Nuclear Power Reactor Development History, Technologies, and Lessons

This book offers a comprehensive exploration of the history and development of power reactors worldwide, from their inception to the present day. It provides an in-depth analysis of light water reactors and their global technology, while also delving into the evolution of gas-cooled, heavy water, liquid metal-cooled, aerospace, and nuclear fusion reactors. By examining past advancements, this book equips readers with the insights necessary to apply lessons learned to future reactor development and utilization.

Key concepts include the dominance of light water reactors in the global market, the progression of nuclear fuel cycle technologies, and the economic and political aspects of plutonium utilization. The book also addresses critical questions such as the potential depletion of uranium resources and the characteristics of Generation III and IV reactors. With contributions from government agencies and international organizations, this work is a must-read for those seeking a thorough understanding of nuclear reactor history and future challenges.

Intended for graduate students, university faculty, researchers, industry professionals, and anyone with a keen interest in nuclear power, this book serves as a vital resource for understanding the complexities of nuclear reactor development and the broader implications for society.

The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence. A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content.

Early Reactor Development in the United States.- Power Uprating of Light Water Reactors.- Advancement of Light Water Reactor Technology.- Light Water Reactor.- Passive Safety Light Water Reactors and Severe Accident Countermeasures.- Heavy Water Moderated Reactors: CANDU etc..- Graphite Moderated Reactors.- Liquid Metal Cooled Fast Breeder Reactors and Fast Reactor Fuel Cycle.- Uranium Resources, Uranium Enrichment, Reprocessing and Plutonium-Utilization in LWRs.- Economic and Political Aspects of Plutonium Use.- Liquid Fuel Reactors, Molten Salt Reactors.- Organic Cooled Reactors.- Nuclear Reactors and Radioisotope Power Sources for Aerospace.- Generation III and Generation IV Nuclear Reactors.- Investment Risk Reduction and Power Generation Cost Reduction.- Concept of Supercritical Pressure Light Water Reactors.- Concept of Nuclear Fusion Reactors.- Concept of Fusion-Fission Hybrid Reactors.- University Nuclear Engineering Education.- Research and Development and Knowledge Base for Nuclear Utilization.- Summary and Discussion.- Exercise.

Yoshiaki Oka is an emeritus professor at the University of Tokyo and is world renowned in the field of nuclear engineering. His work includes design and analysis of nuclear reactors and neutron transport; he developed the concept of the supercritical pressure water-cooled reactor (SCWR), also known as a Generation IV Reactor, studied globally. He has authored books on SCWR—Nuclear Power Reactor Development and Advances in Light Water Reactor Technologies—by Springer, and he has published approximately 230 peer-reviewed journal articles. ScholarGPS ranks him second as a scholar in “nuclear reactors” and 16th in “nuclear power”.

He contributed to nuclear engineering research and education at the University of Tokyo as an assistant, associate, and full professor from 1976 to 2010, playing a crucial role in launching the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Management, and the Nuclear Professional School at the Graduate School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo. In the 2000s, he was a leader in preparing textbooks on nuclear engineering, and the two English editions of his books were published by Springer as the first two volumes in the book series An Advanced Course in Nuclear Engineering. He was also a professor at Waseda University between 2010 and 2014, initiating its Nuclear Engineering Department.

Prof. Oka served as the chairman of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission between 2014 and 2020. Since then, he has studied the issues arising from the interface between nuclear utilization and society.