Solar Energy Center » Nuclear Energy http://www.petererickson.net all about building your own solar energy Sun, 18 Sep 2011 17:21:51 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 Nuclear Management Company – Historyhttp://www.petererickson.net/article/nuclear-management-company-history http://www.petererickson.net/article/nuclear-management-company-history#comments Sat, 27 Aug 2011 19:43:33 +0000 http://www.petererickson.net/article/nuclear-management-company-history NMC was formed in February 1999 by four utilities: Alliant Energy Nuclear, NSP Nuclear Corporation, WEC Nuclear Nuclear Corporation, and WPS Nuclear Corporation. Consumers Energy joined and became an investor in 2000. Alliant Energy, WPS, WEC and Consumers Energy left NMC when they sold their nuclear plants. NSP reacquired the operating license for Monticello and Prairie Island in September 2008. At that time, the remaining NMC structure was incorporated into NSP.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Nuclear Management Company, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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]]> http://www.petererickson.net/article/nuclear-management-company-history/feed 0 Nuclear law – Introductionhttp://www.petererickson.net/article/nuclear-law-introduction http://www.petererickson.net/article/nuclear-law-introduction#comments Fri, 26 Aug 2011 08:43:44 +0000 http://www.petererickson.net/article/nuclear-law-introduction Nuclear Law refers to the law related to the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology.

Nuclear energy poses special risks to the health and safety of persons and to the environment, risks that must be carefully managed.

However, nuclear material and technology also hold the promise of significant benefits, in a variety of fields, from medicine and agriculture to electricity production and industry. A human activity that involves only hazards and no benefits calls for a legal regime of prohibition, not regulation. Thus a basic feature of nuclear energy legislation is its dual focus on risks and benefits.

The purpose and function of nuclear law is that of all law, namely to promote and to protect; to promote the development of nuclear science and technology and to protect mankind against any hazards possibly connected therewith.

On the promotional side of the palette, many kinds of public measures are found, such as outright subsidies for nuclear research and development, tax preferences for nuclear installations and nuclear insurance, indemnity and public coverage schemes for nuclear liability, “channelling” of liability for nuclear damage and other provisions which will be mentioned in the course of lectures to come.

On the protective side, nuclear law has two distinct aspects — the protection against radiation hazards connected with the peaceful application of nuclear energy and radioactive substances, and the prevention of non-peaceful uses of

nuclear energy by means of the safeguards system developed for that purpose.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Nuclear law, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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]]> http://www.petererickson.net/article/nuclear-law-introduction/feed 0 National technical means of verification – Space-based Nuclear Energy Detectionhttp://www.petererickson.net/article/national-technical-means-of-verification-space-based-nuclear-energy-detection http://www.petererickson.net/article/national-technical-means-of-verification-space-based-nuclear-energy-detection#comments Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:43:44 +0000 http://www.petererickson.net/article/national-technical-means-of-verification-space-based-nuclear-energy-detection In 1959, the US started to experiment with space-based nuclear sensors, beginning with the VELA HOTEL satellites. These were originally intended to detect nuclear explosions in space, using X-ray, neutron and gamma-ray detectors. Advanced VELA satellites added devices called ”bhangmeters”, which could detect nuclear tests on earth by detecting a characteristic signature of nuclear bursts: a double light flash, with the flashes milliseconds apart. These satellites also could detect electromagnetic pulse (EMP) signatures from events on Earth.

Several more advanced satellites replaced the early VELAs, and the function exists today as the Integrated Operational Nuclear Detection System (IONDS), as an additional function on the NAVSTAR satellites used for GPS navigation information.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article National technical means of verification, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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]]> http://www.petererickson.net/article/national-technical-means-of-verification-space-based-nuclear-energy-detection/feed 0 Earthlife Africa – Campaignshttp://www.petererickson.net/article/earthlife-africa-campaigns http://www.petererickson.net/article/earthlife-africa-campaigns#comments Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:43:33 +0000 http://www.petererickson.net/article/earthlife-africa-campaigns * Apartheid is an Ecology issue

* Nuclear Energy Costs the Earth Campaign (NECTEC)

* Toxics Campaign focuses mainly on the prevention of proposed incinerators, through input into EIAs

* Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Partnership (SECCP)

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Earthlife Africa, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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]]> http://www.petererickson.net/article/earthlife-africa-campaigns/feed 0 Low-ionization nuclear emission-line region – Scientific debates: energy sources and ionization mechanismshttp://www.petererickson.net/article/low-ionization-nuclear-emission-line-region-scientific-debates-energy-sources-and-ionization-mechanisms http://www.petererickson.net/article/low-ionization-nuclear-emission-line-region-scientific-debates-energy-sources-and-ionization-mechanisms#comments Thu, 18 Aug 2011 10:44:07 +0000 http://www.petererickson.net/article/low-ionization-nuclear-emission-line-region-scientific-debates-energy-sources-and-ionization-mechanisms LINERs have been at the center of two major debates. First, astronomers have debated the source of

energy that excites the ionized gas in the centers of these galaxies. Some astronomers have proposed that active galactic nuclei (AGN) with supermassive black holes are responsible for the LINER spectral emission. Other astronomers have asserted that the emission is powered by star formation regions. The other major issue is related to how the ions are excited. Some astronomers have suggested that shock waves propagating through the gas may ionize the gas, while others have suggested that photoionization (ionization by ultraviolet light) may be responsible.

These debates are complicated by the fact that LINERs are found in a wide variety of objects with different brightnesses and morphologies. Moreover, the debate over the energy sources for LINERs is entangled with a similar debate over whether the light from star formation regions or the light from AGN produce the high infrared luminosities seen in LIRGs.

Although both the energy sources and the excitation mechanisms for LINER emission are still being studied, many LINERs are frequently referred to as AGN.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Low-ionization nuclear emission-line region, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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]]> http://www.petererickson.net/article/low-ionization-nuclear-emission-line-region-scientific-debates-energy-sources-and-ionization-mechanisms/feed 0 Duke Energy – New nuclear power planthttp://www.petererickson.net/article/duke-energy-new-nuclear-power-plant http://www.petererickson.net/article/duke-energy-new-nuclear-power-plant#comments Tue, 16 Aug 2011 08:43:25 +0000 http://www.petererickson.net/article/duke-energy-new-nuclear-power-plant On March 16, 2006 Duke Power announced that a Cherokee County, SC site had been selected for a potential new nuclear power plant. The site is jointly owned by Duke Power and Southern Company. Duke plans to develop the site for two Westinghouse Electric Company AP1000 (advanced passive) pressurized water reactors. Each reactor is capable of producing approximately 1,117 megawatts. (See Nuclear Power 2010 Program.)

On December 14, 2007, Duke Power submitted a Combined Construction and Operating License to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, with an announcement that it will spend $160 million in 2008 on the plant with a total cost of 5-6 billion dollars.

This site will be adjacent to the old site which was never completed and abandoned in the early ’80s, and used by James Cameron as a film set for the 1989 movie ”The Abyss”.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Duke Energy, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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]]> http://www.petererickson.net/article/duke-energy-new-nuclear-power-plant/feed 0 United States Department of Energy – Responsibility for nuclear weaponshttp://www.petererickson.net/article/united-states-department-of-energy-responsibility-for-nuclear-weapons http://www.petererickson.net/article/united-states-department-of-energy-responsibility-for-nuclear-weapons#comments Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:44:19 +0000 http://www.petererickson.net/article/united-states-department-of-energy-responsibility-for-nuclear-weapons In the United States, all nuclear weapons deployed by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) are actually on loan to DoD from the DOE/NNSA, which has federal responsibility for the design, testing and production of all nuclear weapons. NNSA in turn uses contractors to carry out its responsibilities at the following government owned sites:

*Design of the nuclear components of the weapon: Los Alamos National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

*Engineering of the weapon systems: Sandia National Laboratories

*Manufacturing of key components: Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Kansas City Plant, and Y-12 National Security Complex

*Testing: Nevada Test Site

*Final weapon/warhead assembling/dismantling: Pantex

Adapted from the Wikipedia article United States Department of Energy, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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]]> http://www.petererickson.net/article/united-states-department-of-energy-responsibility-for-nuclear-weapons/feed 0 Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission – Nuclear Power Programmehttp://www.petererickson.net/article/pakistan-atomic-energy-commission-nuclear-power-programme http://www.petererickson.net/article/pakistan-atomic-energy-commission-nuclear-power-programme#comments Thu, 11 Aug 2011 03:44:11 +0000 http://www.petererickson.net/article/pakistan-atomic-energy-commission-nuclear-power-programme The task of nuclear power is divided between the Nuclear Power Generation and Nuclear Power Projects Divisions. The former overlooks the operational units while the latter is concerned with design and construction of planned units.

Projects

CHASHNUPP

* 4 x 325 MW Units

* CHASCENT Full Scope Training Simulator

Operational Units

* CHASHNUPP 1

Planned Units

* CHASNUPP 2,3,4

KANUPP

* 1 x 125 MW

* 2 x 325 MW

Operational Units

* KANUPP 1

Planned Units

* KANUPP 2,3,4,5

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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]]> http://www.petererickson.net/article/pakistan-atomic-energy-commission-nuclear-power-programme/feed 0 Ghana Nuclear Society – 2010 Conference “Energy Security for Accelerated Development of the African Region”http://www.petererickson.net/article/ghana-nuclear-society-2010-conference-energy-security-for-accelerated-development-of-the-african-region http://www.petererickson.net/article/ghana-nuclear-society-2010-conference-energy-security-for-accelerated-development-of-the-african-region#comments Mon, 08 Aug 2011 15:44:10 +0000 http://www.petererickson.net/article/ghana-nuclear-society-2010-conference-energy-security-for-accelerated-development-of-the-african-region To enhance public acceptance and awareness of the Nuclear Power Option, the society is organizing a three-day conference under the theme: “Energy Security for Accelerated Development of the African Region”. This conference hopes to promote the acceptance of the Nuclear Power Option on the continent by bringing together Nuclear Power Venders, Reactor Manufactures, Scientists and Experts in the Nuclear field to come and share their vast knowledge and experience with the participants from the African Region.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Ghana Nuclear Society, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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]]> http://www.petererickson.net/article/ghana-nuclear-society-2010-conference-energy-security-for-accelerated-development-of-the-african-region/feed 0 South African nuclear program – Nuclear energyhttp://www.petererickson.net/article/south-african-nuclear-program-nuclear-energy http://www.petererickson.net/article/south-african-nuclear-program-nuclear-energy#comments Sun, 07 Aug 2011 11:44:25 +0000 http://www.petererickson.net/article/south-african-nuclear-program-nuclear-energy Koeberg

The Koeberg nuclear power station is the only nuclear power station in South Africa and contains two uranium pressurized water reactors based on a design by Framatome of France. The station located 30& km north of Cape Town. The plant is owned and operated by the country’s national electricity supplier, Eskom.

PBMR

The Pebble bed modular reactor (PBMR) is a particular design of pebble bed reactor under development by South African company PBMR (Pty) Ltd since 1994. The project entails the construction of a demonstration power plant at Koeberg near Cape Town and a fuel plant at Pelindaba near Pretoria.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article South African nuclear program, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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