13 research outputs found
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Robotics and remote handling concepts for disposal of high-level nuclear waste
This paper summarizes preliminary remote handling and robotic concepts being developed as part of the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Yucca Mountain Project. The DOE is currently evaluating the Yucca Mountain Nevada site for suitability as a possible underground geologic repository for the disposal of high level nuclear waste. The current advanced conceptual design calls for the disposal of more than 12,000 high level nuclear waste packages within a 225 km underground network of tunnels and emplacement drifts. Many of the waste packages may weigh as much as 66 tonnes and measure 1.8 m in diameter and 5.6 m long. The waste packages will emit significant levels of radiation and heat. Therefore, remote handling is a cornerstone of the repository design and operating concepts. This paper discusses potential applications areas for robotics and remote handling technologies within the subsurface repository. It also summarizes the findings of a preliminary technology survey which reviewed available robotic and remote handling technologies developed within the nuclear, mining, rail and industrial robotics and automation industries, and at national laboratories, universities, and related research institutions and government agencies
Reply to Komatsu et al.: From local social mindfulness to global sustainability efforts?
Komatsu et al. (1) argue that Van Doesum et al. (2)
may have overlooked the role of GDP in reporting a
positive association between social mindfulness
(SoMi) and the Environmental Performance Index
(EPI) at country level. Although the relationship
between EPI and SoMi is relatively weaker for countries with higher GDP, that does not imply that the
overall observed relationship is a statistical artifact.
Rather, it implies that GDP may be a moderator of
the relationship between EPI and SoMi. The
observed correlation is a valid result on average
across countries, and the actual effect size would, at
least to some degree, depend on GDP
Reply to Nielsen et al.: Social mindfulness is associated with countries' environmental performance and individual environmental concern.
Nielsen et al. (1) argue that Van Doesum et al. (2)
need to consider three points for their interpretation
of a positive association between individual-level
social mindfulness (SoMi) and environmental performance (EPI) at the country level (3). The association
is weaker when 1) it is controlled for GDP and 2)
when the data of three countries are removed; also,
3) the data do not address the association between
SoMi and individual-level environmental concern.
We discuss these points in turn
Reply to Nielsen et al. social mindfulness is associated with countriesâ environmental performance and individual environmental concern
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
From local social mindfulness to global sustainability efforts?
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Social mindfulness and prosociality vary across the globe
Humans are social animals, but not everyone will be mindful of others to the same extent. Individual differences have been found, but would social mindfulness also be shaped by oneâs location in the world? Expecting cross-national differences to exist, we examined if and how social mindfulness differs across countries. At little to no material cost, social mindfulness typically entails small acts of attention or kindness. Even though fairly common, such low-cost cooperation has received little empirical attention. Measuring social mindfulness across 31 samples from industrialized countries and regions (n = 8,354), we found considerable variation. Among selected country-level variables, greater social mindfulness was most strongly associated with countriesâ better general performance on environmental protection. Together, our findings contribute to the literature on prosociality by targeting the kind of everyday cooperation that is more focused on communicating benevolence than on providing material benefits
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Concept of Operation for Waste Transport, Emplacement, and Retrieval
The preparation of this technical report has two objectives. The first objective is to discuss the base case concepts of waste transport, emplacement, and retrieval operations and evaluate these operations relative to a lower-temperature repository design. Aspects of the operations involved in waste transport, emplacement and retrieval may be affected by the lower-temperature operating schemes. This report evaluates the effects the lower-temperature alternatives may have on the operational concepts involved in emplacing and retrieving waste. The second objective is to provide backup material for the design description, in a traceable and defensible format, for Section 2 of the Waste Emplacement/Retrieval System Description Document
'$ * ROBOTICS AND REMOTE HANDLING CONCEPTS FOR DISPOSAL OF HIGH-LEVEL NUCLEAR WASTE
ABSTRACT This paper summarizes preliminary remote handling and robotic concepts being developed as part of the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Yucca Mountain Project. The DOE is currently evaluating the Yucca Mountain Nevada site for suitability as a possible underground geologic repository for the disposal of high level nuclear waste. The current advanced conceptual design calls for the disposal of more than 12,000 high level nuclear waste packages within a 225 km underground network of tunnels and emplacement drifts. Many of the waste packages may weigh as much as 66 tonnes and measure 1.8 m in diameter and 5.6 m long. The waste packages will emit significant levels of radiation and heat. Therefore, remote handling is a cornerstone of the repository design and operating concepts. This paper discusses potential applications areas for robotics and remote handling technologies within the subsurface repository. It also summarizes the findings of a preliminary technology survey which reviewed available robotic and remote handling technologies developed within the nuclear, mining, rail and industrial robotics and automation industries, and at national laboratories, universities, and related research institutions and government agencies
REPLY TO NIELSEN ET AL.: Social mindfulness is associated with countriesâ environmental performance and individual environmental concern
Nielsen et al. (1) argue that Van Doesum et al. (2) need to consider three points for their interpretation of a positive association between individual-level social mindfulness (SoMi) and environmental performance (EPI) at the country level (3). The association is weaker when 1) it is controlled for GDP and 2) when the data of three countries are removed; also, 3) the data do not address the association between SoMi and individual-level environmental concern. We discuss these points in turn