Quantification of the Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Nuclear Power Generation Systems
This paper statistically quantifies the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from six distinct reactor-based (boiling water reactor (BWR), pressurized water reactor (PWR), light water reactor (LWR), heavy-water-moderated reactor (HWR), gas-cooled reactor (GCR), fast breeder reactor (FBR)) nuclea...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2016-10-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/9/11/863 |
| _version_ | 1811302098451562496 |
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| author | Akhil Kadiyala Raghava Kommalapati Ziaul Huque |
| author_facet | Akhil Kadiyala Raghava Kommalapati Ziaul Huque |
| author_sort | Akhil Kadiyala |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper statistically quantifies the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from six distinct reactor-based (boiling water reactor (BWR), pressurized water reactor (PWR), light water reactor (LWR), heavy-water-moderated reactor (HWR), gas-cooled reactor (GCR), fast breeder reactor (FBR)) nuclear power generation systems by following a two-step approach that included (a) performing a review of the lifecycle assessment (LCA) studies on the reactor-based nuclear power generation systems; and (b) statistically evaluating the lifecycle GHG emissions (expressed in grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt hour, gCO2e/kWh) for each of the reactor-based nuclear power generation systems to assess the role of different types of nuclear reactors in the reduction of the lifecycle GHG emissions. Additionally, this study quantified the impacts of fuel enrichment methods (centrifuge, gaseous diffusion) on GHG emissions. The mean lifecycle GHG emissions resulting from the use of BWR (sample size, N = 15), PWR (N = 21), LWR (N = 7), HWR (N = 3), GCR (N = 1), and FBR (N = 2) in nuclear power generation systems are 14.52 gCO2e/kWh, 11.87 gCO2e/kWh, 20.5 gCO2e/kWh, 28.2 gCO2e/kWh, 8.35 gCO2e/kWh, and 6.26 gCO2e/kWh, respectively. The FBR nuclear power generation systems produced the minimum lifecycle GHGs. The centrifuge enrichment method produced lower GHG emissions than the gaseous diffusion enrichment method. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:21:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f6d6bb9fde734f3c8fe35d94462c7379 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:21:56Z |
| publishDate | 2016-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-f6d6bb9fde734f3c8fe35d94462c73792022-12-22T02:56:36ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732016-10-0191186310.3390/en9110863en9110863Quantification of the Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Nuclear Power Generation SystemsAkhil Kadiyala0Raghava Kommalapati1Ziaul Huque2Center for Energy & Environmental Sustainability, Prairie View A & M University, Prairie View, TX 77446, USACenter for Energy & Environmental Sustainability, Prairie View A & M University, Prairie View, TX 77446, USACenter for Energy & Environmental Sustainability, Prairie View A & M University, Prairie View, TX 77446, USAThis paper statistically quantifies the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from six distinct reactor-based (boiling water reactor (BWR), pressurized water reactor (PWR), light water reactor (LWR), heavy-water-moderated reactor (HWR), gas-cooled reactor (GCR), fast breeder reactor (FBR)) nuclear power generation systems by following a two-step approach that included (a) performing a review of the lifecycle assessment (LCA) studies on the reactor-based nuclear power generation systems; and (b) statistically evaluating the lifecycle GHG emissions (expressed in grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt hour, gCO2e/kWh) for each of the reactor-based nuclear power generation systems to assess the role of different types of nuclear reactors in the reduction of the lifecycle GHG emissions. Additionally, this study quantified the impacts of fuel enrichment methods (centrifuge, gaseous diffusion) on GHG emissions. The mean lifecycle GHG emissions resulting from the use of BWR (sample size, N = 15), PWR (N = 21), LWR (N = 7), HWR (N = 3), GCR (N = 1), and FBR (N = 2) in nuclear power generation systems are 14.52 gCO2e/kWh, 11.87 gCO2e/kWh, 20.5 gCO2e/kWh, 28.2 gCO2e/kWh, 8.35 gCO2e/kWh, and 6.26 gCO2e/kWh, respectively. The FBR nuclear power generation systems produced the minimum lifecycle GHGs. The centrifuge enrichment method produced lower GHG emissions than the gaseous diffusion enrichment method.http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/9/11/863lifecycle assessmentgreenhouse gas emissionsnuclear energypower generationreactorsenrichment |
| spellingShingle | Akhil Kadiyala Raghava Kommalapati Ziaul Huque Quantification of the Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Nuclear Power Generation Systems Energies lifecycle assessment greenhouse gas emissions nuclear energy power generation reactors enrichment |
| title | Quantification of the Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Nuclear Power Generation Systems |
| title_full | Quantification of the Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Nuclear Power Generation Systems |
| title_fullStr | Quantification of the Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Nuclear Power Generation Systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quantification of the Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Nuclear Power Generation Systems |
| title_short | Quantification of the Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Nuclear Power Generation Systems |
| title_sort | quantification of the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from nuclear power generation systems |
| topic | lifecycle assessment greenhouse gas emissions nuclear energy power generation reactors enrichment |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/9/11/863 |
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