Dan Yurman blogs that changes are taking place in the industrial world that will shape the future of the nuclear industry. The nuclear industry must respond to the 4th Industrial Revolution which is taking place in Europe and Asia and will soon influence the U.S. While some innovations that are taking place outside the industry will present challenges to the process of designing a new generation of nuclear reactors, others will present opportunities. Success will more likely come to those developers of advanced nuclear technologies who can grasp the important factors that are shaping it. MIT Nuclear Scientist Richard Lester sent a note to correspondents about a new article he published in the Winter 2016 edition of Issues in Science & Technology. Titled, A Roadmap for U.S. Nuclear Innovation, it covers an ambitious agenda.
Lester writes that a greatly expanded role for nuclear energy will be needed if the world is to have any chance of avoiding the worst consequences of climate change. Some of us have also concluded that without significant advances in nuclear reactor and fuel cycle technologies, advances yielding cost reductions, shorter cycle times, a greater focus on passive safety, and other improvements, nuclear is unlikely to play that role. Lester then proceeds to layout a broad, three phase plan for innovation of nuclear technologies. 1. extend the operational lifetime of the existing fleet. Innovation focuses on cost control and efficient operation.
It covers the current era to the end of the 2030s. 2. build a new, expanded fleet, primarily of large and small LWR reactors, and bring to commercial deployment advanced nuclear technologies for use in power generation, but also desalinization, process heat, and production of fuels for the transportation sector. It begins in the 2030s and extends to the end of this century. 3. develop a second generation of advanced nuclear technologies in the post 2050 timeframe. . the review is interesting.
Original URL: http://www.theenergycollective.com/dan-yurman/2308648/why-nuclear-industry-must-respond-fourth-industrial-revolution
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