Economic risks of Jordan's nuclear program
Abstract Jordan has recently embarked on establishing a nuclear program in the hope that it would resolve its energy security problems, meet its increasing demand of electricity and promote economic growth through localization. This paper examines the economic risks and challenges associated with Jordan's nuclear program. It is based on a comparative cost analysis and interviews conducted with current and former Jordanian policy makers. Economically, nuclear power represents a high-risk option for Jordan as it involves three potentially costly scenarios of varying impact: project cancellation, unplanned outages and the declining costs of renewable technologies, particularly solar power. The paper also highlights other challenges facing Jordan in its pursuit of nuclear power such as opaque decision-making process and the need for an independent and competent nuclear regulatory body.
Thinking big? Ghana, small reactors, and nuclear power
Abstract Ghana has been seen as a potential market for small nuclear reactors and Ghanaian nuclear officials have, on occasion, expressed an interest in such reactors. However, Ghana seems to be heading towards procuring a reactor from Russia with a capacity of 1000–1200 MW. A power plant with such a large power generation capacity is not appropriate to Ghana’s limited electricity grid or its financial circumstances. This paper examines the likely reasons for this focus and argues that despite greater government interest in setting up nuclear reactors, Ghana’s nuclear establishment may not have the political clout to force through the purchase of a reactor, and has therefore attempted to position itself as a complete, one-stop solution to Ghana’s electricity crisis, by calling for the construction of just one or two large nuclear power plants. The paper draws on the role of discursive elements in energy policy making, discusses the policy implications of this reactor choice, and offers evidence for the proposition that decision about nuclear power are not made on the basis of merely techno-economic considerations but are driven by a range of social and political factors.
A new power measuring circuit using a bridge-connected magnetic circuit and another magnetic core
The authors describe the operating characteristics of an oscillating circuit using a bridge-connected magnetic circuit and another magnetic core. A square-shape output voltage is obtained in the oscillating circuit. The pulsewidth in positive and negative half cycles of output voltage changes with the current of the U-form core windings and with the signal voltage applied to the exciting windings. The mean value of the output voltage varies in proportion to the product of the current and the signal voltage. Utilizing this feature, an application of the oscillating circuit to a novel power measuring circuit of simple construction is presented. >