THORIUM AS AN ENERGY SOURCE - Opportunities for Norway ...

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Thorium as an Energy Source - Opportunities for Norway 11. RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION AND TRAINING Nuclear sciences cover all use of nuclear methods and ionizing radiation. Nuclear research and education provides knowledge as well as skilled workers for many important sectors in society. In 2000 the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency produced a report: Nuclear Education and Training: Cause for Concern? This document was compiled using information supplied by 200 organisations in 16 member countries. The agency demonstrated that it was possible that many nations were training too few scientists to meet the needs of their current and future nuclear industries. In addition, a number of studies over the past five years, by different European governments, have also identified the same lack of scientific personnel. This has been attributed to a decreased student interest, decreased course numbers, aging faculty members and aging facilities. Consequently, the European education skill base has become fragmented to a point where universities in most countries lack sufficient staff and equipment to provide education in all, but a few, nuclear areas. Norway has also lost most of the specialists in nuclear energy technology after the nuclear moratorium more than 25 years ago. Of particular concern appeared to be special skill-base deficits within nuclear radiological protection, radioecology and radiochemistry as well as technical reactor engineering fields at masters and doctorate levels (EURAC, 2007. ENEN-II). Skills in these areas are required not only to deal with currently installed nuclear capacity and decommissioned facilities, but also to meet the needs presented by likely new-build nuclear capacity. As recently stated by several EU politicians and experts, there are increasing pressures to build new nuclear power stations in many EU member nations. This pressure comes from the need to meet Kyoto greenhouse gas emission targets at a time when many currently installed, CO2-clean, nuclear power stations are coming to the end of their useful lives. They also come from the decreasing stocks of domestic fossil fuels, with an increasing reliance upon politically unstable nations for the provision of oil and gas and from the increasing prices of domestic and imported fuels. Finally, the pressures are facilitated by new improved reactor systems that are being developed in Europe and the USA. Therefore, the need for nuclear competence is probably greater now than was earlier anticipated. 11.1 Master and PhD Education in Nuclear Sciences in Norway Nuclear energy technology is an interdisciplinary field, including: 1. Nuclear physics and chemistry, relevant for reactor physics and for transmutation. 2. Material science, materials under extreme radiation exposure, stress and temperatures. 3. Radiochemistry 4. Radiation protection, including dosimetry. 5. Thermodynamics – engineering approach. 6. Modelling and simulation – applied computer science. 7. Reactor theory, reactor stability and control. 8. Reactor safety – risk analysis. 9. Power engineering – modern turbine technology. 10. Waste management. 96
11. Radioecology 12. Decommissioning ADS requires in addition a very comprehensive field: 13. Accelerator technology. The abbreviations below will be used in the following: IFE = Institute for Energy Technology (Kjeller and Halden) NTNU = Norwegian university of Science and Technology (Trondheim) UiB = University of Bergen UiO = University of Oslo UMB = Norwegian University of Life Sciences (Ås) UNIK = University studies at Kjeller Research, Development, Education and Training There are currently 4 universities in Norway providing full Master and PhD programs within nuclear sciences: 1. UiO: Master in Nuclear Chemistry, Master in Nuclear Physics, Master in Material Science and PhD within the same areas. 2. NTNU: Master and PhD in Material Science. 3. UiB: Master and PhD in Nuclear Physics. 4. UMB: Master in Radiochemistry, EU Master in Radioecology and PhD within the same areas. Additional courses within nuclear sciences are given at universities and other institutions. There is already a basis for activities and competence in Norway for relevant research, education and training: 1. Reactor used in operation training (IFE, UNIK). 2. Safety and reliability (man – machine) (IFE Halden). 3. Courses in multi component transport (from the oil industry) (NTNU, UiO). 4. Electrical power generation and turbine technology (NTNU). 5. Energy production and use (IFE, UiB, UiO, UMB). 6. Radiation protection (IFE, NTNU, UiB, UiO, UMB). 11.2 Norwegian Competence in Nuclear Energy Technology The first reactor in Norway was started at Kjeller in 1951, and made Norway a pioneering nation in nuclear technology. This is not so today, despite the high international status of the research reactor in Halden. Today IFE operates two old research reactors. Both are heavy water moderated and cooled. The thermal power of the Halden reactor is 20 MW, the Kjeller reactor thermal power is 2 MW. The nuclear engineering development at IFA (now IFE) focused especially on nuclear reactors for ship propulsion and the development of computer codes for calculation of the fuel cycle and power distribution of power reactors. The computer codes were used in Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain and USA. This development and marketing was taken over in the 1970s by a spin off company, Scandpower. The nuclear part of Scandpower was bought by Studsvik in 1998, and the name was changed to 97
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2008 THORIUM AS AN ENERGY SOURCE -
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents
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Table of Contents 14.2 APPENDIX B2:
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The Thorium Report Committee was gi
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Foreword energy area. The price vol
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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Executive Summ
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Radiation Protection of Man and the
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Executive Summary nuclear engineeri
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Introduction In the context of such
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2.3 The EU Situation Introduction T
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Oil, Gas, NGL, Condensate (Million
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TWh 160 150 140 130 120 110 100 90
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Figure 2.8: Number of Operating Rea
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Tonnes 1 200 000 1 000 000 800 000
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US $ / kg UF 6 160 140 120 100 80 6
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2.8 Worldwide Activities on Thorium
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1. Alkaline complexes and their peg
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Thorium Resources in Norway The tho
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Thorium Resources in Norway The pot
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Thorium Resources in Norway A serie
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4.1.1 Mining and Extraction The Fro
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The Front End of the Thorium Fuel C
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The Front End of the Thorium Fuel C
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4.3.2 HTGR Fuel Performance The Fro
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5.1 Properties of the Fertile Mater
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Nuclear Reactors for Thorium Table
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5.3.1 Light Water Reactor (LWR) Nuc
Page 55 and 56: Nuclear Reactors for Thorium 2. Cyc
Page 57 and 58: 5.3.2.4 Gas Turbine-Modular Helium
Page 59 and 60: Figure 5.7: General Layout of the A
Page 61 and 62: 5.4.2 Generation IV Reactors Nuclea
Page 63 and 64: Nuclear Reactors for Thorium econom
Page 65 and 66: Nuclear Reactors for Thorium • Ad
Page 67 and 68: Nuclear Reactors for Thorium temper
Page 69 and 70: Nuclear Reactors for Thorium Figure
Page 71 and 72: Nuclear Reactors for Thorium the de
Page 73 and 74: Nuclear Reactors for Thorium remova
Page 75 and 76: Nuclear Reactors for Thorium result
Page 77 and 78: The most important drawbacks of the
Page 79 and 80: Nuclear Reactors for Thorium mater
Page 81 and 82: 6. THE BACK END OF THE THORIUM FUEL
Page 83 and 84: The Back End of the Thorium Fuel Cy
Page 89 and 90: Radiation Protection of Man and the
Page 97 and 98: 8. REGULATION The use of thorium as
Page 99 and 100: • Safety, security and emergency
Page 101 and 102: Regulation • The Agreement betwee
Page 103 and 104: Non-proliferation Nations with secu
Page 105: Economical Aspects conventional rea
Page 109 and 110: Research, Development, Education an
Page 117 and 118: Conclusions and Recommendations tho
Page 119 and 120: 13. APPENDIX A: INTRODUCTION TO NUC
Page 121 and 122: 14. APPENDIX B: NUCLEAR REACTOR TEC
Page 123 and 124: Figure 14.3: Boiling Water Reactor
Page 125 and 126: Appendix B: Nuclear Reactor Technol
Page 127 and 128: Table 15.1: The Current Course Pack
Page 129 and 130: • N12 Reactor Thermal Hydraulics,
Page 131 and 132: 16. APPENDIX D: RADIATION PROTECTIO
Page 133 and 134: Regulations on Radiation Protection
Page 135 and 136: ”Section 4. (Licence for nuclear
Page 137 and 138: 2. Dues shall be paid for the super
Page 139 and 140: use the best available technology s
Page 141 and 142: Summary: Legislation that is or may
Page 143 and 144: 216 Po α 0.145 s 6.906 (805) 212 P
Page 145 and 146: 18. ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS Acro
Page 147 and 148: Po polonium Po-208 polonium-208 Po-
Page 149 and 150: 19. REFERENCES References Chapter 2
Page 151 and 152: References [35] J.D. SEASE et al.,
Page 153 and 154: References [68] E. Merle-Lucotte, D
Page 155 and 156: References [97] "On-going activites
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References [122] L. CINOTTI, “Inh
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References [149] M. Crick, UNSCEAR,
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