Development and Application of Modular Information Management System for Nuclear Power Engineering

Introduction. The construction industry depends largely in compliance with the laws of the market with no in-depth analysis of its development trends as a system. Government regulation of the industry fails to make a full use of an evidence-based predictive analysis, but rather is more frequently guided by international experience in the form of small data. The aim of the study is to bridge this gap by means of a general overview of the research related to the general patterns of the development of construction technologies. Materials and Methods . The research included the search for information from open sources, its analysis and synthesis in order to identify the general trends in the development of construction technologies. Materials from the authors’ research were employed. The analysis was conducted using the laws of the development of technical systems. Research Results. The stages of the evolution of building technologies including prefabricated, monolithic, and precastmonolithic methods are discussed. Ways of improving building materials by means of increasing their physical and mechanical properties, reducing weight, and lowering harmful emissions and costs are also identified. It is noteworthy that the improvement of these materials by their direct relationship with structures results in their dynamic development. It is found that the improvement of materials due to the direct relationship in the system with structures also leads to their dynamic development, they become more durable, lightweight, multifunctional and influence architectural and planning solutions increasing useful selling space. Issues hindering the development of digital technologies for the manufacture of structures are noted: control of early hydration of 3D-printed concrete and a relationship with rheology, ensuring interlayer adhesion, strength, introduction of automated reinforcement and generally the relationship between technology, material and performance characteristics in terms of both structural strength and durability. The basic requirements for the design of buildings and structures and their parts are designed: saving space, materials and energy through integrated design, which includes the integration of all the building systems (structural, mechanical, hydraulic, air and electrical) into a single system. The development of the technology of large-block (modular) construction is considered including the research of SUSU employees on the technology of sinking concrete. Attention is paid to the global experience of modular construction and the direction of development of modular integrated systems. Discussion and Conclusion . It is concluded that the general trends in the development of construction technologies include: acceleration of large-block (modular) and monolithic construction by improving materials (high-functional concretes, enlarged reinforced frames, fibers), use of automated efficient mechanisms, prefab elements, equipping modules with engineering networks; reducing the complexity and increasing the manageability of construction production by reducing labor costs in the proposed construction technologies, automation and digitalization of the major processes; use of information modeling technologies, neural networks, and rational layout of the interior of a building in complex design; improving the functionality and aesthetics of facade technologies.

Construction throughout the world is one of the most important sectors of the economy. Thestate's interest in modular construction technology is constantly growing. This paper examines the issues of using modular products in modern housing construction, such as forms of using prefabricated parts and the problems of their use in modern housing construction, and trends in the construction market. The author also formulated possible prospects for this technology in Russia. The subject of the study is modular solutions and their trends in construction. A study was carried out of the regulatory framework, which is not ready for the use of such technology –regulatory documents in the field of modular construction have not been approved. The author of the work reviewed the use of modular technology in construction, identified the directions of development and tasks of this construction industry. Ways of development and improvement are proposed to increase the popularity of the use of modular construction in our country.

In discussing the general subject of reactor plant considerations, it would seem appropriate to: examine the basic reasons we are interested in nuclear power at all; review the basic parts of a reactor system, outlining the functions of each part; describe the major factors involved in assembling a reactor plant; outline relative costs of nuclear power plants.

The electrical consumption schedules and the structure of the installed power of the Unified Power System (EES) of Russia are examined. The operating costs of nuclear power plants compared to combined cycle (steam-gas) plants as a function of the depth of nighttime unloading at different times in the fuel campaign of nuclear power plants are calculated. It is shown that running nuclear power plants with variable loading is economically unfavorable compared to unloading of combined cycle plants; in addition, at the end of a campaign, the unloading of a nuclear power plant is limited and requires deeper unloading of the unit all the way to stoppage, which leads to greater system costs.

The feasibility of small size specimens for testing of environmentally assisted cracking of irradiated materials and of materials under irradiation in reactor core

The economics of the civilian uses of nuclear energy, that is to say the economics of nuclear power generation in which its civilian uses has been virtually limited to power generation---has been the focus of much public discussion both internationally and domestically here in Japan. The reasons are that there are many underlying factors which determine the economics of power generation methods and that various assumptions can be made concerning these factors. In addition, the value of these factors will change over time and thus entail considerable uncertainties. Although there are many aspects to the economics of nuclear power generation, in its narrowest sense, it refers to the power generation costs of nuclear power plants and other arguments from other aspects can be summarized in terms of power generation costs. Therefore, this paper will focus on power generation costs at nuclear power plants. In this paper, I will introduce an outline of the economic evaluation of nuclear power generation by the Japanese Government, and describe its features by comparing this evaluation with an evaluation by the United States Government, and then point out what policy implications these economic evaluations have on nuclear power generation.

The competitiveness of nuclear power plants depends largely on their capital costs that represent some 60 per cent of their total generation costs. Reviewing and analysing ways and means to reduce capital costs of nuclear power plants are essential to enhance the economic viability of the nuclear option. The report is based upon cost information and data provided by experts from NEA Member countries. It investigates the efficiency of alternative methods for reducing capital costs of nuclear units. It will provide stakeholders from the industry and governmental agencies with relevant elements in support of policy making.

Risk-informed design of advanced nuclear reactor: A target unavailability approach

In the end of operational life, a nuclear power plant should be decommissioned to release its site for a new purpose. The decommissioning cost estimation is part of the decommissioning plan, which also include the decommissioning strategy definition. The cost estimation is performed by management tools, most of them according the bottom-up approach. However, this approach usually requires large quantities of data and detailed knowledge of the site conditions and the project phases, which are often unknown in the project beginning, requiring the adoption of several assumptions. Otherwise, the top-down approach requires less data or assumptions, and the project details is known as it became mature. Due to this, the top-down approach is a better approach for cost estimation during planning phase than the bottom-up. Despite it, most part of management tools found in literature to cost estimation are structured according the bottom-up approach. To suppress this lack, recently a new management tool was developed according the top-down approach, being able to estimate the decommissioning cost of nuclear power plants for budget/bid purposes. This work aims to present the cost estimation to decommissioning a multiple reactor power site with similar characteristics of the Brazilian ones, which would be used as benchmark. The results demonstrated that the interdependencies among the plants are important and affects significantly the cost to decommissioning each plant. This work is part of a research that is under course in which several strategies alternatives would be evaluated.

Lead time—the duration of construction and commissioning—is an important determinant of the capital cost of nuclear power plants (NPPs). For an industry dominated by a handful of multinational firms, the degree of cross-national variation is surprising. NPP lead times have historically trended upward over time in Western nations, and yet they are comparatively quick and stable in East Asia. I theorize that the institutional capacity and autonomy of subnational governments can partially explain these patterns in the data. Having assembled a novel data set on the design specifications of the global population of NPPs, I empirically document a positive association between political decentralization and NPP lead time that is not explained by observed cross-country differences in NPP design. The results are suggestive of the hypothesis that political decentralization creates conditions that slow NPP construction for nontechnical reasons. However, the findings are not robust to certain robustness checks and fail to rule out the possibility that unobserved differences in design explain this association.

This paper examines the time comparing efficiency between the two approaches namely the modular building system and the common ways of building a construction and cost efficiency with an emphasis on whether Primavera P6 is used as a means of project scheduling and project optimization. Using modules, prefabricated off site and assembled on site, modular construction does provide the opportunity to shorten project schedules through simultaneous work on activities, reduced occurrence of weather delays, and enhanced quality management. Nevertheless, adoption by industry is a problem related to difficulty in initial manufacturing costs, involved logistics of production, specialized labour, and also having an equal scarcity in domestic supply chains. Case study method was used which is comparative, focusing on two same-type multi-story buildings constructions, with the same type of products, but one is built using standard methods and the other with modular construction. Primavera P6 was used to model both scenarios so that they could be handled with the same delivery timing, career and cost control. Also, 25 professionals in the industry have been surveyed and the relative importance index (RII) was applied to their responses to measure benefits and barriers impression. The findings indicated that the modular approach to construction saved 65 days (12.7 percent) on the project and this was largely due to concurrent fabrication of the modules off-site and on-site site preparations. The total costs however, rose up by about 8.1 percent with the catalyst being fabrication, transport, crane procedures and special assembly needs. RII analysis proved that the most appreciated benefits were time savings and improved profitability and the most hindering barriers were high initial costs and constraints regarding logistics. This conclusion implies that modular construction can be vitally fast in delivering the projects when coupled with an advanced project management tool such as Primavera P6. Greater investments in strategic supply chain management development, training of the workforce and regulatory backing of the modular practices should be encouraged to render the modular practices cost-competitive and more popular. Keywords- Building performance, Cost optimization, Modular construction, Prefabricated systems, Primavera P6 scheduling, Time efficiency

This paper explores the use of temporary buildings in COVID-19 emergencies, focusing on Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan. Data sources include literature, technical staff, and expert interviews. It highlights modular construction, BIM technology, adaptability, sustainability, and teamwork. The conclusion emphasizes modular construction and BIM technology's role in accelerating projects, while noting the importance of considering socio-cultural and environmental impacts.

After two major nuclear power plant accidents in Chernobyl (1986) and Fukushima (2011), one of the main requirements for the nuclear power engineering is the safety of the nuclear reactors in operation, as well as new nuclear power plants of the fourth generation, which are being developed now. One of such requirements is presence of the so-called “inherent safety” mechanism, which renders the uncontrolled reactor runaway impossible under any conditions, moreover, the implementation of such a mechanism should be ensured on the level of physical principles embedded in the reactor design. Another important problem of the nuclear power engineering is the need of the transition to the large-scale use of the fast-neutron breeder reactors, with which it would be possible to set up expanded reproduction of the nuclear fuel and by that means solve the problem of supplying humanity with relatively cheap energy for thousands of years. Moreover, at present an unresolved problem is the disposal of spent nuclear fuel containing radioactive nuclides with long half-lives, which presents a long-term danger to the ecology. One of the promising conceptions of the fast-neutron breeder reactor, which can, in the case of successful implementation, partially or even entirely solve the problems of the nuclear power engineering mentioned above, is the reactor that operates in the nuclear burning wave mode, which is also known as “Traveling wave reactor”, CANDLE and by some other names. This paper presents a short review of the main theoretical approaches used for description of such a physical phenomenon as slow nuclear burning (deflagration) wave in the neutron multiplication medium initially composed of the fertile material 238U or 232Th. A comparative analysis of the possibilities of different mathematical models for describing this phenomenon is performed, both for those based on the deterministic approach (i.e. solving neutron transport equations) and for models that use Monte Carlo methods. The main merits of the fast breeder reactor, working in the nuclear burning wave mode, and problems related to the practical realization of the considered concept are discussed.

The shipping of the fishing boat is expensive and time-consuming, due to the long distance between the shipyard and the fishermen locations. The main objective of this study was conducted to analyze the technical and economic aspects of the traditional fishing vessel building using the modular system construction on laminated Mahogany and Teak woods. Mahogany has the potential as an alternative raw material for wooden fishing boat because it is a fast-growth plant with the harvesting period of 15 to 20 years. The technical analysis was performed by building a prototype with a modular system construction of fishing boat with laminated wood materials. Firstly, survey was conducted to get the main dimension and design the lines plan of the existing boat. The structure of modules is made using the cold press planking method. Economic analysis is done by determining the building cost of fishing vessels with laminated wood construction using a modular system and calculating the investment of a 3 GT boat with laminated wood construction. Based on the prototype of the fishing vessel that has been built, it can be concluded that the price of a Mahogany and Teak laminate ship with a modular system is IDR 44.927.656 (USD 3,160) in comparison to the general price of IDR 30,000,000 (USD 2,110). Note the less, it can be concluded that the investment in fishing shipyard for laminated wood construction using a modular system is feasible both from technical and economic aspects.

The technologies of knowledge representation and inference in an artificial intelligence system focused on the domain of nuclear physics and nuclear power engineering are considered. The possibilities of description logics and graph databases of nuclear knowledge for the generation of cognitive hypotheses, using in addition to deduction and other ways of reasoning, such as inductive inference and reasoning based on analogies, are discussed. The use of adequate description logic and measures of semantic similarity is substantiated. Interactive visual navigation and reasoning on the knowledge graphs are performed by means of special retrieval widgets and the smart RDF browser. Operations with semantic repositories are implemented on cloud platforms using SPARQL queries and RESTful services. The proposed software solutions are based on cloud computing using DBaaS and PaaS service models to ensure scalability of data warehouses and network services. Example of use of the offered technologies and software has been given.