Systemic competitiveness of nuclear energy sources*

Investigation of an integrated hydrogen production system based on nuclear and renewable energy sources: Comparative evaluation of hydrogen production options with a regenerative fuel cell system

The aim of the work is forecasting the development of nuclear power in Russia and the world for the period up to 2050 under various scenarios of constraints on carbon dioxide emissions. A brief comparative analysis of the main characteristics of the forecasts of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has been carried out. Additionally, calculations were performed using the mathematical models of the world energy system GEM and GEM-Dyn developed at the ISEM SB RAS. The optimal ratio of nuclear and non-nuclear energy sources has been determined. It is shown that nuclear power, including nuclear power plants operating on a closed fuel cycle, along with renewable energy sources, is an effective technology that can solve the problem of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Calculations have shown that in the sustainable development scenario, the capacity of nuclear power plants in Russia in the period from 2020 to 2050 can increase by 2.7 times, and their share in electricity generation can reach 21–25% in 2030 and 26–35% in 2050. The average annual growth rate (for 30 years) of the installed capacity of nuclear power plants in Russia in the sustainable development scenario is 3.1% compared to 2.7% for the world as a whole. In the GEM and GEM-Dyn calculations performed by the authors, the scale of nuclear energy use turned out to be about 30% higher than in the scenarios of the International Energy Agency due to more conservative estimates of the opportunities for improving the performance of renewable energy sources and taking into account the need to back-up their capacity.

In space applications, one of the main issues is to obtain an efficient power supply. There are various types of energy sources to produce electrical power which is needed for the operation of all active spacecraft systems and subsystems. Due to the dependency of distance from the Sun, solar energy source has limited application area. On the other hand, nuclear energy sources are widely preferred to provide electrical power during many deep space and planetary science missions. Using the radioactive decay process or fission reactor, nuclear energy is converted to thermal energy. This thermal energy can be used directly for heating issues or converted to electrical energy. Thermal energy is converted to electrical energy by means of both static and dynamic thermo-electric conversion technologies. An overview of nuclear energy technologies and nuclear energy based power systems utilized in the deep space missions take place in this paper.

Traditionally nuclear reactor power plants have been optimized for electrical power generation only. In the light of the ever-rising cost of ever-dwindling fossil fuel resources as well the global polluting effects and consequences of their usage, the use of nuclear energy for process heating is becoming increasingly attractive. In this study the use of a so-called cogeneration plant in which a nuclear reactor energy source is simulated using basic equations for the simultaneous production of superheated steam for electrical power generation and process heat, is considered and analyzed. A novel heat pipe heat exchanger is used to generate superheated steam for the process heat which is, in this case, a coal-to-liquid process (CTL). Natural circulation of sodium, via a thermo-syphon, is used in the heat pipe heat exchanger to transfer heat from the hot stream to the cold. The superheated steam for power generation is generated in a separate once-through helical coil steam generator. A 750 °C, 7 MPa helium cooled high-temperature modular reactor (HTMR) has been considered to simultaneously provide steam at 540 °C, 13.5 MPa for the power unit and steam at 430 °C, 4 MPa for a CTL production plant. The simulation and dynamic control of such a cogeneration plant is considered. In particular, a theoretical model of the plant will be simulated with the aim of predicting the transient and dynamic behavior of the HTMR in order to provide guideline for the control of the plant under various operating conditions. It was found that the simulation model captured the behavior of the plant reasonably well and it is recommended that it could be used in the detailed design of plant control strategies. It was also found that using a 1500 MW-thermal HTMR the South African contribution to global pollution can be reduced by 1.58%.

The research addressed the economic evaluation of nuclear energy, coal, oil and natural gas in various cycle configurations with different distillation technologies. A comparison between fossil and nuclear energy sources is discussed. A comprehensive review of all desalination plants using fossil and nuclear energy with cogeneration is also included and discussed. Computational model was used to evaluate nuclear and non-nuclear desalination plants. Four possibilities were discussed. In this first case, a nuclear gas cycle integrated with a MED desalination plant was found to have the lowest cost in the gas cycle. While the nuclear steam cycle integrated with RO has the lowest cost compared to oil and natural gas. In the third case, the combined nuclear cycle was discussed and it was found that the combined nuclear cycle associated with RO has the lowest cost. In the last case, the evaluation of a heat-only desalination plant was conducted among all sources, and it was found that the nuclear plant with RO and MED has the lowest cost. In addition, the completed nuclear desalination plant was subjected to five scenarios to calculate and estimate at which capacity the plant provides the best values. The results show that nuclear desalination with gas cycle is the most economical among the oil and natural gas options.

The process of developing policies and laws that apply to energy the manufacturing, distribution, and consumption phases systems is known as energy system policy-making. Energy policies are important in directing the growth and evolution of energy systems, providing security of supply, promoting sustainability, and helping to mitigate climate change. Energy sector development is critical for societal advancement, economic prosperity, and environmental sustainability. It incorporates a wide range of potential energy sources such as nuclear power, energy from renewable sources, along with fossil fuels (including sunlight, breeze, water, as well as natural gas). To cut greenhouse gas emissions, battle climate change, and achieve an environmentally friendly and less costly energy future, the world must prioritize the transition to a more resilient and sustainable energy system. The formulation of energy system policy involves a variety of stakeholders, including governments, regulatory bodies, energy companies, industry groups, environmental protection organizations, and the general public. These stakeholders collaborate to establish the objectives of energy policy, develop strategies, and implement the plans. energy system policy is critical in combating climate change due to how it encourages the use all energy produced from renewable sources, efforts to improve energy efficiency, and low-carbon technology. in order to attain aggressive emission reduction targets, research in this sector can give knowledge on effective policy formulation, implementation tactics, and evaluation frameworks. as the world progresses approaching an economy with fewer greenhouse gases, it is critical to understand the causes, impediments, and consequences of the shift to cleaner energy. research can assist identify the optimum governance structures, market mechanisms, and regulatory frameworks for facilitating the changeover to renewable energy sources while achieving carbon reduction goals. access to affordable, dependable energy services is essential for socioeconomic development and the eradication of poverty. research has the potential to shed light on the financial plans and legislative frameworks that might increase access to energy, especially in neglected areas, while addressing concerns of poverty and inequality. In order for the energy system to keep up with technological advancement, policy makers must encourage the use of cutting-edge energy technology. research may give decision-makers knowledge about emerging technologies, prospective implications, and the regulatory frameworks necessary to promote their acceptance and integration into the energy system. In this research we will be using weighted sum method. Clean fossil fuel power generation, natural gas combined cycles (ngcc), integrated gasifier combined cycles (igcc), improved transmission and distribution systems, decentralized power-fuel cells, decentralized power-micro-turbines. Evaluation parameters: impact on energy and carbon intensity, impact on security, impact on energy security, status and technological potential, barriers to commercial use. Result: the WSM method of Ranking Energy System Policy Making in Natural Gas Combined Cycles (NGCC) is got the first rank whereas is the Decentralised Power-fuel Cells is having the Lowest rank. The WSM method of Ranking Energy System Policy Making in Natural Gas Combined Cycles (NGCC) is got the first rank whereas is the Decentralised Power-fuel Cells is having the Lowest rank.

By using a combination of a nuclear reactor that emits no carbon dioxide and a high-efficiency gas turbine cycle, electric utilities can reduce their generating cost as well as minimize greenhouse gas emissions. The economic competitiveness of pure natural-gas combined-cycle (NGCC), nuclear-assisted NGCC, and pure nuclear power plants is studied, and the level of CO2 emission tax effects on the cost of electricity from each plant is defined.An advanced gas-cooled nuclear reactor in addition to a conventional NGCC as a heat source for the air exiting the compressor is considered. At a reactor outlet gas temperature of 900°C, the thermal contribution (fossil fuel saving and CO2 reduction) by nuclear energy in the nuclear-assisted NGCC cycle was 46.3%.To assess the economic competitiveness of the plants, the levelized electricity generation costs were calculated. The economics depend primarily on the cost of natural gas and the capital cost of the nuclear reactor. Obviously, the best plant option for low natural-gas cost is pure NGCC and is pure nuclear power for high natural-gas prices. The intersecting points are affected by the assumed carbon tax.Several synergetic effects for using nuclear and fossil powers together are quantified. First, since the electricity generation cost of the nuclear-assisted NGCC cycle is not as sensitive to gas price as the NGCC, the economic risk of fluctuations in gas prices can be minimized by adopting a nuclear-assisted NGCC cycle. Second, the high nuclear capital cost can be largely compensated for by the low capital cost of the gas turbine plant. For example, 3000 $/kW(electric) of nuclear capital cost can be effectively reduced to ~1500 $/kW(electric) for the hybrid plant. Third, nuclear-assisted NGCC has several advantages over the two single-fuel options in the reduction of high capital costs and high gas prices. In addition, the greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by half by using nuclear-assisted NGCC, and the amount of nuclear spent fuel per kilowatt-hour would also be less than that of the pure nuclear option.

Primary energy sources exhibited regular long-term logistic substitution trends from the mid-19th century through the third quarter of the 20th century. This analysis, based on an extension of the Fisher–Pry substitution model, accounted for the observed historical shifts of primary energy use from sources of wood, coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear. In the mid-1980s the substitution dynamics was replaced by a relatively constant contribution from oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear power, and hydropower. However, a major factor in energy use dynamics in this recent period was substitution of conservation and efficiency for actual fuel use. The energy efficiency is measured as the ratio of economic activity to the rate of energy use (energy intensity). To incorporate these data into the logistic analysis, a method for estimating the fraction of energy saved by the increased efficiency was used. With this interpretation, energy efficiency fits within the substitution model. Furthermore, to identify indications of future energy scenarios, as well as to test the logistic substitution analysis, another statistical approach using ternary diagrams was developed. The consistent results from both logistic substitution and statistical analysis are compared with recent energy projections, trends in decarbonization, Kondratieff waves, and other efficiency measures. While the specific future mix of renewables and nuclear energy sources is uncertain, the more general logistic dynamics pattern of the energy system seems to be continuing as it has for about 150 years now.

Renewable energy production sources became very attractive in recent years due to environmental problems and their enormous potential. Many studies have been done on these systems alone and combined operation. Among these combined systems, a particular attention is made on the combined PV-Wind system in the literature due to the great sources complementarity and the resource availability in tropical countries as in Mali. Nowadays, PV-Wind system hybridization is an alternative solution to traditional and nuclear energy sources which are the most used to cover the worldwide energy consumption. This system represents an economic and environmental option. Their complementarity improves the service quality compared to PV or wind power single system. A maximum power point tracking controller is required for the electrical power generation profitability. This controller must take into account the sources of intermittent nature and the random variations of climatic parameters. The fuzzy logic controller operates with imprecise input values and can deal with nonlinear equations. This paper presents energy sources modeling and simulation results on fuzzy logic improving (FLI) for hybrid PV-Wind system power optimization. Firstly, a model of each generator is developed and the fuzzy logic rules are defined. Secondly, these models are designed under Matlab/Simulink in order to study their behavior in simulation. Finally, a comparative study is realized between the proposed control and the fuzzy logic controller (FLC) using a fixed gain. The obtained results show the proposed method effectiveness compared to FLC in terms of power optimization and oscillations damping after perturbation.

In Bangladesh, the rising demand for electrical energy is a notable feature. Most of this energy is needed for domestic and industrial appliance electrical machineries and electric traction. Bangladesh has a huge population with increasing demand for electricity. The importance of electricity in everyday life in Bangladesh has reached such a stage that it is required to protect the power system from harm during fault conditions and to ensure maximum continuity of electricity supply. The power system of Bangladesh is facing several problems which are causing deficiency of electricity generation. The problems are such as: low production of electricity than the actual demand, faulty power system, lacking of natural resources required for electricity generation etc. This paper gives a brief description about the efficiency of combined cycle and single cycle power stations and shows the comparison between them to analyze that whether combined cycle power plants are more efficient for Bangladesh or not. This paper also discusses about the problems in electricity generation in Bangladesh and how to mitigate the desired electricity production by solving these problems. Using combined cycle is a wise choice as the heat energy which is produced in the gas turbine is re-used to boil the water into steam and supply the steam into the steam turbine to produce additional electricity. So, the combined cycle power station is the better option for electricity generation in Bangladesh. The main objective of this paper is to discuss the development, importance, challenges, progress and prospects of combined cycle power plants in Bangladesh.

There will be more, not less, debate about nuclear power and other energy sources in the UK in the future. Any analysis of the efficiency of decision-making in the energy field must allow for this factor, as must any prescriptions for change. It must be seriously questioned whether the framework of planning law as it now stands in practice is best suited to dealing with what will be a growing pressure to oppose nuclear power in itself, or at least to exact from the industry standards of safety and environmental quality that exceed those now in existence. The suggestions made in this report are designed to amend the system by which planning decisions are made in order to prepare for such a future.

Problems of attracting nuclear energy resources in order to provide economical and rational consumption of fossil fuels

EIA study identifies nuclear's growing electricity share

Coal: Energy for the future

This study examines the potential impact of nuclear energy consumption on environmental sustainability in the context of economic globalization using FMOLS, DOLS and panel Granger causality tests with a panel of BRICS countries data for the period 1985–2020 based on the inverted U-curve relationship of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis. The findings support the panel's EKC hypothesis of an inverted U- curve relationship and suggest that economic growth exacerbates environmental pollution and is detrimental to the improvement of environmental quality in BRICS countries, while economic globalization, nuclear energy and renewable energy consumption tend to improve the environmental quality and play a leading role in reducing environmental pollution. Furthermore, panel Granger causality tests have shown the bi-directional causality of CO2 emissions and renewable energy consumption with economic growth. However, unidirectional causality exists from CO2 emissions to renewable energy consumption, nuclear energy consumption to economic growth, and renewable energy consumption to economic globalization. This study suggests that the best option for improving the environmental quality of BRICS countries to combat global warming in the light of long-term sustainable economic globalization is to achieve a mix of nuclear and renewable energy sources in order to ensure and meet the needs of economic and environmental sustainability, thereby effectively achieving the goals of “decarbonization” and “emission reduction”.