- Email: [email protected]
Nuclear resources, the full report to the conservation commission of the world energy conference
Book Reviews
Scientific
Problems of Coal Utilization
Editor: Bernard R. Cooper 11s Department of Energy, 1978, xi + 409 pp. 89.00
This book records the proceedings of a conference held at West Virginia University in May 1977 under the sponsorship of the university and the then Energy Research and Development Administration. The objective of the conference was to acquaint scientists with the types of problems arising in modem coal processing and to encourage them to bring their skills to bear in relevant applied research and longer term exploratory programmes. The texts of sixteen lectures are reproduced together with reports of four panel discussions and lengthy abstracts of fifty-four poster contributions. Topics include the fundamental chemistry and physics of coal, and the complete spectrum of coal utilization from mining and coal preparation through process technology to the associated environmental effects. Towards the end of the proceedings, one discussion panel member emphasized that ‘. . . coal is an unknown substance . . . We have a generation now that doesn’t know what coal is, what it is good for . . .’ This thought was perhaps in the minds of the organizers when they placed a paper on methods of physical characterization of coal near the start of the programme. Although such a paper could not include all aspects of the subject, the reader may consider that he could forgo the detailed procedure of microdensity measurement, for example, in exchange for a brief mention of the results of X-ray analysis of coal. Part of the fifteen pages devoted to physical constitution analysis (PCA) (and the van Krevelen-Dryden controversy) might have conveyed a little information on the chemical analysis which is necessary - at the very least in carrying out PCA. Some of the groundwork is covered later in a panel discussion on the chemical and physical characterization of coal (pp 76-97), partly resulting from audience pleas for an introductory discussion of terms and a basic description of coal! The first ultimate analyses of coal (C, H, 0, N, S) in the book appear on p 221. Most of the papers achieve a well-balanced summary of the present state of the art with respect to some branch of coal processing, combined with clear indications of the scientific problems to which solutions are needed. Whether the problem is the discovery of synthesis catalysts less sensitive to sulphur poisoning, the elucidation of the organic chemistry of coal conversion, the development of alloys and coatings resistant to sulphur attack in conversion plant or the improvement of systems for feeding coal into pressurised reactors, the invitation to become involved is clearly given. A few authors, on the other hand, seem more concerned to demonstrate that recent research has done much to solve the problems in a particular field, perhaps with some justification. These contributions are counter-balanced by one or two which (no doubt, fairly) emphasize that there are also serious ‘institutional’ problems to be solved before coal utilization can play the part envisaged in the energy policy embodies in President Carter’s address to Congress just one month before this conference was held. The papers and the poster abstracts therefore present a
broad view of research in progress in the US on coal utilization at a significant moment, with emphasis on the important problems to be tackled. Inevitably there are differences in emphasis in different countries with regard to the processes under development, and the priorities attaching to the scientific problems will change, but this book has more than ephemeral value and can be recommended to pure and applied research workers in universities and technical institutions who may be able to assist in building the coal technology of the 21st century. The book (paper-backed) is very well produced, has good illustrations and bibliographies, an adequate subject index and is excellent value for the price. G. J. Pitt (1979)
Energy from Fossil Fuels and Geothermal Energy. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, Vol. 2 Editor: N. A. Chigier Pergamon Press, Oxford, UK, 269 pp, f25
This book is a collection of ten authoritative reviews of developments in particular areas of the energy and combustion fields up to about 1975, together with a statement on fossil energy research in ERDA which appears to have been submitted to the US Congress in 1976. The topics surveyed are remarkably heterogeneous, looking like a random selection arranged in random order, ranging from NO, pollution control to geothermal energy development via accidental explosions and gas flares, amongst other subjects. The level of presentation is equally variable, making parts of the book suitable for a wide range of readers from the intelligent layman with an interest in the energy crisis to the most advanced technical specialist. It is essentially a book for library purchase which will be widely consulted by research and development workers and by students at all levels. Individually the papers are good guides to recent work in their respective areas and form a satisfactory basis for forward projection. Naturally some topics fall in areas which have been frequently reviewed in the past but the section on accidental explosion is particularly noteworthy in filling a long-standing gap in the literature on blastwaves and should be a considerable help to anyone engaged in this area. The major disadvantage from the reader’s point of view is the small print and thin paper used in its production, which may tend to discourage perusal of its otherwise excellent contents. V. D. Long (19 79) Nuclear Resources, the full report to the Conservation Commission of the World Energy Conference IPC Science and Technology Press, Guildford, UK, 1978, 224 pp, g12.00 (cloth) The world fission fuel demand is reviewed in terms of six possible nuclear scenarios ranging from a non-recycling one, based predominantly by light water reactors to scenarios involving the introduction of fast breeder reactors in about
FUEL, 1980, Vol 59, April
279
Book reviews
1990 and some ten years later, with assumed fuel doubling time of twentyfour years and ten years. The fifth and sixth possibilities considered are the introduction of thermal breeders using the thorium cycle. A world installed nuclear capacity of about 1500 Gw(e) is postulated for the year 2000 rising to 5000 Gw(e) by 2020 A.D. which at that time will represent approximately 50% of the total electricity generating capacity. For the purpose of this evaluation the world is divided into eleven geographical regions and the phasing of the introduction of the nuclear programmes is varied between the regions in line with their expected economic development. The cunulative uranium requirement to 2020 ranges from 6.8 million tonnes for the program involving the earlier introduction of short doubling time fast breeders to 10 million tonnes in the non-recycling case but, more significantly, the annual uranium requirement continues to grow rapidly through the year 2020 in the latter case, but is reduced after the assumed introduction of breeders in the other scenarios. This is also true of the requirement for isotope separative work. The plutonium production from the thermal stations would continue to be stockpiled in the non recycling case, but would be rapidly committed in all but the short doubling time breeder scenario, requiring augmentation from a continued thermal program. These programs are to be evaluated in the light of a known world uranium reserve of two million tons in the form of reasonably rich ore (recoverable at up to $130/Kg) with perhaps a similar quantity in this category not as yet
280
FUEL, 1980, Vol 59, April
firmly located, and a rate of uranium production which could keep up with the least demanding scenario only until 1990. Understandably, a major section of the text is devoted to an assessment of the possibility of finding and utilizing more dilute and expensive uranium reserves at the required rate. The results of the assessment are not encouraging except in the case of uranium from sea water where the reserves are still approximately 4000 million tonnes, though large uncertainties still exist in the extraction costs where estimates range from $169/kg to $780/kg, and the capital costs would be high. The conclusion that the most significant reduction in uranium demand could be achieved by the early introduction of short doubling time fast breeders is not unexpected, but the equally obvious case for a reduction in the rate of installation of P.W.R’s in favour of higher conversion ratio thermal reactors is neglected, which is surprizing in view of the strong Canadian representation in the authorship. The Report is essentially a reference work for the specialist with several chapters consisting mainly of tables and graphical representation of detailed calculations connected by relatively brief but adequate explanatory text. A major criticism would be that the summary presented as Chapter 1 is unnecessarily long, rehearsing some of the detailed arguments and even the figures which recur in later chapters. The graphs are clear and informative, though the use of the Megagram rather than the tonne as the basic unit will be unfamiliar to many readers. S. E. Hunt (1979)
Typeset by Mid-County Press, London SW15 Printed by Henry Ling Ltd. Dorchester, Dorset
Scientific
Problems of Coal Utilization
Editor: Bernard R. Cooper 11s Department of Energy, 1978, xi + 409 pp. 89.00
This book records the proceedings of a conference held at West Virginia University in May 1977 under the sponsorship of the university and the then Energy Research and Development Administration. The objective of the conference was to acquaint scientists with the types of problems arising in modem coal processing and to encourage them to bring their skills to bear in relevant applied research and longer term exploratory programmes. The texts of sixteen lectures are reproduced together with reports of four panel discussions and lengthy abstracts of fifty-four poster contributions. Topics include the fundamental chemistry and physics of coal, and the complete spectrum of coal utilization from mining and coal preparation through process technology to the associated environmental effects. Towards the end of the proceedings, one discussion panel member emphasized that ‘. . . coal is an unknown substance . . . We have a generation now that doesn’t know what coal is, what it is good for . . .’ This thought was perhaps in the minds of the organizers when they placed a paper on methods of physical characterization of coal near the start of the programme. Although such a paper could not include all aspects of the subject, the reader may consider that he could forgo the detailed procedure of microdensity measurement, for example, in exchange for a brief mention of the results of X-ray analysis of coal. Part of the fifteen pages devoted to physical constitution analysis (PCA) (and the van Krevelen-Dryden controversy) might have conveyed a little information on the chemical analysis which is necessary - at the very least in carrying out PCA. Some of the groundwork is covered later in a panel discussion on the chemical and physical characterization of coal (pp 76-97), partly resulting from audience pleas for an introductory discussion of terms and a basic description of coal! The first ultimate analyses of coal (C, H, 0, N, S) in the book appear on p 221. Most of the papers achieve a well-balanced summary of the present state of the art with respect to some branch of coal processing, combined with clear indications of the scientific problems to which solutions are needed. Whether the problem is the discovery of synthesis catalysts less sensitive to sulphur poisoning, the elucidation of the organic chemistry of coal conversion, the development of alloys and coatings resistant to sulphur attack in conversion plant or the improvement of systems for feeding coal into pressurised reactors, the invitation to become involved is clearly given. A few authors, on the other hand, seem more concerned to demonstrate that recent research has done much to solve the problems in a particular field, perhaps with some justification. These contributions are counter-balanced by one or two which (no doubt, fairly) emphasize that there are also serious ‘institutional’ problems to be solved before coal utilization can play the part envisaged in the energy policy embodies in President Carter’s address to Congress just one month before this conference was held. The papers and the poster abstracts therefore present a
broad view of research in progress in the US on coal utilization at a significant moment, with emphasis on the important problems to be tackled. Inevitably there are differences in emphasis in different countries with regard to the processes under development, and the priorities attaching to the scientific problems will change, but this book has more than ephemeral value and can be recommended to pure and applied research workers in universities and technical institutions who may be able to assist in building the coal technology of the 21st century. The book (paper-backed) is very well produced, has good illustrations and bibliographies, an adequate subject index and is excellent value for the price. G. J. Pitt (1979)
Energy from Fossil Fuels and Geothermal Energy. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, Vol. 2 Editor: N. A. Chigier Pergamon Press, Oxford, UK, 269 pp, f25
This book is a collection of ten authoritative reviews of developments in particular areas of the energy and combustion fields up to about 1975, together with a statement on fossil energy research in ERDA which appears to have been submitted to the US Congress in 1976. The topics surveyed are remarkably heterogeneous, looking like a random selection arranged in random order, ranging from NO, pollution control to geothermal energy development via accidental explosions and gas flares, amongst other subjects. The level of presentation is equally variable, making parts of the book suitable for a wide range of readers from the intelligent layman with an interest in the energy crisis to the most advanced technical specialist. It is essentially a book for library purchase which will be widely consulted by research and development workers and by students at all levels. Individually the papers are good guides to recent work in their respective areas and form a satisfactory basis for forward projection. Naturally some topics fall in areas which have been frequently reviewed in the past but the section on accidental explosion is particularly noteworthy in filling a long-standing gap in the literature on blastwaves and should be a considerable help to anyone engaged in this area. The major disadvantage from the reader’s point of view is the small print and thin paper used in its production, which may tend to discourage perusal of its otherwise excellent contents. V. D. Long (19 79) Nuclear Resources, the full report to the Conservation Commission of the World Energy Conference IPC Science and Technology Press, Guildford, UK, 1978, 224 pp, g12.00 (cloth) The world fission fuel demand is reviewed in terms of six possible nuclear scenarios ranging from a non-recycling one, based predominantly by light water reactors to scenarios involving the introduction of fast breeder reactors in about
FUEL, 1980, Vol 59, April
279
Book reviews
1990 and some ten years later, with assumed fuel doubling time of twentyfour years and ten years. The fifth and sixth possibilities considered are the introduction of thermal breeders using the thorium cycle. A world installed nuclear capacity of about 1500 Gw(e) is postulated for the year 2000 rising to 5000 Gw(e) by 2020 A.D. which at that time will represent approximately 50% of the total electricity generating capacity. For the purpose of this evaluation the world is divided into eleven geographical regions and the phasing of the introduction of the nuclear programmes is varied between the regions in line with their expected economic development. The cunulative uranium requirement to 2020 ranges from 6.8 million tonnes for the program involving the earlier introduction of short doubling time fast breeders to 10 million tonnes in the non-recycling case but, more significantly, the annual uranium requirement continues to grow rapidly through the year 2020 in the latter case, but is reduced after the assumed introduction of breeders in the other scenarios. This is also true of the requirement for isotope separative work. The plutonium production from the thermal stations would continue to be stockpiled in the non recycling case, but would be rapidly committed in all but the short doubling time breeder scenario, requiring augmentation from a continued thermal program. These programs are to be evaluated in the light of a known world uranium reserve of two million tons in the form of reasonably rich ore (recoverable at up to $130/Kg) with perhaps a similar quantity in this category not as yet
280
FUEL, 1980, Vol 59, April
firmly located, and a rate of uranium production which could keep up with the least demanding scenario only until 1990. Understandably, a major section of the text is devoted to an assessment of the possibility of finding and utilizing more dilute and expensive uranium reserves at the required rate. The results of the assessment are not encouraging except in the case of uranium from sea water where the reserves are still approximately 4000 million tonnes, though large uncertainties still exist in the extraction costs where estimates range from $169/kg to $780/kg, and the capital costs would be high. The conclusion that the most significant reduction in uranium demand could be achieved by the early introduction of short doubling time fast breeders is not unexpected, but the equally obvious case for a reduction in the rate of installation of P.W.R’s in favour of higher conversion ratio thermal reactors is neglected, which is surprizing in view of the strong Canadian representation in the authorship. The Report is essentially a reference work for the specialist with several chapters consisting mainly of tables and graphical representation of detailed calculations connected by relatively brief but adequate explanatory text. A major criticism would be that the summary presented as Chapter 1 is unnecessarily long, rehearsing some of the detailed arguments and even the figures which recur in later chapters. The graphs are clear and informative, though the use of the Megagram rather than the tonne as the basic unit will be unfamiliar to many readers. S. E. Hunt (1979)
Typeset by Mid-County Press, London SW15 Printed by Henry Ling Ltd. Dorchester, Dorset