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Nuclear energy is of vital importance for the energy independence of countries. Therefore, some of the countries have given priority to nuclear energy investments. However, there are some risks in nuclear reactors. For this reason, some countries are uneasy about nuclear energy investments. Thorium-based nuclear power plants are also recommended to minimize these risks. It is possible to talk about many advantages of these power plants. However, there are some negative aspects to these investments. In this study, both positive and negative aspects of thorium-based nuclear power plants are discussed simultaneously. In this context, first, the literature was comprehensively examined, and seven different factors were determined. An analysis is then carried out using the DEMATEL method. It is concluded that the cost and uncertainties have the greatest weight. In addition, suitability and physical and chemical reasons are other significant items. The results obtained show that thorium-based nuclear power plants are not very efficient now. In this context, the costs of thorium-based nuclear reactors should be reduced by new research and development activities. Otherwise, the high-cost problem reduces the efficiency of these reactors. With the developing technology, it is necessary to reduce the high costs. If the costs cannot be reduced, financial sustainability of thorium-based nuclear reactors will not be possible, although there are many benefits.

This paper aims to investigate the major causes of the nuclear power plant (NPP) disasters since 1950, elucidates the commonalities between them and recommends strategies to minimize the risk of NPP disasters.

This paper analyzes facts from five case studies: Chernobyl disaster, USSR 1986; Fukushima Daiichi disaster, Japan 2011; Three Mile Island incident, USA 1979; Chalk River Accident, Canada 1952; and SL-1 Accident, USA 1961. A qualitative approach is adopted to compare and contrast the major reasons that led to the accidents, and consequent social and technological impacts of the disasters on environment, society, economy and nuclear industry are analyzed.

Although each of the nuclear accidents is unique in terms of its occurrence and impacts, this research study found some common causes behind the accidents. Faulty system design, equipment failure, inadequate safety and warning systems, violation of safety regulations, lack of training of the nuclear operators and ignorance from the operators and regulators side were found to be the major common causes behind the accidents.

This paper recommends some of the nuclear disaster risk reduction strategies in terms of “lessons learned from the past accidents”. The findings of the research paper would serve as an information tool for the nuclear professionals for informed decision-making and planning for proper preventive measures well in advance so that the mistakes which led to the occurrence of accidents in the past are not repeated in the future.

The purpose of this paper is to review technologies for nuclear power and to assess their suitability in pursuit of clean, safe and secure energy independence.

Technologies and potentials associated with the industry standard, light water reactors (LWR), as well as fast breeder reactors and TRISO‐fueled reactors, are reviewed. The key features and issues include: waste disposal and toxicity, heat pollution, vulnerability to terrorist attack, proliferation of weapon materials, global fuel depletion, safety, and cost.

The paper finds that, on balance, TRISO‐fueled reactors with helium as coolant offer solutions to the issues causing public nuclear concerns, and since they have significant cost benefits they should be the design of choice for new installations.

Nuclear power can make a contribution to rising energy demands but raise many concerns. This paper considers the principal types of nuclear reactors and analyzes them for their potential to address those important public concerns.

There are many indications that government policymakers and supporters of large-scale nuclear expansion in Poland have not seriously grappled with arguments critical of this direction of the country's power development. Instead, there is a mood of euphoric elation in these circles without even an attempt to reflect on why this kind of nuclear power is in a state of perennial crisis and lack of development prospects in Western countries.

The purpose of this chapter is to consider from an economic perspective the potential role of nuclear power in decarbonising the Polish power sector. It needs to answer two questions: why not develop large-scale nuclear power and why small modular reactors (SMRs) can be a better alternative for decarbonisation of the Polish power sector.

The primary research method used in the preparation of this chapter is a critical analysis and synthesis of the literature on the subject.

A technological revolution will offer electricity customers increasingly better alternatives. Among them there is also technology of SMRs which seems to be much less risky option in terms of its compatibility with the direction of the power sector's evolution as well as cost of sectors’ decarbonisation.

To present dynamical analysis of axisymmetric and three‐dimensional (3D) simulations of a nuclear fluidized bed reactor. Also to determine the root cause of reactor power fluctuations.

We have used a coupled neutron radiation (in full phase space) and high resolution multiphase gas‐solid Eulerian‐Eulerian model.

The reactor can take over 5 min after start up to establish a quasi‐steady‐state and the mechanism for the long term oscillations of power have been established as a heat loss/generation mechanism. There is a clear need to parameterize the temperature of the reactor and, therefore, its power output for a given fissile mass or reactivity. The fission‐power fluctuates by an order of magnitude with a frequency of 0.5‐2 Hz. However, the thermal power output from gases is fairly steady.

The applications demonstrate that a simple surrogate of a complex model of a nuclear fluidised bed can have a predictive ability and has similar statistics to the more complex model.

This work can be used to analyze chaotic systems and also how the power is sensitive to fluctuations in key regions of the reactor.

The work presents the first 3D model of a nuclear fluidised bed reactor and demonstrates the value of numerical methods for modelling new and existing nuclear reactors.

At different points in time, energy harnessed from nuclear technology for commercial purposes has been qualified as atoms for peace, too cheap to meter, unsafe, sustainable, and emission free. We explore how these associations – between nuclear technology (a category used in a descriptive way) and qualities such as emission free (a category used in an evaluative way) – are materially anchored, institutionally performed, socially relevant, and entrepreneurially negotiated. By considering all these factors, our analysis shows that it is possible to understand how and why categories and their meanings continue to change over time. We flesh out the implications of these observations and suggest avenues for future research.

Modularity in design and construction of nuclear power plants (NPPs) is widely used for reduction in project construction time and cost. This paper aims to improve understanding of existence, rationale, relevance, types and definitions of modularity in NPPs.

The paper approaches study of modularity in NPPs through review of existing literature. The objective of this paper is to answer the questions such as “what is the meaning of module in the context of NPPs?”, “what is the meaning of modularity in the context of NPPs?”, “why modularity is considered in the design and construction of NPPs?”, “what are the types of modules and modularity?” and “what are the emerging trends?”

Findings of the paper indicate towards widespread use of modularity to reduce construction time and cost, improve safety performance and enable smarter applications of NPPs. Large NPPs tend to use modularity to shorten the project gestation period, and thereby reduce capital cost. Small and medium size NPPs plan to use modularity for simpler and safer reactors that can be factory manufactured, transported, installed and scaled up as permitted by the economic environment.

This being a review, it has the usual limitations associated with the literature review papers.

Findings of the paper may influence policy regarding option, type, size, design, engineering, procurement and construction of NPPs.

Findings of the paper may influence the safety, cost, time and quality performance of future NPPs and facilitate cheaper and more reliable supply of electricity to consumers.

The systematic literature review presents issues and emerging trends in modularity of NPPs, enabling the future work to progress as modularity continues to develop and evolve. The paper also proposes a comprehensive classification and definitions of modules and modularity in NPPs that may facilitate understanding of these terms precisely and uniformly by researchers and practitioners alike.

The aim of this study is to examine the significant factors to improve the green nuclear energy investments in the emerging economies. For this purpose, balanced scorecard-based criteria are weighted with DEMATEL methodology. The findings demonstrate that technological improvement and financial issues are the most important issues for the improvement of the green nuclear energy investments in these countries. Nuclear energy working with thorium can also be obtained with proton accelerator technology that is currently quite expensive. Because of this problem, the investors are not willing to make investments for green nuclear energy projects. Hence, emerging countries should make the necessary technological investments to have proton accelerator technologies. With the help of this condition, it will be possible to reduce the cost of green nuclear energy projects which attracts the attention of the investors. This situation has a powerful contribution for the sustainable economic development of these countries.

The national governments of the European Union (EU) are finding it increasingly difficult to provide their populations with cheap and reliable sources of electricity. There is a highly controversial technology available within the EU which could overcome this problem – nuclear generated electricity. The purpose of this article is to question the extent to which it is possible to reconcile the views of those citizens who object to the use of nuclear electricity with views of those who support the use of nuclear electricity as a competitive, sustainable and secure electricity supply within an open and competitive European energy market.

This article adopts an inter‐disciplinary approach to the analysis of the issues.

Political, economic and environmental pressures are combining to constrain the opportunities for national governments to enable citizens’ preferences with regard to the nuclear sector to be maintained. What is argued in the article is that all the tools which are available to the EU to overcome any lack of democratic decision making in the nuclear sector must be utilised to their full potential, including the legal framework provided by the often overlooked EURATOM Treaty.

The research will be of value to academic lawyers and political scientists investigating the problematic relationships which exist between the national and supranational levels of governance in the EU.