Abstract

Keywords

1. Research methods

2. Death-worlds

3. Silent and encroaching

4. Overt and punitive

5. Dismissive and deflective

6. A world of in/visibles

Declaration of competing intrest

References

Further reading

Abstract

The article concentrates on the ways people’s claim to life, citizenry and democratic dissent were revoked the more they dared to defy and mobilise against a nuclear power plant at Kudankulam in southern India. Building on the literature on biopower and necropower, it is argued that the Indian state is exercising nuclear necropower through the creation of death conditions for subaltern populations as well as their political supporters. These ‘death worlds’ go beyond physical demise to encompass ecological, social and political conditions by which a person’s life is diminished. Victims, suspects, and/or targets are geographically, socially and politically created as a consequence of sliding and syncretic subjugations to do with ‘let die’ and ‘make die’. These variegated perspectives might be delineated by way of three overlapping modalities that embed necropower in the politics of the nuclear industries, environment, social hierarchies and state-backed operations to undermine subaltern populations, anti-nuclear activists and environmentalists. The first modality encompasses ecological factors by way of a silent and encroaching death where nuclear industries subject marginalised communities and casual labourers to a life of environmental uncertainty, exploitation and health hazards. The second is the more overt and punitive violence exacted on- and offline in order to contain and extinguish dissent against nuclear power. The third is by way of producing a culture of vilification in terms of strategies designed to malign and outcaste anti-nuclear activists and environmentalists.

On October 23, 2012, thousands of south Indians who supported the People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), languished in a coastal village, Idinthakarai, that had become an ‘open-air jail’. 1 As arterial roads to it had been cordoned off by police and paramilitaries from March of that year, a group of women made a poignant appeal.2 They wrote in a digital letter:

Do we exist? Do we live within the exclusivity or sterilisation zone? …. We understand that none of our representations or appeals have been considered … We do not want to be relocated or rehabilitated. We want to be here by the seashore in our own birthplace. We want to pursue our livelihoods linked to the sea and its bounties. We want good food, water and access to resources here in these villages. We do not want money that is so ephemeral. We are willing to work hard, earn and live well … We have no complaints other than dissent about the way in which the concerned authorities are unwilling to come to us and allay our fears and doubts. We want them to assure us that the KKNPP [Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant] will not be allowed to attain criticality at the cost of our lives and dreams. We want our sisters and brothers languishing in the jails to be released. We want our peaceful resistance to be dealt with decently and humanely.3

For exercising their right to peaceful dissent, fishing and farming communities who opposed the nuclear power plant were delivered dire blows. In the hands of a punitive state, they were forced to either live in prison or in a ‘sterilisation zone’, a designated 5 kilometer zone around the nuclear reactors as stipulated by India’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.4 Both places were empty of their life-potentials to do with their future health, livelihood, and generations (see Abraham, 2012, pp.

Nomenclature

1. Introduction

2. Experimental section

3. Result and discussion

4. Conclusions

Acknowledgement

References

Abstract

The chemical looping process on honeycomb reactor for solar syngas is experimentally studied in this work, which is the key reaction of the liquid sunshine production process. The honeycomb reactor realizes the integration of oxygen carrier and reaction chamber. NiO is placed in the reactor as oxygen carrier and methane is introduced as fuel gas. The results show that, with the development of process, the major reaction in the reactor gradually changed from methane complete oxidation to methane partial oxidation. During the process, the methane conversion and outlet syngas concentration is affected by the methane flow and fractional oxidation. Under the optimal operating conditions, the methane conversion can be maintained more than 95% and the concentration of outlet syngas can be around 90%. Compared with non-honeycomb fixed bed reactor, the methane conversion increases by more than 20 percent point and the concentration of outlet syngas increases by about 10 percent point. In addition, oxygen carrier in honeycomb reactor shows excellent cyclic stability in 30 times experiments.

Introduction

When the consequences of the overuse of fossil fuels come, are we prepared to deal with them? Since the first industrial revolution, fossil fuels have been the primary source of global energy. Behind the exponential progress powered by fossil fuels are the potential of energy crisis and the environmental deterioration [1,2]. Nowadays, annual carbon dioxide emissions are about twice as much as that can be absorbed by nature [3]. If we continue to rely on fossil fuels, the resulting climate change and air pollution will threaten our life [4]. Sunlight is the most abundant source of energy on earth, and it can provide about 885 million TWh of energy in a year, surpassing other kinds of renewable energy by hundreds of times [5]. But it is hard to use it as easily as you flip a switch due to the decentralization and discontinuity of solar [6]. If we want to capture, store sunlight and supply it as energy source, the key process is to convert it into a stable, storable, highenergy-density chemical fuel.

The liquid sunshine vision is increasingly appealing to researchers [7]. Liquid fuels are not difficult to transport and store, and it can be widely used with some improvements to existing infrastructures. Liquid sunlight is designed to convert sunlight into liquid fuels such as methanol. Methanol is an attractive candidate because of its wide application. There are no C-C bonds in methanol which can effectively reduce the greenhouse gas emission due to its low carbon to hydrogen ratio [7]. As the raw material of methanol production, the preparation of solar syngas is a key process in current researches [8–11].

Introduction

Experimental

Results and discussion

Conclusion

References

Abstract

There are proliferation issues with the Plutonium Uranium Redox Extraction process due to the possibility of recovering plutonium. The objective of this research was to evaluate diferent organic extraction ligands that can remove uranium from the nuclear waste and to determine the most efective organic solvent for extracting uranium only, from alkaline media. The results indicate that Alamine 336 in xylene has zero (0%) extraction capability for surrogate fssion products at an optimum extraction time of 15 min. Aliquat 336 in xylene has an extraction percentage of 72% for uranium in 60 min. However, Aliquat 336 in toluene extracted 82% of the uranium from the feed solution after 30 min, decreasing to 76% after 60 min.

Introduction

A large amount of uranium in the environment is caused by human activities such as mining and milling of other minerals and also from operations of reactors, reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and its disposal [1, 2]. It is also of great commercial interest due to its application in the nuclear industry especially in the use and development of new radiopharmaceuticals and radioisotopes [3]. The uranium waste contains insoluble precipitates formed when the target plates uranium–aluminum alloy are dissolved during the production of Mo-99 [4]. The remaining insoluble residue contains about 90% of enriched uranium that is present in the mixture of various oxidation states. A process of ammonium carbonate-based dissolution has been developed for uranium recovery from the waste generated by an alkaline dissolution process used for the production of the medical isotope Mo-99 [5]. Uranium recovery from residue was achieved with three successive ammonium carbonate–peroxide leaches with fnal decontamination factors from low values of 1–10 Cs-137, Ru-106, and Sb-125 to infnity.

1- Introduction

2- Data acquisition and control system

3- Capabilities

4- Conclusion

References

Abstract

The application possibilities of the nuclear microprobe are constantly evolving which places new requirements on the data acquisition and microbeam control systems. MeV SIMS experiments for example, require the ability to pulse a continuous beam and steer it in the X-Y plane. For channeling RBS and STIM experiments, the sample needs to be rotated over two axes. Once it is positioned in the channeling direction, patterned irradiation may be needed. Additionally, with the evolution of digital electronics, it is now possible and sometimes preferred to perform signal processing in the digital domain as oppose to analogue signal chains in NIM modules.
In this work we present the most recent upgrades to the data acquisition and control system developed at Rudjer Boskovic Institute. A data acquisition/control system based on a Xilinx Virtex 6 FPGA was developed which can evolve with the microprobe and be reconfigured for various applications. The real time reprogrammable nature of the FPGA coupled with a modular design approach, allow for the ADCs, processing algorithms and communication protocols to be interchanged and upgraded while keeping a constant user interface through the SPECTOR software package.

Introduction

The modern nuclear microprobe is a very flexible platform on which a wide variety of experiments can be performed. To maintain this degree of flexibility, the data acquisition and control system has to be able to interconnect and synchronize the many different subsystems that make up a nuclear microprobe. Not every experiment performed on the microprobe is the same and therefore beam modification requirements, sample positioning and even the type of data acquisition varies. The standard solution is to use nuclear instrumentation modules (NIM) and manually connect only the modules that are required for the experiment. NIMs are the foundation of the nuclear data acquisition and control industry because they provide a flexible, reconfigurable, easy to use platform which can be adapted and used for a wide variety of experiments. However experiments today have become very complex and require precise control of many parameters. This in turn requires many interconnected modules, which limits the performance, increases complexity and introduces noise. Digital Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology has evolved significantly and can be used in conjunction with NIM for modern experiments. FPGA technology has been readily used for DAQ systems and many commercial solutions exist as described by Bettiol et al. [1]. However no ideal solution exists and there is always a balance between the complexity of the DAQ system and its usability. This paper builds upon the work of M. Bogovac et al. [2] by adapting more of a modular design philosophy and removing limitation of a closed system. The reprogrammable nature of FPGAs make it a versatile tool for a wide variety of applications and to fully take advantage of this, the hardware and software surrounding the FPGA has to be designed with this in mind. The implementation of this design philosophy to the upgrade of the data acquisition and control system for the nuclear microprobe and developments to the SPECTOR software package [3] are presented.

1- Introduction

2- The trans-log cost function model

3- Data

4- Results and discussion

5- Conclusion and policy implications

References

Abstract

This study suggests a simple economic model to analyze electricity grid that consists of different power sources. The substitutability of renewable energy for nuclear power in Korean electricity transmission network is investigated by suggested model. The monthly data from January 2006 to December 2013 reported by Electricity Power Statistics Information System (EPSIS) of Korea Power EXchange (KPX) are used. To estimate the elasticities of substitution among four power sources (i.e. coal, natural gas, nuclear power, and renewable energy), this paper uses the trans-log cost function model on which local concavity restrictions are imposed. The estimated Hicks-Allen and Morishima elasticity of substitution shows that renewable electricity and nuclear power are complementary. The results also evidenced that renewable electricity and fossil fueled thermal power generation are substitutes.

Background

Nuclear power has been a controversial issue worldwide. Specifically, there are many questions whether nuclear power plants can be continuously used in the future and, if not, whether renewable energy can substitute nuclear power. In Korea, the Moon Jae-in administration, established in 2017, is in favor of renewable energy and proposed the Korean government’s new long-term plan of electricity supply, which recommends the suspension of two nuclear power plants under construction [1]. After serious debate, the Committee for Public Debate of Sin-Gori Units No. 5$6 finally allowed continuing construction of those plants. The debate reflects Korea’s increasing fear of the risk of nuclear power since the Fukushima Daiichi accident in Japan, followed by the great earthquake in 2011 [2]. Fear of nuclear power is a global phenomenon. Global electricity generation from nuclear power plants in 2013 was less than its average between 2001 and 2010. The main driver of this decline was the shutdown of nuclear power plants in Japan, Germany, and the US [3]. The IAEA [4] reports that the rapid shutdown of nuclear power plants, beginning in the 2010s, has affected the current capacity of global nuclear power. Yet, the same report states that nuclear power still accounts for one-third of the total low carbon power generation and renewable energy cannot easily substitute nuclear power because of its intermittent characteristic. The IAEA projects that increasing global demand for electricity, especially in emerging economies, may lead to the expansion of nuclear power use, which presents a paradox concerning nuclear power [4]. Although nuclear power is inexpensive and a massive electricity supplier with low carbon emissions, simultaneously, it could bring about a fatal accident. CO2 emission from fossil fuel use is a common problem and seen as a significant cause of global climate change. In the electricity industry, however, the reduction of fossil fuel-based thermal power generation creates instability in the power supply. Nuclear power generation is a strong alternative as a substitute for thermal power generation [4]. As mentioned, however, nuclear power generation faces strong opposition as it has latent risks. Facing these two problems, CO2 emission and nuclear power’s risk, renewable energy is being discussed as an effective solution. However, as the IAEA report [4] points out, the technological and economic problems associated with renewable energy are still the basis of argument whether renewable energy is unsuitable for the base-load of the electricity system. Moreover, Madrigal and Stoft pointed out that intermittency of renewable energy such as wind power and photovoltaic affects grid stability [5].

Nuclear power systems capable of outputting low powers (< 100 MWth) are increasingly receiving interest internationally for deployment not only as electricity production systems, capable of operating off-grid, but also as systems able to provide industrial process heat. These ‘micro-reactor’ concepts must demonstrate economic competitiveness with other potential solutions capable of providing similar power outputs. With this in mind, reactor technologies that offer inherent advantages associated with improved power density and simplified operation, both of which are important attributes that determine economic competitiveness, are reviewed in the context of the fundamental safety functions provided by the IAEA. The reactor technology chosen based on the results of the review were: low vapour pressure coolants like molten salt or liquid metal; solid moderator material; and conventional solid UO2 fuel. Initial infinite lattice neutronic studies indicated a series of positive reactivity coefficients. A finite system was also modelled using a molten salt as the coolant. When modelling the finite system the coolant temperature reactivity coefficient became negative, the void coefficient strongly negative and moderator temperature coefficient negative to weakly positive. Given that a number of reactivity coefficients were negative to strongly negative in the finite system, the weakly positive moderator temperature coefficient is not thought to be prohibitive. Thus the design should exhibit acceptable safety performance. Whilst the importance of leakage in fast reactor cores is well known, a key outcome from this study is the strong influence of leakage on all safety related parameters for the thermal reactor designs considered here with solid moderator material. Thus it seems that safety studies for such small cores should be based on full core calculations instead of the traditional infinite lattice studies for fuel assemblies.

Introduction

There is an increasing interest, globally, in small reactors (< 300 MWe) that are designed to be assembled, as far as is practical, in a factory setting. These so-called Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) have been discussed extensively elsewhere (OECD-NEA, 2016; Vujićet al, 2012; IAEA, 2016). Briefly, apart from being ideally suited to customers with smaller power requirements, the benefits SMRs may offer are: increased flexibility with respect to siting; improved safety performance; reduced construction times; and reduced upfront investment requirements. The challenges facing SMRs relate to development costs; uncertainty surrounding licensing (especially for innovative technologies that regulators are less familiar with); and uncertainties surrounding economic competitiveness, in terms of cost per kWe. Many of the SMRs have power outputs ∼100 MWe, with the intention of placing multiple units together to allow for electricity production around 500 MWe and sharing of facilities (such as turbo-generator units) to reduce costs. Therefore, the primary purpose of these systems is to provide electricity to the grid. It should be noted that as power plants are grouped together, this limits siting flexibility. However, to operate systems with a small combined power output (< 200 MWe), bespoke turbo-generators would be required. There has also been recent interest in mobile floating nuclear power plants. Two recent noteworthy examples are: the ACPR50S, which is a 60 MWe reactor, being developed for the supply of electricity, heat and desalination; and the Russian Akademik Lomonosov plant which uses two 35 MWe reactors (WNN, 1301). Besides the Akademik Lomonosov plant, several new designs are investigated for autonomous power supply in Russia (Goltsov et al, 2016). Some SMRs are focused on producing even lower power outputs and are targeted at industrial power facilities or remote locations where there is no grid available. Furthermore, these low powered systems intend to take the safety performance benefits of many SMRs further by achieving indefinite decay heat removal. These smaller variants of SMRs are sometimes termed micro-reactors (NNL, 2014).