As a class trip, we visited the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Nuclear Reactor Laboratory (MIT-NRL). The MIT-NRL houses and operates a 5 megawatt (MW) nuclear reactor (MITR) which runs at 50°C (the temperature of hot bath water). Currently the reactor is the second largest university reactor in the entire country but don’t let this fool you – it’s still small enough to fit inside a hug (though I wouldn’t recommend doing so). According to the MIT-NRL, the MITR is “a light-water cooled and moderated, heavy-water reflected nuclear reactor that utilizes flat, plate-type finned, aluminum clad fuel elements.” From what I learned, the reactor has more security than Obama that not only protect it from being taken out but also help keep any contaminants in. To spare ourselves of further details that neither of us will understand I’ll put it simply: The reactor is not used to generate any electricity but rather it produces neurons that scientists and researchers use in their studies. Even if it was used to generate electricity, after all of the power lost in transmission of energy, its 5 MW capacity would only be able to power a bunch of light bulbs.
(Models of the MITR)
Starting our tour of MIT-NRL was like something out of a Bond movie. We had to leave all of our belongings behind and have our starting radiation levels tested to measure any hazardous changes to it when we came out. We then went through one security door and two sets of blast proof doors before entering into the steel box containment building where the MITR is held.
Then we were shown around. We learned that the MIT-NRL used to conduct research on humans, specifically though with tumors. This is a form of therapy called Baron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT). Patients used to be held in a room under the reactor and scientists could use what I interpreted as a ray gun to target the tumor wherever it was, usually in the brain.
Now if the MIT-NRL conducts such studies humans are no longer involved and lab mice are used as a substitute.
We were lead down to the control room where someone must always be present to check for any abnormalities in the neutron flux levels of the MITR. Most of the controls are analog because of resistance from head organization to make the switch to digital. Their resistance is based on many things like being more able to control analog but mostly it’s just unwillingness to make changes. I say this because between the two, digital is more accurate, quicker, and easier to use.
As someone coming in with very little knowledge, I imagined what it’s like to be in a control room when something went wrong. Surrounded by all of those different buttons and controls and light flashing I think I would look something like this
When the tour was finished we were lead back out through the blast proof doors and each of us had to stand on a contamination monitor which looked like a robot to make sure we were “clean” of any contaminants we may have been exposed to.
(Contamination Monitor)
All in all it was an interesting trip and I learned a lot about nuclear reactors. It was good to get some hands on (not literally since we couldn’t touch anything) knowledge about all we’ve been learning.
America’s Aging Energy Grid
The U.S. electric grid is a complex network of independently owned and operated power plants and transmission lines. Built in the late 19th century, our energy grid is aging and becoming less and less efficient and cost effective. Combined with a rise in domestic electricity consumption, experts in the field have been forced to critically examine the status and health of the nation’s electrical systems.
The grid of electric power lines has evolved into three large interconnected systems that move electricity around the country. Electrical systems have been expanded and interlinked. Close supervision of the workings within the three power grids (Eastern Interconnection, Western Interconnection, and Texas Interconnection) is needed to keep them linked together. The systems now includes more than 3,200 electric distribution utilities, 10,000 generating units, tens of thousands of miles of transmission and distribution lines, and millions of customers.
But the issues of the grid are many and hard to solve. Four significant challenges to improving the power grid infrastructure are:
- Siting new transmission lines (and obtaining approval of the new route and needed land) when there is local opposition to construction
- Determining an equitable approach for recovering the construction costs of a transmission line being built within one State when the new line provides economic and system operation benefits to out-of-State customers
- Ensuring that the network of long-distance transmission lines reaches renewable sites where high-quality renewable resources are located, which are often distant from areas where demand for electricity is concentrated.
- Addressing the uncertainty in Federal regulatory procedures regarding who is responsible for paying for new transmission lines; this uncertainty affects the private sector’s ability to raise money to build them.
The Smart Grid
Before even getting into what it is let’s break down the name. The “grid” in Smart Grid references the electric grid which is a network that delivers electricity to us through transmission lines, substations, and transformers, among other things. And you tap into the grid lots of times a day like when your switch on a light.
Now for the “smart.” Our current electric grid is near its capacity and we need a new and improved version that is able to handle the onslaught of technological advancement. In this new grid, the controls, computers, automation, and new technologies and equipment that make it up will work with the electrical grip for a digital response.
Why the Change?
There’s a lot of advantages that come with the introduction of Smart Grid:
- More efficient transmission of electricity
- Quicker restoration of electricity after power disturbances
- Reduced operations and management costs for utilities, and ultimately lower power costs for consumers
- Reduced peak demand, which will also help lower electricity rates
- Increased integration of large-scale renewable energy systems
- Better integration of customer-owner power generation systems, including renewable energy systems
- Improved security
Here is a real world example of Smart Grid’s benefits:
It’s winter time and there’s a major blackout in the city and in addition to hundreds of homes it’s affecting banks, street and traffic lights, and security technology. Many homes have heating that runs on electricity so they are not only left in the dark but in the cold. The dangers that could arise from a situation like this one are numerous and among them accidents and criminal activity,
But with Smart Grid, our electric power system will be better prepared to address emergencies such as severe storms, earthquakes, large solar flares, and terrorist attacks. Because of its two-way interactive capacity, the Smart Grid will allow for automatic rerouting when equipment fails or outages occur. This will decrease outages as well as their effects.
Here’s how it would work:
In the event of a power outage, Smart Grid technology will have the capacity to detect and isolate outages, preventing widespread blackouts. It can also ensure that electricity is up and running again quickly and will be able to produce power when it is not available from utilities through consumer-owned generators. Therefore, it would be possible for a community to keep its health center, police department, traffic lights, phone system, and grocery store operating during emergencies.
Consumer Participation and Control
The Smart Grid is better for consumers too. It makes information about energy use more accessible. You will no longer have to wait for your monthly statement to know how much electricity you use. It will allow you to see how much electricity you use, when you use it, and its cost. This, along with real-time pricing, will allow consumers to save money by using less power when electricity is most expensive. The Smart Grid can save money consumers money by helping them manage their electricity use and choose the best times to purchase electricity.
For much more interesting information about the U.S. energy grid and Smart Grid, check out NPR for their enlightening series Power Hungry: Reinventing The U.S. Electric Grid or visit the Electric Power Research Institute’s website (http://my.epri.com/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=210&mode=2&in_hi_userid=2&cached=true) for a meaningful look into the future of electricity. Click the links to visit the sites.
References
U.S. Department of Energy, “SmartGrid.gov.” Last modified 2012.
Parks, Noreen. 2009. “Energy efficiency and the smart grid.” Environmental Science & Technology 43, no. 9: 2999-3000. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost.
NPR, “Visualizing The U.S. Electric Grid.” Last modified 2009.
U.S. Energy Information Admisistration, “Energy in Brief : What is the electric power grid, and what are some challenges it faces?.”
