Nuclear-energy complexes and the economic and ecological problems of nuclear power development

Conclusions In the long term, serious economic and ecological problems may arise if the required scale and rate of growth of power production is to be ensured while retaining the principle of dispersed location of ever larger power stations in regions with high population density and a developed infrastructure, since the ecological capacity of these regions is limited. This is particularly true of nuclear power, which in the long term will become the main source of electrical energy.Prospects for a solution to the economic and ecological problems of nuclear power and for an increase in its economic efficiency are offered by the construction of nuclear-energy complexes—large industrial units that contain within a single site a group of atomic power stations of total rated power output of the order of 10–50,000 MW and also the facilities of the external fuel cycle, the complexes being remote from densely populated regions but connected to the centers of energy demand by electrical transmission lines.Translated from Atomnaya Énergiya, Vol. 43, No. 5, pp. 369–373, November, 1977.     

Radioecological problems of nuclear power

Translated from Atomnaya Énergiya, Vol. 68, No. 5, pp. 320–328, May, 1990.     

加快核电标准建设 促进核电健康发展

论述了尽快建立和完善我国核电标准体系的重要意义,分析了我国核电标准建设取得的成绩和存在的问题,提出了积极推进我国核电标准建设的建议,表明了中国核工业集团公司将进一步加强标准化工作,加强与核电标准相关行业的协调配合,共同促进我国核电标准建设。     

State of and problems in the nuclear power fuel cycle

Conclusions The aim of the INFCE program was not negotiation, but a broad, multisided examination of various aspects of nuclear power development. The studies carried out within the framework of the INFCE did not lead to any unexpected conclusions; however, a thorough analysis of the possibilities and problems of nuclear power at the present time taking account of actual economic, scientific-technical, ecological and other factors, as well as a strengthening of nonproliferation has strengthened the position of nuclear power. Estimates of nuclear demand over the long term and methods of satisfying that demand has shown that these goals can not be confidently attained by any reactor systems or fuel cycles. In particular, for a number of nations having high industrial potential, the combination of fast breeder reactors with light-water reactors is the optimum solution to the problem of long-term satisfaction of energy needs.The work condcuted by the INFCE confirmed the lack of fuel cycles that are proof against proliferation of nuclear weapons, but the work did show that when certain measures are satisfied and effective safeguards implemented, all fuel cycles presently used are sufficiently secure in this respect.Work has been completed on an international evaluation of the nuclear fuel cycle. The editorial board would like to call the reader's attention to an article devoted to general notes and the work of the fifth working group.Translated from Atomnaya Énergiya, Vol. 49, No. 6, pp. 343–349, December, 1980.     

Ecological radiation protection criteria for nuclear power

Institute of Experimental Meteorology, Taifun (Typhoon) Scientific Production Association. Translated from Atomnaya Énergiya, Vol. 74, No. 4, pp. 321-327, April 1993.     

Innovative development of nuclear power in Russia

The basic principles for performing analysis and the systems requirements for large-scale nuclear power in our country are formulated. The problems of modern nuclear power are examined and ways for modern nuclear power to transition to innovative development while satisfying these systems requirements for fuel use, handling spent fuel and wastes, and nonproliferation are indicated. The basic scenario of innovative development in the near term (up to 2030) is based on using predominantly ²³⁵U as fuel and water-moderated water-cooled reactors, which have been well mastered, for increasing nuclear capacities with limited introduction of fast reactors for solving the problem of spent fuel from thermal reactors. In the long term (2030–2050), a transition to ²³⁸U as the primary raw material with fast reactors predominating and complete closure of the nuclear power fuel cycle will be made. The journal variant of a report “New-Generation Nuclear Energy Technologies” presented at a meeting of the Scientific and Technical Council of Rosatom, Moscow, September 27, 2006. __________ Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 103, No. 3, pp. 147–155, September, 2007.     

Society and nuclear power development

All-Union Scientific-Research and Design Institute for Industry and Technology. Translated from Atomnaya Énergiya, Vol. 70, No. 5, pp. 279–282, May, 1991.     

Prospects for the development of nuclear power in Russia

Conclusions Nuclear power has completed the initial stage of development. An efficient international collaboration of scientists and specialists has been instituted, and this has made it possible to develop and formulate generally accepted requirements and the necessary conditions for further development. Despite the fact that Russia has a quite powerful scientific and technical potential, there are no significant reserves in different directions of application of nuclear power, no real plan for the development of nuclear power in Russia even in the next 15 years. This is apparently explained by the overall state of the economy of the country. Journal variant of a report at the Seventh Conference of the Nuclear Society of Russia "New Energy technologies and the role of nuclear fission and fusion power," October 14–18, 1996, Moscow. Special Office of Machine Design N. N. Ponomarev-Stepanoi Russian Science Center "Kurchatov Institute". Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 81, No. 3, pp. 163–170, September, 1996.     

Economics and nuclear weapons nonproliferation in nuclear power development scenarios

The method of quantile estimates of uncertainties is used to forecast the economic indices of objects of nuclear power and to analyze the uncertainties of the predicted estimates of the balance of nuclear materials and the most likely scenarios of nuclear weapons proliferation taking account of the salient aspects of the initial nuclear materials. It is shown that methods of numerical simulation that do not have evaluated intervals of determination of the physical parameters or an evaluated variance of the results do not contribute any additional information about the objects and processes being studied. It is concluded that the future development of nuclear power in our country requires state regulation of the fuel and energy complex and proliferation risk reduction requires decreasing access to and use of low-enrichment uranium, and the adoption of mixed uranium-plutonium-thorium fuel cycles. __________ Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 102, No. 5, pp. 315–321, May, 2007.     

Nuclear power technologies at the stage of sustainable nuclear power development

It is not simple to solve the problem of competitiveness of nuclear power technologies in evolutionary upgrading the conventional nuclear power plants (NPP) such as light water reactors (LWR), which requires high expenditure for safety. Moreover, the existing LWRs cannot provide nuclear power (NP) for a long time (hundreds of years) because the efficiency of use of natural uranium is low and closing the nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) for those reactors is not expedient.The highlighted problem can be solved in the way of use of innovative nuclear power technology in which natural uranium power potential is used effectively and the intrinsic conflict between economic and safety requirements has been essentially mitigated.The technology that is most available and practically demonstrated is the use of reactors SVBR-100 — small power multi-purpose modular fast reactors (100 MWe) cooled by lead-bismuth coolant (LBC). This technology has been mastered for nuclear submarines’ reactors in Russia.High technical and economical parameters of the NPP based on RF SVBR-100 are determined from the fact that the potential energy stored in LBC per a volume unit is the lowest.The compactness of the reactor facility SVBR-100 that results from integral arrangement of the primary circuit equipment allows realizing renovation of power-units LWRs, the vessels’ lifetime of which has been expired. So due to this fact, high economical efficiency can be obtained.The paper also validates the economical advantage of launching the uranium-fueled fast reactors with further changeover to the closed NFC with use of plutonium extracted from the own spent nuclear fuel in comparison with launching fast reactors directly with on uranium-plutonium fuel on the basis of plutonium extraction from spent nuclear fuel of LWRs.     

世界核电国家的发展战略历程与我国核电发展

概述了世界上主要发展核电的国家的技术路线、发展战略历程及其经验与教训;当前国际上核电发展的动向及前景;我国核电中长期发展规划的目标任务;我国核电自主化取得的成绩、具备的能力以及为赶上国际先进水平所做的努力;我国核能开发利用的前景展望。     

世界核电国家的发展战略历程与我国核电发展

概述世界上主要发展核电的国家的技术路线、发展战略历程及其经验与教训;当前国际上核电发展的动向及前景;我国核电中长期发展规划的目标任务;我国核电自主化取得的成绩、具备的能力以及为赶上国际先进水平所做的努力;我国核能开发利用的前景展望。