This paper presents an algorithm to segment images into four classes: background, photograph, text and graph. There are two important aspects about the algorithm. The rst is that the algorithm takes a multiscale approach, which adaptively classi es an image at di erent resolutions.
Nuclear power generation has become an increasingly attractive alternative in the global power market due to growing demand for electric power, increasing global competition for fossil fuels, concern over greenhouse gas emissions and their potential impact on climate change, and the desire for energy independence. Nuclear energy plays an integral role in providing carbon free energy for sustainable development of global electric power generation. Assuring the protection of people and the environmental is a prime consideration in the design, construction, and operation of nuclear power plants. Potential environmental and safety concerns must be carefully evaluated and addressed. In order to assure that the nuclear power plant designs are sufficiently robust, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) requires that applicants for early site permits (ESP) and construction/operating licenses (COL) identify the most severe natural phenomena historically reported for the site and surrounding area to ensure sufficient design margin exists, considering the limited accuracy, quantity, and time in which the associated data has been collected. Because these permits are valid for a period up to 40 years, the potential impacts of climate change on the severity of natural phenomena, as it relates to the design basis and nuclear safety and environmental impacts are of increasing interest. Although no conclusive evidence or consensus of opinion is available on the long-term climatic changes resulting from human or natural causes, the USNRC has requested that climate change forecasts be considered for their potential affecting the most severe natural phenomena. The specific subject areas of concern include: • Extreme temperature and extreme precipitation (liquid & frozen) statistics – review 100 years of data around the site versus a review of the previous 30 years of data. • Extreme wind/basic wind speed – review previous 100 years of tropical cyclone data (including hurricanes) in the site vicinity versus previous 30 years of data. • Tornado – review of frequency and intensity trends and forecasts. • Drought – review of water availability / water supply during drought conditions and drought of record. • Stagnation Potential – review of conditions that would result in restrictive dispersion of greenhouse gas emissions. This paper examines the challenges and constraints in identifying and developing appropriate design- and operating-basis site/regional meteorological conditions while accounting for potential climate change during preparation of an ESP and/or COL. Because there is no regulatory guidance or quantitative acceptance criteria currently available, the methodology used to address climate change in a recent issued ESP will be discussed as an example.
As an aftermath of the natural disasters affecting the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants in Japan, there has been great attention to provide assurance of safety of nuclear power plants around the world. Accordingly, many countries are requiring “stress tests” for their plants to assess the ability to withstand disaster scenarios for which they were not originally designed. Additional efforts are underway to capture lessons learned related to the operation of critical or major systems. Each operator and each country’s regulatory authority may be at different levels of completion for these activities. However, effects on non-safety related or peripheral systems have not been specifically addressed as standalone items or in an integrated systems approach. This paper seeks to produce an initial assessment of vulnerable systems, structures or components of non-safety related areas that may become critical to the safe operation of a nuclear plant or to the first steps to maintain stability of the plant during a postulated beyond design basis event. The same assessment is valid for events of significant magnitude, or for events affecting the entire site or region, even if a plant’s design basis is not exceeded. The initial assessment is based on widespread events, such as at the Fukushima Daiichi station, with focus on large nuclear power reactors. Certain peripheral plant systems support plant operators and staff or emergency responders such as by affording communication or physical access to plant areas. Other peripheral systems support plant operation or recovery, for example provision of diverse power supply or cooling means. Passive components common to multiple systems such as cables and piping are also assessed. Once vulnerable systems, structures or components are identified, various modifications or mitigation approaches will be discussed.
Nuclear power generation has become an increasingly attractive alternative in the United States (U.S.) power market due to several factors: growing demand for electric power, increasing global competition for fossil fuels, concern over greenhouse gas emissions and their potential impact on climate change, and the desire for energy independence. Assuring the protection of people and the environment are of paramount concern to nuclear power generators and regulators as we move towards a possible nuclear renaissance. Thus, sound engineering design is of utmost important and potential environmental and safety concerns must be carefully evaluated and disposition during permitting of the new nuclear power plants. Areas to be considered in order to alleviate these concerns include the following: • Site meteorology and dispersion conditions of the area; • Evaluation of radiological consequence during normal plant operation and emergency conditions; • Water availability for plant cooling system; • Evaluation of potential land use, water use, ecological and socioeconomic impacts of the proposed action. This paper focuses on site suitability evaluation for greenfield sites through site characterization, examination of challenges/constraints in deployment of available technology/plant systems, and mapping of permitting compliance strategy. Case studies related to selection of plant systems based on the environmental site conditions, preferred compliance plan, and public acceptance, are included.
Assuring the protection of humans and their environment is of great concern to nuclear electric power generators and regulators, as we move towards a full scale nuclear renaissance. The applicable national environmental policies of the host country usually require government agencies and the permit applicants to consider environmental impacts in making decisions and to disclose these environmental impacts to the public.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.