Dusting off the Atom: Nuclear Energy
Futures
Steven Biegalski, Ph.D., P.E.
Director, Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory
Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Outline
 Energy Policy Act of 2005
 What has changed in the last 25 years?
 Common questions about nuclear power
 Future plans for nuclear
 Nuclear Power Plant Basics
 Conclusions
Energy Policy Act of 2005
 The Energy Policy Act of 2005 had specific provisions to
encourage the development of nuclear power in the
United States
 Some specific examples:
 Liability limits
 Cost-overrun support
 Tax credits
 Research and development
 Steps up DoE work to address high-level waste
problem.
What has changed in the last 25
years?
 Growth – Energy Demands
 In US Total electricity sales increase by 29 percent in the AEO2008
reference case, from 3,659 billion kilowatthours in 2006 to 4,705
billion in 2030, at an average rate of 1.1 percent per year. (Energy
Information Association)
 Worldwide increase by 50 percent from 2005 to 2030.
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Nuclear industry capacity factor up to 90%
Increased Environmental Awareness (e.g., Global warming)
World politics
Reduction in dependence on foreign countries for energy
Cost – “Days of cheap energy sources are behind us.”
No new accidents
Increased operational efficiency of nuclear power plants.
Growth
U.S. Nuclear Plant Capacity Factor
Source: Energy Information Administration
Updated: 5/10
Increased Environmental Awareness
Per capita CO2 emissions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:GHG_per_capita_2000.svg
Carbon Footprints
Reduction in dependence on foreign
countries for energy
Cost
Data from U.S. DoE
OECD electricity generating cost
projections for year 2010
Finland
France
Germany
Switzerland
Netherlands
Czech Rep
Slovakia
Romania
Japan
Korea
USA
Canada
Nuclear
2.76
2.54
2.86
2.88
3.58
2.30
3.13
3.06
4.80
2.34
3.01
2.60
Coal
3.64
3.33
3.52
2.94
4.78
4.55
4.95
2.16
2.71
3.11
Source: OECD/IEA NEA 2005.
Gas
3.92
4.90
4.36
6.04
4.97
5.59
5.21
4.65
4.67
4.00
Common questions about nuclear
power
 What is the nuclear waste problem?
 What is the nuclear proliferation risk?
 How much uranium is left?
 How much radiation comes from a nuclear power plant?
 How much water does a commercial nuclear reactor
consume?
Nuclear Waste
 Nuclear reactors produce
nuclear waste.
 Waste is produced
throughout the entire fuel
cycle.
 The high-level waste (spent
nuclear fuel) is the primary
concern.
 Disposal is being paid for by a
combination of a tax on each
kilowatt hour of nuclear
power.
Yucca Mountain
 On June 3, 2008 DOE
submitted a license
application to the NRC for
Yucca mountain.
 The NRC now has a statute
time limit of 3 to 4 years to
complete its safety analysis
and public hearings.
 In 2010 DOE withdrew its
application for Yucca
Mountain licensing.
Reprocessing
Nuclear Non-Proliferation
 Nuclear proliferation is a
term now used to describe
the spread of nuclear
weapons, fissile material, and
weapons-applicable nuclear
technology and information,
to nations which are not
recognized as "nuclear
weapon States" by the Treaty
on the Nonproliferation of
Nuclear Weapons, also known
as the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty or
NPT.
Nuclear Non-Proliferation?
 Things to be done:
 Control of world-wide nuclear fuel cycle.
 Monitoring of nuclear activities.
 Proliferation resistant fuels and fuel cycles.
Uranium Resources
 The Organization for
Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) and
the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) in
2005 jointly produced a
report on uranium
resources. The report states
that uranium resources are
adequate to meet the needs
of both existing and
projected reactors.
Uranium Resources
Radiation
Water Resources
 Nuclear power plants
consume water through
water vapor emissions.
 This water is from a
condenser loop that does
not run through the reactor
core.
 Electricity generation
accounts for3.3 % of water
consumption in U.S..
 6.7 % for residential use
 81.3% for irrigation
Future Plans for Nuclear
 Nuclear power capacity worldwide is increasing steadily but
not dramatically, with about 35 reactors under construction
in 12 countries.
 Most reactors on order or planned are in the Asian region,
though plans are firming for new units in Europe, the USA
and Russia.
 Significant further capacity is being created by plant
upgrading.
Location of Projected New US Nuclear
Power Reactors
http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/col/new-reactor-map.html
World Growth for Nuclear Power
Data from U.S. DoE
Nuclear Power Plant Basics
 The basic premises for the majority of power plants is to:
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1) Create heat
2) Boil Water
3) Use steam to turn a turbine
4) Use turbine to turn generator
5) Produce Electricity
 Some other power producing technologies work differently
(e.g., solar, wind, hydroelectric, …)
Nuclear Power Plants use the Rankine
Cycle
Heat From Fission
Fission Chain Reaction
PWR
BWR
Conclusions
 World-wide demand for electricity continues to grow.
 Environmental concerns play a part in selecting electricity
sources to meet the demand.
 Nuclear energy will play a vital role in the production of
electricity for the foreseeable future.