PWR, and then transfers its heat to a secondary coolant system. Steam is produced from the heated water in the secondary system. primary coolant: The fluid used to cool the fuel elements. It may be liquid or gas. qualifying facility: A cogenerator or small power producer that meets the requirements specified in the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978-in the case of a cogenerator, one that produces electricity and useful thermal energy for industrial, commercial, heating, or cooling purposes; that meets the operating requirements specified by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission with respect to such factors as size, fuel use, and fuel efficiency); and that is owned by a person not primarily engaged in the generation or sale of electric power (other than cogenerated power). radioactive decay: The process by which a nucleus of one type transforms into another, accompanied by emission of radiation. radioactive waste: Waste materials, solid, liquid, or gas, that are produced in any type of nuclear facility. rate base: The net valuation of utility property in service, consisting of the gross valuation minus accrued depreciation. reactor: A facility that contains a controlled nuclear fission chain reaction. It may be used to generate electrical power, to conduct research, or exclusively to produce plutonium for nuclear explosives. reactor containment boundary: The pressure envelope in which a reactor and its primary cooling system are located. reactor vessel: The container of the nuclear core or critical assembly; may be a steel pressure vessel, a prestressed concrete reactor vessel (PCRV), or a low-pressure vessel (e.g., a calandria or sodium pot). reprocessing: Chemical treatment of spent reactor fuel to separate the plutonium and uranium from the fission products and (under present plans) from each other. safeguards: Sets of regulations, procedures, and equipment designed to prevent and detect the diversion of nuclear materials from authorized channels. safety system: A mechanical, electrical, or instrumentation system or any combination of these, whose purpose is the safety of the reactor or of the public. scram: The rapid shutdown, via introduction of neutron absorbers, of the chain reaction. seismic load: The stresses imposed on a component by a seismic shock. shutdown: The act of stopping plant operation for any reason. spent fuel storage pool: The pool of demineralized water in which spent fuel elements are stored pending their shipment from the facility. spent nuclear fuel: Material that is removed from a reactor after it can no longer sustain a chain reaction. Spent fuel from a light water reactor is composed primarily of uranium and contains some radioactive materials, such as fission products. Spent fuel also contains some valuable nuclear materials, such as uranium-235 and plutonium. steam generator: The main heat exchangers in a pressurized water or gas-cooled reactor powerplant that generates the steam that drives the turbine gen erator. thermal efficiency: In a powerplant, the ratio of net electrical energy produced to total thermal energy released in the reactor or boiler. thermal load: The stresses imposed on a component due to restriction of thermal growth caused by temperature changes. thermal neutron: A neutron whose energy level has been lowered sufficiently so that upon collision with another atom it will cause the atom to split and release energy. Neutron energy levels can be lowered by recoil off moderating atoms. thorium-232 (Th232): A fetile, naturally occurring isotope from which the fissile isotope uranium-233 can be bred. turbine generator: The assembled steam turbine coupled to an electric generator that produces the electric power in a powerplant. uranium: A metallic element found in nature that is commonly used as a fuel in nuclear reactors. As found in nature, it contains two isotopesuranium-235 and uranium-238. uranium-233 (U233): A fissile isotope bred by fertile thorium-232. It is similar in weapons quality to plutonium-239. uranium-235 (U235): The less abundant uranium isotope, accounting for less than one percent of natural uranium. Uranium-235 splits, or fissions, when struck by a neutron. When uranium is used as a fuel in a nuclear reactor, the concentration of uranium-235 is often increased to enhance the fission process. For example, the fuel for light water reactors contains about 3% uranium-235. uranium-238 (U238): The more abundant uranium isotope, accounting for more than 99 percent of natural uranium. Uranium-238 tends to absorb neutrons rather than fission. When it absorbs a neutron, the uranium atom changes to form a new elementplutonium. water hammer: The shock load imposed on a flowing pipeline by the rapid closure of a shutoff valve. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, 149 Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS), 145, Alternative reactor systems, 83-109, 258 (see also nuclear powerplant technology) advanced light water reactor design concepts, 94-96 heavy water reactors, 96-99 high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR), 99-102, inherently safe reactor concepts, 102-105 light water reactors, safety and reliability of, 87-94, comparison of fossil units to all nuclear units, 89 Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN), 151 C. F. Braun, Co., 136 Cincinnati Gas & Electric Co., 116, 157 Colorado Public Service Co., 101 combined construction and operating license (COL), Combustion Engineering, Inc., 87 Committee for Energy Awareness, 214, 236 Committee for Review of Generic Requirements Commonwealth Edison, 59, 66, 67, 126, 148, 168 Congress: Congressional Research Service (CRS), 201 House Committee on Science and Technology, 8 House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, 144 Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 8 Conservation Foundation, 237 construction permit (CP), 145, 148, 151, 157, 158, 160, 161, 163, 165, 168, 170 Consumer Product Safety Commission, 164 Council on Environmental Quality, 149 Critical Mass Energy Project, 214 Data Resources, Inc. (DRI), 33, 34 Department of Energy (DOE), 33, 38, 44, 46, 60, 61, 65, 102, 136, 149, 154, 157, 158, 159, 161, 162, 165, policy options, 253 Department of Housing and Urban Development, 149 Department of Justice, 132, 171, 260 Attorney General, 145 Department of Transportation, 149 Detroit Edison's Fermi Breeder reactor, 213 case study, 242 Donaldson, Thomas, 230 Duke Power Co., 5, 60, 66, 67, 136 Ebasco Services, Inc., 127 Edison Electric Institute, 32, 214 Eisenhower administration, 144 Electric Power Research Institute (EPRS), 46, 62, 63, 73, Energy Information Agency, 32 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), 145, 148, 168 Federal Aviation Agency, 149 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), 138, 255 Federal Register, 166, 167 Federal Trade Commission, 163 financial and economic future, 13-15, 29-76 cost of building and operating nuclear powerplants, cost of electricity from coal and nuclear plants, 64 risk of public liability, 69 future construction costs of nuclear powerplants, 66 impact of risk on the cost of capital, 70 increase in nuclear construction leadtimes, 62 rapid increase in cost, 58 reasons for increased construction costs, 60 electricity demand, 13, 29, 31-42 sources of uncertainty, 33-41 estimated impact of industrial electrotechnologies in the year 2000, 38 nuclear power in the context of utiltity strategies, 71-76 alternative utility construction plans, 73 estimated cost of nuclear plants under construction, implications for Federal policies, 74 rate regulation and powerplant finance, 13, 46-57 allowance for funds used during construction construction work in progress (CWIP), 50, 52, 56, history of the deterioration in the financial health of impact of changes in rate regulation in electricity implications of utilities' financial situation, 50 obstacles to a long-term commission perspective, 56 phased-in rate requirements, 52 public utility commissions (PUC), 50, 51, 52, 56, 57 Florida, 59, 72, 92 Florida Power & Light Co., 59, 72, 115, 136 Font St. Vrain, Colo., 9, 101, 102, 128 France, 22, 23, 67, 189, 191, 196, 199, 200, 202, 203 siting of plants, 198 Fuel Supply Service, 136 Garrett, Pat, 240 General Accounting Office (GAO), 171 General Atomic Co., 101 General Electric Co., 87, 94, 180, 218 General Public Utilities (GPU), 68, 136 Great Britain, 22 Great Lakes Basin Commission, 149 gross national product (GNP), 29, 32, 33, 34, 36, 40, 41 Hodel, Donald, Secretary of Energy, 162 Illinois, 56, 136 India, 202, 203 Indian Point Station, 150 Indiana Public Utility Commission, 56 Industry Degraded Core Rulemaking Program, 88 Institute for Nuclear Power Operations, 9, 19, 20, 25, Significant Events Evaluation and Information Network Systematic Assessments of License Performance Japan, 22, 23, 102, 191, 194, 199, 200, 203 siting of plants, 198 Kasperson, Roger, 222 Kemeny Commission, 231, 233 Korea, 194, 200 League of Women Voters, 230, 236, 239 Administrative Procedures Act (APA), 164 Atomic Energy Act, 21, 22, 143, 144, 151, 154, 160, Clean Air Act, 151 Clean Water Act (CAA), 151 Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981, 50, 51 Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, 144 Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, 203 Fuel Use Act, 72 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 151 |