Long-Term Nuclear Industry Outlook - 2004
The nuclear industry has become increasingly efficient and global in nature, but may now be poised at a crossroads between graceful decline and profound growth as a viable provider of electrical energy. Predicted population and energy-demand growth, an increased interest in global climate change, the desire to reduce the international dependence on oil as an energy source, the potential for hydrogen co-generation using nuclear power reactors, and the improved performance in the nuclear power industry have raised the prospect of a “nuclear renaissance” in which nuclear power would play an increasingly more important role in both domestic and international energy market. This report provides an assessment of the role nuclear-generated power will plan in the global energy future and explores the impact of that role on export controls.
Nuclear Energy And The Implications Of The UN World Summit On Sustainable Development
The 2002 United Nations World Summit On Sustainable Development (WSSD) at Johannesburg, South Africa wrought in significant turn-around on attitudes toward energy as the delegates came to recognize that energy is at the heart of sustainable development. As history demonstrates, developing countries will not suppress their need to convert environmental resources into energy to generate economic growth. Nations require the capability to generate local and regional incomes, not “transfer wealth” if they are to develop. And the WSSD also brought acknowledgement that developing countries cannot be expected to invest in expensive efforts to curb their production of greenhouse gasses. When the need for energy gained WSSD recognition, the European Union intensified their demand for renewable energy targets. Such targets quickly became a stumbling block for energy negotiations as the developed countries recognized that most of the challenge would fall upon them. The U.S. target, for instance, would require that 12% of all U.S. energy be generated by renewables by the year 2012.
Increasing pulp yield in kraft cooking of softwoods by high initial effective alkali concentration (HIEAC) during impregnation leading to decreasing secondary peeling of cellulose
Abstract Pulp yield can be improved by a more homogeneous delignification of the chips, achieved by improved impregnation prior to the cooking stage. Complete and efficient impregnation is obtained by increasing the diffusion rate by means of an impregnation liquor with a high initial effective alkali concentration (HIEAC). In the present study, the effect of HIEAC in the impregnation was evaluated and compared to a reference impregnation procedure and a prolonged impregnation. After the various impregnation scenarios, the alkali concentration was always adjusted to the same level in the beginning of the cooking stage. Impregnation with a HIEAC resulted in yield improvements by 1–1.5% units, due to a higher cellulose yield and possibly also to higher yield of glucomannan. The HIEAC with an even alkali distribution within the chips prior to the cooking stage resulted in a more uniform delignification carbohydrate degradation. Yield increase obtained by uniform delignification is due to both decreased shives content as well as less secondary peeling.