Novel methods for generalizing nuclear fuel cycle design, and fuel burnup modeling

The large number of reactor designs and concepts in existence open up a vast array of nuclear fuel cycle strategies. u. These different reactor types require unique supporting systems from raw material extraction and handling to waste management. Any system designed to model nuclear energy should therefore have methods that are capability of representing a large number of unique fuel cycles. This work examines a user interface designed to generalize the design of nuclear fuel cycles. This software, known as CycIC, allows users to interact graphically with a fuel cycle simulator (Cyclus). In this work, the capabilities of CycIC were improved through two rounds of rigorous user experience testing. These tests were used as a basis for implementing improvements to the software. Two views inside the software were improved to allow for users to interact with the software more intuitively, and features that provide help to the users were added to improve understanding of fuel cycles and Cyclus. Additionally, this work expands the capabilities of a reactor modeling software (known as Bright-lite) which uses the fluence based neutron balance approach to determine burnup, criticality, and transmutation matrixes for nuclear reactors to augment its modeling of the broadest range of fuel cycle strategies. Specifically, a multi-dimensional interpolation method was implemented to enable reactors to be characterized by sets of cross section libraries which potentially depend on a large number of reactor characteristics. The accuracy of this interpolation method is demonstrated for a number of parameters for light water reactors, and techniques for using this interpolation method to automatically generate reactor libraries for Bright-lite are demonstrated. This research also generalizes the ability of the Bright-lite to blend multiple streams of nuclear fuel while still maintaining constraints. This system is demonstrated for continuous recycle nuclear fuel cycles utilizing light water and fast spectrum reactors. The results show that Bright-lite is capable of blending fuel to reach several targets using up to three different input streams.Mechanical Engineerin

Fuel cycle transition simulation capabilities in CYCLUS

Recent interest in advanced reactors and the following need for techno-economic transitions has increased the demand for tools necessary to model complex nuclear fuel cycles (NFCs) and advanced reactor technologies. This thesis demonstrates the capability of CYCLUS , the agent-based fuel cycle simulator, to model, simulate, and analyze real-life fuel cycle transition scenarios. I introduce new methods and tools that use various databases to model and simulate real-world nuclear fuel cycle transition scenarios involving advanced reactor technologies. The work in this thesis contains: (1) benchmarking Cyclus to other nuclear fuel cycle simulators (NFC simulators); (2) developing new methods and tools necessary for modeling and simulating real-world fuel cycle transition scenarios; (3) simulation of both domestic and international nuclear technology transitions. The methods and tools developed for such capabilities include: (1) modeling and simulating past and current nuclear fleets using historic nuclear reactor operations database; (2) modeling individual reactors and their operating history to calculate nuclear material inventory; (3) modeling Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) behavior in a large-scale fuel cycle simulation. Benchmark work shows that CYCLUS results coincide with results from other NFC simulators with minor differences due to modeling choices. Additionally, this thesis demonstrates the CYCLUS capability to effectively model and simulate real-life NFC transition scenarios that involve advanced reactor technologies such as MSRs

Autonomous dynamic decision making in fuel cycle simulators using a game theoretic approach

A novel methodology for optimizing nuclear fuel cycle transitions that captures interactions between a policy maker and electric utility company is presented. The methodology is demonstrated using a two-person general-sum sequential game with uncertainty that is implemented using a nuclear fuel cycle simulator capable of calculating a material- and technology-constrained material balance, coupled to a multi-objective optimization solver. The solver explicitly treats uncertainties using a stochastic programming approach with chance nodes depicted as a Nature player who moves randomly. The methodology is demonstrated through a Transition Game that features tradeoffs between investments in competing reprocessing and waste disposal technologies, dynamic reactor deployment responses to resolutions in reactor capital cost uncertainty, and the influence of capital subsidies on the future nuclear technology mix. Each player in the game uses a unique set of decision criteria to identify optimal near-term hedging strategies that consider all of Nature’s possible moves as well as the other player’s available decisions. These hedging strategies balance the exchange between the risk of immediate action and delay and maintain flexibility to allow for intelligent recourse decisions once uncertainties are resolved. Results from the Transition Game indicate that early transition to high-temperature gas-cooled reactors is preferred, with the option to abandon the transition following a learning period if capital costs are unfavorable. Under these conditions, transition to used fuel recycling in sodium-cooled fast reactors may be spurred by policy incentives under some certain decision criteria weightings. Otherwise, operating with a baseline set of decision criteria weightings, transition to a closed fuel is never observed when players hedge optimally against Nature’s moves. It is only when players have perfect information regarding Nature’s future moves will transition to a closed fuel be observed.Mechanical Engineerin

Strategisch management: een handboek voor de publieke sector

Publieke organisaties worden vandaag op alle bestuursniveaus geconfronteerd met ingrijpende veranderingen. Van leidinggevende ambtenaren wordt verwacht dat ze 'managers' zijn, waardoor de nood aan kennis om op een succesvolle wijze managementgeoriënteerd om te gaan met publieke organisaties almaar toeneemt. STRATEGISCH MANAGEMENT biedt managers van deze organisaties de bouwstenen die zij nodig hebben om een slagvaardig strategisch en organisatorisch beleid uit te bouwen. Enerzijds bevat het boek een overzicht van alle relevante theorieën en begrippen uit de recentste wetenschappelijke literatuur, anderzijds is het onmiddellijk bruikbaar in de praktijk. STRATEGISCH MANAGEMENT is geschreven voor studenten en docenten maar ook voor managers en consultants met belangstelling voor het thema. Bovendien vormt het boek een tandem met een website met uitgewerkte cases, de recentste ontwikkelingen en werkbladen die aanzetten om meteen aan de slag te gaa

Organizing for Sustainability

This upper-level Open Access textbook aims to educate students and professionals on how to develop business models that have a positive impact on people, society, and the social and ecological environment. It explores a different view of how to organize value creation, from a focus on an almost exclusively monetary value creation to one that creates positive impact through multiple values. The book offers students and entrepreneurs a structured approach based through the Business Model Template (BMT). It consists of three stages and ten building blocks to facilitate the development of a business model. Users, be they students or practitioners, need to choose from one of the three offered business model archetypes, namely the platform, community, or circular business models. Each archetype offers a dedicated logic for vale creation. The book can be used to develop a business model from scratch (turning an idea into a working prototype) or to transform an existing business model into one of the three archetypes. Throughout the book extra sources, links to relevant online video clips, assignments and literature are offered to facilitate the development process. This book will be of interest to students studying the development of business models, sustainable management, innovation, and value creation. It will also be of interest executives, and professionals such as consultants or social entrepreneurs seeking further education

India: een wereld van verhalen

Als één van de oudste cultuurgebieden op aarde, wordt India sinds de oudheid gekenmerkt door een bijzonder rijke verhalenwereld. Sommige verhalen zijn (deels) gebaseerd op historische gebeurtenissen, andere geheel ontsproten aan de fantasie van getalenteerde vertellers. De regio Zuid-Azië kent een lange en woelige culturele geschiedenis, gekenmerkt door instromen van diverse migrerende en veroverende volkeren, die er allen hun sporen nalieten, uiteraard ook in het verhalencorpus. Bovendien vonden verscheidene wereldreligies, hindoeïsme, boeddhisme, jaïnisme en sikhisme er hun oorsprong, en konden religies als islam er op een heel aparte manier ontwikkelen tot een typisch Zuid-Aziatische vorm. Tegen deze achtergrond geeft dit volume een overzicht van verschillende aspecten van de verhalenliteratuur in India. De omvang van het onderwerp betekent natuurlijk dat er keuzes gemaakt zijn geworden, maar we hebben gepoogd enkele van de meest frappante onderwerpen naar voren te brengen. Dit boek is onderverdeeld in drie grote delen: ten eerste, de klassiekers, ten tweede, verhalen en religie, en ten derde, lokale verhalentradities