The A-to-Z reference resource for nuclear energy information
A significant milestone in the history of nuclear technology, Nuclear Energy Encyclopedia: Science, Technology, and Applications is a comprehensive and authoritative reference guide written by a committee of the world’s leading energy experts.

The encyclopedia is packed with cutting-edge information about where nuclear energy science and technology came from, where they are today, and what the future may hold for this vital technology. Filled with figures, graphs, diagrams, formulas, and photographs, which accompany the short, easily digestible entries, the book is an accessible reference work for anyone with an interest in nuclear energy, and includes coverage of safety and environmental issues that are particularly topical in light of the Fukushima Daiichi incident.

A definitive work on all aspects of the world’s energy supply, the Nuclear Energy Encyclopedia brings together decades of knowledge about energy sources and technologies ranging from coal and oil, to biofuels and wind, and ultimately nuclear power.

Preface ix
(Steven B. Krivit)
Introduction xi
(Jay Lehr)

Contributors xiii

Nuclear Fission: Glossary and Acronyms xv
(K. Anantharaman, P.R. Vasudeva Rao, Carlos H. Casta˜no, and Roger Henning) Nuclear Fusion: Glossary and Acronyms (Lester M. Waganer) xix

PART I GENERAL CONCEPTS 1

1 Nuclear Energy: Past, Present, and Future 3
(Jay Lehr)

2 Benefits and Role of Nuclear Power 7
(Patrick Moore)

3 Early History Of Nuclear Energy 15
(Roger Tilbrook)

4 Early Commercial Development of Nuclear Energy 23
(Roger Tilbrook)

5 Basic Concepts of Thermonuclear Fusion 31
(Laila A. El-Guebaly)

6 Basic Concepts of Nuclear Fission 45
(Pavel V. Tsvetkov)

7 Oklo Natural Fission Reactor 51
(L.V. Krishnan)

8 Electrical Generation from Nuclear Power Plants 57
(Pavel V. Tsvetkov and David E. Ames II)

9 Nuclear Energy for Water Desalination 65
(Saly T. Panicker and P.K. Tewari)

10 Nuclear Energy for Hydrogen Generation 71
(Alistair I. Miller)

PART II NUCLEAR FISSION 77

11 Uranium-Plutonium Nuclear Fuel Cycle 79
(Shoaib Usman)

12 Global Perspective on Thorium Fuel 89
(K. Anantharaman and P.R. Vasudeva Rao)

13 Design Principles of Nuclear Materials 101
(Baldev Raj and M. Vijayalakshmi)

14 Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing 121
(Carlos H. Castano)

15 Safety of Nuclear Fission Reactors: Learning from Accidents 127
(J.G. Marques)

16 Spent Fuel and Waste Disposal 151
(Clifford Singer and William R. Roy)

17 Fission Energy Usage: Status, Trends and Applications 159
(Pavel V. Tsvetkov)

PART III FISSION: BROAD APPLICATION REACTOR TECHNOLOGY 165

18 Light-Water-Moderated Fission Reactor Technology 167
(J’Tia P. Taylor and Roger Tilbrook)

19 CANDU Pressurized Heavy Water Nuclear Reactors 175
(Rusi P. Taleyarkhan)

20 Graphite-Moderated Fission Reactor Technology 187
(Pavel V. Tsvetkov)

21 Status of Fast Reactors 193
(Baldev Raj and P. Chellapandi)

22 Review of Generation-III/III+ Fission Reactors 231
(J.G. Marques)

23 Tomorrow’s Hope for a Pebble-Bed Nuclear Reactor 255
(Jay Lehr)

24 Hydrogeology and Nuclear Energy 257
(Roger Henning)

PART IV FISSION: GEN IV REACTOR TECHNOLOGY 271

25 Introduction to Generation-IV Fission Reactors 273
(Harold McFarlane)

26 The Very High Temperature Reactor 289
(Hans D. Gougar)

27 Supercritical Water Reactor 305
(James R. Wolf)

28 The Potential Use of Supercritical Water-Cooling in Nuclear Reactors 309
(Dr. Igor Pioro)

29 Generation-IV Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor 340
(J’Tia P. Taylor)

30 Generation-IV Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors (SFR) 353
(Robert N. Hill, Christopher Grandy, and Hussein Khalil)

PART V THERMONUCLEAR FUSION 365

31 Historical Origins and Development of Fusion Research 367
(Stephen O. Dean)

32 Plasma Physics and Engineering 371
(Francesco Romanelli)

33 Fusion Technology 389
(Lester M. Waganer)

34 ITER—An Essential and Challenging Step to Fusion Energy 399
(Charles C. Baker)

35 Power Plant Projects 405
(Laila A. El-Guebaly)

36 Safety and Environmental Features 413
(Lee Cadwallader and Laila A. El-Guebaly)

37 Inertial Fusion Energy Technology 413
(Rokaya A. Al-Ayat, Edward I. Moses, and Rose A. Hansen)

38 Hybrid Nuclear Reactors 421
(Jose M. Martinez-Val, Mireia Piera, Alberto Ab´anades, and Antonio Lafuente)

39 Fusion Maintenance Systems 435
(Lester M. Waganer)

40 Fusion Economics 457
(Lester M. Waganer)

PART VI LOW-ENERGY NUCLEAR REACTIONS 479

41 Development of Low-Energy Nuclear Reaction Research 481
(Steven B. Krivit)

42 Low-Energy Nuclear Reactions: A Three-Stage Historical Perspectiv 497
(Leonid I. Urutskoev)

43 Low-Energy Nuclear Reactions: Transmutations 481
(Mahadeva Srinivasan, George Miley, and Edmund Storms)

44 Widom–Larsen Theory: Possible Explanation of LENRs 503
(Joseph M. Zawodny and Steven B. Krivit)

45 Potential Applications of LENRs 547
(Winthrop Williams and Joseph Zawodny)

PART VII OTHER CONCEPTS 551

46 Acoustic Inertial Confinement Nuclear Fusion 553
(Rusi P. Taleyarkhan, Richard T. Lahey Jr., and Robert I. Nigmatulin)

47 Direct Energy Conversion Concepts 569
(Pavel V. Tsvetkov)

Index 581