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Colin Judge: Testing structural materials in Idaho’s newest hot cell facility
Idaho National Laboratory’s newest facility—the Sample Preparation Laboratory (SPL)—sits across the road from the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF), which started operating in 1975. SPL will host the first new hot cells at INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) in 50 years, giving INL researchers and partners new flexibility to test the structural properties of irradiated materials fresh from the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) or from a partner’s facility.
Materials meant to withstand extreme conditions in fission or fusion power plants must be tested under similar conditions and pushed past their breaking points so performance and limitations can be understood and improved. Once irradiated, materials samples can be cut down to size in SPL and packaged for testing in other facilities at INL or other national laboratories, commercial labs, or universities. But they can also be subjected to extreme thermal or corrosive conditions and mechanical testing right in SPL, explains Colin Judge, who, as INL’s division director for nuclear materials performance, oversees SPL and other facilities at the MFC.
SPL won’t go “hot” until January 2026, but Judge spoke with NN staff writer Susan Gallier about its capabilities as his team was moving instruments into the new facility.
R. A. Kadir, M. A. R. Sarkar (BUET)
Proceedings | 2018 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2018) | Charlotte, NC, April 8-11, 2018 | Pages 859-866
Global energy consumption is increasing even in the face of substantial declines in energy intensity. It is projected that world energy consumption will grow by 48% between 2012 and 2040. And the primary energy sources at this moment throughout the world take many forms, including nuclear energy, fossil energy like oil, coal and natural gas -- and renewable sources like wind, solar, geothermal and hydropower.
Coal is the world's slowest-growing energy source, rising by only 0.6% per year. And the liquid fuels, mostly petroleum based oil remain the largest energy source but because of rising the price of it, world marketed energy consumption is projected to fall from 33% in 2012 to 30% in 2040. On the other hand, Natural gas, which has lower carbon intensity than coal and petroleum, is the fastest-growing fossil fuel in the outlook, with global natural gas consumption increasing by 1.9% per year. Although fossil fuels still account for more than three-quarters of world energy consumption through 2040 but still non-fossil fuels are expected to grow faster than fossil fuels.
But in the present world, renewable energy and nuclear power are the world's fastest-growing energy sources over the projection period. Also with the comparison with those two major sources, renewable energy increases by an average 2.6% per year through 2040; nuclear power increases by 2.3% per year. In our future world, there will be a rapid increase of consumption of electricity. It is estimated to increase by 48% between 2012 and 2040 which demand for at least 5% of increase in nuclear electricity generating capacity by 2020. But there is a possibility of increase of consumption as much as 75%.Also the electricity demand of nuclear electricity market share is projected 17% to 19% between 2000 and 2050. For developing countries like China, India, Pakistan the share will be 2% to 11%. Total estimated amount of electricity generation is about 2.3 trillion KWh in 2012 to 4.5 trillion KWh in 2040.
Nuclear energy facilities are reliable, providing base load, on demand electricity 24/7 at 86 percent operational efficiency in 2012. The fuel used in nuclear facilities is so efficient that just one fuel pellet provides as much as one ton of coal, 149 gallons of oil and 17000 cubic feet of natural gas. Nuclear energy has perhaps the lowest impact on environment of any other energy source, as it provides zero carbon emissions. Also, Nuclear energy facilities are able to produce abundant and affordable energy, leading to a low and stable price of electricity for consumers. Electricity produced at nuclear energy facilities is one of the most affordable forms of energy from the major source of electricity.
So, it is quite clear that, nuclear energy has huge prospect. Nuclear power isn’t very expensive to make and don’t be a threat of global environment. And most importantly, it produces huge amounts of energy from small amounts of fuel. Within the confines of concern for global energy security, this paper emphasis the utilization of nuclear power of energy that should be reliable, economically attractive and acceptable from the environmental point of view.