Loading...
Multifaceted approach to nuclear energy in a complex world, A
L'Her, Guillaume F.
L'Her, Guillaume F.
Citations
Altmetric:
Advisor
Editor
Date
Date Issued
2022
Date Submitted
Keywords
Collections
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Embargo Expires
Abstract
Within a complex, dynamic world constrained by resources availability and physical limitations, climate change adds a significant time frame constraint to an already challenging energy transition. To be successfully developed, a given energy technology must overcome intertwined barriers. Technological advances, feasibility, and competitiveness are all aspects of the energy landscape. These three identified cornerstones play a definite role on policy implementation, of paramount importance for topic combining large scale endeavors with national security considerations. This work aims at looking at these problems in a heuristic manner, keeping the applied world in mind. Accounting for these components of energy deployment early on allows for a better identification of the most efficient path necessary to develop nuclear energy.
This thesis develops a software application to study a wave phenomenon in breed-burn nuclear reactors, which will become an integral part of the nuclear discussion to avoid available resources limitations. In the hope of moving toward a more efficient and economic design phase, a common criticism of nuclear systems, this thesis also implements a design framework adapted to complex systems such as nuclear facilities. Through a global siting analysis at multiple nuclear reactor power scales, allowing for proliferation considerations, the potential of nuclear energy to be deployed in new markets is assessed. Additionally, public discourse on social media is measured for multiple energy options over a decade-long period, showing where a significant portion of the debates lay. Finally, this thesis also presents a detailed tangential analysis of residential solar, a potential competitor to microscale nuclear energy in given markets.
Associated Publications
Rights
Copyright of the original work is retained by the author.