Month: April 2014

 

Well, we are at the end of the semester and we now have the task of designing an experiment. We were divided in teams of three, now my team is formed by Evan Gilchrist, Brittany M Schissler, and me Mauro Martin. At first we where all a little bit “lost”, being able to choose any experiment we wanted kind of blinded us to the different options.

After talking about what each one would like to do, what would  they feel more comfortable researching and talking about. Since we have, in class talk a lot about energy and renewable sources apart from various research blogs and experiments also done in class, we thought it would be pretty neat to do it about renewable energy. After doing some research we came across the idea of creating a motor indirectly powered by a solar panel. (Solar panel charges battery – battery makes the motor spin)

I know, I know, you have probably seen this before probably around a local science fair, etc. But we are not just gonna leave it there, as an economics mayor i though about giving it and little twist. Although it may seem impossible today in the world there is 1,600 million people without access to electricity and 2,400 million people are still cooking and heating their homes with basic energy sources such as coal, wood, biomass and manure. Approximately 85% of these people live in rural areas.Adding to this, as an economics mayor, that china is increasingly improving their solar panel production making them pretty affordable, we would like to tie both things together.

We don’t really know yet in which direction we are going to go, but for now as our first brainstorm, we though about coming up with a way all this third world countries could have some improvement in their human development, since normal energy is almost impossible to have in some parts of the country cause economically is too expensive. See if with the new innovation on creating renewable energy could help in some way.

 

Main points:

Improved access to sustainable energy services is necessary for human development and the realization of most economic activities.

And if you add climate change which have caused droughts ever more extended in some African countries

Without energy there is no propulsion systems and the water sources are so far people, mainly women,  are forced to walk for hours.

 

Actual Experiment: (would look something close to this)

Materials:

1. Solar Panel
2. dc electrical motor
3. Spinner
   1. Wooden Dowel (about 1/2″ diameter)
   2. Drill to make a hole in the dowel
   3. Cardboard (about 6″ x 6″)
   4. Paper Image
   5. Glue

The Keystone Project.

Trans Canada, the entity that would construct, own, and operate the proposed pipeline, is a large public company that operates diverse energy-related investments—among them, 57,000 kilometers of pipelines dedicated primarily to transportation and distribution of natural gas, storage for a fraction of this gas, and generation of electric power. It has recently expanded to include construction and operation of oil pipelines. Keystone, a wholly owned subsidiary, already operates an extensive network of oil-distributing pipelines, including one that provides an important link between the Alberta oil sands and the United States.

The existing pipeline extends south from Hardisty, Alberta; proceeds east through Saskatchewan and Manitoba; crosses the border into South Dakota and Nebraska; and transitions east at Steele City, Nebraska, passing through Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois before ending up in Patoka and Wood River in Illinois. It channels the Albertan oil-sands product to refineries in Illinois; capacity is 590,000 barrels per day. An extension completed in February 2012 delivers some of this oil as well from Steele City to Cushing, Oklahoma, a key distribution center for U.S. crude. A further extension, endorsed by President Obama in March 2012 and now under construction, will facilitate transfer of oil from Cushing to refineries on the Gulf of Mexico, reducing the bottleneck for midwestern crude currently stranded in storage tanks in Cushing.

CON’S

Richard K. Lattanzio concluded that per unit of fuel consumed, greenhouse-gas emissions associated with Canadian oil sands would be 14 percent to 20 percent higher than a weighted average of transportation fuels now sold or distributed in the United States. He added that “compared to selected imports, Canadian oil-sands crudes range from 9 percent to 19 percent more emission-intensive than Middle Eastern Sour.” Assuming that Keystone XL would deliver to U.S. refineries a maximum supply of 830,000 barrels per day, he concluded that “incremental pipeline emissions would represent an increase  in the total annual greenhouse gas emissions for the U.S.”—significant.

Problems, can arise in pipeline transport. An Exxon Mobil pipeline carrying crude from Canada ruptured, dumping thousands of barrels of oil into a residential subdivision in Arkansas. where, Trans Canada promises to institute comprehensive monitoring and install multiple shut-off valves to minimize, if not eliminate, problems with the Keystone XL project.

A concern is whether the pipeline would pose a threat to the massive Ogallala Aquifer — one of the world’s largest underground sources of fresh water. By one calculation, it holds enough water to cover the country’s 48 contiguous states two feet deep. The Ogallala stretches beneath most of Nebraska from the Sand Hills in the west to the outskirts of Omaha. And it runs from South Dakota well past Lubbock, Tex. Former Energy Secretary Steven Chu estimated the direct cost to the United States of extreme weather events in 2012 at $170 billion. These costs are “negative externalities” of the fossil fuel business, as are spills like the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon. These are real costs, and serious ones, excluded from the current price calculations. Judging from the recently released 5th IPCC Report, the cost of future extreme weather will continue to accelerate. Regarding pipeline leaks, the original Keystone pipeline leaked no fewer than fourteen times in its first year of operation. The proposed route for the Keystone XL takes it over the Ogallala Aquifer, which supplies fully 30% of the agricultural irrigation for the United States.

PRO’S

The International Energy Agency defines energy security as, “the uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price.” And energy security matters because the disruption of supply anywhere can have economic impacts here at home – and around the world.

In Russia, the government has threatened to cut supplies of natural gas off to Ukraine and the rest of Europe. Venezuela has repeatedly threatened to cut off supplies of crude oil to the United States.   And while domestic oil production continues to climb, the United States – the largest oil consumer in the world at 15 million barrels each and every day – is still beholden to other countries for its oil. Both the U.S. Energy Information Administration and the International Energy Agency predict America will continue to import between five and eight million barrels per day at least until 2040. America must rely on getting much of its oil from Russia, Nigeria, the Middle East, Venezuela. Increasing supplies of Canadian oil would reduce U.S. dependence on potentially unstable and unreliable sources such as Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, and Nigeria.

 

Oil from Canada has been safely transported to the U.S. for decades.  American and Canadian companies have worked together to both develop the resource and then send it to American refineries. This free trade has created and supported thousands and thousands of jobs, spurred economic growth and produced that most important commodity – energy security. This pipeline has the capacity to transport 830,000 barrels per day of crude oil produced in Canada and the continental United States to refineries on the Gulf Coast. Keystone will push out much of the higher-priced oil those refineries currently import from overseas.

And, as noted, it matters little for the climate impact where the oil is consumed. Aggressive commitments by Canadian authorities to reduce the greenhouse-gas footprint of tar-sands development, combined with the initiatives already announced by the president to reduce U.S. national emissions, can minimize environmental damage. From the U.S. perspective, there are sound economic and security reasons to encourage development of the Canadian resource.

 

President Obama’s former National Security Advisor, Retired General James Jones testified before a congressional hearing in March stating,

“The international bullies who wish to use energy scarcity as a weapon against us all are watching intently. If we want to make Mr. Putin’s day and strengthen his hand, we should reject the Keystone. If we want to gain an important measure of national energy security, jobs, tax revenue and prosperity to advance our work on the spectrum of energy solutions that don’t rely on carbon, it should be approved.”

 

Retired Major General Gary Wattnem highlighted this in an editorial in the Iowa Gazette,

“The risks associated with our oil acquisitions from the Middle East do not exist with Canada. Canada and the United States long have been reliable allies, great trading partners, and both stand to receive a very favorable economic boost from this pipeline.”

 

Senator John’s 10 reasons why it should be build, via tweet’s:

 

 

 

Sources:

http://keystone-xl.com/eia-report-reinforces-case-for-keystone-xl/

http://thegazette.com/2014/03/18/pipeline-project-must-be-a-priority/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystone_Pipeline

 

Our planet enjoys resources that replenish constantly, including sunlight,wind, moving water, and geothermal heat. We need energy for our everyday lives — to power our buildings and personal devices, to transport goods, to travel.Yet, the energy sources we’ve come to rely upon, like oil, gas, and coal, will eventually run out.With the MOS energy needs apparent, my partners and I felt a lot more knowledgeable about these renewable sources.

 

                                                             It revolved around :

-Hydroelectric power
-Solar power
-Geothermal Energy
-Photoviolic

Hydroelectric Power

First station I crossed was the Hydroelectric station in which they explained hydropower, which is electricity produced by moving water. It’s used so widely in the U.S. that it generates more electricity than any other renewable source. Rushing water from a river or waterfall is channeled through pipes, spinning a turbine to drive a generator. Because the flow of water is relatively constant, hydropower can deliver large amounts of continuous electricity over long periods of time.

Hydropower requires strong currents to produce significant amounts of electricity. Much of the hydropower in the United States is generated in the Pacific Northwest. Although inexhaustible electricity source, we learned it does carry some associated environmental concerns. Building large dams can negatively impact local ecosystems and interfere with fish migration patterns.

Other forms of hydropower can be used to produce electricity from moving water. Tide power and wave power provide new ways to create electricity from the oceans. Concluding that newer methods may produce cheaper electricity with less environmental impact.

 

 Solar Power

After came the Solar station whichtougth me how it focuses sunlight onto a small area and uses the resulting heat to make electricity. Mirrors or lenses concentrate the light from the Sun into a end point, heating up some fluid by hundreds of degrees. The heat created is used to make steam, which moves a turbine and generates electrical power.

Sunlight is the Earth’s most abundant energy resource, but it so disperse that little energy is available at any given spot. By focusing the Sun’s light onto a focused area, the energy is concentrated and used more effectively to make electricity. Even tho is a pretty nice energy source, one of the drawbacks is the large amount of space that is needed to collect a useful amount of solar energy. But in places such as deserts with open, sunny spaces, concentrating solar technologies can generate utility-scale power at relatively low cost.

What’s for the future? some may ask, well the newest installations are using molten salt that can store heat for hours or even days, which allows solar power plants to continue generating electricity during the night or during times of cloudy weather.

As a cool fact the museum had a interactive map, of all the solar ports in the area:

 

In which we can see how solar energy has been increasing from 2003 to 2013:

Geothermal Energy

Geothermal electric systems generate electric power using heat from within the Earth. Engineers drill a mile or more into the Earth’s crust, tapping into underground reservoirs where hot rocks and water are heated by magma deep beneath the surface. Geothermal power is sometimes called hydrothermal generation, because the energy comes from hot water. The hot steam pushes a turbine to spin a generator, generating clean electricity.

Because the Earth’s core is so hot, the potential for geothermal energy is tremendous. However, geothermal “hot spots” are most common where the plates that make up the Earth’s crust intersect. Although the United States is the world leader in total geothermal power production, all of its geothermal power is concentrated in just four western states. A single site north of San Francisco called “The Geysers” accounts for over half of all U.S. geothermal electricity. Small nations that are located on plate boundaries, such as Iceland and the Phillipines, generate large portions of their electricity from geothermal power.

Current geothermal installations have been limited to places where water is easily accessed. Engineered geothermal systems (EGS) are created by drilling into hot, dry rocks and injecting cold water under pressure. As the pressure builds, the rocks fracture and the liquids are heated by the surrounding rock. A recent study by MIT estimated that engineered geothermal systems could meet the world’s electricity needs for thousands of years.

Photovoltaic Energy

Photovoltaics, also called solar panels or PV, transform sunlight into electricity. Photovoltaic cells are made from materials called semiconductors. The most common semiconductor used in solar cells is silicon, which is found in sand and is abundant in the Earth’s crust. When sunlight strikes the surface of the cell, some of the light particles are absorbed by the semiconducting material, causing negative electric charges to flow across the surface of the cell. The cell is designed so that the charges will uniformly flow in one direction and can be used to do electrical work.

Because solar panels are self-contained systems, they can be used in remote locations away from the electric grid, or they can be grid-connected. Solar panels are often used on roadways or on space satellites. Although photovoltaic panels are most commonly installed on building rooftops, they can also be integrated into the buildings as roofs, windows, curtain walls, and even parking canopies. Solar farms are increasingly being used for utility-scale production as well, although they require a large amount of space to collect utility-scale amounts of solar energy.

Because silicon is also used in circuit boards and must be chemically treated (“doped”) to be a semiconductor, current photovoltaic technology is significantly more expensive than fossil fuels or many other renewable methods. New thin-film and “string ribbon” materials require far less silicon to do the same job as older cells. New generations of photovoltaics made from plastics and inks may soon make solar panels much cheaper or as easy to fabricate as printing a letter!

 

 

 

The Plan

Looks to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions in a comprehensive way. It also takes on the question of how to protect the country from the devastating climate related impacts we are already seeing today. Importantly, the president is recommitting the United States to meet its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. WRI’s recent analysis demonstrates that meeting this target is achievable, it identifies four areas with the greatest opportunity for emissions reductions:  power plants, energy efficiency, hydrofluorocarbons, and methane. All specifically included in the plan.

 

President Obama’s Climate Action Plan focuses on:

-Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions

-Energy Efficiency

-Renewable Energy

-Natural Gas

-Leading by Example

-Climate Resilience

-International Climate Change Leadership

 

Energy Efficiency

The electricity sector is responsible for about one-third of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and 38 percent of total carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions.

A snapshot of the fuels used in the United States for electricity shows that coal-fueled generation provides a little more than 37 percent of all electricity, down from nearly 50 percent in 2006. Filling this gap, natural gas now provides 30 percent of all electricity, and renewables, including wind and large hydroelectric power, provide about 13 percent.  Nuclear power continues to provide around one-fifth of net generation. The combustion of natural gas and petroleum account for most of the remaining carbon dioxide emissions. Due to the continuing shift from coal- to natural gas-fired electricity generation, the percentage of emissions from coal is continuing to decline. Electricity generation-related greenhouse gas emissions have decreased more than six percent since 2007.

In general terms, greenhouse gas emission reductions from the electric power sector can be achieved through efficiency: eliminating waste, conservation: reducing the amount of electricity generated, switching fuel sources: from coal to lower-emitting natural gas, and by incorporating low-carbon electricity generation technologies: reducing the emissions associated with electricity generation, such as: renewable energy, carbon capture and storage, and nuclear power. In the plan the president directed the Department of Energy to build on efficiency standards set during his first term for dishwashers, refrigerators, and other products. The president  committed to build on heavy-duty vehicle fuel efficiency standards set during his first term with new standards past the 2018 model year. He also set a goal of cumulatively reducting carbon dioxide emissions by 3 billion metric tons by 2030 through efficiency measures.

Natural Gas

U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are back down to mid-1990s levels, in part because electricity generators are using more natural gas, which emits half as much carbon dioxide as coal. In 2012, U.S. natural gas consumption averaged 69.8 billion cubic feet per day , a 4.8 percent increase  from 2011. Growth in natural gas consumption is expected in all sectors except the residential sector, with the most dramatic increase in transportation. Having an estimated 36 gigawatts (GW) of coal generation expected to be retired between 2014 and 2016,  in response to lower natural gas prices and to the new environmental regulations.New drilling technologies  have vastly increased the amount of recoverable natural gas in the United States and elsewhere. These advances are projected to keep the price of this lower-carbon fuel near historically low levels, significantly altering energy economics and trends, and opening new opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To better leverage natural gas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the administration will develop an interagency methane strategy to further reduce emissions of this potent greenhouse gas. As we create a self-sufficient energy future, we need to include low- and zero-emission sources such as wind, solar and nuclear along with energy efficiency and carbon capture-and-storage technologies. We also need to ensure that new supplies of natural gas and oil are produced in the most environmentally sensitive way possible, including addressing methane leaks throughout the production, transmission, and distribution processes. That is the only way to achieve the steep cuts in heat-trapping gases in the long term to protect the climate.

Leading by Example

In his first term, President Obama set a goal to reduce federal greenhouse gas emissions by 24 percent by 2020. He also required agencies to enter into at least $2 billion in performance-based contracts by the end of 2013 to finance energy projects with no upfront costs. In his climate plan, the president established a new goal for the federal government to consume 20 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020—more than double its current goal of 7.5 percent.

One of the  leading projects  the U.S. Goverment is working on would have to be the NASA’S  Sustainability Base. NASA has channeled its technical expertise into the design of an innovative new building for its employees at the Ames Research Center in Northern California. Called “Sustainability Base,” the building is designed to surpass the LEED Platinum sustainable design certification. Sustainability Base pushes the envelope on environmentally driven design, serving both as functioning office space and as a living laboratory for continuous advancements in intelligent building energy systems. It is one of the federal government’s greenest buildings and is designed to produce more electricity than it consumes. Sustainability Base occupies a unique place within the federal government’s efforts to lead by example in developing and occupying environmentally advanced buildings.

Another great initiative worth mentioning is the Alternative Workspace project. Given rapid advances in office technology, today’s workplace needs to be designed to meet the changing nature and needs of today’s workforce. Through its Prototype Alternative Workspace, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has designed and is testing a flexible office layout that fully embraces the latest mobility and collaboration tools. In addition to creating a workplace design that enhances worker satisfaction and productivity, this pilot project advances sustainability goals by reducing the amount of office space required, and facilitating increased telework. This results in cutting energy use by 45 percent with a corresponding reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. As one of the nation’s largest landlords, GSA is leading by example in creating the office environment of the 21st century.

GSA’s Prototype Alternative Workspace now houses 170 full-time employees in space that had been occupied by 73 full-time employees. The design results in over a 50-percent reduction in usable square feet per person. But with higher utilization rates, the actual space available to each worker on site is only slightly lower than before the redesign. The estimated cost of the redesigned space and furnishings was less than $1 million. The implied annual rent savings in reduced real estate costs by consolidating more workers into less space is $632,000 ($42 per square foot).

 

 

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is the fastest growing energy source. In 2012, renewable energy was responsible for 12.7 percent of net U.S. electricity generation with hydroelectric generation contributing 7.9 percent and wind generation 2.9 percent. In the president’s climate plan, he reiterates his support to make renewable energy production on federal lands a top priority.

 

 

Climate Resilience

The president wants federal agencies to support local investments in climate resilience and convene a task force of state, local, and tribal officials to advise on key actions the federal government can take to help strengthen communities. President Obama also wants to use recovery strategies from Hurricane Sandy to strengthen communities against future extreme weather and other climate impacts and update flood-risk reduction standards for all federally funded projects. As part of this strategy, the federal government should provide technical and scientific resources that are currently lacking at the local or regional scale, incentives for local and state authorities to begin adaptation planning, guidance across jurisdictions, shared lessons learned, and support of scientific research to expand knowledge of impacts and adaptation.

 

International Climate Change Leadership

The president promised to expand new and existing international initiatives with China, India, and other major emitting countries. He also called for an end to U.S. government support for public financing of new coal-fired powers plants overseas, except for the most efficient coal technology available in the world’s poorest countries, or facilities deploying carbon capture and sequestration technologies.

 

 

SOURCES:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/

http://nyti.ms

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/usinventoryreport.html.

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/events/2012/sustainability-base-presskit.html.

Reactor Administration and Organization

• The core of the reactor is about the size of a 30 galon trash can
• High Enriched Uranium is used to fuel the nuclear reactor
• There are 6 Boron & Stainless steel blades are raised or lowered to control the rate of nuclear fission
• The nuclear reactor creates nutrons which are used for research
• Water is used to moderate the nuclear reaction by cooling the uranium rods
• Heavy Water, also known as DH2O, surrounds the core reactor and acts as a radiation shield
• A layer of graphite is used as an additional shield
• There are many safety fail safes installed to prevent a nuclear meltdown
• The Seismic Scram is an automatic shutoff that is triggered by an earthquake. The reactor will cease to conduct nuclear fission, but the cooling system will continue to operate even after shut down. There are natural connection valves that continuously recirculate the water that cools the fuel rods.

Reactor Engineering

Dr. Bernard teach subject 22.921 Nuclear Power Plant Dynamics and Control, and  offer’s also review classes on engineering fundamentals for NSE students in the radiological sciences. Both activities make use of the reactor for illustrating theoretical concepts. Reactor engineering staff include Mr. Thomas Newton, Dr. Gordon Kohse, and Mr. Yakov Ostrovsky.

Reactor Operations

The group consists of both full-time employees (mostly ex-Navy nuclear-qualified personnel) and part-time MIT students.  All members of the group are licensed by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and most hold a senior reactor operator license. At present, there are 30 licensed individuals (15 full-time employees, 15 part-time students). All, including the management team, perform reactor shift duties to support the 24 hours/day, 7 days/week operating schedule. In addition to the operators, there are two full-time technicians for reactor mechanical maintenance.

 

Organizational Diversity

NRL supports MIT’s affirmative action goals. Currently there are 28 full-time and 18 part-time employees at NRL. Twenty-five positions are held by women and/or minorities; of these, out of a total of 16 engineering and management positions, five are held by women and/or minorities. . As part of NRL’s ongoing mission to train reactor operators, there is always a rotating group of MIT students. The current roster of 16 active students includes seven women, of whom six are minorities, and nine men, of whom 4 are minorities. NRL participated in the DOE’s program for minority training in reactor operations. One of our current senior reactor operators is a graduate of this program and has become our training coordinator.

 

Research And Development

In addition to providing a first-class, state-of-the-art facility for research that responds to present day issues and concerns, NRL is also looking ahead in order to meet future challenges. One particular challenge that needs to be addressed is the US reliance on fossil fuels. Currently, only 20% of the US’s energy resources are provided by nuclear power. Reluctance to increase that percentage is due to the public’s concern that nuclear energy is not a safe or environmentally sound alternative. The proposed Generation-IV (Gen-IV) Program, which is a major research and development initiative to design, build, and operate Gen-IV reactors that will provide the United States with an economical, safe, and reliable energy source, will counter that perception. NRL is uniquely quailfied to be a key contributor to the design and performance of experiments for the evaluation of the advanced materials and fuels that are needed for Gen-IV reactors.

Operational Safety

Many years ago, MIT established a very effective means of insuring safe operation of the reactor by appointing independent individuals to a committee known as the MIT Reactor Safeguards Committee (MITRSC). Members of that committee are from MIT as well as from industry. They meet regularly during the year and these meetings are comprised, depending on subject matter to be discussed, of a full committee or established standing subcommittees. They are ultimately responsible for overseeing all nuclear safety issues related to the reactor and insuring that reactor operation is consistent with MIT policy, rules, operating procedures, and licensing requirements. However, each and every member of the NRL organization is keenly aware that safe operation of the nuclear reactor at MIT is their top priority. This level of awareness is achieved by the excellent guidance and continuous training provided by the NRL management team. An environment of cooperation and attentiveness to detail among reactor employees and experimenters regarding all reactor safety matters is essential. As a result of this approach to safety, each and every individual employed at the reactor can be proud of the NRL’s outstanding safety and operating record, which is evidenced by the results of inspections by the NRC.

 

Major Reactor Services

MITR produces about $1.2 million worth of neutron-transmutation-doped (NTD) silicon per year. This is commercial income and the funds are used to offset operating costs. The market for NTD silicon remains strong despite improvements in the chemical production of the material and the MIT program continued for a successful ninth year. Approximately 10 metric tons of silicon crystals were accurately irradiated in shielded, automated irradiation facilities at MITR.

MIT Research Reactor

The MIT research reactor completed its 46th year of operation. The reactor operated continuously (seven days per week) to support major experiments. On average, it was operated 103 hours per week at its design power level of 5 MW.  The number of specimen irradiations was 251 on a total of 566 samples; 54 of these irradiations were in the medical rooms, many in support of the NCT program for the treatment of brain cancer and subcutaneous melanoma. Theses and publications on research supported by the reactor are running at about five and 20 per year, respectively. Approximately 1,470 people toured the MIT Research Reactor from July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013.

 

Relicensing and Redesign

 On 8 July 1999, a formal application was submitted to NRC to relicense the reactor for an additional 20 years and to upgrade the power level to 6 MW. The relicensing package included a complete rewrite of the Safety Analysis Report and the Technical Specifications. The process of relicensing is long and arduous and involves many interactions and communications between NRL and NRC. One major form of communication is a series of questions (from NRC) and answers (provided by NRL) on technical specifications and safety analyses. NRL has responded to the third installment of the first set of questions received from NRC. Until the relicensing approval process is completed, NRC has authorized the continued operation of MITR. This mode of operation has been ongoing since 1999.

 

 

Sources:

web.mit.edu

wikipedia.com

tech.mit.edu/V130/N27/reactor

Pandora’s Promise
Is a 2013 documentary film about the nuclear power debate, directed by Robert Stone. Its central argument is that nuclear power, which still faces historical opposition from environmentalists, is a relatively safe and clean energy source which can help mitigate the serious problem of anthropogenic global warming. The title is derived from
the ancient Greek myth of Pandora, who released numerous evils into the world, yet as the movie’s tagline recalls: “At the bottom of the box she found hope.”

The film promotes nuclear power as the only energy source that can both meet worldwide demand and help reduce carbon emissions quickly enough to minimize further damage to the Earth’s atmosphere. In it, engineers attest to the safety of advanced reactor technologies and disarmament experts comment on their reliability,without any reference to the risks posed by nuclear power. Erstwhile anti-nuclear power activists like Stewart Brand and Gwyneth Cravens are the major focus of the film, as they talk about their decisions to support nuclear power after many years of actively protesting against it. The major reason they offer this change is the growing threat of climate change.

Stone’s case is that it has been massively misunderstood and misrepresented by a 60s generation of environmentalists: he argues that nuclear is a hugely efficient and relatively clean energy source that is now vitally needed as billions of people in emerging economies such as India, China and Brazil are hungry for power. Wind turbines and solar panels, he says, are failing to meet even a fraction of urgent needs.

Stone travels to Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima with a Geiger counter to make the point that those nuclear crises were less critical than perceived. Wielding a UN/World Health Organization report, he confronts an anti-nuke ideologue. Chernobyl’s death toll was 56, not a million, he reminds him. Stone points to “the modern orthodoxy environmentalism” and its adherence to a doctrine that wrongly equates nuclear energy with nuclear weapons. But been a little critic, the film derides wind and solar energy unduly, and perhaps the film could have spent longer on safety. Criticizing how the movie relates all the major explosions of the reactors because of inadequate cooling. Also, i think, that holding up the Geiger counter at a disaster site and showing the surprisingly low number is a bit obtuse, and doesn’t address people’s fears about an explosion.

In conclusion I think is a very good film and it does in fact make you revaluate your opinion over nuclear power, and the whole myth around it. The problem is, as John Quiggin (Australian economist and polocy maker, see picture of article posted below) said on an article for the guardian, the problem is around economics.In the absence of a substantial carbon price, nuclear energy can’t compete with coal and other fossil fuels. In the presence of a carbon price, it can’t compete with wind and solar photovoltaics. The only real hope is that coal-fired generation is reduced drastically enough. Nuclear power will be a more attractive alternative than variable sources like solar and wind power. However, much of the current demand for that power is an artifact of pricing systems designed for coal, and may disappear as prices become more cost-reflective. The problem of climate change is not going away, and, in the absence of massive subsidies, no one is going to build nuclear power plants on a scale sufficient to make much of a difference. To address the problem of climate change, we need to use less energy, use it more efficiently and generate it more sustainably.

The Guardian, Nov. 2013.

Reactor Student Operators

 

MIT has hired traditionally several undergraduates per year, usually at the end of their freshmen year.  Five MIT students are currently training to become reactor operators. In this reporting period, 12 part-time students obtained their reactor operator license and four staff obtained their senior operator license. The training program is rigorous and covers, reactor dynamics, radiation detection, radiation safety, and reactor systems. Comparable with the MIT undergraduate courses , since cover’s these same topics. In addition, students are taught how to operate MITR.

 

When completed  the training program, they have a two day examination, which is administered by the NRC, and its composed of an oral and written exam. Candidates who pass successfully obtain their operator license and get employed for the semester at MITR. After the students gain experience, most are offered the opportunity to participate in a second training program that leads to a senior reactor operator license.  This  program is an excellent opportunity because it combines theoretical study with actual work experience. In addition, the students that receive the senior license obtain management experience because they are employed as shift supervisors. Students who have completed this training program regularly state that it was one of the high points of their MIT experience.

 

Some of the most interesting parts of the experimental facilities:

In-Core Facilities- The MIT’s core can accommodate three in-core irradiation facilities. A license amendment is approved by the NRC to perform in-core fuel irradiations as long as the fissile material mass in limited to 100 gm or less, provided that the fuel irradiation does not contain a forced circulation loop. The MITR is the first research reactor in the U.S. that is licensed to perform in-core fissile materials irradiation. Irradiation programs have been funded to utilize the ICSA for testing advanced high-temperature materials and advanced in-core thermocouples and fiber optic sensors.

Neutron Beam Ports- There are numerous beam ports that penetrate the MIT’s reactor’s shield, graphite reflector, and heavy-water reflector. These ports provide a high-quality neutron flux for such endeavors as neutron scattering, prompt-gamma analysis, neutron physics, and neutron transmutation doping. Currently, port 4DH1 is equipped with a time-of-flight neutron spectrometer with remote access capability, used for a number of educational programs, while port 4DH4 is equipped with a neutron diffractometer.

BNCT Experimental Facilities- The MITR has been engaged in patient trials for the use of BNCT therapy to treat both brain tumors and deep-seated skin cancer utilizing its shielded medical rooms the: fission converter horizontal epithermal beam and vertical thermal beam located below reactor core. Animal studies have also been conducted using the vertical thermal beam.

Gamma Irradiation Facility- Where sample irradiation space can be provided in the spent fuel pool for gamma exposure from fission product decay. Facility can be instrumented if required.

 

sources:

http://web.mit.edu/catalog/inter.resea.nrl.html

http://tech.mit.edu/V130/N27/reactor.html