Gra ių asmingų uman mų, sti ys štvermės N ujaisiais 2009 ... - NETA

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Elektros Erdvës
summary
WiLL WE BUiLd
GEnERATion iV nUCLEAR
REACToRS in LiTHUAniA?
6
Despite the current economic crisis engulfing
the world, long-term forecasts
indicate continued strong growth in the
global economy as well as a 45-60 %
rise in energy demand through to 2030.
Based on data from November 2008,
there are currently 439 commercial nuclear
reactors (with a total capacity of
372 GW) operating in the world; these
generate approximately 15 percent of
the world's electricity output. Another
six nuclear reactors are in the slow decommissioning
stage. The majority of
these reactors were built in 1970-1990,
i.e. 20-40 years ago. Their average age
is 24.3 years.
Over the five decades of their development,
nuclear reactors have seen
a marked improvement since the socalled
Generation I prototype electrical
reactors (the first pilot 5 MW electricity
plant was launched in 1954, in Obninsk)
to the Generation III and III+ reactors
which are being built and which operate
in our day.
The article also discusses Generation
IV nuclear reactors. Lithuania faces a
dilemma: which generation of nuclear
reactor should be used for the power
plant the country intends to build?
ConCEPTionS oF
LiGHTninG And THE
dEVELoPMEnT oF
LiGHTninG SAFETY
10
Throughout its history, humanity has
been “punished” by lightning a great
number of times. Born in storm clouds,
lightning is the cause of myriad disasters:
fires, severe contusions, the deaths
of people and animals, the destruction
of buildings and, sometimes, even terrible
catastrophes. The article traces the
history of lightning from the days of old
up to our own time.
Historical data shows that, in ancient
times, people were already able to protect
themselves against lightning successfully.
Over three thousand years ago,
Egyptian priests protected their temples
using spiked metal rods connected to
copper plates dug in the ground.
One may get the impression that today we
know everything there is to know about
lightning. The world's most famous scientists
have created dozens of models
which provide the basis for describing
lightning in great detail according to
modern scientific standards. The article
examines whether everything has really
been discovered in this field.
LiGHTninG SAFETY
16
The state of modern lightning safety in
European countries and the possibility
of applying the experience of these
countries in Lithuania were examined
during the conferences “Protection
against lightning in Lithuania: standards,
design, installation”, arranged by OBO
Bettermann UAB, KTU ESK, Elektrobalt
UAB and held on on 27 March 2008,
and “Issues associated with protection
electric spaces
against lightning and power surges”,
held by KTK, Energosfera UAB, and
DEHN+SÖHNE on 16 October 2008.
Reports were delivered by speakers
from Germany, Poland, and Estonia,
as well as by scientists and lightning
safety specialists of our own country. It
was stated that Lithuanian residents lack
information about lightning hazards and
are insufficiently trained about how to
protect themselves against such natural
phenomena. Also, there is a lack of
technical and scientific literature summarising
the experience accumulated in
Lithuania and in other countries about
protecting various types of buildings
from lightning. The conference garnered
much interest from specialists
in the field.
nEMUnAS LooP
34
The loop in the Nemunas River near
the town of Birštonas has been much
discussed and written about. For a
century, there has been talk of ways
to make use of the power of the waters
of the Nemunas at the Birštonas
loop. The unharnessed power of the
Nemunas flows into the Baltic Sea;
Lithuanian money for fuel, meanwhile,
goes overseas.
The article discusses issues raised long
ago about the construction of hydroelectric
power plants on the Nemunas.
A suggestion to use the power of the
Birštonas loop by building a hydroelectric
power plant was put forward at the
beginning of 1909 by Prof. Merching,
Chairman of the Commission for the
Investigation of Power from Russian
Waters at the St Petersburg Institute for
Roads. During a meeting held on 22 May
1909 (according to the Julian calendar),
he introduced to the commission his
“Provisional technical conceptions on
the use of hydroelectric power of the
Nemunas, and an estimate”. The article
discusses history; the ideas raised in
it, however, are still relevant.