Design and implementation of cloud platform for nuclear accident simulation

Introduction: To meet the multi-user, cross-time-and-space, cross-platform online demand of work, and professional training teaching in nuclear reactor safety analysis under the normalization of Coronavirus Disease 2019. Method: Taking the nuclear accident simulation software PCTRAN as an example, this study adopts cloud computing technology to build the NasCloud, a nuclear accident simulation cloud platform based on Browser/Server architecture, and successfully realizes multi-user, cross-time-and-space, cross-platform applications. Targeting the AP1000, a pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant, the simulation of cold-leg Small Break Loss of Coolant Accident and cold-leg Large Break Loss of Coolant Accident were carried out to verify the correctness of the NasCloud's accident simulation function. Results: The result shows that the simulation functions and results of the NasCloud in multi-terminal are consistent with the single version of PCTRAN. At the same time, the platform has high scalability, concurrency and security characteristics. Discussion: Therefore, the nuclear accident simulation cloud platform built in this study can provide solutions for the work and training of nuclear reactor safety analysis, and provide reference for other engineering design and simulation software cloud to computing transformation. Copyright © 2023 Chen, Chen, Xie, Xiong and Yu.

Last year challenge of Nuclear Medicine: medical radioisotopes supply

Aim/Introduction: 99mTc is used in about 80% of the convencional diagnostic nuclear imaging procedures and represent yearly approximately 30 million examinations/year worldwide a year in diagnostic tests in hospitals, among others by oncology, cardiology and neurology.The production of radiopharmaceuticals for use in Nuclear Medicine has a complex system. It involves carefully calculated production schedules that take into account supply, demand and many logistical operations.The aim of this study is to show how our nuclear medicine department manage the impact of the shortly 99Mo supply chain and consequently, in the 99mTc availability and other radiopharmaceuticals produced in nuclear reactora. Material(s) and Method(s): European nuclear medicine organizations had just pay attention to how the COVID-19 pandemic might affect different parts of the 99Mo supply chain when had to dealt again faced with a new problem;the shortness 99Mo production. There are only five nuclear reactors involved in the production of 99Mo on industrial scale. These aging reactors are subject to unscheduled shutdowns and longer maintenance periods making the 99Mo supply chain vulnerable. In the last few months at our nuclear medicine department we had to reinvent ourselves so as not to completely stop carrying out the previously scheduled exams and therapies. Result(s): The use of technetium generators in Europe represents about 17% - 25% of the worldwide consumption of 99Mo, representing 30,000 exams per day and about 1.1 million doses per month. The main consequences at the IPO-Porto was;Delays in diagnosis/staging, rescheduling exams, change of surgery dates (Sentinel Ganglion and Myocardial Perfusion Cardiacs), weeks of overbooking, delay in follow-up of Glomerular Filtration Rate in pre- or post-transplant patients, postponement of 131I Therapies, Scintigraphy and Whole Body Scintigraphy in patients who were already in hypothyroidism. we had to reinvent the use of 99mTc generators, change exams appointments times, reagroup exams types by defined days and other radiopharmaceutical management tools that were not commonly used. Conclusion(s): Approximately 2/3 of scheduled exams were postponed and we had to deal with weekly and daily stock updates. Our department suggest some measures and procedures that could help with future 99Mo shortages, in order to be ready in future situations and to avoid shortness of production: the creation of a centralized European radiopharmacy system, European policies to encourage long-term investment, homogenization of marketing specifications in the Member States, solid databases of radiopharmaceuticals used/ available in Europe and encouraging cooperation between other countries outside the European Union.

Industrial Innovation Policy in the United States

Despite longstanding opposition from mainstream economists to industrial policy, in the period of 2020–2021 the United States, confronted by advanced technology competition from China, the demands of climate change, and the need to respond to a global pandemic, adopted a series of major industrial policy programs. Although the U.S. Defense Department has long practiced industrial policy approaches, and the U.S. has followed industrial economic policies in its agriculture, transportation, electric power and healthcare sectors, the new programs focused on promoting technology innovation, so can be labled “industrial innovation policy.” The large scale of these efforts amounted to a new step for the U.S. in non-defense sectors. There is history behind this step. Contrasting Hamiltonian and Jacksonian economic views anticipated this industrial policy debate. While during World War II the U.S. entered into a highly connected set of industrial innovation policies, linking industry, universities and government for technologies like radar, electronics and nuclear energy, it departed from this approach in the immediate postwar. Vannevar Bush, the architect of postwar science organization, backed a linear model, combining federal support for basic research with a supposition that industry would manage the subsequent technology implementation. This position came under fire in the 1980s from critics like Donald Stokes as U.S. manufacturing declined with the rise of Japan’s quality manufacturing model, which was backed by government industrial coordination and support. Gradually, the U.S. began retreating from a basic research-only approach in non-defense areas through a series of policies. These included, in the 1980s a response to Japan’s quality manufacturing model, then starting in the 2000s a response to climate change through a reorganization of energy programs, and then after 2012 in response to China’s manufacturing advances the adoption of advanced manufacturing policies. Although the definition of industrial policy is debated, with some arguing it should serve social needs versus specific technology advances, this study adopts a more straightforward definition. Industrial innovation policy involves governmental intervention in one or more of the post-research innovation stages, from development to prototyping to production, to further technology innovation. The study reviews in detail six major examples of new U.S. industrial innovation policies adopted between 2020 and 2022: Operation Warp Speed for coronavirus pandemic vaccines;the CHIPS Act to restore U.S. semiconductor leadership;the Infrastructure Act of 2021, with its major support for new energy technology development;the Inflation Reduction Act, with its impetus for implementation of new energy technologies;the Biden Administration’s Assuring Domestic Supply Chains initiative, and the Endless Frontier/CHIPS and Science Act, with its support for applied development of critical technologies and regional innovation. All adopt an industrial innovation policy approach. These take different approaches. Operation Warp Speed, for example was more “top down,” with government selecting then supporting a series of companies to develop four different vaccine platforms. Tesla was an example of a “bottom up” approach, with government creating a range of technology incentives which companies – in this case Tesla – could systematically apply to electric vehicle development. However, there remain major gaps in U.S. industrial innovation efforts in scale-up financing, advanced manufacturing support and cross-agency coordination. The scale of China’s extensive industrial financing policies offers a useful comparison to U.S. scale up efforts. Overall, the study reviews in detail the need for the U.S. to adopt a new kind of infrastructure and accompanying operational mechanisms in order to make its new industrial innovation policies work. These include: rebuilding manufacturing foundations;testing and demonstration capability;mapping supply chains technology certification;better integration between industries, universities and government;technology scale up support;application of government procurement;and use of flexible contracting mechanisms.

Preface: 19th International Conference on Emerging Nuclear Energy Systems (ICENES 2019)

This is an exclusively prepared special issue containing selected papers from well-established events, namely, International Conference on Emerging Nuclear Energy Systems (ICENES) and some invited papers to enrich and broaden the novelty of nuclear energy technologies and its applications. The 19th International Conference on Emerging Nuclear Energy Systems (ICENES 2019) is one of the international conference on scientific, engineering, education and other technical aspects of innovative nuclear reactor design, advanced nuclear technology, energy related technology and its applications.The conference was held in Holiday Inn, Bali, Indonesia (6-9 October 2019), organized by the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The participants come from several 14 countries and from many institutions from universities, governments, companies, society and some other organizations that shared their ideas and research results on emerging nuclear energy technologies and applications, which covered by keynote speakers, invited and contributed oral talks and poster presentations. Some selected presented paper in the conference have been elected as selected papers after reviewing process to be submitted to the Institute of Physics (IoP), Journal of Physics: Conference Series.Nuclear energy recently is recognized as secure, sustain and green energy source as an ultimate energy resource to secure the future of the mankind and its civilization. Hence, considerable research activities and international collaboration are continuing on innovative nuclear energy systems, reactor physics, radiations and its application, nuclear computational system, including fusion energy technology, fusion-fission hybrids systems, GEN-IV reactors technology, small and modular reactor (MSR) technology, space nuclear reactors, and power systems and accelerator-driven systems technologies. Some related topics are also covered related to nuclear power production;nuclear hydrogen production;hydrogen energy, energy efficiency, and management;solar energy;wind energy;hydrogen production and storage;renewable energy;fuel cells;bio-energy, etc.Finally, on behalf of the organizer and advisory board, we would like to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to all of authors during the conference and publication processes for their valuable contributions and to the members of the committee, reviewers, and advisors for their excellent works in preparing and finalizing this document. We apologize for any inconveniences for this long process of publication due to our conditions and some restrictions as well as some difficulties during COVID19 pandemicList of Organizer, Editorial Board are available in this Pdf.

Electricity Production and Consumption Perspectives in the Opinion of the Youth of South-Eastern Poland

In Poland, in 2021, an increase in demand for electricity was recorded, and hard coal and lignite power plants still had a dominant share in its production. Another source of electricity was renewable energy sources (RES), mainly wind farms. Young people in Poland are aware that electricity is not only its production, but also consumption in households. Therefore, it is also essential to properly educate young people, aiming at a cost-effective, sustainable lifestyle, in relation to electricity consumption. The article presents the current state of the electricity generation sector in Poland along with the proposed changes in this respect, in particular in terms of the development prospects for the use of renewable energy sources and the influence of government administration on the production and consumption of electricity. The aim of this research was to broaden the knowledge of young people’s opinions on energy production and consumption. The research results can be used to create long-term directions of energy policy and to build a social attitude of sustainable energy consumption in Poland. The research was non-probabilistic, based on questionnaires, using the CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interview) technique. The questionnaire was conducted in 2021, and the analysis was made on the basis of 741 correctly completed research questionnaires. The results of the research confirmed the research hypotheses—that the surveyed youth see the need to reduce consumption as a way to counteract climate change and excessive energy consumption. They also expect government support in the energy transformation in Poland, based on a diversified scenario, using both renewable energy sources (RES) and nuclear energy.

On teaching experimental reactor physics in times of pandemic

The COVID-19 induced restrictions have prevented reactor physics students from attending in-person reactor physics exercises which are a vital part of their education. Jozef Stefan Institute has organized remote exercises with the help of off-the-shelf technology, including multiple videoconferencing setups, remote desktop software, portable cameras, a dome camera, shared spreadsheets, and a common whiteboard. The students were encouraged to actively participate in the exercises by giving instructions to the reactor operator, asking and answering questions, logging data, operating digital acquisition systems, and performing analysis during the exercise. The first remote exercises were organized as a five-day course of experimental reactor physics for students from Uppsala University. The feedback was collected after the course using an anonymous online form and was generally positive but has revealed some problems with sound quality which were resolved later. The Jozef Stefan Institute can also organize a remote course during a full lockdown when the reactor is not able to operate using the in-house developed Research Reactor Simulator based on a point kinetics approximation and a simple thermohydraulic module.

A State-of-the-Art Review of Radioactive Decontamination Technologies: Facing the Upcoming Wave of Decommissioning and Dismantling of Nuclear Facilities

The average share of nuclear energy in electricity production is expected to increase under the background of the global pursuit towards carbon neutrality. Conjugating with its rapid development, the wave of decommissioning and dismantling (D&D) of nuclear facilities is coming. The surface decontamination is a prerequisite to D&D, which will make it easier and reduce the volume of radioactive wastes. However, there are no comprehensive studies on the decontamination methods, which is not helpful for the sustainable development of nuclear energy and environment protection. Therefore, in this work, the current status and future trends of global energy and nuclear energy are first analyzed. Then, various decontamination approaches are comparatively studied, including cleaning mechanisms, application subjects, and intrinsic advantages and disadvantages. Finally, the criteria and factors for selecting a decontamination process, the challenges, and future studies are directed. Among the mechanical methods, laser-based cleaning is high-speed, having automation ability, and thus is promising, although it creates a dust and airborne contaminant hazard. In further studies, factors such as selecting a proper laser facility, optimizing operating parameters, and designing a high-efficiency dust collection system could be studied. Regarding the chemical method, chemical gels are good for decontaminating complex shapes and vertical and overhead surfaces. In addition, they can enhance other decon agents’ efficiency by improving contact time. However, the formulation of colloidal gels is complex and no gel type is useful for all contaminants. Therefore, novel and versatile gels need be developed to enlarge their application field. Combining various decontamination methods will often have better results and thus a reasonable and effective combination of these decontamination methods has become the main direction.