A Fusion Neutron Source Driven Sub-Critical Nuclear Energy System: A Way for Early Application of Fusion Technology

This paper proposes a sub-critical nuclear energy system driven by fusion neutron source, FDS, which can be used to transmute long-lived radioactive wastes and to produce fissile nuclear fuel as a way for early application of fusion technology. The necessity and feasibility to develop that system in China are illustrated on the basis of prediction of the demand of energy source in the first half of the 21th century, the status of current fission energy supply and the progress in fusion technology in the world. The characteristics of fusion neutron driver and the potential for transmutation of long-lived nuclear wastes and breeding of fissile nuclear fuel in a blanket are analyzed. A scenario of development steps is proposed.

Research progress on preparation technology of oxide dispersion strengthened steel for nuclear energy

Nuclear energy is a low-carbon,safe,efficient,and sustainable clean energy.The new generation of nuclear energy systems operate in harsher environments under higher working temperatures and irradiation doses,while traditional nuclear power materials cannot meet the requirements.The development of high-performance nuclear power materials is a key factor for promoting the development of nuclear energy.Oxide dispersion strengthened(ODS)steel contains a high number density of dispersed nano-oxides and defect sinks and exhibits excellent high temperature creep performance and irradiation swelling resistance.Therefore,ODS steel has been considered as one of the most promising candidate materials for fourth-generation nuclear fission reactor cladding tubes and nuclear fusion reactor blankets.The preparation process significantly influences microstructure of ODS steel.This paper reviews the development and perspective of several preparation processes of ODS steel,including the powder metallurgy process,improved powder metallurgy process,liquid metal forming process,hybrid process,and additive forging.This paper also summarizes and analyzes the relationship between microstructures and the preparation process.After comprehensive consideration,the powder metallurgy process is still the best preparation process for ODS steel.Combining the advantages and disadvantages of the above preparation processes,the trend applied additive forging for extreme manufacturing of large ODS steel components is discussed with the goal of providing a reference for the application and development of ODS steel in nuclear energy.

Nuclear Energy in the Energy Expansion of Turkey

Dependency of the human on the energy is ever-increasing today and the energy policies are reaching undeniable and un-ignorable dimensions steering the political events as well. Therefore, access to the energy and/or energy resources is becoming the highest priority for the countries. In this study, the criteria that have to be kept in view while creating the energy policies are explained first of all. Then the geopolitics, redundancy and diversity are described as the strategic criteria and furthermore, the availability, energy resources geography, and the technological, economical and environmental criteria are examined as the operative criteria and thereafter the issues such as installation period, utilization period, reliability, repair-maintenance and public validation are handled as the tactical criteria. The nuclear power plants are examined and evaluated according to the criteria set forth above while creating the energy policies. Under the light of this evaluation, the situation is examined and explicated in terms of the energy expansion of Turkey. Thus the place of the nuclear energy in the energy expansion of Turkey is clarified and emphasized.

Nuclear energy generation rates on magnetar surfaces

Based on the new screening model, this paper discusses the influence of superstrong magnetic fields on nuclear energy generation rates on the surface of magnetars. The obtained result shows that the superstrong magnetic fields can increase the nuclear energy generation rates by many orders of magnitude. The enhancement may have a significant influence for further study of the magnetars, especially for the cooling, the x-ray luminosity observation and the evolution of the magnetars.

Nuclear Energy for Sustainable Economic Development

The discovery and the application of nuclear energy constitute the most important technological achievement of the past century. However, the development and the exploitation of this technology have been remarkably smaller than foreseeable. An overview of the significant features of the nuclear technology including the comparison with competitive energy sources is made. The “embedded” safety engineering and the pollution are discussed and the main features are mentioned. Indeed, nuclear technology can be applied for the sustainable society development by producing substantial amount of clean water from the ocean. The idea is to build up nuclear power plant sites that produce desalinated water and pump it several tens of kilometers away to form a lake into a desert region. This could help to establish the conditions for an agriculture-based civilization.

Ethical Perspective on Turkish Environmental Impact Assessment for Nuclear Energy

In 2013, The Turkish Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning issued four thousand pages of a cut and paste Environmental Impact Assessment （EIA） report for the Akkuyu nuclear power plant and nuclear fuel fabrication complex project located on Turkey＇s Mediterranean coastline, in the Mersin providence, which will be built on a build-own-operate basis by Russian company Rosatom. Numerous complaints have already been filed against the EIA, challenging the scientific integrity of the report on the following grounds： misrepresentation of failure to specify the radioactive inventory and of projected releases into the environment, omitting tritium and carbon-14; incomplete information about the toxic chemicals which will be injected into the cooling system throughout the nuclear complex; misleading information about the cooling water＇s temporal and chemical effects on marine life; lack of details on an emergency evacuation plan; lack of a comprehensive nuclear waste management plan; unspecified insurance coverage for the nuclear complex, noncompliance with third party liability requirements. Coupled with these complaints are allegations that signatures on some sensitive reports contained or referred to have been falsified.

China continues safe nuclear energy

As a significant component of China’s effort to resolve energy problems, nuclear power will be kept developing in China, and the safety of which can be ensured. The remarks came at a time when uncertainties loom over China’s nuclear future. Beijing suspended approvals

Standards alliance on proton, superconductor and nuclear energy established

The inaugural meeting of international standards alliance for proton,superconductor and nuclear energy application under the"Belt and Road"Initiative was held in Hefei,Anhui Province on December 4,2017.Representatives of China,Russia,Italy,Thailand and Pakistan signed the international standards alliance initiative,in an effort to create a new situation for the application of proton,superconductor and nuclear energy based on collaboration,sharing and win-win.

Recycling and Transmutation of Spent Fuel as a Sustainable Option for the Nuclear Energy Development

The objective of this paper is to discuss the option of recycling and transmutation of radioactive waste against once-through fuel cycle based on uranium feed under the perspective of sustainability. A qualitative analysis was carried out to compare the fuel cycles considering different options for burning and recycling transuranic and fission products utilizing accelerator driven systems, fast reactors, and light water reactors. The results show that recycling and transmutation fuel cycles are more attractive than the current once-through fuel cycles from the point of view of sustainability. The main conclusion is that the decision about the construction of deep geological repositories for spent fuel disposal must be reevaluated.

The Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy in China

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China Starts Studies into New Systems of Nuclear Energy

With the support of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), scientists from the Chinese Academy of Atomic Energy and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) formally kicked off a new project to look into clean nuclear energy on September 27th in Beijing. The study, known as the accelerator-driven system of clean

Reducing carbon emissions with Geoscience solutions:A look at the contributions of nuclear energy,technology,and green finance

Standards for Low-Carbon Energy Portfolios(LC-EPS)mandate that a certain percentage of a region's electricity generation originate from zero-or low-emissions sources.From 1995Q1 through 2020Q4,the study used the ARDL-Bounds testing technique to estimate coefficient parameters,Granger causality to draw causal inferences,and variance decomposition analysis to anticipate the factors that will have the greatest impact on carbon emissions in the US economy.Nuclear power significantly impacts carbon emissions,as seen by an inverted U-shaped environmental Kuznets curve,whereas long-term impact of innovation leads to lower emissions.On the other hand,exports of sophisticated technology reduce carbon emissions.Economic growth has a discernible effect on carbon emissions,nuclear power,innovation,and environmentally friendly financing.High-tech exports will likely impact carbon emissions most,followed by a demand for nuclear power,innovation,economic expansion,and sustainable finance for the next ten years.These results give policymakers helpful insight into how the US economy may reduce carbon emissions and fight climate change via renewable energy and green finance.

Does nuclear energy reduce carbon emissions despite using fuels and chemicals?Transition to clean energy and finance for green solutions

Green power conversion is the shift away from traditional fuels towards clean energy sources such as nuclear power plants,hydroelectric dams,wind farms,and solar panels.This research examines the impact of clean energy demand and green financing on reducing carbon emissions in 29 economies in Europe and Asia from 2007 to 2020.The study used a two-step differenced GMM estimator for the available data set spanning 2007 to 2020.The study found that rising demand for nuclear power helps to achieve a carbon-neutral agenda,but insufficient funding for renewable energy leads to higher carbon emissions.The research suggests increasing investment in nuclear energy and green financing can improve regional environmental quality.The study found a causal link between fuel imports,nuclear power and regional growth.It also determined that fuel imports,chemical use,green financing and the need for nuclear energy will likely impact regional environmental quality.The research recommends allocating more resources toward innovation to boost energy efficiency and expanding investment in renewable and nuclear energy production industries via green finance.The study also highlights the need to encourage the development of renewable energy sources to cut carbon emissions and establish a sustainable society.

Do investments in green energy,energy efficiency,and nuclear energy R&D improve the load capacity factor?An augmented ARDL approach

Renewable energy,energy efficiency,and nuclear energy research and development(RER,EER,and NER)budgets are immensely important to fulfill sustainable development goals 7,9,and 13,by accelerating energy innovation,energy transition,and climate control.The literature on the drivers of the load capacity factor(LCF),a recently developed ecological quality measure,is mounting;however,the roles of energy investments in the LCF are largely unknown.Accordingly,this study assesses the impacts of RER,EER,NER,and financial globalization(FIG)on the LCF using data from 1974 to 2018 for Germany.Advanced and reliable time series tests(Augmented ARDL,DOLS,and Fourier causality)are adopted to analyze cointegration,long-run impacts,and causal connections.The outcomes unveil that both green energy and energy efficiency R&D promote the LCF by enhancing ecological quality.However,the positive impact of NER on the LCF is found to be weaker than the impacts of RER and EER.FIG curbs ecological degradation by expanding the LCF.Additionally,the U-shaped connection between economic growth(ECG)and the LCF confirms the load capacity curve.Therefore,policymakers should focus on RER and EER to preserve the environment and promote sustainable growth.

Articulating CO_(2)emissions limiting roles of nuclear energy and ICT under the EKC hypothesis:An application of non-parametric MMQR approach

Limiting toxic elements from being exposed to the world’s atmosphere has been the biggest challenge among environmental researchers and stakeholders.Climate change conferences have been counselling the global economies to take serious steps toward profound decarbonization to keep the universal temperature below 1.5C.In this context,the direction of environmental research has changed,and researchers are more focused on tracing how to limit pollution and keep it below the threshold level.In this milieu,nuclear energy can make a big difference along with other alternatives to fossil energy.Therefore,we extend the extant literature by exploring the dynamic effects of atomic energy and ICT on carbon emissions(CO_(2))for top nuclear energy countries using data from 1990 to 2017.To obtain robust findings,we deploy a novel non-parametric econometric approach(i.e.,method of moments quantile regression).The results suggest that nuclear energy is a sustainable alternative to historical fossil fuel as it curbs CO_(2)emissions in the lower,middle,and upper quantiles.Furthermore,our findings corroborate that ICT penetration through the internet,mobile and telephone plays a vital role in improving environmental quality.Moreover,we unveil that linear economic growth jeopardizes the environment by unleashing harmful gases.The findings also support the existence of the Environmental Kuznets Curve(EKC)hypothesis by confirming the negative association between the polynomial economic growth(squared-GDP)and CO_(2)emissions among the designated nations.Also,the Granger causality test reaffirms the causal nexus among selected series that runs from nuclear energy and technological innovation to CO_(2)emissions,indicating that any policy shock in both series leads to environmental degradation.We,therefore,advocate that the designated territories keep enriching their energy baskets with nuclear energy and boost ICT penetration to achieve a 100%decoupling of economic growth from pollution.

Sustainability-oriented prioritization of nuclear fuel cycle transitions in China:a holistic MCDM framework under uncertainties

A sustainability-oriented assessment of the nuclear energy system can provide informative and convincing decision-making support for nuclear development strategies in China.In our previous study,four authentic nuclear fuel cycle(NFC)transi-tion scenarios were proposed,featuring different development stages and exhibiting distinct environmental,economic,and technical characteristics.However,because of the multiple and often conflicting criteria embedded therein,determining the top-priority NFC alternative for a sustainability orientation remains challenging.To address this issue,this study proposed a novel hybrid multi-criteria decision-making framework comprising fuzzy AHP,PROMETHEE GAIA,and MOORA.Initially,an improved fuzzy AHP weighting model was developed to determine criteria weights under uncertainty and investigate the influence of various weight aggregation and defuzzification approaches.Subsequently,PROMETHEE GAIA was used to address conflicts among the criteria and prioritize alternatives on a visualized k-dimensional GAIA plane.As a result,the alternative for direct recycling PWR spent fuel in fast reactors is considered the most sustainable.Furthermore,a sensitivity analysis was conducted to examine the influence of criteria weight variation and validate the screening results.Finally,using MOORA,some significant optimization ideas and valuable insights were provided to support decision-makers in shaping nuclear development strategies.

Nanotechnology in Nuclear Reactors: Innovations in Fusion and Fission Power Generation

This article explores the transformative potential of nanotechnology and MMs(memory metals)in enhancing the design and operation of nuclear reactors,encompassing both fission and fusion technologies.Nanotechnology,with its ability to engineer materials at the atomic scale,offers significant improvements in reactor safety,efficiency,and longevity.In fission reactors,nanomaterials enhance fuel rod integrity,optimize thermal management,and improve in-core instrumentation.Fusion reactors benefit from nanostructured materials that bolster containment and heat dissipation,addressing critical challenges in sustaining fusion reactions.The integration of SMAs(shape memory alloys),or MMs,further amplifies these advancements.These materials,characterized by their ability to revert to a pre-defined shape under thermal conditions,provide self-healing capabilities,adaptive structural components,and enhanced magnetic confinement.The synergy between nanotechnology and MMs represents a paradigm shift in nuclear reactor technology,promising a future of cleaner,more efficient,and safer nuclear energy production.This innovative approach positions the nuclear industry to meet the growing global energy demand while addressing environmental and safety concerns.

Investigation of Nuclear Binding Energy and Charge Radius Based on Random Forest Algorithm

The random forest algorithm was applied to study the nuclear binding energy and charge radius.The regularized root-mean-square of error(RMSE)was proposed to avoid overfitting during the training of random forest.RMSE for nuclides with Z,N>7 is reduced to 0.816 MeV and 0.0200 fm compared with the six-term liquid drop model and a three-term nuclear charge radius formula,respectively.Specific interest is in the possible(sub)shells among the superheavy region,which is important for searching for new elements and the island of stability.The significance of shell features estimated by the so-called shapely additive explanation method suggests(Z,N)=(92,142)and(98,156)as possible subshells indicated by the binding energy.Because the present observed data is far from the N=184 shell,which is suggested by mean-field investigations,its shell effect is not predicted based on present training.The significance analysis of the nuclear charge radius suggests Z=92 and N=136 as possible subshells.The effect is verified by the shell-corrected nuclear charge radius model.

Reliable calculations of nuclear binding energies by the Gaussian process of machine learning

Reliable calculations of nuclear binding energies are crucial for advancing the research of nuclear physics. Machine learning provides an innovative approach to exploring complex physical problems. In this study, the nuclear binding energies are modeled directly using a machine-learning method called the Gaussian process. First, the binding energies for 2238 nuclei with Z > 20 and N > 20 are calculated using the Gaussian process in a physically motivated feature space, yielding an average deviation of 0.046 MeV and a standard deviation of 0.066 MeV. The results show the good learning ability of the Gaussian process in the studies of binding energies. Then, the predictive power of the Gaussian process is studied by calculating the binding energies for 108 nuclei newly included in AME2020. The theoretical results are in good agreement with the experimental data, reflecting the good predictive power of the Gaussian process. Moreover, the α-decay energies for 1169 nuclei with 50 ≤ Z ≤ 110 are derived from the theoretical binding energies calculated using the Gaussian process. The average deviation and the standard deviation are, respectively, 0.047 MeV and 0.070 MeV. Noticeably, the calculated α-decay energies for the two new isotopes ^ (204 )Ac(Huang et al. Phys Lett B 834, 137484(2022)) and ^ (207) Th(Yang et al. Phys Rev C 105, L051302(2022)) agree well with the latest experimental data. These results demonstrate that the Gaussian process is reliable for the calculations of nuclear binding energies. Finally, the α-decay properties of some unknown actinide nuclei are predicted using the Gaussian process. The predicted results can be useful guides for future research on binding energies and α-decay properties.

New quantification of symmetry energy from neutron skin thicknesses of^(48)Ca and^(208)Pb

Precise knowledge of the nuclear symmetry energy can be tentatively calibrated using multimessenger constraints.The neutron skin thickness of a heavy nucleus is one of the most sensitive indicators for probing the isovector components of effective interactions in asymmetric nuclear matter.Recent studies have suggested that the experimental data from the CREX and PREX2 collaborations are not mutually compatible with existing nuclear models.In this study,we review the quantification of the slope parameter of the symmetry energy L from the neutron skin thicknesses of^(48)Ca and^(208)Pb.Skyrme energy density functionals classified by various isoscalar incompressibility coefficients K were employed to evaluate the bulk properties of finite nuclei.The calculated results suggest that the slope parameter L deduced from^(208)Pb is sensitive to the compression modulus of symmetric nuclear matter,but not that from^(48)Ca.The effective parameter sets classified by K=220 MeV can provide an almost overlapping range of L from^(48)Ca and^(208)Pb.