Nuclear

Managing the Plant Data Lifecycle

Utilities, Volume 9
By Neil Gerber
IBM  

An iPLM approach to design, construction, operation and maintenance of a commercial nuclear power plant offers substantial cost, schedule and other long-term benefits.

Intelligent Plant Lifecycle Management (iPLM) is the process of managing a generation facility's data and information throughout its lifetime - from initial design through to decommissioning. This paper will look at results from the application of this process in other industries such as shipbuilding, and show how those results are directly applicable to the design, construction, operation and maintenance of complex power generation facilities, specifically nuclear and clean coal plants.

Future of Learning

Utilities, Volume 9
By Mark Beckstrom, Phil McCullough
IBM and Institute of Nuclear Power Operations  

The manner in which the nuclear power industry trains and prepares the next generation of workers is vital to its revival and longevity.

The nuclear power industry is facing significant employee turnover, which may be exacerbated by the need to staff new nuclear units. To maintain a highly skilled workforce to safely operate U.S. nuclear plants, the industry must find ways to expedite training and qualification, enhance knowledge transfer to the next generation of workers, and develop leadership talent to achieve excellent organizational effectiveness.

Wind Energy: Balancing the Demand

Utilities, Volume 8
By Robert H. Gates
Clipper Windpower  

Faced with supply chain problems and insufficient government support, wind power operators continue to herald their industry’s promise.

In recent years, exponential demand for new U.S. wind energy-generating facilities has nearly doubled America's installed wind generation. By the end of 2007, our nation's total wind capacity stood at more than 16,000 megawatts (MW) - enough to power more than 4.5 million average American homes each year. And in 2007 alone, America's new wind capacity grew 45 percent over the previous year - a record 5,244 MW of new projects and more new generating capacity than any other single electricity resource contributed in the same year.

Growing (or Shrinking) Trends in Nuclear Power Plant Construction

Utilities, Volume 8
By John Ritch
World Nuclear Association  

Proximity to demand and the economics of modular construction light the way for small to medium-size power plants.

Around the world, the prospects for nuclear power generation are increasing - opportunities made clear by the number of currently under-construction nuclear plants that are smaller than those currently in the limelight. Offering advantages in certain situations, these smaller plants can more readily serve smaller grids as well as be used for distributed generation (with power plants located close to the demand centers and the main grid providing back-up).

The Power of Prediction: Improving the Odds of a Nuclear Renaissance

Utilities, Volume 8
By Jeanne DiFrancesco
ProOrbis LLC  

To avoid the mistakes of the past, the nuclear power industry may consider better use of advanced management science.

After 30 years of disfavor in the United States, the nuclear power industry is poised for resurgence. With the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the specter of over $100 per barrel oil prices and the public recognition that global warming is real, nuclear power is now considered one of the most practical ways to clean up the power grid and help the United States reduce its dependence on foreign oil. The industry has responded with a resolve to build a new fleet of nuclear plants in anticipation of what has been referred to as a nuclear renaissance.