing the overall assets available to future generations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-01-01

    In the framework of one of the fundamental objectives of the IAEA mandate to enhance the contribution of nuclear technologies towards meeting the needs of Member States, the present status, all the aspects, and the future of nuclear power are reviewed. The development of nuclear power broadens the natural resource base usable for energy production, increases human and man-made capital, and when safely handled has little impact on ecosystems. This means that it could meet the central goal of sustainable development, considering that it covers maintaining or increasing the overall assets available to future generations, while minimizing consumption of finite resources and not exceeding the carrying capacities of ecosystems

  4. Simulations of the design basis accident at conditions of power increase and the o transient of MSIV at overpressure conditions of the Laguna Verde Power Station

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Araiza M, E.; Nunez C, A.

    2001-01-01

    This document presents the analysis of the simulation of the loss of coolant accident at uprate power conditions, that is 2027 MWt (105% of the current rated power of 1931MWt). This power was reached allowing an increase in the turbine steam flow rate without changing the steam dome pressure value at its rated conditions (1020 psiaJ. There are also presented the results of the simulation of the main steam isolation va/ve transient at overpressure conditions 1065 psia and 1067 MWt), for Laguna Verde Nuclear Power Station. Both simulations were performed with the best estimate computer code TRA C BF1. The results obtained in the loss of coolant accident show that the emergency core coolant systems can recover the water level in the core before fuel temperature increases excessively, and that the peak pressure reached in the drywell is always below its design pressure. Therefore it is concluded that the integrity of the containment is not challenged during a loss of coolant accident at uprate power conditions.The analysis of the main steam isolation valve transients at overpressure conditions, and the analysis of the particular cases of the failure of one to six safety relief valves to open, show that the vessel peak pressures are below the design pressure and have no significant effect on vessel integrity. (Author)

  5. Expertise about the request of the nuclear power plant Leibstadt for increasing the power to 3600 MW{sub th}; Gutachten zum Gesuch des Kernkraftwerks Leibstadt um Leistungserhoehung auf 3600 MW{sub th}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-03-15

    On July 31, 1992, the nuclear power plant Leibstadt AG (KKL) submitted a request for a modification of its operation license for increasing the reactor thermal power to 3600 MW. In its examination, the Federal Agency for the Safety of Nuclear Installations (HSK) investigated the effects of the power increase on reactor safety, especially on the safety criteria which can limit the power. In doing this, a distinction has to be made between normal operation, design incidents and out-of-design accidents. KKL is a boiling water reactor (BWR) with a current maximum thermal power of 3,138 MW with 648 fuel assemblies in the core. Since the start of operation in February 1984, the reactor has been continuously improved and now almost fulfils the present state-of-the-art of science and technology for BWRs. After some incidents during the early years, the plant shows a high level of availability. During the past 6 years some fuel assembly damage has cast a shadow on good operational experience, but until now the collective irradiation dose of the plant staff and the environment has remained mostly below legal limits, as well as for the release of radioactive materials to the atmosphere and to the Rhine River. Calculations of core loading with the fuel assemblies presently used at KKL have shown that the operation and safety limits of the reactor core can still be preserved with a thermal power of 3600 MW. For normal operation, no objection can be raised against the power increase. This increase, however, has to be carried out step-by-step in order to gain experience concerning plant behaviour. With the higher power rating, increased dose rates are expected on systems and components, in plant rooms and in the plant area, which also leads to increased dose rates to the staff and environment. This increase has to be estimated and, possibly, correction measures will have to be taken in order to reduce them. Especially to be monitored is the dose rate increase in the machine hall

  6. Advance Power Technology Demonstration on Starshine 3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenkins, Phillip; Scheiman, David; Wilt, David; Raffaelle, Ryne; Button, Robert; Smith, Mark; Kerslake, Thomas; Miller, Thomas

    2002-01-01

    The Starshine 3 satellite will carry several power technology demonstrations. Since Starshine 3 is primarily a passive experiment and does not need electrical power to successfully complete its mission, the requirement for a highly reliable power system is greatly reduced. This creates an excellent opportunity to test new power technologies. Several government and commercial interests have teamed up to provide Starshine 3 with a small power system using state-of-the-art components. Starshine 3 will also fly novel integrated microelectronic power supplies (IMPS) for evaluation.

  7. High volumetric power density, non-enzymatic, glucose fuel cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oncescu, Vlad; Erickson, David

    2013-01-01

    The development of new implantable medical devices has been limited in the past by slow advances in lithium battery technology. Non-enzymatic glucose fuel cells are promising replacement candidates for lithium batteries because of good long-term stability and adequate power density. The devices developed to date however use an "oxygen depletion design" whereby the electrodes are stacked on top of each other leading to low volumetric power density and complicated fabrication protocols. Here we have developed a novel single-layer fuel cell with good performance (2 μW cm⁻²) and stability that can be integrated directly as a coating layer on large implantable devices, or stacked to obtain a high volumetric power density (over 16 μW cm⁻³). This represents the first demonstration of a low volume non-enzymatic fuel cell stack with high power density, greatly increasing the range of applications for non-enzymatic glucose fuel cells.

  8. Poloidally asymmetric potential increases in tokamak scrape-off layer plasmas by radiofrequency power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diebold, D.A.; Majeski, R.; Tanaka, T.

    1992-01-01

    Langmuir probe data are presented which show poloidally asymmetric increases in floating potential, electron temperature and, hence, plasma potential on magnetic field lines which map to the Faraday shield of an ICRF antenna in a medium size tokamak, Phaedrus-T, during radiofrequency power injection. These data are consistent with and suggestive of the existence of radiofrequency generated sheath voltages on those field lines. (author). Letter-to-the-editor. 20 refs, 3 figs

  9. Association between housing type and γ-GTP increase after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murakami, Aya; Sugawara, Yumi; Tomata, Yasutake; Sugiyama, Kemmyo; Kaiho, Yu; Tanji, Fumiya; Tsuji, Ichiro

    2017-09-01

    It has been reported that alcohol consumption increases after natural disasters, with an impact on health. However, the impact of relocation upon drinking behavior has been unclear. The aim of this study was to clarify the association between housing type and the impact of alcohol consumption on health after the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) of 2011. We analyzed 569 residents living in devastated areas of Ishinomaki city, who had undergone assessment of their γ-GTP levels at health check-ups in both 2010 and 2013, and had given details of the type of housing they occupied in 2013. The housing types were categorized into five groups: "same housing as that before the GEJE", "prefabricated temporary housing", "privately rented temporary housing/rental housing", "homes of relatives", and "reconstructed housing". We used fixed-effect regression analysis to examine the association between housing type after the GEJE and changes in γ-GTP after adjustment for age, BMI, housing damage, number of people in household, smoking status, presence of illness, psychological distress, and social network. The mean age of the participants was 71.5 years and 46.2% of them were men. The proportion of individuals who drank heavily, and suffered from psychological distress and insomnia, was highest among those living in privately rented temporary housing/rental housing. Compared with individuals who continued to occupy the same housing as those before the GEJE, the effect of change in γ-GTP was significantly higher in individuals who had moved to privately rented temporary housing/rental housing (b = 9.5, SE = 4.4, p housing/rental housing are at highest risk of negative health effects due to alcohol drinking. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  10. Power to the LHC

    CERN Multimedia

    2016-01-01

    It’s March already, and time for the LHC to wake up from its short winter break. The first of 7000 powering tests began on 4 March: the first step on the way to the first beams of 2016. It’s a tight schedule, with the powering tests scheduled for just 12 days before moving on to machine checkout and then commissioning with beam around Easter.   Last year marked a great start to Run 2. The objective for the year was to establish proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV with 25 ns bunch spacing, and in that we were successful, delivering four inverse femtobarns (4 fb-1) of data to the experiments. This was a great result but, to put it into context, the goal for the whole of Run 2 is to deliver 100 fb-1 by the end of 2018, so we still have a long way to go. 2015 was a learning year, and by the time we switched off for the end-of-year break, we had learned a great deal about how to operate this superb machine at the new higher energy, with shorter bunch spacing allowing us to get many ...

  11. Financing private power in Eastern Europe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sen, A.

    1993-01-01

    Finance is needed for upgrading Eastern Europe's electric power industries. Capacity is not a problem, as all countries have more than adequate capacity in the light of the deep industrial recession. However, much of the capacity is elderly and poorly maintained, so availability is low. Coal fired plant may have electrostatic precipitators, but no desulfurization or de-NO x equipment is present. Price rises in oil and gas imported from Russia have however increased interest in energy efficiency measures. Power generation is mainly coal or lignite based. Commercial banks will be little involved in financing. The best viable sources of large scale financing will be the IBRD, EIB, EBRD, and IFC, among the multilateral investment banks. Loans so far have mainly gone to Poland. The multilateral institutions have great experience in lending to developing countries, but long procurement processes are often involved. Raising finance is inevitably a difficult process. The financing of the Cracow Environmental Project, a model private power venture in Poland is described and discussed, with particular reference to contract, legal and economic problems

  12. Annual survey of radioactive discharges in Great Britain 1978

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1979-09-01

    Details are given of main discharges to the environment of radioactive waste in 1978 together with those in 1977 and 1976 for comparison with comment on the environmental effect of the discharges in 1977. The statutory control over the discharges of radioactive wastes in Great Britain is outlined in the Introduction. Details of the discharges are set out in tabular form, grouped under: UKAEA establishments; the Radiochemical Centre Limited; British Nuclear Fuels Limited; CEGB and SSEB nuclear power stations; Ministry of Defence. Part 7 deals with radioactivity in drinking waters and rivers. (U.K.)

  13. Social Capital Enhanced Disaster Preparedness and Health Consultations after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Power Station Accident.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasegawa, Makoto; Murakami, Michio; Takebayashi, Yoshitake; Suzuki, Satoshi; Ohto, Hitoshi

    2018-03-14

    After the Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident in 2011, there was a strong demand to promote disaster preparedness approaches and health checkups for the prevention of lifestyle diseases. This study examined the yearly change in the percentage of those who prepared for disasters and who utilized health checkups in Fukushima Prefecture, and identified the factors governing disaster preparedness and utilization of health checkups. We used the public opinion survey from 2011 to 2015 ( n = 677-779 each year) on prefectural policies that is conducted every year by the Fukushima Prefecture government Public Consultation Unit. We found that the percentage of those who prepare for disasters decreased, while that for health checkups did not significantly change. With regard to disaster preparedness, experiences of disaster enhance disaster preparedness, while bonds with other local people help to maintain preparedness. For health checkups, familiarity with the welfare service was the most important factor governing such consultations. The findings suggest that social capital should be promoted in order to improve disaster preparedness. The findings also suggest that residents' accessibility to medical and welfare services is also important in promoting the utilization of health checkups.

  14. Ozone Monitoring Instrument Observations of Interannual Increases in SO2 Emissions from Indian Coal-fired Power Plants During 2005-2012

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Zifeng; Streets, David D.; de Foy, Benjamin; Krotkov, Nickolay A.

    2014-01-01

    Due to the rapid growth of electricity demand and the absence of regulations, sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from coal-fired power plants in India have increased notably in the past decade. In this study, we present the first interannual comparison of SO2 emissions and the satellite SO2 observations from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) for Indian coal-fired power plants during the OMI era of 2005-2012. A detailed unit-based inventory is developed for the Indian coal-fired power sector, and results show that its SO2 emissions increased dramatically by 71 percent during 2005-2012. Using the oversampling technique, yearly high-resolution OMI maps for the whole domain of India are created, and they reveal a continuous increase in SO2 columns over India. Power plant regions with annual SO2 emissions greater than 50 Gg year-1 produce statistically significant OMI signals, and a high correlation (R equals 0.93) is found between SO2 emissions and OMI-observed SO2 burdens. Contrary to the decreasing trend of national mean SO2 concentrations reported by the Indian Government, both the total OMI-observed SO2 and average SO2 concentrations in coal-fired power plant regions increased by greater than 60 percent during 2005-2012, implying the air quality monitoring network needs to be optimized to reflect the true SO2 situation in India.

  15. Mildly disabled persons with multiple sclerosis use similar net joint power strategies as healthy controls when walking speed increases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brincks, John; Sørensen, Henrik; Dalgas, Ulrik

    2018-01-01

    flexors in mildly disabled persons with MS and healthy controls at different walking speeds. METHODS:Thirteen persons with MS and thirteen healthy controls participated and peak net joint power was calculated using 3D motion analysis. RESULTS:In general, no differences were found between speed......-matched healthy controls and persons with MS, but the fastest walking speed was significantly higher in healthy controls (2.42 m/s vs. 1.70 m/s). The net joint power increased in hip flexors, hip extensors, hip abductors, knee extensors and plantar flexors in both groups, when walking speed increased. Significant...... correlations between changes in walking speed and changes in net joint power of plantar flexors, hip extensors and hip flexors existed in healthy controls and persons with MS, and in net knee extensor absorption power of persons with MS only. CONCLUSION:In contrast to previous studies, these findings suggest...

  16. Converter Power Density Increase using Low Inductive Integrated DC-link Capacitor/Bus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Trintis, Ionut; Franke, Toke; Rannested, Bjørn

    2015-01-01

    The power losses in switching devices have a direct effect on the maximum converter power. For a voltage source converter, the DC-link bus has a major influence on the power loss and safe operating area of the power devices. The Power Ring Film CapacitorTM integrated with an optimized bus structu...

  17. Reduction of capital costs of nuclear power plants. NEA-report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2000-01-01

    Since the the mid-1980s, the declining real prices of fossil fuels and the significant improvements in thermal efficiencies of combined cycle power plants have eroded the economic competitiveness of nuclear power plants in most OECD countries. In order for nuclear power to remain a viable option for the next millennium, the cost of electricity from nuclear power plant must be greatly reduced to be competitive with alternative sources. Of the three major components of nuclear generation cost - capital, O and M and fuel - the capital cost component makes up approximately 60 per cent of the total. Therefore, identification of the means to reduce the capital costs of nuclear power plants is a high priority activity toward keeping nuclear power competitive. Among a number of capital cost reduction measures, the principal ones were agreed by the expert group as follows: Increased plant size, improved construction methods, reduced construction schedule, design improvement, improved procurement, organisation and contractual aspects, standardisation and construction in series, multiple unit construction, regulatory and policy reform. (orig.)

  18. Developing Infrastructure for New Nuclear Power Programmes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2011-09-01

    Many countries are interested in introducing or expanding nuclear energy programmes because they regard nuclear power as a clean and stable source of electricity that can help to mitigate the impact of climate change. However, the March 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan - caused by an earthquake and tsunami of unprecedented proportions - demonstrated that there is a constant need to improve global nuclear safety, despite the great progress made in the previous 25 years. A 'safety first' approach needs to become fully entrenched among nuclear power plant operators, governments and regulators everywhere. Safety first must also be the watchword for Member States considering the introduction of nuclear power. I believe that all IAEA Member States should have access to nuclear power if they wish to add it their energy mix. While it is up to each country to decide whether or not to opt for nuclear power, the IAEA has a key role to play in ensuring that the development of nuclear power programmes takes place in a safe, efficient, responsible and sustainable manner. The IAEA has developed guidelines and milestones to help countries work in a systematic way towards the introduction of nuclear power. Use of the 'Milestones' approach can increase transparency both within a country introducing nuclear power, and between it and other States. This brochure summarizes the services which the IAEA offers to Member States considering introducing nuclear power. These include advice on proper planning, building the required human resources and infrastructure, establishing legal and regulatory frameworks, and ensuring the highest standards of safety and security, without increasing proliferation risks. The IAEA offers independent know-how on the construction, commissioning, startup and operation of nuclear reactors. Through the Technical Cooperation programme, we provide targeted support to 'newcomer' countries in response to national development needs

  19. Strengthening of nuclear power plant construction safety management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu Jun

    2012-01-01

    The article describes the warning of the Fukushima nuclear accident, and analyzes the major nuclear safety issues in nuclear power development in China, problems in nuclear power plants under construction, and how to strengthen supervision and management in nuclear power construction. It also points out that the development of nuclear power must attach great importance to the safety, and nuclear power plant construction should strictly implement the principle of 'safety first and quality first'. (author)

  20. High-Temperature, Wirebondless, Ultracompact Wide Bandgap Power Semiconductor Modules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elmes, John

    2015-01-01

    Silicon carbide (SiC) and other wide bandgap semiconductors offer great promise of high power rating, high operating temperature, simple thermal management, and ultrahigh power density for both space and commercial power electronic systems. However, this great potential is seriously limited by the lack of reliable high-temperature device packaging technology. This Phase II project developed an ultracompact hybrid power module packaging technology based on the use of double lead frames and direct lead frame-to-chip transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding that allows device operation up to 450 degC. The new power module will have a very small form factor with 3-5X reduction in size and weight from the prior art, and it will be capable of operating from 450 degC to -125 degC. This technology will have a profound impact on power electronics and energy conversion technologies and help to conserve energy and the environment as well as reduce the nation's dependence on fossil fuels.

  1. New flags, upward forces and sheltered harbours: The new ‘Great Game’ in the Pacific Islands region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kowasch, Matthias

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The centre of the global economy and the US-geostrategic focus seem to be shifting to the Asia-Pacific region. The present paper deals with the role of Pacific Island states in this new ‘Great Game’ between China and Western powers. Pacific Island states have a long tradition in building non-confrontational and open ties with rival powers. While only four countries in the Pacific have known mineral resources, others depend mainly on tourism, fisheries and remittances. China is interested in the vast mineral resources in the Pacific Island region, visible in increasing investment. Nevertheless, Australia remains the principal economic and key security partner for most of the Island states. Besides a painful colonial history, unequal distribution of mining benefits and social disparities are reasons for independence movements. Besides a painful colonial history, unequal distribution of mining benefits and social disparities are reasons for independence movements that are another issue in Pacific Island politics.

  2. Development of nuclear power and its influence on the energy-supply strategy in Great Britain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hryniszak, W.

    1977-01-01

    Great Britain was one of the first countries to use nuclear energy on a large scale. The good experience with the reactors already installed in the basis for the development programme which is not opposed. Preliminary work for the use of the fast breeder reactor and collaboration with other countries in nuclear energy techniques is described. (H.E.G.)

  3. Hinkley Point 'C' power station public enquiry: proof of evidence on coal fired power station sites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fothergill, S.; Witt, S.

    1988-11-01

    The Coalfield Communities Campaign (CCC) has argued that if a new base-load power station is required it should be coal-fired rather than nuclear, and that it should use UK coal. Proposals for new power stations at both Hinkley Point and at Fawley have encountered very considerable local and regional opposition, and this is increasingly likely to be the case at many other sites especially in Southern England. In contrast the CCC has sought to demonstrate that its member authorities would generally welcome the development of new coal-fired capacity on appropriate sites within their areas. In particular, this proof establishes that there is a prima facie case for considering three sites - Thorpe Marsh, Hams Hall and Uskmouth - as potential locations for a new large coal-fired power station as an alternative to Hinkley Point C. The relevant local authorities have expressed their willingness to co-operate in more detailed planning or technical investigations to secure a coal-fired power station on these sites. The CCC considers this to be a major and unprecedented offer to the CEGB and its successor bodies, which could greatly speed the development of new power staion capacity and be of considerable economic and social benefit to coalfield communities.

  4. Pilot project wind power - Large scale wind power in northern Sweden; Pilotprojekt vindkraft - Storskalig vindkraft i norra Sverige

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2011-07-01

    The Swedish Energy Agency granted 2009-04-20 Svevind AB financial aid to implement {sup P}ilot project wind power- Large scale wind power in northern Sweden{sup .} The purpose of the aid is to implement pilot sub-projects in wind power, to to increase knowledge for the larger establishments. The Energy Agency said in its decision that the projects Dragaliden and Gabriel Mountain is of 'great importance for future large-scale development of wind power in Sweden'. The special conditions prevailing in the project, forest environment and cold climate, gives the possibility of studies of wind turbines on birds, reindeer herding and hunting and the more technical aspects, such as de-icing and obstacle lighting. The objectives of the project, in addition to the construction and operation of 32 wind turbines, has been to include evaluating the permit process, studying the social effects around the wind power, to study the impact on small game hunting, perform tests of the de-icing system, investigate impacts on reindeer herding and explain the outcome of the project-generated rural funds. Some of the above sub-projects have been completed, which are reported in this report. For the sub-projects still in progress, the report presents the results to date, until the completion.

  5. Power Electronic Systems for Switched Reluctance Generator based Wind Farms and DC Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Park, Kiwoo

    enable various renewable energy sources, such as Photovoltaic (PV) and wind, to produce dc power directly. In addition, battery-based energy storage systems inherently operate with dc power. Hence, dc network (dc-grid) systems which connect these dc sources and storages directly using dc networks...... are gaining much attention again. The dc network system has a great potential to outdo the traditional ac systems in many technical challenges and could be highly profitable especially for offshore wind farm applications, where the size and weight of the components are crucial to the entire system costs......Wind power technology, as the most competitive renewable energy technology, is quickly developing. The wind turbine size is growing and the grid penetration of wind power is increasing rapidly. Recently, the developments on wind power technology pay more attentions on efficiency and reliability...

  6. The development situation of biomass gasification power generation in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, Zhaoqiu; Yin, Xiuli; Xu, Jie; Ma, Longlong

    2012-01-01

    This work presents the development situation of biomass gasification power generation technology in China and analyzes the difficulty and challenge in the development process. For China, a large agricultural country with abundant biomass resources, the utilization of biomass gasification power generation technology is of special importance, because it can contribute to the electricity structure diversification under the present coal-dominant electricity structure, ameliorate the environmental impact, provide energy to electricity-scarce regions and solve the problems facing agriculture. Up to now, China has developed biomass gasification power generation plants of different types and scales, including simple gas engine-based power generation systems with capacity from several kW to 3 MW and integrated gasification combined cycle systems with capacity of more than 5 MW. In recent years, due to the rising cost of biomass material, transportation, manpower, etc., the final cost of biomass power generation has increased greatly, resulting in a serious challenge in the Chinese electricity market even under present preferential policy for biomass power price. However, biomass gasification power generation technology is generally in accord with the characteristics of biomass resources in China, has relatively good adaptability and viability, and so has good prospect in China in the future. - Highlights: ► Biomass gasification power generation of 2 kW–2 MW has wide utilization in China. ► 5.5 MW biomass IGCC demonstration plant has maximum power efficiency of up to 30%. ► Biomass power generation is facing a serious challenge due to biomass cost increase.

  7. Electric power industry in Korea: Past, present, and future

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Hoesung.

    1994-01-01

    Electrical power is an indispensable tool in the industrialization of a developing country. An efficient, reliable source of electricity is a key factor in the establishment of a wide range of industries, and the supply of energy must keep pace with the increasing demand which economic growth creates in order for that growth to be sustained. As one of the most successful of all developing countries, Korea has registered impressive economic growth over the last decade, and it could be said that the rapid growth of the Korean economy would not have been possible without corresponding growth in the supply of electric power. Power producers in Korea, and elsewhere in Asia, are to be commended for successfully meeting the challenge of providing the necessary power to spur what some call an economic miracle. The future continues to hold great potential for participants in the electrical power industry, but a number of important challenges must be met in order for that potential to be fully realized. Demand for electricity continues to grow at a staggering rate, while concerns over the environmental impact of power generating facilities must not be ignored. As it becomes increasingly difficult to finance the rapid, and increasingly larger-scale expansion of the power industry through internal sources, the government must find resources to meet the growing demand at least cost. This will lead to important opportunities for the private sector. It is important, therefore, for those interested in participating in the power production industry and taking advantage of the newly emerging opportunities that lie in the Korean market, and elsewhere in Asia, to discuss the relevant issues and become informed of the specific conditions of each market

  8. Physical-chemical purification of power metal optics for increasing its service life

    Science.gov (United States)

    Filin, S. A.; Rogalin, V. E.; Kaplunov, I. A.; Zingerman, K. M.

    2017-12-01

    In order to increase the resource of power metal optics, the features of the choice of solvents for its physical and chemical cleaning are investigated. During cleaning, on the contaminated surface there remain visually observed white film of alkali and alkaline earth metal salts, insoluble by this class of solvents, and iridescent bands from the interaction of hydrocarbons with metal, and this degrades optical properties and reduces the life of mirrors. It is demonstrated that, with the use of solvents, it is necessary to inhibit the interaction of hydrocarbons with mirrors by the stabilization of solvents or by selection of cleaning regimes.

  9. The reactor power control system based on digital control in nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Chong; Zhou Jianliang; Tan Ping

    2010-01-01

    The PLC (Programmable Logical Controller), digital communication and redundant techniques are applied in the rod control and position indication system(namely the reactor power control system) to perform the power control in the 300 MW reactor automatically and integrally in Qinshan Phase I project. This paper introduces the features, digital design methods of hardware of the instrumentation and control system (I and C) in the reactor power control. It is more convenient for the information exchange by human-machine interface (HMI), operation and maintenance, and the system reliability has been greatly improved after the project being reconstructed. (authors)

  10. A coherency-based method to increase dynamic security in power systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    De Tuglie, E. [Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell' Ambiente e per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile - DIASS, Politecnico di Bari, Viale del Turismo 8, 74100 Taranto (Italy); Iannone, S.M.; Torelli, F. [Dipartimento di Elettrotecnica ed Elettronica - DEE, Politecnico di Bari, Via Re David 200, 70125 Bari (Italy)

    2008-08-15

    Dynamic security analysis is the evaluation of the ability of a system to withstand contingencies by surviving transient conditions to acceptable steady-state operative states. When potential instability due to contingency is detected, preventive action may be desired to improve the system security. This is very important in the on-line operation of a power system, especially when the system is stability-limited. The method proposed in this paper is based on the idea that increasing coherency between generators in the transient behaviour following a system perturbation gives rise to a more stable system. In this paper, we suggest the use of the ''input-output feedback-linearization'' with a reference trajectory obtained using a system dynamic equivalent based on the centre of inertia. To quantify coherency levels a new coherency indicator has been assumed for the given reference trajectory. The result is an increasing level in coherency, critical clearing time and system stability. The method is tested on the IEEE 30 bus test system. (author)

  11. The survival of the great financial journalism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elvira CALVO GUTIÉRREZ

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Traditionally, the economic international journalism has had in the Anglo-Saxon groups Dow Jones (USA and Pearson (Great Britain, publishers of The Wall Street and Financial Times respectively, his big world models. Nevertheless, the new century has brought enormous convulsions to the sector, to the newspapaers of elite and big agencies specialized in economic information as Reuters, Thomson or Bloomberg. To the battle in Internet, there add the expansion of the informative economic power and the changes of mentality of the companies and of the audiences. All this has derived in a fierce war led by the big leaders who, with more than one century of tradition someones, have been object of sales or mergers, financial indispensable operations to be able to adapt to the new times. The aim of this article is to analyze the path of the great economic journalism, with special dedication to two fronts: one, to know how these neswspapers of elite are positioned in the network; other one, the dilemma between continuing being a journalism of quality, rigorous, cosmopolitan and expensive of supporting, or to change towards an ideological, gruesome journalism or amarillista that, since in other specialities, also has spread between the financial journalism

  12. Reactive Power Compensating System.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Williams, Timothy J.; El-Sharkawi, Mohamed A.; Venkata, Subrahmanyam S.

    1985-01-04

    The circuit was designed for the specific application of wind-driven induction generators. It has great potential for application in any situation where a varying reactive power load is present, such as with induction motors or generators, or for transmission network compensation.

  13. Optical fiber configurations for transmission of laser energy over great distances

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rinzler, Charles C; Zediker, Mark S

    2013-10-29

    There are provided optical fiber configurations that provide for the delivery of laser energy, and in particular, the transmission and delivery of high power laser energy over great distances. These configurations further are hardened to protect the optical fibers from the stresses and conditions of an intended application. The configurations provide means for determining the additional fiber length (AFL) need to obtain the benefits of such additional fiber, while avoiding bending losses.

  14. High-Temperature, Wirebondless, Ultra-Compact Wide Bandgap Power Semiconductor Modules for Space Power Systems, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Silicon carbide (SiC) and other wide band-gap semiconductors offer great promise of high power rating, high operating temperature, simple thermal management, and...

  15. The German Navy: From World Power to Alliance Power

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-01

    national policy and naval strategy in the case of a non- Anglo - Saxon continental power with world standing. An analysis of such phenomena has great...conjunction, a naval strategy more fitting to the geo-strategic realities of this central-European non- Anglo - Saxon power—a course that proved hardly...38   2.   The Anglo -German Naval Agreement ............................................ 41   D

  16. Tornado outbreak variability follows Taylor's power law of fluctuation scaling and increases dramatically with severity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tippett, Michael K; Cohen, Joel E

    2016-02-29

    Tornadoes cause loss of life and damage to property each year in the United States and around the world. The largest impacts come from 'outbreaks' consisting of multiple tornadoes closely spaced in time. Here we find an upward trend in the annual mean number of tornadoes per US tornado outbreak for the period 1954-2014. Moreover, the variance of this quantity is increasing more than four times as fast as the mean. The mean and variance of the number of tornadoes per outbreak vary according to Taylor's power law of fluctuation scaling (TL), with parameters that are consistent with multiplicative growth. Tornado-related atmospheric proxies show similar power-law scaling and multiplicative growth. Path-length-integrated tornado outbreak intensity also follows TL, but with parameters consistent with sampling variability. The observed TL power-law scaling of outbreak severity means that extreme outbreaks are more frequent than would be expected if mean and variance were independent or linearly related.

  17. Tornado outbreak variability follows Taylor's power law of fluctuation scaling and increases dramatically with severity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tippett, Michael K.; Cohen, Joel E.

    2016-01-01

    Tornadoes cause loss of life and damage to property each year in the United States and around the world. The largest impacts come from ‘outbreaks' consisting of multiple tornadoes closely spaced in time. Here we find an upward trend in the annual mean number of tornadoes per US tornado outbreak for the period 1954–2014. Moreover, the variance of this quantity is increasing more than four times as fast as the mean. The mean and variance of the number of tornadoes per outbreak vary according to Taylor's power law of fluctuation scaling (TL), with parameters that are consistent with multiplicative growth. Tornado-related atmospheric proxies show similar power-law scaling and multiplicative growth. Path-length-integrated tornado outbreak intensity also follows TL, but with parameters consistent with sampling variability. The observed TL power-law scaling of outbreak severity means that extreme outbreaks are more frequent than would be expected if mean and variance were independent or linearly related. PMID:26923210

  18. The energy programme in Great Britain and Northern Ireland

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fells, I.

    1985-01-01

    Great Britain and Northern Ireland are for the time being, thanks to North Sea oil and gas, self-supporting in energy supply (coal 36%, oil 34%, gas 23%, nuclear 6%, hydraulic 1%) a situation which may continue for 2 or 3 decades. By AD2101 it is expected that nuclear generation, including the use of fast-breeder reactors, will supply 50% of electrical energy (currently 14%). The article discusses primary energy sources with tabulated statistics from Government information, and mentions the 2000MW link with France now under construction. Among alternative resources the more promising appear to be wind generation and a Severn barrage; the latter could provide 2000-4000MW. Water power has very small potential but pumped storage (Dinorwic 1700MW) is important. The prospects for wave energy are poor. Acid rain is seen as a growing problem. Various ideas for energy saving are discussed and the present policy of examining the future of energy consumption in terms of 'scenarios' is briefly described. All of these include an increase in the proportion of electrical energy in the total consumption. (C.J.O.G.)

  19. Genetics of Type 2 Diabetes: the Power of Isolated Populations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Mette Korre; Pedersen, Casper-Emil Tingskov; Moltke, Ida

    2016-01-01

    Type 2 diabetes (T2D) affects millions of people worldwide. Improving the understanding of the underlying mechanisms and ultimately improving the treatment strategies are, thus, of great interest. To achieve this, identification of genetic variation predisposing to T2D is important. A large number...... of complex disease variants and describe their contributions to the understanding of the genetics of T2D. © 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York....... disease-associated variants due to genetic drift. Collectively, this increases the statistical power to detect association signals in isolated populations compared to large outbred populations. In this review, we elaborate on why isolated populations are a powerful resource for the identification...

  20. Regulation strategies for wind power fluctuations depending on demand in Spain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martin-Martinez, Sergio; Vigueras-Rodriguez, Antonio; Gomez-Lazaro, Emilio [Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete (Spain). Energy Research Inst.; Fuentes, Juan Alvaro; Molina-Garcia, Angel [Cartagena Univ. (Spain). Dept. of Electrical Engineering

    2010-07-01

    Power systems need more flexibility as far as significant amounts of load are being covered by wind power. The variations of large wind power production impose some adverse effects on the power system. Some of these effects are the cycling losses on centralized units, discarded wind energy and increase of reserve requirements. Cycling losses derived from a non-optimal operation on great thermal and hydro power plants is an important issue produced by the stochastic wind power nature. Discarded wind energy is produced when the system can not assimilate all the wind power production. Reserve requirements are increased to keep the system balance with the secondary control. Different control functions have been developed for active power production. Some of them are balance control, delta control and power gradient limitation. Balance control consists in adjusting the production in steps to a set point constant production. The delta production constraint consists on limiting the current production to a fix delta power value below the possible production. This constraint is usually used for increasing the regulation capabilities in the wind farm. The Delta constraint can also be used jointly with the negative ramp limiting strategy, allowing then also to fix a maximum negative gradient for the cases in which the wind speed is decreasing and it is possible to limit that descend by reducing the delta value. The power gradient limiting strategy consists in a limitation of the maximum increasing gradient of the current production, i.e. it prevents the farm production from increasing too fast when the wind speed is rising or when the farm is to be started in high wind. It the wind speed is decreasing, then the constraint does not have any function. On the other hand, the negative ramp limiting strategy consists in a limitation of the maximum decreasing gradient of the current production. If the wind speed is increasing, then the constraint does not have any function. This

  1. Reliability of dc power supplies in nuclear power plant application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eisenhut, D.G.

    1978-01-01

    In June 1977 the reliability of dc power supplies at nuclear power facilities was questioned. It was postulated that a sudden gross failure of the redundant dc power supplies might occur during normal plant operation, and that this could lead to insufficient shutdown cooling of the reactor core. It was further suggested that this potential for insufficient cooling is great enough to warrant consideration of prompt remedies. The work described herein was part of the NRC staff's efforts aimed towards putting the performance of dc power supplies in proper perspective and was mainly directed towards the particular concern raised at that time. While the staff did not attempt to perform a systematic study of overall dc power supply reliability including all possible failure modes for such supplies, the work summarized herein describes how a probabilistic approach was used to supplement our more usual deterministic approach to reactor safety. Our evaluation concluded that the likelihood of dc power supply failures leading to insufficient shutdown cooling of the reactor core is sufficiently small as to not require any immediate action

  2. Great Lakes Science Center

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — Since 1927, Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC) research has provided critical information for the sound management of Great Lakes fish populations and other important...

  3. Nuclear power for developing countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kendall, J.; Kupitz, J.; Rogner, H. H.

    2000-01-01

    Nuclear power is a proven technology which currently makes a large contribution to the electricity supply in a number of countries and, to a much less extent, to heat supply in some countries. Nuclear power is economically competitive with fossil fuels for base load electricity generation in many countries, and is one of the commercially proven energy supply options that could be expanded in the future to reduce environmental burdens, especially greenhouse gas emissions, from the electricity sector. Over the past five decades, nearly ten thousand reactor-years of operating experience have been accumulated with current nuclear power plants. Building upon this background of success and applying lessons learned from the experience of operating plants, new generations of nuclear power plants have been, or are being developed. Improvements incorporated into these advance designs include features that will allow operators more time to perform equipment protection and safety actions in response to equipment failures and other off normal operating conditions, and that will reduce and simplify the actions required. Great attention is also paid to making new plants simpler to operate, inspect, maintain and repair, thus increasing their overall cost efficiency and their compatibility with the infrastructure of developing countries. The paper provides a discussion of future world energy supply and demand projections, current status and prospects for nuclear power, a short summary of advanced reactor concepts and non-electrical applications of nuclear energy for developing countries, and a review of the role of the IAEA. (author)

  4. Alternative off-site power supply improves nuclear power plant safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gjorgiev, Blaže; Volkanovski, Andrija; Kančev, Duško; Čepin, Marko

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Additional power supply for mitigation of the station blackout event in NPP is used. • A hydro power plant is considered as an off-site alternative power supply. • An upgrade of the probabilistic safety assessment from its traditional use is made. • The obtained results show improvement of nuclear power plant safety. - Abstract: A reliable power system is important for safe operation of the nuclear power plants. The station blackout event is of great importance for nuclear power plant safety. This event is caused by the loss of all alternating current power supply to the safety and non-safety buses of the nuclear power plant. In this study an independent electrical connection between a pumped-storage hydro power plant and a nuclear power plant is assumed as a standpoint for safety and reliability analysis. The pumped-storage hydro power plant is considered as an alternative power supply. The connection with conventional accumulation type of hydro power plant is analysed in addition. The objective of this paper is to investigate the improvement of nuclear power plant safety resulting from the consideration of the alternative power supplies. The safety of the nuclear power plant is analysed through the core damage frequency, a risk measure assess by the probabilistic safety assessment. The presented method upgrades the probabilistic safety assessment from its common traditional use in sense that it considers non-plant sited systems. The obtained results show significant decrease of the core damage frequency, indicating improvement of nuclear safety if hydro power plant is introduced as an alternative off-site power source

  5. Vce-based methods for temperature estimation of high power IGBT modules during power cycling - A comparison

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Amoiridis, Anastasios; Anurag, Anup; Ghimire, Pramod

    2015-01-01

    . This experimental work evaluates the validity and accuracy of two Vce based methods applied on high power IGBT modules during power cycling tests. The first method estimates the chip temperature when low sense current is applied and the second method when normal load current is present. Finally, a correction factor......Temperature estimation is of great importance for performance and reliability of IGBT power modules in converter operation as well as in active power cycling tests. It is common to be estimated through Thermo-Sensitive Electrical Parameters such as the forward voltage drop (Vce) of the chip...

  6. Tidal power development -- A realistic, justifiable and topical problem of today

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bernshtein, L.B.

    1995-01-01

    Modern tidal power plant designs have shown that with the use of large single-basin schemes, tidal power can be integrated with other forms of power generation. Tidal power is an environmentally benign means of producing electricity, particularly during off-peak demand. A number of tidal power schemes have been evaluated. These include Cumberland (1.4 Gigawatts (GW)), Cobequid (4.4 GW) in Canada; Sevrn (8.6 GW), Mersey (0.7 GW), Wyre (0.06 GW) and Conwy (0.03 GW) in Great Britain; Tugur (6.8 GW) in Russia and Garolim (0.5 GW) in South Korea. These schemes ar opening up future prospects for very large scale opportunities which could have global importance, for example, the transmission of 24 GW of electricity from tidal power plants in Great Britain to Europe. Another example is the potential transmission of 87 GW from Penzhinsh tidal power plant in Russia

  7. Feasibility study of a Great Lakes bioenergy system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hacatoglu, Kevork; McLellan, P James; Layzell, David B

    2011-01-01

    A bioenergy production and delivery system built around the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway (GLSLS) transportation corridor was assessed for its ability to mitigate energy security and climate change risks. The land area within 100 km of the GLSLS and associated railway lines was estimated to be capable of producing at least 30 Mt(dry) yr(-1) of lignocellulosic biomass with minimal adverse impacts on food and fibre production. This was estimated to be sufficient to displace all of the coal-fired electricity in Ontario plus more than 620 million L of green diesel (equivalent to 5.3% of diesel consumption in GLSLS provinces). Lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions were 88% and 76% lower than coal-fired power and conventional diesel, respectively. Production costs of $120 MWh(-1) for power and up to $30 GJ(-1) ($1.1 L(-1)) for green diesel were higher than current market prices, but a value for low-carbon energy would narrow the price differential. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Development of monitoring, control and protection systems of nuclear power reactors in the USSR: Status and trends

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kondrat'ev, V.V.; Mikhailov, M.N.; Prozorov, V.K.; Chudin, A.G.

    1992-01-01

    In 1989-90 the Supervision Body approved the new safety regulations for nuclear power plants. The operating plants do not always completely satisfy them and a great amount of work to develop operating power units up to the conditions required is necessary. This paper describes briefly the main changes made in monitoring, control and protection systems of nuclear power reactors to increase the reactor safety. The following fields are presented in the paper: General status of the NPP control and safety systems and instrumentation in USSR; sensors; electronic equipment; actuators improvement; qualification tests. (author). 3 figs

  9. Improved Power System of the Future

    OpenAIRE

    Rabinowitz, Mario

    2003-01-01

    This paper is intended to provide an insight into physics and engineering that can modernize electric power systems. Topics covered are Flexible ac transmission systems (FACTS), Custom Power, Greatly improved Capacitors, Electrical Insulation, Distribution Cables, Improved Polymeric Insulation, Underground Vault Explosions, Fault Location, Smart Cables, Neutral and Ground, Corrosion and Protection, Conventional Transformers, Compact Transformers, Ferroresonance, and Solid State Transformers.

  10. Public speaking in front of an unreceptive audience increases implicit power motivation and its endocrine arousal signature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiemers, Uta S; Schultheiss, Oliver C; Wolf, Oliver T

    2015-05-01

    The present study explored the motivational characteristics of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST; Kirschbaum, Pirke, & Hellhammer, 1993). Seventy-two participants either completed the public-speaking component of the TSST or, as a control condition, the friendly TSST (Wiemers, Schoofs, & Wolf, 2013) and wrote picture stories both before and after treatment. Stories were coded for motivational imagery related to power, achievement, and affiliation as well as for activity inhibition, a marker of functional brain lateralization during stress. The TSST had a specific arousing effect on power motivation, but not on other motivational needs, on activity inhibition, or on story length. TSST-elicited increases in power imagery, but not in achievement or affiliation imagery, were associated with a relatively greater salivary alpha-amylase response and with a relatively lesser salivary cortisol response. These findings suggest that the TSST specifically induces power-related stress. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Native plant development and restoration program for the Great Basin, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    N. L. Shaw; M. Pellant; P. Olweli; S. L. Jensen; E. D. McArthur

    2008-01-01

    The Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project, organized by the USDA Bureau of Land Management, Great Basin Restoration Initiative and the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station in 2000 as a multi-agency collaborative program (http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/boise/research/shrub/greatbasin.shtml), has the objective of improving the availability of...

  12. Increase of Power System Survivability with the Decision Support Tool CRIPS Based on Network Planning and Simulation Program PSS®SINCAL

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwaegerl, Christine; Seifert, Olaf; Buschmann, Robert; Dellwing, Hermann; Geretshuber, Stefan; Leick, Claus

    The increased interconnection and automation of critical infrastructures enlarges the complexity of the dependency structures and - as consequence - the danger of cascading effects, e.g. causing area-wide blackouts in power supply networks that are currently after deregulation operated closer to their limits. New tools or an intelligent combination of existing approaches are required to increase the survivability of critical infrastructures. Within the IRRIIS project the expert system CRIPS was developed based on network simulations realised with PSS®SINCAL, an established tool to support the analysis and planning of electrical power, gas, water or heat networks. CRIPS assesses the current situation in power supply networks analysing the simulation results of the physical network behaviour and recommends corresponding decisions.

  13. Great Lakes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edsall, Thomas A.; Mac, Michael J.; Opler, Paul A.; Puckett Haecker, Catherine E.; Doran, Peter D.

    1998-01-01

    The Great Lakes region, as defined here, includes the Great Lakes and their drainage basins in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. The region also includes the portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the 21 northernmost counties of Illinois that lie in the Mississippi River drainage basin, outside the floodplain of the river. The region spans about 9º of latitude and 20º of longitude and lies roughly halfway between the equator and the North Pole in a lowland corridor that extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean.The Great Lakes are the most prominent natural feature of the region (Fig. 1). They have a combined surface area of about 245,000 square kilometers and are among the largest, deepest lakes in the world. They are the largest single aggregation of fresh water on the planet (excluding the polar ice caps) and are the only glacial feature on Earth visible from the surface of the moon (The Nature Conservancy 1994a).The Great Lakes moderate the region’s climate, which presently ranges from subarctic in the north to humid continental warm in the south (Fig. 2), reflecting the movement of major weather masses from the north and south (U.S. Department of the Interior 1970; Eichenlaub 1979). The lakes act as heat sinks in summer and heat sources in winter and are major reservoirs that help humidify much of the region. They also create local precipitation belts in areas where air masses are pushed across the lakes by prevailing winds, pick up moisture from the lake surface, and then drop that moisture over land on the other side of the lake. The mean annual frost-free period—a general measure of the growing-season length for plants and some cold-blooded animals—varies from 60 days at higher elevations in the north to 160 days in lakeshore areas in the south. The climate influences the general distribution of wild plants and animals in the region and also influences the activities and distribution of the human

  14. Increased alpha-band power during the retention of shapes and shape-location associations in visual short-term memory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeffrey S. Johnson

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Studies exploring the role of neural oscillations in cognition have revealed sustained increases in alpha-band (~8-14 Hz power during the delay period of delayed-recognition short-term memory tasks. These increases have been proposed to reflect the inhibition, for example, of cortical areas representing task-irrelevant information, or of potentially interfering representations from previous trials. Another possibility, however, is that elevated delay-period alpha-band power reflects the selection and maintenance of information, rather than, or in addition to, the inhibition of task-irrelevant information. In the present study, we explored these possibilities using a delayed-recognition paradigm in which the presence and task-relevance of shape information was systematically manipulated across trial blocks and EEG was used to measure alpha-band power. In the first trial block, participants remembered locations marked by identical black circles. The second block featured the same instructions, but locations were marked by unique shapes. The third block featured the same stimulus presentation as the second, but with pretrial instructions indicating, on a trial-by-trial basis, whether memory for shape or location was required, the other dimension being irrelevant. In the final block, participants remembered the unique pairing of shape and location for each stimulus. Results revealed minimal delay-period alpha-band power in each of the location-memory conditions, whether locations were marked with identical circles or with unique task-irrelevant shapes. In contrast, alpha-band power increases were observed in both the shape-memory condition, in which location was task irrelevant, and in the critical final condition, in which both shape and location were task relevant. These results provide support for the proposal that alpha-band oscillations reflect the retention of shape information and/or shape-location associations in short-term memory.

  15. Novel power flow problem solutions method’s based on genetic algorithm optimization for banks capacitor compensation using an fuzzy logic rule bases for critical nodal detections

    OpenAIRE

    Abdelfatah, Nasri; Brahim, Gasbaoui

    2011-01-01

    The Reactive power flow’s is one of the most electrical distribution systems problem wich have great of interset of the electrical network researchers, it’s  cause’s active power transmission reduction, power losses decreasing, and  the drop voltage’s increase. In this research we described the efficiency of the FLC-GAO approach to solve the optimal power flow (OPF) combinatorial problem. The proposed approach employ tow algorithms, Fuzzy logic controller (FLC) algorithm for critical nodal de...

  16. Great war, ethics of Vidovdan, memory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Šijaković Bogoljub

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Beginning with a characterization of contemporaneity (dominance of the financial sector and high technology, politicization of economy, ideological use of culture and control of the capacity for thought and a brief analysis of expansionism (political, economic, cultural on the eve of the Great War, the author embarks on a more detailed description of the spiritual situation in the wake of the Great War: in philosophy, literature, art, as well as the national-political programmatic texts and war propaganda publications of German intellectuals of the time. The continuity of the Austro-Hungarian colonial policy towards the Balkans and Serbia culminates in instigating a preventive war against Serbia by the elites in Berlin and Vienna, which is of importance with regard to the question of responsibility for the war, guided by concrete aims of war in which causes for war are reflected. These war elites wanted to declare the assassination in Sarajevo as the cause of war, which in fact was a political assassination and tyrannicide. The freedom movement of democratic youth, Mlada Bosna (Young Bosnia, needs to be viewed in the European context as inspired by the Serbian tradition of the cult of Kosovo and the ethics of Vidovdan (St Vitus' Day which speaks both about the victim's sacrifice as sublimation of history and about just suffering as elements of identity. Historical memory suggests that historical responsibility is transgenerational. The epic proportions of Serbian suffering in the Great War have additionally encouraged the positing of the theme of St Vitus' Day Temple (Vidovdanski Hram as envisaged by Ivan Meštrović. The foundations of this idea were shaken by Miloš Crnjanski who, in his 'Lyrics of Ithaca', succeeds in returning to Vidovdan (St Vitus' Day the inexhaustible national power of validity. Because of enormous Serbian military and civilian casualties in recent history, the need to establish a Victim's Sacrifice Memorial, in our day

  17. The future of nuclear energy: A perspective on nuclear power development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sackett, J. I.

    2000-01-01

    The author begins by discussing the history of nuclear power development in the US. He discusses the challenges for nuclear power such as the proliferation of weapons material, waste management, economics, and safety. He then discusses the future for nuclear power, specifically advanced reactor development. People can all be thankful for nuclear power, for it may well be essential to the long term survival of civilization. Within the seeds of its potential for great good, are also the seeds for great harm. People must ensure that it is applied for great good. What is not in question is whether people can live without it, they cannot. United States leadership is crucial in determining how this technology is developed and applied. The size and capability of the United States technical community is decreasing, a trend that cannot be allowed to continue. It is the author's belief that in the future, the need, the vision and the confidence in nuclear power will be restored, but only if the US addresses the immediate challenges. It is a national challenge worthy of the best people this nation has to offer

  18. Balance of the LVC plant with increase in 15 % of power; Balance de planta de la CLV con aumento del 15 % de potencia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ortiz, J.J.; Hernandez, J.L.; Perusquia, R.; Castillo, A.; Montes, J.L. [ININ, 52045 Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)]. e-mail: jjortiz@nuclear.inin.mx

    2005-07-01

    One of the tendencies in many power reactors has been to modify some operation conditions, in order to increasing the electricity generation. The Laguna Verde Nuclear power plant (CNLV) it has not been the exception and in the recent past an increment of 5% was made in the original nominal thermal power. In the face of the possibility of carrying out more modifications, a study was made in the one that one simulates an eventual increment of the power of the reactor in 15% of the original value. With this increment one carries out the balance of the plant and the thermodynamic properties were determined. With this purpose it was developed a computer tool to calculate the thermodynamic properties of the plant in several points of the power cycle, as well as to carry out energy and mass balances to determine the flows in the different extractions of steam of the turbines. The program is compared with the results to 100% and 105% of increase of power obtaining good results, for what it is concluded that the extrapolation to 115% of power increase is acceptable. (Author)

  19. Design Criteria for Future Fuels and Related Power Systems Addressing the Impacts of Non-CO2 Pollutants on Human Health and Climate Change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schauer, James Jay

    2015-01-01

    Concerns over the economics, supply chain, and emissions of greenhouse gases associated with the wide use of fossil fuels have led to increasing interest in developing alternative and renewable fuels for stationary power generation and transportation systems. Although there is considerable uncertainty regarding the economic and environmental impacts of alternative and renewable fuels, there is a great need for assessment of potential and emerging fuels to guide research priorities and infrastructure investment. Likewise, there is a great need to identify potential unintended adverse impacts of new fuels and related power systems before they are widely adopted. Historically, the environmental impacts of emerging fuels and power systems have largely focused on carbon dioxide emissions, often called the carbon footprint, which is used to assess impacts on climate change. Such assessments largely ignore the large impacts of emissions of other air pollutants. Given the potential changes in emissions of air pollutants associated with the large-scale use of new and emerging fuels and power systems, there is a great need to better guide efforts to develop new fuels and power systems that can avoid unexpected adverse impacts on the environment and human health. This review covers the nature of emissions, including the key components and impacts from the use of fuels, and the design criteria for future fuels and associated power systems to assure that the non-CO2 adverse impacts of stationary power generation and transportation are minimized.

  20. Turkey Entering the European Union Through the Balkan Doors: in the Style of a Great Power?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bedrudin Brljavac

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Confronting an increasing EU opposition from a number of influential member states to its membership the AKP government adopted a multilateral approach to its foreign policy making resulting in dynamic economic and diplomatic policies with the countries from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Balkans region. In this article we analyzed the effects and consequences of a paradigmatic shift in Turkish foreign policy in the Western Balkans in relation to the country's EU membership prospects. Through its pro-active economic and diplomatic initiatives in the region Turkey has been proving itself as indispensable country for the European Union membership. Thus, if the Turkish government concentrates more on solving its internal problems and continues its pro-active diplomacy in Western Balkans, among other regions, it could become not only a regional but also a global power.

  1. Energy Profiles of an Agricultural Frontier: The American Great Plains, 1860-2000.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cunfer, Geoff; Watson, Andrew; MacFadyen, Joshua

    2018-04-01

    Agro-ecosystem energy profiles reveal energy flows into, within, and out of U.S. Great Plains farm communities across 140 years. This study evaluates external energy inputs such as human labor, machinery, fuel, and fertilizers. It tracks the energy content of land produce, including crops, grazed pasture, and firewood, and also accounts unharvested energy that remains available for wildlife. It estimates energy redirected through livestock feed into draft power, meat, and milk, and estimates the energy content of final produce available for local consumption or market sale. The article presents energy profiles for three case studies in Kansas in 1880, 1930, 1954, and 1997. Two energy transformations occurred during that time. The first, agricultural colonization , saw farm communities remake the landscape, turning native grassland into a mosaic of cropland and pasture, a process that reduced overall landscape energy productivity. A second energy transition occurred in the mid-twentieth century, characterized by fossil fuel energy imports. That outside energy raised harvested and unharvested energy flows, reused biomass energy, and also final produce. This socio-ecological transition increased landscape energy productivity by 33 to 45 percent above pre-settlement conditions in grain-growing regions. These energy developments were not uniform across the plains. Variations in rainfall and soil quality constrained or favored energy productivity in different places. The case studies reveal the spatial variation of energy profiles in Great Plains agro-ecosystems, while the longitudinal approach tracks temporal change.

  2. Predicting Great Lakes fish yields: tools and constraints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, C.A.; Schupp, D.H.; Taylor, W.W.; Collins, J.J.; Hatch, Richard W.

    1987-01-01

    Prediction of yield is a critical component of fisheries management. The development of sound yield prediction methodology and the application of the results of yield prediction are central to the evolution of strategies to achieve stated goals for Great Lakes fisheries and to the measurement of progress toward those goals. Despite general availability of species yield models, yield prediction for many Great Lakes fisheries has been poor due to the instability of the fish communities and the inadequacy of available data. A host of biological, institutional, and societal factors constrain both the development of sound predictions and their application to management. Improved predictive capability requires increased stability of Great Lakes fisheries through rehabilitation of well-integrated communities, improvement of data collection, data standardization and information-sharing mechanisms, and further development of the methodology for yield prediction. Most important is the creation of a better-informed public that will in turn establish the political will to do what is required.

  3. Effect of increased regulation on capital costs and manual labor requirements of nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paik, S.; Schriver, W.R.

    1981-01-01

    An attempt is made to explain the impact of increasing governmental regulation on capital costs and labor requirements for constructing light water reactor (LWR) electric power plants. The principal factors contributing to these increases are: (1) market conditions and (2) increased regulation. General market conditions include additional costs attributable to price inflation of equipment, material, labor, and the increased cost of money. The central objective of this work is to estimate the impact of increasing regulation on plant costs and, conversely, on output. To do this it is necessary to isolate two opposing sets of forces which have been in operation during the period of major regulatory expansion: learning based upon plant design experience and economies of scale with increasing size (generating capacity) of newer plants. Conceptual models are specified to capture the independent effects of increasing regulation, learning, and economies of scale. Empirical results were obtained by estimating the models on data collected from industry experience during the 1967-1980 period. 23 refs

  4. Fuel design with low peak of local power for BWR reactors with increased nominal power; Diseno de un combustible con bajo pico de potencia local para reactores BWR con potencia nominal aumentada

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Perusquia C, R.; Montes, J.L.; Hernandez, J.L.; Ortiz, J.J.; Castillo, A. [ININ, 52750 Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)]. e-mail: mrpc@nuclear.inin.mx

    2006-07-01

    The Federal Commission of Electricity recently announcement the beginning of the works related with the increase of the power to 120% of the original nominal one in the Boiling Water Reactors (BWR) of the Laguna Verde Central (CLV): In the National Institute of Nuclear Research (ININ) are carried out studies of the impact on the design of the recharge of derived fuel of this increase. One of the main effects of the power increase type that it is promoting, is the increment of the flow of generated vapor, what takes, to a bigger fraction of vacuum in the core presenting increased values of the maximum fraction to the limit, so much of the ratio of lineal heat generation (XFLPD) as of the ratio of critic power (MFLCPR). In the made studies, it is found that these fractions rise lineally with the increase of the nominal power. Considering that the reactors of the CLV at the moment operate to 105% of the original nominal power, it would imply an increment of the order of 13.35% in the XFLPD and in the MFLCPR operating to a nominal power of 120% of the original one. This would propitiate bigger problems to design appropriately the fuel cycle and the necessity, almost unavoidable, of to resort to a fuel assembly type more advanced for the recharges of the cores. As option, in the ININ the feasibility of continuing using the same type of it fuel assembles that one has come using recently in the CLV, the type GE12 is analyzed. To achieve it was outlined to diminish the peak factor of local power (LPPF) of the power cells that compose the fuel recharge in 13.35%. It was started of a fuel design previously used in the recharge of the unit 1 cycle 12 and it was re-design to use it in the recharge design of the cycle 13 of the unit 1, considering an increase to 120% of the original power and the same requirements of cycle extension. For the re-design of the fuel assembly cell it was used the PreDiCeldas computer program developed in the ININ. It was able to diminish the LPPF

  5. Toward a more social social psychology of power

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lammers, J.

    2008-01-01

    In this dissertation I aim to take a step toward a more social social psychology of power. In my opinion the existing social psychology on power is insufficiently social, and too material and physical. I believe this material and physical view has greatly influenced how social psychology has studied

  6. Designation and influence of household increasing block electricity tariffs in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin Boqiang; Jiang Zhujun

    2012-01-01

    Electricity is the guarantee of normal life, and the electricity price is widely concerned. As a developing country in the transition stage, abundant policy implications are included in the electricity price in China, thus, whether to adjust the resident electricity price is a dilemma for the government. However, the current single tariff system cannot cope with the complex social and environmental problems. A new price mechanism is indeed needed. This paper tries to design an increasing block tariffs system with the consideration of residential income and electricity consumption. The result indicates that the increasing block tariffs system with four-tier structure is more reasonable for China. Although the increasing block tariffs will result in the increase of electricity price, it is still acceptable and affordable. The increasing block tariffs will greatly improve the equity and efficiency, and promote the electricity saving and emissions reduction. Moreover, the power companies will increase tariffs revenue, which would use to the transmission networks investment in poor area. In order to the offset the limitations of the increasing block tariffs, the government should adopt some complementary measures. - Highlights: ► We design an increasing block tariffs for residential electricity consumption with four-tier structure. ► Both the equity and efficiency will be greatly improved. ► Electricity demand and CO 2 emissions will reduce by 26.68 billion kWh and 14.11 million tons. ► Some measures should be taken as the complement to make the increasing block tariffs mechanism more efficient.

  7. Power supply strategy in Lithuania

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Galinis, A.

    2000-01-01

    Nuclear power plant produces about 80% of electricity in Lithuania. However, national energy strategy as a result of comprehensive assessment of technical, economic and political factors foresees closure of its first unit by 2005. Future fate of the second unit will be defined later in 2004 . Electricity demand requirements will be covered by other modernised power plants burning fossil fuel. This may create some environmental problems, especially if unit 2 would be closed. Earlier closure of the nuclear power plant is a great economical burden not only for the power sector but also to the whole national economy. This requires substantial technical and financial support from EU and other developed countries. (author)

  8. Wind power - a power source now enabled by power electronics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blaabjerg, Frede; Iov, Florin

    2007-01-01

    energy at the end-user should be set up. Deregulation of energy has lowered the investment in larger power plants, which means the need for new electrical power sources may be increased in the near future. Two major technologies will play important roles to solve the future problems. One is to change......The global electrical energy consumption is still rising and there is a steady demand to increase the power capacity. It is expected that it has to be doubled within 20 years. The production, distribution and use of the energy should be as technological efficient as possible and incentives to save...... the electrical power production sources from the conventional, fossil (and short term) based energy sources to renewable energy resources. Another is to use high efficient power electronics in power generation, power transmission/distribution and end-user application. This paper discuss the most emerging...

  9. American undergraduate students' value development during the Great Recession.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Heejung; Twenge, Jean M; Greenfield, Patricia M

    2017-02-01

    The Great Recession's influence on American undergraduate students' values was examined, testing Greenfield's and Kasser's theories concerning value development during economic downturns. Study 1 utilised aggregate-level data to investigate (a) population-level value changes between the pre-recession (2004-2006: n = 824,603) and recession freshman cohort (2008-2010: n = 662,262) and (b) overall associations of population-level values with national economic climates over long-term periods by correlating unemployment rates and concurrent aggregate-level values across 1966-2015 (n = 10 million). Study 2 examined individual-level longitudinal value development from freshman to senior year, and whether the developmental trajectories differed between those who completed undergraduate education before the Great Recession (freshmen in 2002, n = 12,792) versus those who encountered the Great Recession during undergraduate years (freshmen in 2006, n = 13,358). Results suggest American undergraduate students' increased communitarianism (supporting Greenfield) and materialism (supporting Kasser) during the Great Recession. The recession also appears to have slowed university students' development of positive self-views. Results contribute to the limited literature on the Great Recession's influence on young people's values. They also offer theoretical and practical implications, as values of this privileged group of young adults are important shapers of societal values, decisions, and policies. © 2016 International Union of Psychological Science.

  10. Reduction of magnetic emission by increasing secondary side capacitor for ferrite geometry based series-series topology for wireless power transfer to vehicles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Batra, Tushar; Schaltz, Erik; Ahn, Seungyoung

    2014-01-01

    Magnetic fields emitted by wireless power transfer to vehicles can potentially affect living organisms. As a result, minimizing the magnetic emissions without compromising with the power transferred is one of the most significant challenges in the success of this technology. Active and passive...... and secondary currents from the standard design. Therefore, a part of the secondary magnetic flux comes in phase opposition with the primary flux and the resultant field is reduced. Operation point is shifted with the new design from the maximum power transfer resonance point and hence the reflected resistance...... is reduced. In order to maintain the same power level, the primary current and voltage have to increased and decreased in the same proportion. Also, the primary capacitor needs to be increased for maintaining unity input power factor in the system. The above statements are provided first with help...

  11. Impact of the great east Japan earthquake, tsunami, nuclear power plant accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hosoya, Mitsuaki

    2013-01-01

    The title subject is described mainly from the pediatric aspect. Shortly after the Quake (Mar. 11, 2011), Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) and Japan Medical Association Team (JMAT) started on their disaster emergent activity with various personnel and students of Fukushima Medical University (FMU). The Power Plant Accident broke out on the next day, and FMU was the base in charge of multiple managements of radiological medicare as well as the ordinary emergent one. Number of children emergently admitted in or requiring the general pediatric consultation was rather small, and problems of insufficient pediatric articles were virtually solved within 2 weeks. Pediatric support by FMU was done from April to May end for children in evacuation places. At 3 months after the disaster, the birth number markedly decreased near the Plant, and pediatric in- and out-patient number also diminished in the whole Fukushima prefecture, suggesting that many at pregnancy or having infants had evacuated out of the prefecture probably because of their concern of possible radiation health hazard. In consideration of epidemiology of A-bomb survivors and of victims in Chernobyl Accident, so much increased prevalence of pediatric thyroid cancer is conceived to be hardly observed after Fukushima Accident. The project of Fukushima Health Management Survey involves fundamental and detailed examinations. The former subject is to all of prefectural residents who lived at the time of the Quake and the latter, to all children's thyroid with the age <18 y by ultrasonographic follow-up, to all residents dwelled in the evacuation areas by the detailed physical and mental/life-style examinations and to pregnant women by questionnaire and follow-up. Residents' concern is mostly toward the health of infants who are sensitive to radiation. (T.T.)

  12. Measuring the impact of a public awareness campaign to increase Welfare Power of Attorney registrations in Scotland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levin, Kate A; Carson, Jill; Crighton, Emilia

    2017-07-01

    to measure the impact of the 'My Power of Attorney' media campaign on the number of new power of attorney (POA) registrations in Scotland. POA registrations in Scotland processed by the Office of the Public Guardian during January 2010 to June 2015. multilevel Poisson models for POA registrations nested by council and annual quarter were run using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods, adjusting for time, campaign (variable ranging between 0 and 5 dependent on intensity of campaign measured by the number of media platforms received) and offset term mid-year population estimate for those aged 25 years+/65 years+. POA registrations saw a reduction between 2010 and 2011 but overall, increased between 2010 and 2015. POA registrations rose by 33.3% in Glasgow City between 2013 and 2014, when the campaign began, while the rest of Scotland saw a rise of 17.3%. When the data were modelled, Relative Risk (RR) of a POA registration increased with increasing intensity of campaign, so that in an area in receipt of the full campaign was RR = 1.31 (1.28, 1.34) that of an area with no campaign. Between council variation persisted after adjustment for campaign (Variance = 0.041 (0.011)). during the period of the campaign, area-level increases in POA registrations were observed associated with the 'My Power of Attorney' timing and location, in an approximate dose-response relationship with campaign intensity, suggesting that this is likely to be due to the campaign that began in Glasgow City. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

  13. Applications of energy harvesting for ultralow power technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pop-Vadean, A.; Pop, P. P.; Barz, C.; Chiver, O.

    2015-06-01

    Ultra-low-power (ULP) technology is enabling a wide range of new applications that harvest ambient energy in very small amounts and need little or no maintenance - self-sustaining devices that are capable of perpetual or nearly perpetual operation. These new systems, which are now appearing in industrial and consumer electronics, also promise great changes in medicine and health. Until recently, the idea of micro-scale energy harvesting, and collecting miniscule amounts of ambient energy to power electronic systems, was still limited to research proposals and laboratory experiments.Today an increasing number of systems are appearing that take advantage of light, vibrations and other forms of previously wasted environmental energy for applications where providing line power or maintaining batteries is inconvenient. In the industrial world, where sensors gather information from remote equipment and hazardous processes; in consumer electronics, where mobility and convenience are served; and in medical systems, with unique requirements for prosthetics and non-invasive monitoring, energy harvesting is rapidly expanding into new applications.This paper serves as a survey for applications of energy harvesting for ultra low power technology based on various technical papers available in the public domain.

  14. Estimation of small-scale hydroelectric power plant costs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, Afonso Henriques Moreira; Silva, Benedito Claudio da; Magalhaes, Ricardo Nogueira

    2010-01-01

    Changes in Brazilian energy scenario through last years such as increase of demand and search for clean and economically feasible renewable energy sources, has stimulated investors to small hydro power plants (SHP) sector. Such characteristics together with several economic incentives, legal and regulatory mechanisms also, have helped and stimulated building of new plants of this kind and have attracted a great number of investors to this sector. Study of costs analysis and feasibility of investments is a study which has been used since long time in SHP business market as several preliminary studies previous to civil project have significant costs which lead us to count with a feasibility analysis from the very beginning of studies, exactly what is suggested in the present methodology. Such feasibility analysis, in the common patterns where basic unit costs of each input remain outstanding, would be very complex due to great difficulty in obtaining information at initial phase of project. In this direction this study brings a contribution for investors as well as for designers of small hydro power plants since it outlines a link between physical and energetic characteristics of small hydro power plant in its total cost. Such link is based in available physical characteristics in initial phase of the project, making possible a previous comparison between arrangements of a central or even the comparison of return of investment between different plants. The resulting benefit being the possibility of choosing centrals with greater economic feasibility disregarding bad undertakings or arrangements with more expressive cost. Final result gives a better delay in return of investment, helps in power, arrangements more optimized and in saving time as well, reducing costs of undertakings. Due to large number of SHP arrangements, we chose for this study the most common in Brazil, plant of medium and large fall, shunting line balance chimney and low pressure conduit. (author)

  15. Impacts of Natural Disasters on Swedish Electric Power Policy: A Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Niyazi Gündüz

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The future of climate and sustainable energy are interrelated. Speaking of one without mentioning the other is quite difficult. The increasing number of natural disasters pose a great threat to the electric power supply security in any part of the world. Sweden has been one of the countries that have suffered from unacceptably long blackouts. The tremendous outcomes of the power interruptions have made the field of the economic worth of electric power reliability a popular area of interest among researchers. Nature has been the number one enemy against the supply security of the electricity. This paper introduces a recent and thorough electric power reliability analysis of Sweden and focuses on the country’s struggle against climate change-related natural disasters via updating the country’s electric power policy to improve its service quality. The paper highlights the Gudrun storm of 2005 as a case study to demonstrate the severe impacts of extreme weather events on the energy systems. The economic damage of the storm on the electric power service calculated to be around 3 billion euros.

  16. Advance Power Technology Experiment for the Starshine 3 Satellite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenkins, Phillip; Scheiman, David; Wilt, David; Raffaelle, Ryne; Button, Robert; Smith, Mark; Kerslake, Thomas; Miller, Thomas; Bailey, Sheila (Technical Monitor); Hepp, A. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    The Starshine 3 satellite will carry several power technology demonstrations. Since Starshine 3 is primarily a passive experiment and does not need electrical power to successfully complete its mission, the requirement for a highly reliable power system is greatly reduced. This creates an excellent opportunity to test new power technologies. Several government and commercial interests have teamed up to provide Starshine 3 with a small power system using state-of-the-art components. Starshine 3 will also fly novel integrated microelectronic power supplies (IWS) for evaluation.

  17. Evaluating transfer capability of economic-driven power markets

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu, Zhao

    2007-01-01

    in the present economic-driven electricity markets. A mathematical model of a multi-objective optimization (MOOP) technique has been adopted and presented here for transfer capability studies; which can be helpful for power system planning and operation procedures. The newly-developed algorithm is being tested......The on-going restructuring of electric power utilities poses great challenges for power system engineers to plan and operate power systems as economical and reliable as possible. This paper discusses an important issue, which has been usually neglected, when quantifying active power transfer levels...

  18. Stroke-attributable death among older persons during the great recession.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Falconi, April; Gemmill, Alison; Karasek, Deborah; Goodman, Julia; Anderson, Beth; Lee, Murray; Bellows, Benjamin; Catalano, Ralph

    2016-05-01

    Epidemiological evidence indicates an elevated risk for stroke among stressed persons, in general, and among individuals who have lost their job, in particular. We, therefore, tested the hypothesis that stroke accounted for a larger fraction of deaths during the Great Recession than expected from other deaths and from trends, cycles, and other forms of autocorrelation. Based on vital statistics death data from California spanning 132 months from January 2000 through December 2010, we found support for the hypothesis. These findings appear attributable to non-Hispanic white men, who experienced a 5% increase in their monthly odds of stroke-attributable death. Total mortality in this group, however, did not increase. Findings suggest that 879 deaths among older white men shifted from other causes to stroke during the 36 months following the start of the Great Recession. We infer the Great Recession may have affected social, biologic, and behavioral risk factors that altered the life histories of older white men in ways that shifted mortality risk toward stroke. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. LDC nuclear power: Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, V.

    1982-01-01

    Brazil has been expanding its nuclear power since 1975, following the Bonn-Brasilia sales agreement and the 1974 denial of US enriched uranium, in an effort to develop an energy mix that will reduce dependence and vulnerability to a single energy source or supplier. An overview of the nuclear program goes on to describe domestic non-nuclear alternatives, none of which has an adequate base. The country's need for transfers of capital, technology, and raw materials raises questions about the advisability of an aggressive nuclear program in pursuit of great power status. 33 references

  20. Restraint use by car occupants: Great Britain, 1982-91.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Broughton, J.

    1992-01-01

    One of the major developments in road safety in Great Britain during the last decade has been the increasing use of seat belts by people travelling in cars. This has been achieved by legislation, with supporting publicity.

  1. Maximizing the science return of interplanetary missions using nuclear electric power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zubrin, R.M.

    1995-01-01

    The multi-kilowatt power sources on the spaecraft also enables active sensing, including radar, which could be used to do topographic and subsurface studies of clouded bodies such as Titan, ground pentrating sounding of Pluto, the major planet's moons, and planetoids, and topside sounding of the electrically conductive atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune to produce profiles of fluid density, conductivity, and horizontal and vertical velocity as a function of depth and global location. Radio science investigations of planetary atmospheres and ring systems would be greatly enhanced by increased transmitter power. The scientific benefits of utilizing such techniques are discussed, and a comparison is made with the quantity and quality of science that a low-powered spacecraft employing RTGs could return. It is concluded that the non-propulsive benefits of nuclear power for spacecraft exploring the outer solar system are enormous, and taken together with the well documented mission enhancements enabled by electric propulsion fully justify the expanditures needed to bring a space qualified nuclear electric power source into being. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics

  2. PMU-Aided Voltage Security Assessment for a Wind Power Plant: Preprint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiang, H.; Zhang, Y. C.; Zhang, J. J.; Muljadi, E.

    2015-04-08

    Because wind power penetration levels in electric power systems are continuously increasing, voltage stability is a critical issue for maintaining power system security and operation. The traditional methods to analyze voltage stability can be classified into two categories: dynamic and steady-state. Dynamic analysis relies on time-domain simulations of faults at different locations; however, this method needs to exhaust faults at all locations to find the security region for voltage at a single bus. With the widely located phasor measurement units (PMUs), the Thevenin equivalent matrix can be calculated by the voltage and current information collected by the PMUs. This paper proposes a method based on a Thevenin equivalent matrix to identify system locations that will have the greatest impact on the voltage at the wind power plant’s point of interconnection. The number of dynamic voltage stability analysis runs is greatly reduced by using the proposed method. The numerical results demonstrate the feasibility, effectiveness, and robustness of the proposed approach for voltage security assessment for a wind power plant.

  3. Sandwich-structured polymer nanocomposites with high energy density and great charge–discharge efficiency at elevated temperatures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qi; Liu, Feihua; Yang, Tiannan; Gadinski, Matthew R.; Zhang, Guangzu; Chen, Long-Qing; Wang, Qing

    2016-01-01

    The demand for a new generation of high-temperature dielectric materials toward capacitive energy storage has been driven by the rise of high-power applications such as electric vehicles, aircraft, and pulsed power systems where the power electronics are exposed to elevated temperatures. Polymer dielectrics are characterized by being lightweight, and their scalability, mechanical flexibility, high dielectric strength, and great reliability, but they are limited to relatively low operating temperatures. The existing polymer nanocomposite-based dielectrics with a limited energy density at high temperatures also present a major barrier to achieving significant reductions in size and weight of energy devices. Here we report the sandwich structures as an efficient route to high-temperature dielectric polymer nanocomposites that simultaneously possess high dielectric constant and low dielectric loss. In contrast to the conventional single-layer configuration, the rationally designed sandwich-structured polymer nanocomposites are capable of integrating the complementary properties of spatially organized multicomponents in a synergistic fashion to raise dielectric constant, and subsequently greatly improve discharged energy densities while retaining low loss and high charge–discharge efficiency at elevated temperatures. At 150 °C and 200 MV m−1, an operating condition toward electric vehicle applications, the sandwich-structured polymer nanocomposites outperform the state-of-the-art polymer-based dielectrics in terms of energy density, power density, charge–discharge efficiency, and cyclability. The excellent dielectric and capacitive properties of the polymer nanocomposites may pave a way for widespread applications in modern electronics and power modules where harsh operating conditions are present. PMID:27551101

  4. ICC Experiment Performance Improvement through Advanced Feedback Controllers for High-Power Low-Cost Switching Power Amplifiers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, Brian A.

    2006-01-01

    Limited resources force most smaller fusion energy research experiments to have little or no feedback control of their operational parameters, preventing achievement of their full operational potential. Recent breakthroughs in high-power switching technologies have greatly reduced feedback-controlled power supply costs, primarily those classified as switching power amplifiers. However, inexpensive and flexible controllers for these power supplies have not been developed. A uClinux-based micro-controller (Analog Devices Blackfin BF537) was identified as having the capabilities to form the base of a digital control system for switching power amplifiers. A control algorithm was created, and a Linux character device driver was written to realize the algorithm. The software and algorithm were successfully tested on a switching power amplifier and magnetic field coil using University of Washington (subcontractor) resources

  5. Modus operandi for maximizing energy efficiency and increasing permeate flux of community scale solar powered reverse osmosis systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vyas, Harsh; Suthar, Krunal; Chauhan, Mehul; Jani, Ruchita; Bapat, Pratap; Patel, Pankaj; Markam, Bhupendra; Maiti, Subarna

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Experimental data on energy efficient photovoltaic powered reverse osmosis system. • Synergetic management of electrical, thermal and hydraulic energies. • Use of reflectors, heat exchanger and turgo turbine. - Abstract: Photovoltaic powered reverse osmosis systems can only be made cost effective if they are made highly energy efficient. In this work we describe a protocol to maximize energy efficiency and increase permeate flux in a fully integrated installation of such a system. The improved system consisted of (i) photovoltaic array fitted with suitably positioned and aligned North–South V-trough reflectors to enhance power output from the array; (ii) direct contact heat exchanger fitted on the rear of the photovoltaic modules for active cooling of the same while safeguarding the terminals from short-circuit and corrosion; (iii) use of reverse osmosis feed water as heat exchange medium while taking due care to limit the temperature rise of feed water; (iv) enhancing permeate flux through the rise in feed water temperature; (v) turgo-turbine for conversion of hydraulic energy in reverse osmosis reject water into mechanical energy to provide part of the energy to replace booster pump utilized in the reverse osmosis unit. The V-trough reflectors onto the photovoltaic modules with thermal energy recovery system brought about an increase in power output of 40% and the synergistic effect of (i)–(iv) gave rise to total permeate volume boost of 59%. Integration of (v) resulted in 56% and 26% saving of electrical power when the reverse osmosis plant was operated by battery bank and direct photovoltaic array respectively

  6. Presenting a model of repair and preventing maintenance of Bushehr nuclear power plants analyzing the data of similar nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parikhan, Hammidreza

    1997-01-01

    Due to the increase application of nuclear energy for producing electricity, special attention must be paid to their maintenance activities in general and preventive maintenance in particular. It has been shown that a well established preventive maintenance programme will enhance the reliability and availability of nuclear power plants. A model of preventive maintenance for Buhehr nuclear power plant which is due to be completed by 2001 is developed. The prescribed model is based on past experiences of VVER nuclear power plants around the world. The utilized data is provided by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria. The data and past experiences reveal such important information as availability, energy loss, types of failures, duration of failure, etc. A strategy for designing a database is established. These data are then analyzed by statistical methods such as Pareto analysis, t-test, K-S test, analysis of variance, etc. The results of our analysis reveal important information in regard to establishment of a well-defined preventive maintenance programme in Buhshehr nuclear power plant. The results show that certain equipment such turbo-generator and control-rods play an important role in the maintenance of a VVER nuclear power plant. Other findings are discussed in great detail

  7. Do invasive quagga mussels alter CO2 dynamics in the Laurentian Great Lakes?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Peng; Guo, Laodong

    2016-12-01

    The Laurentian Great Lakes have experienced unprecedented ecological and environmental changes, especially after the introduction of invasive quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis). While impacts on ecological functions have been widely recognized, the response of carbon dynamics to invasive species remains largely unknown. We report new CO2 data showing significant increases in pCO2 (up to 800 μatm in Lake Michigan) and CO2 emission fluxes in most of the Great Lakes compared to those prior to or during the early stage of the colonization of invasive quagga mussels. The increased CO2 supersaturation is most prominent in Lakes Huron and Michigan, followed by Lakes Ontario and Erie, but no evident change was observed in Lake Superior. This trend mirrors the infestation extent of invasive quagga mussels in the Great Lakes and is consistent with the decline in primary production and increase in water clarity observed pre- and post-Dreissena introduction, revealing a close linkage between invasive species and carbon dynamics. The Great Lakes have become a significant CO2 source to the atmosphere, emitting >7.7 ± 1.0 Tg-C annually, which is higher than the organic carbon burial rate in global inland-seas and attesting to the significant role of the Laurentian Great Lakes in regional/global CO2 budget and cycling.

  8. What Makes a Great Journal Great in Economics? The Singer Not the Song.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    C-L. Chang (Chia-Lin); M.J. McAleer (Michael); L. Oxley (Les)

    2010-01-01

    textabstractThe paper is concerned with analysing what makes a great journal great in economics, based on quantifiable measures. Alternative Research Assessment Measures (RAM) are discussed, with an emphasis on the Thomson Reuters ISI Web of Science database (hereafter ISI). The various ISI RAM that

  9. IMPROVING THE RELIABILITY OF THE POWER CIRCUIT OF THE ELECTRIC TRAINS ЕР2Т AND ЕПЛ2Т

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. H. Visin

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available The transitional processes in shunt circuit of traction engines, which armatures and excitation windings are connected in non-conducting direction as to the flowing power current, are considered in this paper. The changes in the control circuits of braking switch and in the shunt power circuit of traction engines with additional mounting a resistor of 0.5 Ohm are proposed. All this modernization will allow increasing greatly the operation reliability of power circuit of ЭР2Т and ЕПЛ2Т electric locomotives during their service life.

  10. Accident prevention in power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steyrer, H.

    Large thermal power plants are insured to a great extent at the Industrial Injuries Insurance Institute of Instrument and Electric Engineering. Approximately 4800 employees are registered. The accident frequency according to an evaluation over 12 months lies around 79.8 per year and 1000 employees in fossil-fired power plants, around 34.1 per year and 1000 employees in nuclear power plants, as in nuclear power plants coal handling and ash removal are excluded. Injuries due to radiation were not registered. The crucial points of accidents are mechanical injuries received on solid, sharp-edged and pointed objects (fossil-fired power plants 28.6%, nuclear power plants 41.5%), stumbling, twisting or slipping (fossil-fired power plants 21.8%, nuclear power plants 19.5%) and injuries due to moving machine parts (only nuclear power plants 12.2%). However, accidents due to burns or scalds obtain with 4.2% and less a lower portion than expected. The accident statistics can explain this fact in a way that the typical power plant accident does not exist. (orig./GL) [de

  11. Estimation of an effect of nuclear power use for mitigate an outflow of national wealth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Odani, Yohei

    2013-01-01

    After the Great East Japan Earthquake, nuclear power stations have been suspended to restart except for 2 reactors, with a spreading nuclear crisis and related issues such as radiation fears. As a result, Japan's trade balance in FY 2011 hits record high loss of 4.4 trillion yen, because of increased demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude import. This paper presents how nuclear power generation has played an important role in holding down the outflow of national wealth in Japan. More precisely, I was calculated an additional fossil fuel requirement and its import cost to substitute the power generation from nuclear power plant since its first operation in 1965. With this estimation, I had figure out how much loss of national wealth was mitigated by utilizing nuclear energy. (author)

  12. Great Basin Experimental Range: Annotated bibliography

    Science.gov (United States)

    E. Durant McArthur; Bryce A. Richardson; Stanley G. Kitchen

    2013-01-01

    This annotated bibliography documents the research that has been conducted on the Great Basin Experimental Range (GBER, also known as the Utah Experiment Station, Great Basin Station, the Great Basin Branch Experiment Station, Great Basin Experimental Center, and other similar name variants) over the 102 years of its existence. Entries were drawn from the original...

  13. Corruption Significantly Increases the Capital Cost of Power Plants in Developing Contexts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kumar Biswajit Debnath

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Emerging economies with rapidly growing population and energy demand, own some of the most expensive power plants in the world. We hypothesized that corruption has a relationship with the capital cost of power plants in developing countries such as Bangladesh. For this study, we analyzed the capital cost of 61 operational and planned power plants in Bangladesh. Initial comparison study revealed that the mean capital cost of a power plant in Bangladesh is twice than that of the global average. Then, the statistical analysis revealed a significant correlation between corruption and the cost of power plants, indicating that higher corruption leads to greater capital cost. The high up-front cost can be a significant burden on the economy, at present and in the future, as most are financed through international loans with extended repayment terms. There is, therefore, an urgent need for the review of the procurement and due diligence process of establishing power plants, and for the implementation of a more transparent system to mitigate adverse effects of corruption on megaprojects.

  14. Hybrid Power Management-Based Vehicle Architecture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eichenberg, Dennis J.

    2011-01-01

    Hybrid Power Management (HPM) is the integration of diverse, state-of-the-art power devices in an optimal configuration for space and terrestrial applications (s ee figure). The appropriate application and control of the various power devices significantly improves overall system performance and efficiency. The basic vehicle architecture consists of a primary power source, and possibly other power sources, that provides all power to a common energy storage system that is used to power the drive motors and vehicle accessory systems. This architecture also provides power as an emergency power system. Each component is independent, permitting it to be optimized for its intended purpose. The key element of HPM is the energy storage system. All generated power is sent to the energy storage system, and all loads derive their power from that system. This can significantly reduce the power requirement of the primary power source, while increasing the vehicle reliability. Ultracapacitors are ideal for an HPM-based energy storage system due to their exceptionally long cycle life, high reliability, high efficiency, high power density, and excellent low-temperature performance. Multiple power sources and multiple loads are easily incorporated into an HPM-based vehicle. A gas turbine is a good primary power source because of its high efficiency, high power density, long life, high reliability, and ability to operate on a wide range of fuels. An HPM controller maintains optimal control over each vehicle component. This flexible operating system can be applied to all vehicles to considerably improve vehicle efficiency, reliability, safety, security, and performance. The HPM-based vehicle architecture has many advantages over conventional vehicle architectures. Ultracapacitors have a much longer cycle life than batteries, which greatly improves system reliability, reduces life-of-system costs, and reduces environmental impact as ultracapacitors will probably never need to be

  15. Miniaturization, Packaging, and Thermal Analysis of Power Electronics Modules

    OpenAIRE

    Lostetter, Alexander B.

    1998-01-01

    High power circuits, those involving high levels of voltages and currents to produce several kilowatts of power, would possess an optimized efficiency when driven at high frequencies (on the order of MHz). Such an approach would greatly reduce the size of capacitive and magnetic components, and thus ultimately reduce the cost of the power electronic circuits. The problem with this strategy in conventional packaging, however, is that at high frequencies, interconnects between the power devic...

  16. The operation of nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brosche, D.

    1992-01-01

    The duties to be performed in managing the operation of a nuclear power plant are highly diverse, as will be explained in this contribution by the examples of the Grafenrheinfeld Nuclear Power Station. The excellent safety record and the high availabilities of German nuclear power plants demonstrate that their operators have adopted the right approaches. Systematic evaluation of the operating experience accumulated inhouse and in other plants is of great significance in removing weak spots and improving operation. The manifold and complex activities in the structure of organization and of activities in a nuclear power plant require a high degree of division of labor. (orig.) [de

  17. Choosing Great Books for Babies: Helping Children Develop a Life-Long Love of Reading

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honig, Alice Sterling

    2007-01-01

    This article describes how a great choice of books could help children develop a life-long love of reading. Every teacher wants to boost a baby's chances in later success. The single most powerful tool a teacher has for awakening a deep love of books and learning is to read to children daily. Reading should become a loved, intimate activity filled…

  18. The GREAT3 challenge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miyatake, H; Mandelbaum, R; Rowe, B

    2014-01-01

    The GRavitational lEnsing Accuracy Testing 3 (GREAT3) challenge is an image analysis competition that aims to test algorithms to measure weak gravitational lensing from astronomical images. The challenge started in October 2013 and ends 30 April 2014. The challenge focuses on testing the impact on weak lensing measurements of realistically complex galaxy morphologies, realistic point spread function, and combination of multiple different exposures. It includes simulated ground- and space-based data. The details of the challenge are described in [1], and the challenge website and its leader board can be found at http://great3challenge.info and http://great3.projects.phys.ucl.ac.uk/leaderboard/, respectively

  19. Alcohol use during the great recession of 2008-2009.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bor, Jacob; Basu, Sanjay; Coutts, Adam; McKee, Martin; Stuckler, David

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this study was to assess changes in alcohol use in the USA during the Great Recession. Drinking participation, drinking frequency, drinking intensity, total alcohol consumption and frequency of binge drinking were assessed in a nationally representative sample of 2,050,431 US women and men aged 18 and older, interviewed between 2006 and 2010. The prevalence of any alcohol use significantly declined during the economic recession, from 52.0% in 2006-2007 to 51.6% in 2008-2009 (P Great Recession there was an increase in abstention from alcohol and a rise in frequent binging.

  20. Resiliency of the Nation's Power Grid: Assessing Risks of Premature Failure of Large Power Transformers Under Climate Warming and Increased Heat Waves

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlosser, C. A.; Gao, X.; Morgan, E.

    2017-12-01

    The aging pieces of our nation's power grid - the largest machine ever built - are at a critical time. Key assets in the transmission system, including large power transformers (LPTs), are approaching their originally designed lifetimes. Moreover, extreme weather and climate events upon which these design lifetimes are partially based are expected to change. In particular, more frequent and intense heat waves can accelerate the degradation of LPTs' insulation/cooling system. Thus, there are likely thousands of LPTs across the United States under increasing risk of premature failure - yet this risk has not been assessed. In this study, we investigate the impact of climate warming and corresponding shifts in heat waves for critical LPTs located in the Northeast corridor of the United States to assess: To what extent do changes in heat waves/events present a rising threat to the transformer network over the Northeast U.S. and to what extent can climate mitigation reduce this risk? This study focuses on a collection of LPTs with a high degree of "betweenness" - while recognizing other factors such as: connectivity, voltage rating, MVA rating, approximate price, weight, location/proximity to major transportation routes, and age. To assess the risk of future change in heat wave occurrence we use an analogue method, which detects the occurrence of heat waves based on associated large-scale atmospheric conditions. This method is compared to the more conventional approach that uses model-simulated daily maximum temperature. Under future climate warming scenarios, multi-model medians of both methods indicate strong increases in heat wave frequency during the latter half of this century. Under weak climate mitigation - the risks imposed from heat wave occurrence could quadruple, but a modest mitigation scenario cuts the increasing threat in half. As important, the analogue method substantially improves the model consensus through reduction of the interquartile range by a

  1. Changes in Policy and Market and Network Regulation to Increase Power Generation by Renewables and DG in the EU

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Oostvoorn, F.; Van der Welle, A.

    2009-01-01

    Recently the importance of 'Large scale DER integration' has increased as means to meet the ambitious 2020 EU policy objectives and targets for RES, emissions reductions and energy efficiency. Increasing the role of RES and DG (Renewable Energy Sources and Distributed Generation or DER) in supply is also highly beneficial for reducing EU dependency on gas and oil imports. In this EU context, it is important to review the current barriers, support policies and network regulation for integration of more DG, RES and small scale CHP (Combined Heat and Power) in the power systems. Several studies conducted for the EU and led by the ECN (Energy research Centre of the Netherlands) reveal that currently, in some, mainly new, Member States, the contribution of RES and DG is still very low. However, in coming decades the share of variable RES-E sources should become much larger in many EU countries. Note that 20% RES in a country in 2020 implies a share of electricity supply by RES of about 30% or more. Currently, countries like Denmark and Spain, already experience such a large contribution of (mostly intermittent type) renewables and this is already negatively impacting power system costs. Now the question arises whether or not we can increase the contribution of RES to the power supply beyond 20-30% without raising system inefficiency and what changes in system conditions and market and network regulation are necessary to efficiently absorb large volumes of so called intermittent RES supply resources. Based on findings from several large EU projects promoting the role of RES and DG in the power supply, the authors discuss and present the different barriers and solutions that should facilitate meeting the ambitious EU policy targets for RES in 2020

  2. Modeling, Testing, and Simulation of Heavy-Ion Basic Mechanisms in Silicon Carbide Power Devices

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Power management and distribution systems in future NASA flights would benefit greatly from high-voltage DC power, both to reduce power losses and to facilitate...

  3. The yawning chasm of French nuclear power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1988-01-01

    The financial problems of the nuclear power industry in France are explained. Cogema, the waste reprocessing company ventured into the French financial futures market and lost money. It is trying to sue its brokers over this disaster. Framatome, the State reactor manufacturer is trying to diversify into aeronautics, electronics and foodstuffs. The electric utility EdF is sliding into debt and, with no price rise allowed, this situation will get worse. Theoretically EdF should be delivering cheap electricity from nuclear power stations. However, French electricity prices are not significantly cheaper than those of Germany and the United Kingdom. The generating capacity will increase greatly over the next few years. The availability of existing plants is also improving. In spite of efforts to export its electricity (about 10% is exported) EdF seem unable to make its extra electricity cheaper and is heavily in debt. The fast breeder programme has also not lived up to expectations due to a sodium leak at Superphenix. (U.K.)

  4. 75 FR 6354 - NOAA Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program Project Grants under the Great Lakes Restoration...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-09

    ...-04] RIN 0648-ZC10 NOAA Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program Project Grants under the Great Lakes... Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce. ACTION: Notice of funding availability; Date... on January 19, 2010. That notice announced the NOAA Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program Project...

  5. Ways to increase efficiency of the HTGR coupled with the gas-turbine power conversion unit - HTR2008-58274

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Golovko, V. F.; Kodochigov, N. G.; Vasyaev, A. V.; Shenoy, A.; Baxi, C. B.

    2008-01-01

    The paper deals with the issue of increasing efficiency of nuclear power plants with the modular high-temperature helium reactor (HTGR) and direct gas turbine cycle. It should be noted that only this combination can highlight the advantages of the HTGR, namely the ability to heat helium to about 1000 deg. C, in comparison with other reactor plants for electricity generation. The HTGR has never been used in the direct gas turbine cycle. At present, several designs of such commercial plants are at the stage of experimental validation of main technical features. In Russia, 'OKB Mechanical Engineering' together with 'General Atomics' (USA) are developing the GT-MHR project with the reactor power of 600 MW, reactor outlet helium temperature of 850 deg. C, and efficiency of about 45.2%; the South African Republic is developing the PBMR project with the reactor power of 400 MW, reactor outlet helium temperature of 900 deg. C, and efficiency of about 42%; and Japan is developing the GTHTR-300 project with the reactor power of 600 MW, reactor outlet helium temperature of 850 deg. C, and efficiency of about 45.6%. As it has been proven by technical and economic estimations, one of the most important factors for successful promotion of reactor designs is their net efficiency, which must be not lower than 47%. A significant advantage of a reactor plant with the HTGR and gas-turbine power conversion unit over the steam cycle is considerable simplification of the power unit layout and reduction of the required equipment and systems (no steam generators, no turbine hall including steam lines, condenser, deaerator, etc.), which makes the gas-turbine power conversion unit more compact and less costly in production, operation and maintenance. However, in spite of this advantage, it seems that in the projects currently being developed, the potential of the gas-turbine cycle and high-temperature reactor to more efficiently generate electricity is not fully used. For example, in modern

  6. To what extent does wind power deployment affect vested interests? A case study of the Northeast China Grid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, Xiaoli; Zhang, Sufang; Zou, Yasheng; Yao, Jin

    2013-01-01

    China's wind power is in an embarrassing state. Along with its dramatic development since 2005, its curtailment ratio has been rising. Although this could be attributed to both physical and institutional factors, it is the institutional obstacles, mainly resulting from the adjustment difficulties of interests distribution, that have exercised a greater impact. The stakeholders relating to wind power integration are thermal power companies, grid companies and local governments. The extent to which wind power deployment affects these vested interests determines the core institutional obstacles to be addressed. Mainly based on quantitative and case analyses, we argue that currently wind deployment in China has a little impact on the interests of thermal companies, moderate impact on the interests of grid companies and great impact on local governments. We recommend that it is crucial to elevate the role of environmental protection and renewable energy increase while de-emphasize the role of economic growth in the evaluation of local governments’ performance, as well as provide incentives for grid companies to attend more to their social responsibilities rather than their scale expansion and revenue growth. - highlights: • China's wind deployment has little impact on the interests of thermal plants. • Wind deployment has limited impact on the interests of grid companies. • The taxation per year from a thermal plant is higher than from a wind farm. • Local economic growth is comparatively greatly affected by wind power. • It is crucial to induce local governments to be concerned about renewable energy increase

  7. The great unknown seven journeys to the frontiers of science

    CERN Document Server

    Du Sautoy, Marcus

    2016-01-01

    Ever since the dawn of civilization we have been driven by a desire to know—to understand the physical world and the laws of nature. The idea that there might be a limit to human knowledge has inspired and challenged scientists and functioned as a spur to innovation. Now, in this dazzling journey through seven great breakthroughs in our understanding of the world, Marcus du Sautoy invites us to consider the outer reaches of human understanding. Are some things beyond the predictive powers of science? Or are those thorny challenges our next breakthroughs? In 1900, Lord Kelvin—who gave the world telegraph cables and the Second Law of Thermodynamics—pronounced that there was “nothing new to be discovered in physics now.” Then came Einstein. Du Sautoy reminds us that again and again major breakthroughs were ridiculed and dismissed at the time of their discovery. He takes us into the minds of the greats and reveals the fraught circumstances of their discoveries. And he carries us on a whirlwind tour of ...

  8. Solid State Energy Conversion for Deep Space Power

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) devices employed in static radioisotope generators show great promise for highly efficient, reliable, and resilient power generation for...

  9. The Next Great Generation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brownstein, Andrew

    2000-01-01

    Discusses ideas from a new book, "Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation," (by Neil Howe and William Strauss) suggesting that youth culture is on the cusp of a radical shift with the generation beginning with this year's college freshmen who are typically team oriented, optimistic, and poised for greatness on a global scale. Includes a…

  10. The Great Recession and the risk for child maltreatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; Schneider, William; Waldfogel, Jane

    2013-10-01

    This study draws on the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N=2,032), a birth cohort study of families with children from 20 U.S. cities. Interviews occurred between August 2007, and February 2010, when the children were approximately 9 years old. Macro-economic indicators of the Great Recession such as the Consumer Sentiment Index and unemployment and home foreclosure rates were matched to the data to estimate the links between different measures of the Great Recession and high frequency maternal spanking. We find that the large decline in consumer confidence during the Great Recession, as measured by the Consumer Sentiment Index, was associated with worse parenting behavior. In particular, lower levels of consumer confidence were associated with increased levels of high frequency spanking, a parenting behavior that is associated with greater likelihood of being contacted by child protective services. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Ultracapacitor-Based Uninterrupted Power Supply System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eichenberg, Dennis J.

    2011-01-01

    The ultracapacitor-based uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system enhances system reliability; reduces life-of-system, maintenance, and downtime costs; and greatly reduces environmental impact when compared to conventional UPS energy storage systems. This design provides power when required and absorbs power when required to smooth the system load and also has excellent low-temperature performance. The UPS used during hardware tests at Glenn is an efficient, compact, maintenance-free, rack-mount, pure sine-wave inverter unit. The UPS provides a continuous output power up to 1,700 W with a surge rating of 1,870 W for up to one minute at a nominal output voltage of 115 VAC. The ultracapacitor energy storage system tested in conjunction with the UPS is rated at 5.8 F. This is a bank of ten symmetric ultracapacitor modules. Each module is actively balanced using a linear voltage balancing technique in which the cell-to-cell leakage is dependent upon the imbalance of the individual cells. The ultracapacitors are charged by a DC power supply, which can provide up to 300 VDC at 4 A. A constant-voltage, constant-current power supply was selected for this application. The long life of ultracapacitors greatly enhances system reliability, which is significant in critical applications such as medical power systems and space power systems. The energy storage system can usually last longer than the application, given its 20-year life span. This means that the ultracapacitors will probably never need to be replaced and disposed of, whereas batteries require frequent replacement and disposal. The charge-discharge efficiency of rechargeable batteries is approximately 50 percent, and after some hundreds of charges and discharges, they must be replaced. The charge-discharge efficiency of ultracapacitors exceeds 90 percent, and can accept more than a million charges and discharges. Thus, there is a significant energy savings through the efficiency improvement, and there is far less

  12. Parametric analysis for a new combined power and ejector-absorption refrigeration cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Jiangfeng; Dai Yiping; Zhang Taiyong; Ma Shaolin

    2009-01-01

    A new combined power and ejector-absorption refrigeration cycle is proposed, which combines the Rankine cycle and the ejector-absorption refrigeration cycle, and could produce both power output and refrigeration output simultaneously. This combined cycle, which originates from the cycle proposed by authors previously, introduces an ejector between the rectifier and the condenser, and provides a performance improvement without greatly increasing the complexity of the system. A parametric analysis is conducted to evaluate the effects of the key thermodynamic parameters on the cycle performance. It is shown that heat source temperature, condenser temperature, evaporator temperature, turbine inlet pressure, turbine inlet temperature, and basic solution ammonia concentration have significant effects on the net power output, refrigeration output and exergy efficiency of the combined cycle. It is evident that the ejector can improve the performance of the combined cycle proposed by authors previously.

  13. Microbial fuel cells as power supply of a low-power temperature sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khaled, Firas; Ondel, Olivier; Allard, Bruno

    2016-02-01

    Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) show great promise as a concomitant process for water treatment and as renewable energy sources for environmental sensors. The small energy produced by MFCs and the low output voltage limit the applications of MFCs. Specific converter topologies are required to step-up the output voltage of a MFC. A Power Management Unit (PMU) is proposed for operation at low input voltage and at very low power in a completely autonomous way to capture energy from MFCs with the highest possible efficiency. The application of sensors for monitoring systems in remote locations is an important approach. MFCs could be an alternative energy source in this case. Powering a sensor with MFCs may prove the fact that wastewater may be partly turned into renewable energy for realistic applications. The Power Management Unit is demonstrated for 3.6 V output voltage at 1 mW continuous power, based on a low-cost 0.7-L MFC. A temperature sensor may operate continuously on 2-MFCs in continuous flow mode. A flyback converter under discontinuous conduction mode is also tested to power the sensor. One continuously fed MFC was able to efficiently and continuously power the sensor.

  14. Estimating Spring Condensation on the Great Lakes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, A.; Welp, L.

    2017-12-01

    The Laurentian Great Lakes region provides opportunities for shipping, recreation, and consumptive water use to a large part of the United States and Canada. Water levels in the lakes fluctuate yearly, but attempts to model the system are inadequate because the water and energy budgets are still not fully understood. For example, water levels in the Great Lakes experienced a 15-year low period ending in 2013, the recovery of which has been attributed partially to decreased evaporation and increased precipitation and runoff. Unlike precipitation, the exchange of water vapor between the lake and the atmosphere through evaporation or condensation is difficult to measure directly. However, estimates have been constructed using off-shore eddy covariance direct measurements of latent heat fluxes, remote sensing observations, and a small network of monitoring buoys. When the lake surface temperature is colder than air temperature as it is in spring, condensation is larger than evaporation. This is a relatively small component of the net annual water budget of the lakes, but the total amount of condensation may be important for seasonal energy fluxes and atmospheric deposition of pollutants and nutrients to the lakes. Seasonal energy fluxes determine, and are influenced by, ice cover, water and air temperatures, and evaporation in the Great Lakes. We aim to quantify the amount of spring condensation on the Great Lakes using the National Center for Atmospheric Prediction North American Regional Reanalysis (NCEP NARR) Data for Winter 2013 to Spring 2017 and compare the condensation values of spring seasons following high volume, high duration and low volume, low duration ice cover.

  15. Best power mix under nuclear-decreasing society

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koyama, Michihisa; Nakao, Kazuhide

    2012-01-01

    East Japan Great Earthquake and the subsequent failures of nuclear power plants compel Japanese to consider a new paradigm of national energy policy. In this study, we discuss the future power mix scenario considering a variety of power options; nuclear, coal fire, LNG fire, oil fire, LNG combined cycle, hydro, hydropump, battery, photovoltaic, wind, and geothermal. Future developments of installed capacity, properties such as efficiency, etc. are discussed for each type of power option. Seven sets of daily demand profile are used. Power generation mix model developed in preceding studies is used to estimate the installation and operation of each power option for representative years of 2010, 2020, 2030, 2040, and 2050. Future power mix is discussed on the basis of results from power generation mix model. (author)

  16. Military Innovation in the Rise and Fall of Great Powers: Lessons for America

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-01

    endeavor. She never made me feel guilty about trying to balance (poorly sometimes) the time I spent working versus the time at home playing with...the farmer-hoplites consolidated this power, and threatened to form an aristocracy of their own based on land- ownership , another technological military...limited democracy of the hoplite franchise , the merchant fleet with its necessary complement of workshops, warehouses, and markets provided the

  17. Energy Storage for Power Systems Applications: A Regional Assessment for the Northwest Power Pool (NWPP)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kintner-Meyer, Michael CW; Balducci, Patrick J.; Jin, Chunlian; Nguyen, Tony B.; Elizondo, Marcelo A.; Viswanathan, Vilayanur V.; Guo, Xinxin; Tuffner, Francis K.

    2010-04-01

    Wind production, which has expanded rapidly in recent years, could be an important element in the future efficient management of the electric power system; however, wind energy generation is uncontrollable and intermittent in nature. Thus, while wind power represents a significant opportunity to the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), integrating high levels of wind resources into the power system will bring great challenges to generation scheduling and in the provision of ancillary services. This report addresses several key questions in the broader discussion on the integration of renewable energy resources in the Pacific Northwest power grid. More specifically, it addresses the following questions: a) how much total reserve or balancing requirements are necessary to accommodate the simulated expansion of intermittent renewable energy resources during the 2019 time horizon, and b) what are the most cost effective technological solutions for meeting load balancing requirements in the Northwest Power Pool (NWPP).

  18. The future of gas power in Europe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trong, Maj Dang

    2001-01-01

    The growth of gas power capacity in Western Europe in 2001 is estimated at 6.5 per cent. The extent of plants under construction in 2001 and ambitious plans for further development demonstrates the general belief that investing in gas power is soon becoming profitable. Expected slump in the world economy may curb the willingness to invest, at least in the short run. In Norway, the greatest barrier to the development of gas power production is political. Great Britain is the major gas power producing country in Western Europe, contributing 30 per cent of the total production

  19. Soft Power, Hard Aspirations: the Shifting Role of Power in Brazilian Foreign Policy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcelo M. Valença

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Journalists and policy analysts have highlighted the emergence of Brazil as a regional power. However, little attention has been paid to its foreign policy strategies. Brazil's rise to prominence in world politics represents the historical culmination of a foreign policy featuring two main strategies – persuasion and consensus building – both of which emphasise the use of soft power. We analyse four current foreign policy initiatives: the campaign for a permanent seat on the UNSC; the development of a nuclear submarine; Brazil's leadership of the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti; and government support for Brazilian multinationals. We suggest a growing tension between these initiatives and the two strategies identified above. These initiatives reflect the view current among some policymakers that if Brazil is to rise as a global power it must play by the rules of great power politics.

  20. Maximum power flux of auroral kilometric radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Benson, R.F.; Fainberg, J.

    1991-01-01

    The maximum auroral kilometric radiation (AKR) power flux observed by distant satellites has been increased by more than a factor of 10 from previously reported values. This increase has been achieved by a new data selection criterion and a new analysis of antenna spin modulated signals received by the radio astronomy instrument on ISEE 3. The method relies on selecting AKR events containing signals in the highest-frequency channel (1980, kHz), followed by a careful analysis that effectively increased the instrumental dynamic range by more than 20 dB by making use of the spacecraft antenna gain diagram during a spacecraft rotation. This analysis has allowed the separation of real signals from those created in the receiver by overloading. Many signals having the appearance of AKR harmonic signals were shown to be of spurious origin. During one event, however, real second harmonic AKR signals were detected even though the spacecraft was at a great distance (17 R E ) from Earth. During another event, when the spacecraft was at the orbital distance of the Moon and on the morning side of Earth, the power flux of fundamental AKR was greater than 3 x 10 -13 W m -2 Hz -1 at 360 kHz normalized to a radial distance r of 25 R E assuming the power falls off as r -2 . A comparison of these intense signal levels with the most intense source region values (obtained by ISIS 1 and Viking) suggests that multiple sources were observed by ISEE 3

  1. New flags, upward forces and sheltered harbours: The new ‘Great Game’ in the Pacific Islands region

    OpenAIRE

    Kowasch, Matthias; Lindenmann, Peter

    2014-01-01

    The centre of the global economy and the US-geostrategic focus seem to be shifting to the Asia-Pacific region. The present paper deals with the role of Pacific Island states in this new ‘Great Game’ between China and Western powers. Pacific Island states have a long tradition in building non-confrontational and open ties with rival powers. While only four countries in the Pacific have known mineral resources, others depend mainly on tourism, fisheries and remittances. China is interested in t...

  2. The trip status and the reduction countermeasure in Kori nuclear power plant unit 1 and 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jung-Soo

    1991-01-01

    Nuclear power account for 36% of Korea's total electric capacity and provided over 50% of the net electric power supply by June 1991. These plants supply US with the cheapest and most stable electric supply available. However each units capacity is very large and a plant trip due to failure of a component or a human error has a great influence on the nations electric power supply and drastically decreases the reserve margin. This report will analyze the trip causes and measure the trip frequency from the first commercial operation of Kori unit 1 and 2 to the end of June 1991, reflect to the plant operation, management and facility modification, etc. This will minimize the number of trips or urgent power reductions and thus contribute to an increase in plant capacity factor and safety, and stabilize the electric power demand and supply. The safety and the economy of nuclear power plant have to be secured and raised respectably by increasing the capacity factor. Since the prevention of trips plays an important role in the plant safety and economy, we have to do our best to prevent the unexpected trip

  3. Least cost addition of power from hydroelectrical developments: Maximizing existing assets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Felix, Lafontant; Briand, Marie-Helene; Veilleux, Rheaume

    2010-09-15

    Hydroelectric developments built in the early 1900's are nearing their useful lifespan and require significant rehabilitation in order to meet modern safety and performance criteria. Also, global increasing energy costs represent a strong incentive for operators to find low-cost, environment-friendly solutions while increasing energy generation at existing facilities. Projects promoting innovative ways of recycling existing developments are great examples of sustainable development and represent win-win solutions for population and hydropower industry alike. The proposed presentation describes successful projects consisting in the rehabilitation or addition of power to existing hydroelectric. These recycling projects are very attractive from both economic and environmental.

  4. Wind power in Argentina: Policy instruments and economic feasibility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Recalde, M.

    2010-01-01

    Despite its great wind endowment, Argentina has not still succeeded in increasing wind power share in its wholesale market. However, the energy supply problem that this country is facing from 2004 on seems to open an opportunity for wind energy projects. A wide range of legislation has recently emerged. In this context, this paper discusses whether policy instruments in the Argentinean regulatory frame contribute to economic feasibility for wind power projects or not. To this purpose, we study wind installed capacity, Argentinean wind potential, the different promotion tools used worldwide and those employed in Argentina. Finally, we realize a feasibility study for a typical project. We found, that in spite of its high wind potential, economic feature, related to policy instruments, have been a boundary to the development of wind energy into the energy mix. (author)

  5. PowerPlay: Training an Increasingly General Problem Solver by Continually Searching for the Simplest Still Unsolvable Problem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidhuber, Jürgen

    2013-01-01

    Most of computer science focuses on automatically solving given computational problems. I focus on automatically inventing or discovering problems in a way inspired by the playful behavior of animals and humans, to train a more and more general problem solver from scratch in an unsupervised fashion. Consider the infinite set of all computable descriptions of tasks with possibly computable solutions. Given a general problem-solving architecture, at any given time, the novel algorithmic framework PowerPlay (Schmidhuber, 2011) searches the space of possible pairs of new tasks and modifications of the current problem solver, until it finds a more powerful problem solver that provably solves all previously learned tasks plus the new one, while the unmodified predecessor does not. Newly invented tasks may require to achieve a wow-effect by making previously learned skills more efficient such that they require less time and space. New skills may (partially) re-use previously learned skills. The greedy search of typical PowerPlay variants uses time-optimal program search to order candidate pairs of tasks and solver modifications by their conditional computational (time and space) complexity, given the stored experience so far. The new task and its corresponding task-solving skill are those first found and validated. This biases the search toward pairs that can be described compactly and validated quickly. The computational costs of validating new tasks need not grow with task repertoire size. Standard problem solver architectures of personal computers or neural networks tend to generalize by solving numerous tasks outside the self-invented training set; PowerPlay's ongoing search for novelty keeps breaking the generalization abilities of its present solver. This is related to Gödel's sequence of increasingly powerful formal theories based on adding formerly unprovable statements to the axioms without affecting previously provable theorems. The continually increasing

  6. The Great Recession and Mother’s Health

    Science.gov (United States)

    Currie, Janet; Duque, Valentina; Garfinkel, Irwin

    2016-01-01

    We use longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study to investigate the impacts of the Great Recession on the health of mothers. We focus on a wide range of physical and mental health outcomes, as well as health behaviors. We find that increases in the unemployment rate decrease self-reported health status and increase smoking and drug use. We also find evidence of heterogeneous impacts. Disadvantaged mothers—African-American, Hispanic, less educated, and unmarried–experience greater deterioration in their health than advantaged mothers—those who are white, married, and college educated. PMID:27212714

  7. Investigating Wireless Power Transfer

    Science.gov (United States)

    St. John, Stuart A.

    2017-01-01

    Understanding Physics is a great end in itself, but is also crucial to keep pace with developments in modern technology. Wireless power transfer, known to many only as a means to charge electric toothbrushes, will soon be commonplace in charging phones, electric cars and implanted medical devices. This article outlines how to produce and use a…

  8. The effect of microwave power on the production of biodiesel from nyamplung

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qadariyah, L.; Mujaddid, F.; Raka; Dhonny, S. B.; Mahfud, M.

    2017-12-01

    Today, energy needs in Indonesia still rely on fossil energy sources that its availability in the world is increasingly depleted. Therefore, the research for alternative energy of petroleum must be developed, one of them is biodiesel. The use of microwave as energy source of biodiesel production can speed up the reaction time. So the microwave is considered more efficient. Seeds of nyamplung has an oil content of 71.4% (w/w) by weight. With the oil content of the nyamplung seeds has great potential when used as a raw material for biodiesel production. The aim of this research to study the effect of microwave power on the production of biodisel from nyamplung oil. Microwave power affects density, viscosity and yield of the product. The used of alkali catalyst, with higher the power, the lower the density and viscosity of the resulting product, but the resulting yield is 300 W. The power of more than 300 W is the opposite, resulting in the production of biodiesel using the optimum base catalyst at 300 W power.

  9. The problems and countermeasures of staff training in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xie Bo

    2013-01-01

    With the rapid development of nuclear energy, China faces a great challenge to meet its increasing demand on a large amount of well-educated and highly-trained nuclear workforce. The above demands make it uniquely important for the nuclear industry in both improving nuclear education and in attracting young talents. Good practices in staff training have been identified and are summarized, through which CNNC's nuclear power plants have developed a systematic approach for new employee training to support the development of strategies. (author)

  10. One for all: social power increases self-anchoring of traits, attitudes, and emotions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Overbeck, Jennifer R; Droutman, Vitaliya

    2013-08-01

    We argue that powerful people tend to engage in social projection. Specifically, they self-anchor: They use the self as a reference point when judging others' internal states. In Study 1, which used a reaction-time paradigm, powerful people used their own traits as a reference when assessing the traits of group members, classifying group descriptors more quickly if they had previously reported that those terms described themselves. Study 2, which used a classic false-consensus paradigm, showed that powerful people believed that their group-related attitudes were shared by group members. Study 3 showed that more-powerful people relied more on their own state affect when judging other people's ambiguous emotional expressions. These results support our argument that power fosters self-anchoring, because powerful individuals are often called on to act as the representative face of their groups, and the association between power and representation prompts the heuristic use of the self to infer group properties.

  11. Standardized safety management of AP1000 nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Xingwen; Cao Zhiqiang; Cong Jiuyuan

    2011-01-01

    In 2002, China published and implemented the Law of the People's Republic of China on Work Safety and promulgated a series of guidelines and policies, which strengthened the safety management supervision. Standardization of safety, as another important step on safety supervision, comes after safety assesment and safety production licensing system, is also a permanent solution. Standardization of safety is a strategic, long term and fundamental work, which is also the basic access to achieving scientific safety management and increasing the inherent safety of an enterprise. Haiyang AP1000 nuclear power plant, adopting the modularized, 'open-top' and parallel construction means, overturned the traditional construction theory of installation work comes after the civil work and greatly shorten the construction period. At the same time, the notable increase of oversize module transportation and lifting and parallel construction raises higher demands for safety management. This article combines the characteristics and difficulties of safety management for Haiyang AP1000 nuclear power plant, puts forward ideas and methods for standardized safety management, and could also serve as reference to the safety management for other AP1000 projects. (authors)

  12. Present status and perspectives for hydroelectric power in world

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malquori, E.

    1991-01-01

    In the note a review of the present status and perspectives of hydroelectric power in the world is introduced. The present status regards, in chronological order, the last decade, as to say the works carried out in the 80ies whereas the perspectives regard the next twenty years as to say until 2010. The mentioned electric power potentiality refers to pure generation plants of great, middle and small size and to what could be achieved by already existing plants after changes and/or replacements and improvement of the machinery. Beside the figures regarding powers, great generation and pumping plants whose contribution has been and will be remarkable have been properly mentioned. The Italian contribution - civil works design, construction, and machinery supply - in the last hydroelectric development is briefly mentioned with particular reference to the developing countries

  13. China power - thermal coal and clean coal technology export. Topical report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Binsheng Li

    1996-12-31

    China is the world`s fourth largest electric power producer, and is expected to surpass Japan within the next two years to become the third largest power producer. During the past 15 years, China`s total electricity generation more than tripled, increasing from about 300 TWh to about 1,000 TWh. Total installed generating capacity grew at an average of 8.2 percent per year, increasing from 66 to 214 GW. The share of China`s installed capacity in Asia increased from 21 to 31 percent. The Chinese government plans to continue China`s rapid growth rate in the power sector. Total installed capacity is planned to reach 300 GW by 2000, which will generate 1,400 TWh of electricity per year. China`s long-term power sector development is subject to great uncertainty. Under the middle scenario, total capacity is expected to reach 700 GW by 2015, with annual generation of 3,330 TWh. Under the low and high scenarios, total capacity will reach 527-1,005 GW by 2015. The high scenario representing possible demand. To achieve this ambitious scenario, dramatic policy changes in favor of power development are required; however, there is no evidence that such policy changes will occur at this stage. Even under the high scenario, China`s per capita annual electricity consumption would be only 3,000 kWh by 2015, less than half of the present per capita consumption for OECD countries. Under the low scenario, electricity shortages will seriously curb economic growth.

  14. Weighting sequence variants based on their annotation increases power of whole-genome association studies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sveinbjornsson, Gardar; Albrechtsen, Anders; Zink, Florian

    2016-01-01

    The consensus approach to genome-wide association studies (GWAS) has been to assign equal prior probability of association to all sequence variants tested. However, some sequence variants, such as loss-of-function and missense variants, are more likely than others to affect protein function...... for the family-wise error rate (FWER), using as weights the enrichment of sequence annotations among association signals. We show that this weighted adjustment increases the power to detect association over the standard Bonferroni correction. We use the enrichment of associations by sequence annotation we have...

  15. Great Lakes Environmental Database (GLENDA)

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Great Lakes Environmental Database (GLENDA) houses environmental data on a wide variety of constituents in water, biota, sediment, and air in the Great Lakes area.

  16. Oil Price Rise and the Great Recession of 2008

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehdi Siamak MONADJEMI

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The financial crises of 2007-2008, caused wide-spread falling output and unemployment, in the affected countries and also globally. The severity of the recession was such that it was called the “Great Recession”. As a result of an increase in demand from China and India, at the same time, oil prices rose significantly. The empirical results from this study show that oil price changes negatively affected global growth rate in the 1970s but not in the 1990s and 2000s. These results suggest that the Great Recession in 2008 that initiated by the financial crises, was independent of a significant rise in oil prices.

  17. The conversion of PN-junction influencing the piezoelectric output of a CuO/ZnO nanoarray nanogenerator and its application as a room-temperature self-powered active H₂S sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nie, Yuxin; Deng, Ping; Zhao, Yayu; Wang, Penglei; Xing, Lili; Zhang, Yan; Xue, Xinyu

    2014-07-04

    Room-temperature, high H2S sensing has been realized from a CuO/ZnO nanoarray self-powered, active gas sensor. The piezoelectric output of CuO/ZnO nanoarrays can act not only as the power source of the device, but also as the H2S sensing signal at room temperature. Upon exposure to 800 ppm H2S at room temperature, the piezoelectric output of the device greatly decreased from 0.738 V (in air) to 0.101 V. The sensitivity increased to 629.8, much higher than bare ZnO nanoarrays. As the device was exposed to H2S, a CuO/ZnO PN-junction was converted into a CuS/ZnO Ohmic contact, which greatly increased the electron density in the nanowire and enhanced the screen effect on the piezoelectric output. Our results can stimulate a research trend on designing new composite piezoelectric material for high-performance self-powered active gas sensors.

  18. Nuclear power and the environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pavelescu, Margarit; Pavelescu, Alexandru; Sandulescu, Aurel

    2005-01-01

    At the beginning of their development, the use of railroads, the streetcars, the subway, the automobile, the airplane, all raised not only a great skepticism, but also a strong fear or even hostility on the part of the general public, the media and some officials. Contrary to the development of other technologies, in the beginning there was even support and enthusiasm about the possibilities of the wide uses of nuclear energy. However, the voices against the use of nuclear power increased with time. Now the future of nuclear power is dependent on reversing this situation. The present paper addresses the role of nuclear power in the global energy sector in a broader context, that of sustainable social and economic development and the environmental impacts arising from the use of different sources of energy. The main objective of this paper is to provide clear and complete information and to demonstrate that nuclear power is a mature technology that has environmental advantages. The paper is destined to the energy community, energy policy and decision makers, environmentalists and the wider public in order to understand and accept the benefits of nuclear as a fundamental energy source toward sustainable development and a better standard of life. The decisive fact that nuclear power is environmentally benign, makes it an energy source consistent with the goals of sustainable development and environmental protection that should be taken into consideration in discussing the future energy mix in different countries. A special attention is accorded in the paper on the subject of radioactive waste management disposal where are provided top-level information, because this seems to be the warmest subject of the moment. (authors)

  19. What made Britannia great? Did the Industrial Revolution make Britain a world power?

    OpenAIRE

    Clark, Gregory

    2006-01-01

    How much of Britain's high living standards and military power compared to its competitors in 1850 should be attributed to Britain having first experienced the Industrial Revolution? Examining data on real wages in the north and south of England, the Netherlands and Ireland in the Industrial Revolution era, this paper contends that most of the technological advances of the Industrial Revolution benefited Britain's competitors as much as Britain itself. Britain attained higher outputs per pers...

  20. Power sale. An activity of increasing importance in S.N Nuclearelectrica S.A

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Metes, Mircea

    2006-01-01

    The paper discusses the main characteristics of the power market in Romania. S. N. Nuclearelectrica S.A., the operator of Cernavoda nuclear power plant, is a new power supplier on this market. The price formation of the power sold by S. N. Nuclearelectrica S. A., its participation to the power market as well as the structure of the production costs at Cernavoda NPP are presented. The paper has the following contents: The electricity companies; - From service supplier to wholesale dealer; - Regulated contracts vs. free market; - The shock from 1 July 2005; - The last but not the final challenge. At the above noted date two events with an direct impact upon the power sale by Nuclearelectrica S.A. in Romania took place: 1.The new Trade Code of the power gross market became operative; 2. The opening degree of the free market raised steeply from 55% to over 83% of the energy demand, all the industrial consumers having the right of having the statute of 'eligible consumer'. The conclusion of the paper is that the reduced production cost in the nuclear unit as compared with those of classical stations, as well as a correct planning of the production are favorable premises to a successful transaction and sale of power produced at Cernavoda NPP

  1. Non-intrusive Methods for Mode Estimation in Power Systems using Synchrophasors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Peri?, V.

    2016-01-01

    The power system industry has been going through dynamic infrastructural and operational changes in recent years that have caused more prominent lightly damped electromechanical oscillations. Real-time monitoring of electromechanical oscillations is of great significance for power system operators;

  2. On-chip micro-power: three-dimensional structures for micro-batteries and micro-supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beidaghi, Majid; Wang, Chunlei

    2010-04-01

    With the miniaturization of portable electronic devices, there is a demand for micro-power source which can be integrated on the semiconductor chips. Various micro-batteries have been developed in recent years to generate or store the energy that is needed by microsystems. Micro-supercapacitors are also developed recently to couple with microbatteries and energy harvesting microsystems and provide the peak power. Increasing the capacity per footprint area of micro-batteries and micro-supercapacitors is a great challenge. One promising route is the manufacturing of three dimensional (3D) structures for these micro-devices. In this paper, the recent advances in fabrication of 3D structure for micro-batteries and micro-supercapacitors are briefly reviewed.

  3. Power System Operation with Large Scale Wind Power Integration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Suwannarat, A.; Bak-Jensen, B.; Chen, Z.

    2007-01-01

    to the uncertain nature of wind power. In this paper, proposed models of generations and control system are presented which analyze the deviation of power exchange at the western Danish-German border, taking into account the fluctuating nature of wind power. The performance of the secondary control of the thermal......The Danish power system starts to face problems of integrating thousands megawatts of wind power, which produce in a stochastic behavior due to natural wind fluctuations. With wind power capacities increasing, the Danish Transmission System Operator (TSO) is faced with new challenges related...... power plants and the spinning reserves control from the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) units to achieve active power balance with the increased wind power penetration is presented....

  4. Pulsed power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1978-01-01

    Options for EBFA-I were narrowed as data became available from Proto II, MITE and power flow research. The solid dielectric capacitors proposed for intermediate stores have been eliminated for EBFA because of low reliability. Water capacitors based on data from Proto II and Hydra will be used on EBFA. Improved SF-6 switching data from Proto II shows that present parameters are adequate for EBFA. A switch jitter of 3 ns with reliability exceeding 0.986 was demonstrated. Proto II has achieved the design output and is now a user oriented accelerator. Several desirable features of the disc accelerator were proven. Initial magnetic insulation experiments on a 1.5 m-long-triplate show small energy and power losses. Theoretical understanding of magnetic insulation was greatly enhanced and agreement between projections and experiment were obtained

  5. Multi-Time Scale Coordinated Scheduling Strategy with Distributed Power Flow Controllers for Minimizing Wind Power Spillage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi Tang

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The inherent variability and randomness of large-scale wind power integration have brought great challenges to power flow control and dispatch. The distributed power flow controller (DPFC has the higher flexibility and capacity in power flow control in the system with wind generation. This paper proposes a multi-time scale coordinated scheduling model with DPFC to minimize wind power spillage. Configuration of DPFCs is initially determined by stochastic method. Afterward, two sequential procedures containing day-head and real-time scales are applied for determining maximum schedulable wind sources, optimal outputs of generating units and operation setting of DPFCs. The generating plan is obtained initially in day-ahead scheduling stage and modified in real-time scheduling model, while considering the uncertainty of wind power and fast operation of DPFC. Numerical simulation results in IEEE-RTS79 system illustrate that wind power is maximum scheduled with the optimal deployment and operation of DPFC, which confirms the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed method.

  6. Lessons in power: Lyndon Johnson revealed. A conversation with historian Robert A. Caro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caro, Robert A

    2006-04-01

    No one can lead who does not first acquire power, and no leader can be great who does not know how to use that power. The trouble is that the combination of the two skills is rare. Amassing power requires ambition, a focused pragmatism, and a certain ruthlessness that is often at odds with the daring, idealistic vision needed to achieve great things with that power. The tension is as real in business as it is in politics. This magazine is replete with examples of successful senior managers who could not make the switch from ambitious executive to corporate leader because they did not know what to do with the power they had so expertly accumulated. Robert Caro is a student of power. For the past 27 years, the two-time Pulitzer prize-winning biographer of Robert Moses and Lyndon Johnson has focused on the question of how Johnson amassed and wielded power. Caro's deep understanding of the inner workings of power offers senior executives a nuanced picture of leadership at the highest level. In this wide-ranging conversation, Caro shares his insights about the nature of power, the complexity of ambition, and the role that the greater good can play in the making of a leader. Power doesn't always corrupt, he insists. But what it invariably does is reveal a leader's true nature. "Today, when CEOs have acquired more and more power to change our lives," Caro says,"they have become like presidents in their own right, and they, too, need to align themselves with something greater than themselves if they hope to become truly great leaders."

  7. The term 'availability' as used in connection with nuclear power stations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fehndrich, W.; Kutsch, W.

    1975-01-01

    The increase in the nuclear generating capacity installed has resulted in a general discussion about the availability to be expected from nuclear power stations. Comparisons of statistical data on nuclear power plant operation frequently show that data on availability and plant factors of nuclear power stations may differ widely in some cases. Aside from errors, these discrepancies are due mainly to the different terms and definitions used by the institutions compiling these reports. In this contribution, first of all these institutions are listed and then the different terms and their definitions are given. It is seen that translations which are correct linguistically give rise to discrepancies because a term used is defined differently by different agencies. Because of these difficulties of definition, the applicability of the term 'Arbeitsverfuegbarkeit' (availability in terms of work) as mentioned in many publications is greatly restricted. A comparison of the availability and plant factor data quoted by various organizations for several nuclear power plants indicates that there may be major differences even in those cases in which the same terms are used for the same parameters. (orig.) [de

  8. Impacts of climate change on freshwater fisheries of the Great Plains

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Regier, H.A.; Holmes, J.A.

    1991-01-01

    The diversity and habitats of fish in Great Plains hydrologic systems are described. Fisheries on the Great Plains consist of commercial, subsistence, and recreational. Direct effects of climate change on Great Plains fisheries will involve temperature and hydrology. Increased temperature could expand suitable habitat for fish with preferred temperatures between 10 and 27.5 degree C by 2.5 times base conditions. Reductions in precipitation will reduce river flows and lake levels, and an overall reduction in habitat for the most preferred species is expected. Indirect effects stem from human responses to climate change, and streams, wetlands and coastal zones will likely bear the brunt of such activity. More river systems may be damned or channelized, which could lead to increases in eutrophication or pollution, most severely affecting the preferred white fishes. Geographical shifts of species in response to climate change will likely favour black fish over grey fish over white fish, and when longitudinal or lateral movement is blocked, local extinctions may occur. 22 refs., 1 tab

  9. 33 CFR 100.124 - Maggie Fischer Memorial Great South Bay Cross Bay Swim, Great South Bay, New York.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maggie Fischer Memorial Great South Bay Cross Bay Swim, Great South Bay, New York. 100.124 Section 100.124 Navigation and Navigable... NAVIGABLE WATERS § 100.124 Maggie Fischer Memorial Great South Bay Cross Bay Swim, Great South Bay, New York...

  10. Extreme triple asymmetric (ETAS) epitaxial designs for increased efficiency at high powers in 9xx-nm diode lasers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaul, T.; Erbert, G.; Maaßdorf, A.; Martin, D.; Crump, P.

    2018-02-01

    Broad area lasers that are tailored to be most efficient at the highest achievable optical output power are sought by industry to decrease operation costs and improve system performance. Devices using Extreme-Double-ASymmetric (EDAS) epitaxial designs are promising candidates for improved efficiency at high optical output powers due to low series resistance, low optical loss and low carrier leakage. However, EDAS designs leverage ultra-thin p-side waveguides, meaning that the optical mode is shifted into the n-side waveguide, resulting in a low optical confinement in the active region, low gain and hence high threshold current, limiting peak performance. We introduce here explicit design considerations that enable EDAS-based devices to be developed with increased optical confinement in the active layer without changing the p-side layer thicknesses. Specifically, this is realized by introducing a third asymmetric component in the vicinity of the quantum well. We call this approach Extreme-Triple-ASymmetric (ETAS) design. A series of ETAS-based vertical designs were fabricated into broad area lasers that deliver up to 63% power conversion efficiency at 14 W CW optical output power from a 100 μm stripe laser, which corresponds to the operation point of a kW optical output power in a laser bar. The design process, the impact of structural changes on power saturation mechanisms and finally devices with improved performance will be presented.

  11. Developing Virtual Power Plant for Optimized Distributed Energy Resources Operation and Integration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    You, Shi

    Distributed Energy Resources (DER) are small-scale power generation and storage technologies, (typically in the range of a few kWe to tens of kWe) located close to the customer side. They are right now under heavy development and have a great market potential in the near future. However, these so......Distributed Energy Resources (DER) are small-scale power generation and storage technologies, (typically in the range of a few kWe to tens of kWe) located close to the customer side. They are right now under heavy development and have a great market potential in the near future. However...... units in the electric power system  Efficient electricity market participation to benefit both power system operation and DER owners To address these issues, an innovative concept Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is investigated in this PhD study. Based on a comprehensive overview of the state of the art...

  12. On the advisability of nuclear power plant construction and some solutions on their safety increase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sokolov, I.N.

    1989-01-01

    Neccesity in a further development of nuclear power in the USSR is proved. Specific features of layouts of nuclear heat supplying plants with increased safety including WWER-440, WWER-1000 and VK-50 reactors are considered. It is stressed that even under the most incredible accidents referring to the class of hypothetic ones, radioactive effect on the population, according to evaluations by experts, whould be much lower than maximum admissible one according to the existing standards

  13. Path Forward to Space Solar Power using the O'Neill - Glaser Model Modified for Climate Change Demand and Considering the Increasing Risk of Human Self-Extinction if Confined to Earth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curreri, Peter A.; Nall, Mark

    2013-01-01

    The cost of energy is humanity's economic exchange rate with the universe. Space solar power is the first great step that our technological species has to utilize the energy of its star. The classic Peter Glaser Solar Power Satellite, SPS, and later designs collect a large area of solar energy in space and beam it back to Earth for use in the electric grid, but even with optimistic launch costs and technology innovation a clear economic path is not evident using Earth launch of SPS. O Neill in 1969 solved the transportation costs problem by a model that uses lunar and asteroid materials to build SPS and locates the labor force permanently in space (O Neill free space habitats). This solution closes the economics and predicts large profits after 17-35 years. However the costs of time have up to now prevented this solution. We discuss a strategy to move forward in SPS with the motivations to stop global warming and prevent human selfextinction. There are near term steps that can be taken that place us on this path forward. First, we must reevaluate the technologies for the classic model and update the parameters to current technology. As technological capability continues to increase exponentially, we need to understand when the monetary potential energy hills are small as the technology gets larger. But the chance for self-extinction, if humanity remains in a single vulnerable habitat, also increased exponentially with time. The path forward is to identify investment points while assessing the risks of non-action.

  14. Power Grid:Connecting the world

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Liu Liang; Zhu Li

    2012-01-01

    With the acceleration of global economic integration,the trend has been towards opening up markets.Large enterprises in countries around the world,the developed countries in particular,attach great importance to going abroad,with the aim to optimally allocate energy resources in a wider range.Actively responding to the "going out" strategy of the State,the two giant power grid enterprises in China,State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) and China Southern Power Grid (CSG),have made plans for grid development in line with the State's energy strategy and global resources allocation.

  15. Wind power potential and integration in Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agbetuyi, A.F.

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Wind energy penetration into power networks is increasing very rapidly all over the world. The great concern about global warming and continued apprehensions about nuclear power around the world should drive most countries in Africa into strong demand for wind generation because of its advantages which include the absence of harmful emissions, very clean and almost infinite availability of wind that is converted into electricity. This paper shows the power available in the wind. It also gives an overview of the wind power potential and integration in some selected Africa countries like Egypt, Morocco, South Africa and Nigeria and the challenges of wind power integration in Africa’s continent are also discussed. The Northern part of Africa is known to be Africa’s Wind pioneers having installed and connected the Wind Energy Converters (WEC to the grid. About 97% of the continent’s total wind installations are located in Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia. Research work should commence on the identified sites with high wind speeds in those selected Africa countries, so that those potential sites can be connected to the grid. This is because the ability of a site to sufficiently accommodate wind generation not only depends on wind speeds but on its ability to interconnect to the existing grid. If these wind energy potentials are tapped and connected to the grid, the erratic and epileptic power supply facing most countries in Africa will be reduced; thereby reducing rural-urban migration and more jobs will be created.

  16. Compressed Natural Gas Technology for Alternative Fuel Power Plants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pujotomo, Isworo

    2018-02-01

    Gas has great potential to be converted into electrical energy. Indonesia has natural gas reserves up to 50 years in the future, but the optimization of the gas to be converted into electricity is low and unable to compete with coal. Gas is converted into electricity has low electrical efficiency (25%), and the raw materials are more expensive than coal. Steam from a lot of wasted gas turbine, thus the need for utilizing exhaust gas results from gas turbine units. Combined cycle technology (Gas and Steam Power Plant) be a solution to improve the efficiency of electricity. Among other Thermal Units, Steam Power Plant (Combined Cycle Power Plant) has a high electrical efficiency (45%). Weakness of the current Gas and Steam Power Plant peak burden still using fuel oil. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Technology may be used to accommodate the gas with little land use. CNG gas stored in the circumstances of great pressure up to 250 bar, in contrast to gas directly converted into electricity in a power plant only 27 bar pressure. Stored in CNG gas used as a fuel to replace load bearing peak. Lawyer System on CNG conversion as well as the power plant is generally only used compressed gas with greater pressure and a bit of land.

  17. The role of government in a competitive power market : strategic behaviors and regulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, N.Y. [Korea Energy Economics Institute, Euiwang (Korea)

    2001-12-01

    Restructuring in the Korean power industry has fundamentally changed the role of government. The role of government in a new environment may include : (1) promoting competition (2) prohibiting collusion or unfair trade practices (3) securing uninterrupted power supply (4) providing universal services to consumers (5) implementing appropriate price regulation. Focusing on the first two issues, this report has analyzed anti-competitive strategic behaviors and an impact of market power and tried to provide regulatory guidelines. This report surveyed three types of theoretical models analyzing a bidding behavior in an electric power market. The Cournot model is applied to the Korean electricity market. The following policy implications are derived. (1) The Cournot-Nash equilibrium price can be regarded as a threshold in market surveillance. (2) Had the fossil stations been divided among six instead of five companies, then market power would have been weakened in a reasonable degree. This finding also renders some implications with respect to business permission, divestiture, and merger. Among those, it is argued that a large new entrant rather than small IPPs contributes to increasing competition and lowering market power. (3) Increase in responsiveness of final demand to wholesale price fluctuation is an important factor to lower the Cournot equilibrium price and so market power. Therefore, appropriate regulatory system should be arranged to make power demand more elastic. (4) Activating contract markets such as CfD and introducing the capacity credit market can greatly help to lower market power. (author). 36 refs., 26 figs., 4 tabs.

  18. X-ray power increase from symmetrized wire-array z-pinch implosions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanford, T.W.L.; Allshouse, G.O.; Marder, B.M. [and others

    1996-08-01

    A systematic experimental study of annular aluminum-wire z-pinches on the Saturn accelerator shows that, for the first time, the measured spatial characteristics and x-ray powers can approach those of two-dimensional, radiation-magneto-hydrodynamic simulations when large numbers of wires are used. Calculations show that the implosion begins to transition from that of individual plasma wires to that of a continuous plasma shell, when the circumferential gap between wires in the array is reduced below 1.4+1.3/-0.7 mm. This calculated gap coincides with the measured transition of 1.4 {+-}0.4 mm between the observed regimes of slow and rapid improvement in power output with decreasing gap. In the plasma shell regime, x-ray powers in excess of a factor of three over that generated in the plasma-wire region are measured.

  19. X-ray power increase from symmetrized wire-array z-pinch implosions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanford, T.W.L.; Allshouse, G.O.; Marder, B.M.

    1996-08-01

    A systematic experimental study of annular aluminum-wire z-pinches on the Saturn accelerator shows that, for the first time, the measured spatial characteristics and x-ray powers can approach those of two-dimensional, radiation-magneto-hydrodynamic simulations when large numbers of wires are used. Calculations show that the implosion begins to transition from that of individual plasma wires to that of a continuous plasma shell, when the circumferential gap between wires in the array is reduced below 1.4+1.3/-0.7 mm. This calculated gap coincides with the measured transition of 1.4 ±0.4 mm between the observed regimes of slow and rapid improvement in power output with decreasing gap. In the plasma shell regime, x-ray powers in excess of a factor of three over that generated in the plasma-wire region are measured

  20. Justification for an Increase in Authorized Operating Power at HFIR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Primm, Trent; Ilas, Germina

    2011-01-01

    Using verified and validated reactor physics methods coupled to a currently accepted thermal hydraulic analysis methodology, onset of incipient boiling power agrees well with the currently-accepted safety basis value. The MCNP-based methodology is acceptable for scoping studies of LEU fuel conversion. A balance-of-plant assessment would have to be conducted to determine if the power up-rate to 100 MW could be supported for LEU fuel. While analyses performed 45 years ago have been shown to be in agreement with today s methods, there is an advantage to the current methodology in that people working at HFIR today can explain/justify/defend the safety analyses rather than relying solely on documentation.