France also has anti-nuclear organizations, but in opinion polls, 65% people support the construction of nuclear power plants, and it will continue to build 17 new nuclear power plants.
The development of nuclear energy planned by the former Soviet Union is particularly fast. According to the basic policies of the Soviet Union 1986 to 2000 for economic and social development; The Soviet Union produced 14800 ~ 1880 billion kWh in 1990, of which 390 billion kWh came from nuclear power plants, accounting for about 20%. Compared with 1985, by 1990, the development of nuclear energy has saved 75-90 million tons of standard fuel; After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Russian scientists also put forward plans to build underground nuclear power plants.
From the Japanese perspective, the nuclear power generation in 1985 was only 24.52 million kilowatts, accounting for16% of China's total power generation; By the end of 1980s, nuclear power generation reached 654.38+0.59 billion kWh, accounting for 26% of the country's total power generation. The proportion of other energy sources in power generation is: oil accounts for 25%, natural gas accounts for 2 1%, hydropower accounts for 14%, coal accounts for 10%, and geothermal energy accounts for 4%. Nuclear power is leading, therefore, Japan's electric power industry has begun to enter an era with nuclear power as the main force. Statistics of June 1992 show that there are 42 nuclear power plants in operation in Japan with a total installed capacity of 30 million kilowatts.
The development of nuclear power in Japan deserves our attention.
The structure of Japanese electric power equipment was "water-based coal-based" before the war, and changed to "oil-based water-based coal-based" from the early 1960s after the war. In 1970s, especially after the first "oil crisis", the energy used for power generation was diversified. In this process, the proportion of oil and electricity in the whole power generation is directly proportional to the decline, and nuclear power is growing rapidly.
Nuclear power has sprung up in Japan, mainly because nuclear fuel has many advantages in power generation. It is the most economical, stable and efficient energy among all kinds of power generation energy that human beings can master so far.
Since the first nuclear power plant was built in Japan in 1966, there has never been a major accident in this nuclear power plant.
Japan Electric Power Company attaches great importance to the propaganda of popularizing nuclear power knowledge. In places where nuclear power plants are relatively concentrated, there is a nuclear power exhibition hall funded by them for citizens to visit for free, which contains reactor models and wall charts, showing the whole process of nuclear power generation. After reading it, the anxiety caused by not knowing about nuclear power generation will be eliminated. The Japanese people are very sensitive to the nuclear issue because they have been harmed by atomic bombs. However, recognizing the difference between nuclear power and nuclear bomb is beneficial to the development of nuclear power in Japan, which lacks resources. Therefore, there is generally no objection to the construction of nuclear power plants. That is, some opposition parties opposed to the construction of nuclear power plants have changed their attitudes in recent years.
On July 1986 and 18, the Atomic Energy Department of Japan Comprehensive Energy Research Association put forward a 2 1 century forecast report on Japan's nuclear power prospects. According to this forecast, there will be 86 nuclear reactors for power generation in Japan in 20 10, and it will reach10 in 2030. The capacity of nuclear power generation equipment will reach 3.5 times and 5.5 times in 20 10 and 2030 respectively. In about 25 to 30 years, Japan will use nuclear power every two years.
Japan Comprehensive Energy Survey Association is an advisory body of the Minister of International Trade and Industry. Its forecast report was made after the accident of Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the former Soviet Union. In the process of making this report, international oil prices have fallen sharply. However, this report proves that Japan has not shaken the basic direction of developing nuclear power in the future because of these two factors.
According to the figures released by the Department of Resources and Energy of Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry at the beginning of 1987, the operating rate of nuclear power plants in Japan reached 76.2% in 1986, a record high.
According to the data of the Ministry of Resources and Energy, in 1986, there were 32 nuclear reactors of various types in operation in Japan. The average operating rate has exceeded 70% for five consecutive years since 1982. This is also a high level in western developed countries. Compared with the operating rate of 1985, the operating rate of Japan is second only to that of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Finally, let's look at the United States, which has the most nuclear power.
The United States has a long history of developing nuclear energy. According to the statistics of US Department of Energy 1986, there are 100 nuclear power plants in operation in the United States, ranking first in the world. There were still 27 under construction at that time. They have accumulated rich experience in developing nuclear power for a long time. Years of experience in the construction and operation of nuclear power plants in the United States have proved that although the possibility of nuclear power plant accidents cannot be absolutely ruled out, the percentage is very small. Accidents can be avoided if scientific regulations are strictly followed in equipment and management.
American nuclear experts believe that choosing excellent nuclear reactor types is the key to ensure the safe operation of nuclear power plants. So far, the serious accidents that endanger human safety are generally graphite reactors, while pressurized water reactors are not prone to serious accidents. Even in the event of an accident, radioactive substances are not easy to cause environmental pollution and harm to human body due to various safety measures.
Due to economic needs and other reasons, most nuclear power plants in the United States are built near densely populated cities. However, because the builders of nuclear power plants strictly abide by the safety standards and regulations formulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, there has never been a serious accident that actually threatens the safety of residents in nearby cities. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission of the United States requires the builders of nuclear depots to formulate corresponding safety measures when applying for construction. After strict examination and approval by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the station building license will be issued. During the construction and operation of the nuclear power plant, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall conduct regular inspections, and if problems are found, it has the right to put forward various requirements for the nuclear power plant, including stopping operation.
These undoubtedly provide valuable experience for the development of nuclear power in the world.
This is true in the United States, the former Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan and most parts of Europe. Although some changes have taken place in individual countries in other places, they have nothing to do with the overall situation. Therefore, the International Atomic Energy Agency published 1987 in February. The figures show that the general trend of nuclear energy development and development in the world has not been greatly affected by the Chernobyl accident. 1986, 2 1 nuclear reactors were connected to the grid for power generation, adding 20.94 million kilowatts of nuclear power.
When the Chernobyl accident provoked a worldwide anti-nuclear wave, people could calmly make a fair evaluation of the incident. 1in early 1987, 2 1 Council of Europe parliament held a hearing on nuclear safety. They compared the known and estimated long-term effects on people's health caused by the explosion and fire of Chernobyl reactor on April 26, 1986, and the dangers to people's health and the environment caused by ordinary power plants and other radiation sources. Experts basically reached a consensus that despite the nuclear accident, it is still much safer to use nuclear fuel to generate electricity than ordinary fuel.
The vice chairman of the former Soviet State Atomic Energy Utilization Committee said that if organic fuels such as coal and oil are used again to generate electricity, the danger to human health and the environment will be greatly increased.
The head of the nuclear safety department of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna also said: "People have now realized that' substances produced by burning coal and oil' are a major threat to our environment." He gave an example. An ordinary power plant with a power generation of 6.5438+0 million kilowatts can cause 3-30 deaths and 2,000-20,000 illnesses among urban residents respectively, while a nuclear power plant with similar power generation can cause at most/kloc-0 deaths and illnesses under normal operation.
The safety of nuclear energy has been internationally recognized.
The advantages of nuclear energy are very distinct, with high energy density and high power, which are beyond the reach of other energy sources. This makes it easy to centralize safety devices and improve efficiency. People often ignore that low-power facilities are scattered, even minor dangers are scattered, which leads to a large number of accidents that are often not found.
In terms of energy storage, nuclear energy is easier to store than other new energy sources such as solar energy and wind energy. The latter can often be used when conditions permit, unless a storage buffer is installed, but at present this device is expensive. The storage of nuclear fuel does not take up much space, nor does it take up much space in nuclear submarines or nuclear submarines, because it is only changed once every two years. On the contrary, equipment burning heavy oil or coal requires huge storage tanks or occupies a lot of land.
As a new energy cause, nuclear power plays an important role in the world energy, but it is not perfect. Just like any other advanced technology, nuclear power can not only benefit mankind, but also be accompanied by certain potential risks. From the criticism of nuclear energy, we have heard some impacts on the ecological environment and other questions. For example, the first and second nuclear power plants in the north and the third nuclear power plant in the south of Taiwan Province Province have a great impact on coastal fisheries; Corals in South Bay also died because they were soaked in waste hot water.
In fact, both nuclear power plants and thermal power plants have waste heat emitters, so the impact of waste heat on the environment is not unique to nuclear power plants, but there are differences in degree. The waste heat discharged by cooling water in nuclear power plants is about 35% ~ 50% higher than that in thermal power plants.
Many countries in the world have built nuclear power plants along the coast. Using seawater as cooling water can not only provide unlimited cooling water for nuclear power plants, but also dissipate heat better than river water and reduce the impact of waste heat on the environment. In order to minimize the impact of waste heat on natural water bodies, people have also taken many measures, such as formulating emission standards to limit the temperature rise caused by emissions; Select the appropriate discharge location and mode; Improve heat conversion efficiency; Waste heat utilization and so on.
The water discharged from nuclear power plants in Japan is generally 7 ~ 9℃ higher than the seawater temperature. After entering the sea area, it spreads quickly and the temperature drops quickly. Generally, the water surface temperature at 1 ~ 2km away will drop to 1 ~ 2℃, which will not bring harmful effects to water resources. According to foreign reports, the fishing amount near most nuclear power plants has not changed significantly, but has increased in some places.
When the nuclear power plant is put into normal operation, the radioactive substances entering the waste gas, waste liquid and solid waste are only a very small part. The nuclear power plant is equipped with a complete three-waste treatment system, which can effectively treat radioactive waste. There are also many monitoring points around the nuclear power plant, which regularly collect air, water samples, soil samples and animal and plant samples for analysis to monitor the pollution of radioactive substances to the environment. It is difficult for radioactive substances to enter the environment in harmful quantities.
Therefore, there is no need to worry about environmental pollution and ecological balance caused by nuclear power plants. Irrigation of farmland with the drainage of circulating water from nuclear power plants; You can use the waste heat of cooling water to heat the greenhouse and cultivate melons, fruits and fish.
Finally, considering the uncertain economic factors. The service life of nuclear power plants is 30 ~ 40 years. After retirement, its expenses should be included in the cost of nuclear power generation.
Now, the world's first American nuclear power plant has been scrapped after 30 years of operation. At present, more than 500 reactors built or under construction in the world will come to this step sooner or later. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that 16 reactors will expire in the United States by the end of this century, 53 reactors will expire in 2005 and 70 reactors will be scrapped in 20 10. Now it seems that the cost of treating these reactors is higher than expected at the beginning of the nuclear power era, and the date of scrapping is earlier than expected. Due to radiation, the metal pipe fittings in the power station are more fragile than originally estimated. To this end, experts have begun to seriously consider the scrapping of nuclear power plants and put forward the following disposal schemes:
(1) sealing treatment: take out the nuclear fuel from the reactor and monitor the radiation. These measures are very simple at first, but some experts believe that the cumulative cost may be high because radiation will last for centuries and long-term continuous vigilance and monitoring, and finally they have to be dismantled.
(2) Burying treatment: take out the nuclear fuel from the reactor and cover it with a thick cement shell to cover the whole power station area. This is how it was handled after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Soviet Union. Burying has many advantages similar to sealing, but in practice, people will be contaminated by radiation to varying degrees.
(3) Demolition: The advantage is that there is no heavy burden of long-term vigilance and maintenance, and the station area can be immediately used for other purposes, including the construction of new nuclear power plants. But the problem is that it may cause serious radiation pollution to the construction personnel and the demolition cost is high.
Shipingport nuclear power plant in the United States became the first testing ground for demolition.
Therefore, in the future development of nuclear system, we should still first seriously establish an evaluation system and strict management measures for the development of nuclear system, so as to make nuclear system develop healthily and avoid the mistakes made by some countries.
The rapid development of nuclear power industry in the world mainly benefits from its strong economic competitiveness, less environmental pollution and abundant fuel. When weighing the advantages and disadvantages, from a modern point of view, in any case, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
At present, the exploration of nuclear fuel, namely uranium resources, is still very limited. However, according to the discovered natural uranium ore, it can be used for thousands of years if it is used for nuclear power generation.
1986 Another important scientific and technological achievement was that the Japanese Metal Mining Group successfully built the world's first factory for extracting uranium from seawater in Xiuchuan County, Seto Inland Sea. The uranium refinery was put into operation in late April, with an annual output of uranium 10 tons. The industrialization of extracting uranium from seawater has taken a valuable first step for human beings to develop billions of tons of uranium reserves in seawater.
If this reserve is taken into account, the vast ocean will almost become an inexhaustible treasure house of nuclear fuel.
1686 is a year with painful lessons and great achievements for the nuclear industry.
Since the advent of nuclear power plants, due to the continuous progress of engineering technology, the operational performance of nuclear power plants has been continuously improved, the safety and reliability of operation have been increasingly improved, and the accident rate has also decreased. This significantly improves the time utilization rate and load of nuclear power plants, and further shows the economic benefits of nuclear power plants and their competitiveness in various power generation systems.
It is true that the advanced nature and reliability of nuclear power technology are important factors to ensure safety, but strict scientific management is also an important factor to ensure safety, which is a serious lesson that people should learn from the Chernobyl nuclear accident.
With the increasing complexity of safety equipment, we must pin our hopes on the safe operation of a series of complex equipment. So can we build a nuclear reactor with an inherent safety factor? The answer should be yes.
The "absolutely safe internal process" reactor successfully developed in Sweden is a representative new type of reactor. Its design idea is that the core can still be cooled even if the primary cooling system fails. Intrinsic safety can ensure the safe operation of the reactor without complex safety equipment.
The complete safety of nuclear power plants is not unsolvable.
It is undeniable that the Chernobyl accident has brought some negative effects on the development of nuclear power. However, this does not deny the advantages of nuclear power. Looking back at the development history of nuclear power, especially from the long-term perspective of world energy development, the development prospect of nuclear power plants is bright. With the continuous improvement of engineering technology and management level, it will bring new vitality to the nuclear power industry.
Let's take Japan for example. This country has not stopped developing nuclear power, but has also begun to formulate a long-term strategic plan for nuclear power in the 2 1 century, and to build new nuclear power plants at the rate of putting into operation two nuclear reactors every year. The reason is that Japan already has a set of safety protection countermeasures.
Under the premise of "unsafe and not using atomic energy", Japan's safety countermeasures include multiple protection designs for atomic power generation equipment, strict safety rules formulated by the state for the development of atomic power generation, comprehensive operation measures taken by atomic power generation enterprises, improving the quality of operators, reducing human errors, and strengthening the supervision and concern of local residents for the safe operation of nuclear power plants.
Japan technically seals all radioactive materials generated and accumulated during the operation of nuclear reactors to avoid the leakage of harmful gases. Even if an accident occurs during the operation, radioactive materials can be sealed without affecting the safety of surrounding residents.
They implement multiple protections, mainly including:
(1) Countermeasures to prevent abnormal situations: It is required that the design of nuclear power generation system must have sufficient safety factor, the selected equipment and materials must ensure the quality, and there are strict requirements and acceptance for the construction quality. The power generation system is also equipped with a "safety system" that can automatically ensure safety when some machines are abnormal, and an "interlocking device system" that can ensure the safety of the whole system in the case of operational errors. Carry out strict periodic inspections of nuclear reactors and turbines after they are put into operation.
(2) Countermeasures to prevent the expansion of abnormal accidents: The main design is a system that can automatically detect, find a variety of abnormalities at an early stage, make the nuclear reactor stop urgently, and automatically remove residual heat.
(3) Countermeasures to prevent leakage of radioactive materials: provide a set of core cooling device used under abnormal conditions, which consists of high-pressure injection device, low-pressure injection device, core sprayer and other systems.
The Japanese government not only has various rules and regulations on the safety countermeasures of nuclear power generation, but also actively supervises and intervenes in the safe operation of nuclear power plants from design, construction to production. In the design stage, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry first listens to the opinions of experts from all sides and fully demonstrates the safety of the designed nuclear reactor, and then the Ministry of International Trade and Industry issues a manufacturing license. In the construction stage, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry granted the construction permit after carefully examining the engineering design, construction methods and contents. Before the nuclear power plant was built but not put into operation, the provincial capital of international trade and industry strictly accepted it.
In addition, management operators are also strictly selected and trained. After the newcomers enter the station, they should be trained for one year under the guidance and supervision of experienced operators, and then take standard training courses in the operation training center before they can serve as auxiliary operators. After working for five to six years, the auxiliary machine operator can serve as the key technical post of the main machine operator. Only those who have six to seven years' experience as a mainframe operator and have passed the national examination are eligible to be elected as the Director of Operations. In addition, the main engine operator needs to receive simulation training in the operation training center once every three years, and the auxiliary engine operator needs to receive simulation training three times a year.
In order to strengthen nuclear safety research and improve nuclear safety countermeasures, the Japanese Ministry of Science and Technology decided to set up a special agency for nuclear accident analysis within the Nuclear Safety Committee.
The task of the specialized agency for nuclear accident analysis is to study how to ensure the safety of nuclear facilities organizationally, and to re-evaluate the reliability of safety measures frequently to prevent the occurrence of major accidents. In addition, this specialized agency should also make an evacuation plan in case of emergency and conduct a comprehensive study on the causes of misoperation that caused the accident.
In order to strengthen nuclear safety management and preventive measures, Japan's science and technology departments should establish two consulting systems, one is the prediction system of foreign nuclear accidents that may cause pollution to Japan; The other is an emergency technical suggestion system that can provide practical measures in time after a nuclear accident.
Based on meteorological data, the forecast system should be able to measure the nuclear radiation dose within the range of 2000 ~ 3000 km in Japan. The emergency technical suggestion system should master the data such as pipeline circuit diagram of all nuclear complete sets of equipment in China, and timely put forward technical suggestions to prevent accidents from expanding and reduce radioactive pollution according to these data under special circumstances.
Japan's Science and Technology Agency believes that although these institutions are advisory in nature, they can assist the Nuclear Safety Committee to quickly formulate effective emergency countermeasures for the country.
After the accident of Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the former Soviet Union, Japan became more aware of the importance of further strengthening safety measures. They have further enriched and improved the national rules and regulations for the development of nuclear power, and made the technical standards for nuclear power more perfect. The state exercises effective supervision and management over nuclear power plants, formulates new regulations and measures for the commissioning and abandonment of nuclear reactors, and formulates technical standards corresponding to the nuclear fuel cycle. The state has also set up special institutions to institutionalize safety inspection. Strengthen the management function of nuclear power enterprises and take ensuring safety as the top priority of enterprise management.
Japan has also launched a trinity research system of "official and civilian studies", actively promoting the research on new nuclear power generation technology and safety protection technology, so as to nip in the bud. At the same time, protective measures in case of emergency, such as developing special robots, are also considered.
What Japan can do, so can other countries. Nuclear technology will eventually become a safety technology that can completely reassure people.
The Chernobyl nuclear accident in the former Soviet Union is being seriously summarized by all countries and gradually transformed into a good thing to promote the healthy development of domestic nuclear power. They have perfected various laws and regulations on nuclear energy and defined the functions of the nuclear energy commission, the nuclear energy utilization department and the supervision organization.
In the field of nuclear energy, 1986 has become a very active year due to the Chernobyl earthquake. China also sent reporters to visit the nuclear power sector in Western Europe. Because the nuclear power industry in the Federal Republic of Germany is exemplary in economy, technology, equipment safety and strict management, the reporter made a tour of the nuclear power industry in the Federal Republic of Germany, and provided many perceptual materials for China readers to think about.
For the former Federal Republic of Germany, "there is no choice but nuclear power".
Judging from the experience of the former Federal Republic of Germany, apart from being clean and cheap, nuclear power has two advantages that we have neglected: first, it promotes the development of high-tech industries and drives relevant departments to develop simultaneously; The second is to cultivate a high-level scientific research and construction team. According to the power generation and operation rate, the top seven nuclear power plants in the world are all in the former Federal Republic of Germany. The former Federal Republic of Germany nuclear power plant is famous for its high economic benefits, reliable equipment and high degree of specialization of personnel.
The nuclear power industry in the former Federal Republic of Germany has shown people a very credible reality, and facts speak louder than words. As long as people take it seriously, the efficiency and safety of nuclear energy can be achieved and feasible.
At present, international nuclear power plant design experts have conducted in-depth investigation and study to improve the safety factor of nuclear power plants. Generally, there are two research directions, one is to explore the feasibility of underground nuclear power plants, and the other is to supplement the safety measures of above-ground nuclear power plants, especially the preventive measures against sudden dangers. The results of this research will undoubtedly lead to the emergence of safer nuclear power plants.
Based on the research on the safe operation of nuclear power plants above ground, the so-called comprehensive safety idea is obtained, which is embodied in some new design and operation rules. These new regulations require the designers of nuclear power plants to consider and analyze some unexpected situations that may lead to accidents when the designers and operators are on duty. All existing nuclear power plants have a set of technical measures to deal with possible failures of reactors. However, the past accidents of the US-Soviet nuclear power plant show that there will be some accidents in the operation of the nuclear power plant, so the new regulations require the design of the nuclear power plant to have technical devices, which can help the operators to eliminate the danger in time without seeing it.
Another important part of the new rules is the so-called "double defense system". All existing nuclear power plants have a reinforced concrete protective cover to prevent radioactive materials from escaping when the reactor fails, thus endangering people, animals and the environment nearby. However, the nuclear power plant accidents have shown that it is not enough to have such a protective cover. Once the pressure in the cover suddenly rises above 5 atmospheres under unexpected circumstances, the cover itself may lose its sealing performance and even burst (explode). The new regulations require the nuclear power plant to be equipped with a set of technical equipment to ensure that the operator can reduce the pressure in the cover to a normal level in time, and if necessary, the operator can also start the anti-radiation filtering device. This is the "double prevention" mentioned in the new regulations.
The necessity and feasibility of underground nuclear power plants have been recognized. It is safer than the ground nuclear power plant and is economically and technically feasible. The protective cover of the nuclear reactor in the former Soviet Union is only1.6m thick. Once the molten nuclear fuel in the reactor escapes and presses on the cover wall, the cover will burn out in less than 1 hour. In the new "Nuclear Power Plant -88" design, the protective cover can only withstand the internal pressure of 4.6 atmospheres, and the cables and pipelines can only withstand 8 atmospheres. In the nuclear fuel melting accident of the reactor, the explosion of steam and hydrogen will produce a pressure as high as 13 ~ 15 atmospheric pressure. Therefore, nuclear power plants should be built underground to design "absolutely safe reactors". At present, underground nuclear power plants are all small and medium-sized nuclear power plants, and reactors and control systems are built in stony or semi-stony layers.
According to the analysis, this underground nuclear power plant can at least ensure that it will not cause harm to the surrounding environment during operation, and will not have the disastrous accident consequences of Chernobyl nuclear power plant, and it is convenient to seal up the dead reactor and reduce the impact of the earthquake on the nuclear power plant. In addition, moving nuclear power plants underground can also make the construction of nuclear power plants develop at the existing technical level, without waiting for the design of "absolutely safe" nuclear power plants before developing nuclear storage. Further analysis shows that if the reactor and control system of the 4-unit 100 MW nuclear power plant are built 50 meters underground, the construction cost will only increase by 1 1% ~ 15%, but if the shutdown cost of the nuclear power plant is included, the cost of the underground nuclear power plant will be lower than that of the above-ground nuclear power plant. For a 500,000 kW heating nuclear power plant with two units, the construction cost of placing the reactor underground is 20% ~ 30% more than that of similar nuclear power plants on the ground. If the cost of shutting down the nuclear power plant is included, it is only 4% ~ 1 1% more.
1By the end of 1995, there were 437 nuclear power plants in operation worldwide.
The United States ranks first in the scale of nuclear power plants in operation, followed by France, Japan, Germany, Russia and Canada. French nuclear power accounts for 78.2% of France's total electricity, and its development has almost reached its limit.
As early as May 1993, international analysts predicted that the demand for nuclear power in Asia would surge in the next 10 year.
The development of nuclear energy is the development focus of energy strategy of all countries in the world in 2 1 century.
Nuclear power, a modern high-tech industry, is overcoming various obstacles on its way forward with its strong vitality, growing sturdily and maturing day by day.