Sustainable Nuclear Power (eBook)

Title Page 4
Copyright Page 5
Table of Contents 6
List of Figures 10
Preface 16
Organization of the Book 17
Acknowledgments 19
Chapter 1 Introduction 23
Energy in Today’s World 23
Energy on Planet Earth 24
What Are the Right Questions? 26
Sustainable Nuclear Power 29
Chapter 2 The History of Energy 31
Energy 31
Nature’s Methods of Storing Energy 32
Man’s Interaction with Nature’s Stockpiles and Renewable Energies 35
The Industrial Revolution and Establishment of Energy Empires 38
Environmental Impact 47
Environmentally Responsible Nuclear Power 53
References 54
Chapter 3 Energy Reserves and Renewable Energy Sources 55
Fossil Fuel Reserves 55
Cosmic History of Fossil Energy Reserves 64
Nuclear Energy 70
Recent Solar Energy 80
Ethanol and Biodiesel from Agricultural Commodities 84
Emergence of Nuclear Power 93
References 94
Chapter 4 Emerging Fuel Technologies and Policies Impacting These Technologies 97
Politics of Change in the Energy Industry 97
Cost of Feedstock Resources 99
Case Study on Investment Decisions and Policy Impacts 104
Taxes and Social Cost 117
Corporate Lobbying Retrospect 121
Diversity as a Means to Produce Market Stability 124
The Details Are Important 126
Environmental Retrospect 130
Efficiency and Breakthrough Technology 131
Farm Commodities and Land Utilization 134
Global Warming 136
Diversity and the Role of Nuclear Power 138
References 139
Chapter 5 History of Conversion of Thermal Energy to Work 141
Use of Thermal Energy 142
The Concept of Work 143
Early Engine Designs 147
Turbine-Based Engines 156
Fuel Cells 169
Recommended Reading 178
General References 178
References 179
Chapter 6 Transportation 181
Transportation Before Petroleum Fuels 181
Petroleum Fuels: Their Evolution, Specification, and Processing 183
Alternative Fuels 190
Vehicular Fuel Conservation and Efficiency 198
References 206
Chapter 7 Production of Electricity 207
History of Production 207
Production of Electrical Power 218
Recommended Reading 222
References 222
Chapter 8 Energy in Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning 223
The Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Industry 223
Air Conditioning 230
Heating 233
Peak Load Shifting and Storing Heat 236
The Role of Electrical Power in HVAC to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions 239
Example Calculations 240
References 243
Chapter 9 Electrical Power as Sustainable Energy 245
Sustainability and Electrical Power 245
Expanded Use of Electrical Power 246
Increased Use of Electrical Power in Transportation 248
Increased Use of Electrical Power in Space Heating 260
Increased Use of Electrical Power for Hot Water Heating 267
Topics of National Attention 267
Example Calculations 268
Recommended Reading 269
References 270
Chapter 10 Atomic Processes 271
Energies of Nuclear Processes 271
Chart of the Nuclides 276
Nuclear Decay 281
Conditions for Successful Nuclear Fission 282
Transmutation 292
Nuclear Fusion 295
Radiological Toxicology 297
References 304
Chapter 11 Recycling and Waste Handling for Spent Nuclear Fuel 305
The Nuclear Energy Industry 305
Recycling and Green Chemistry 306
Why Reprocess Spent Nuclear Fuel? 306
Discovery and Recovery 311
Reprocessing: Recovery of Unused Fuel 321
Waste Generation from Reprocessing 334
Report to Congress 336
References 337
Chapter 12 Nuclear Power Plant Design 341
Advances in Thermal Efficiency 343
Steam Cycles in Commercial Operation 349
Generation IV Nuclear Power Plants 353
Lessons from History 363
Challenges in Nuclear Power Plant Design 366
Implementation Strategies and Priorities 369
Recommended Reading 372
References 372
Chapter 13 For-Profit Industrial Drivers 375
Levelized Cost Approach 375
Capital Costs 377
Case Studies 385
Costs of Reprocessing 386
Advocates for Nuclear Power 389
Transportation and Nuclear Power 391
Expanded Use of Nuclear Power in Residence and Commercial Applications 394
Approaches to Long-Term Handling of Spent Nuclear Fuel 395
Fuel Costs and Energy Options 398
Comparison to Other Studies on Economics of Nuclear Power 400
Concluding Comments 401
References 403
Index 405