The United States' energy crisis, which has received so much publicity lately, has focused national attention on how we are to meet our energy demands. Proposed energy sources include conventional nuclear power plants, breeder reactor and fusion reactor plants, coal gasification, liquid hydrogen, solar energy, and geothermal energy. All of these except conventional fission plants are still on the drawing board or in the experimental laboratory, and are described briefly. Government and industry are betting heavily on conventional nuclear power plants. ($40 billion already spent by private utilities for 30 operating plants, 60 under construction, and 75 on order.) A few unpublicized accidents and more and more complex instrumentation in nuclear power plant control rooms has pointed to a desperate need for more effective ways of training individuals to safely operate these plants. Recognizing this need, General Electric Company designed and built a very realistic computer-driven simulator of a plant control room. The physical enclosures and instrumentation duplicates the Dresden II control room in every way, and response to operator manipulation of controls duplicates that of a real plant. The bulk of this paper describes the simulator and its development. The last section raises questions concerning hazards of continued growth of nuclear power and presents some alternatives.

The nuclear power plant has given new direction to power generation. It offers a new source of heat. The heat can now come from the fission of atomic fuel and not from the burning of fossil fuel. Safety and protection from the possible hazards of radioactivity generated by nuclear power plants is a completely new and untested area. Emergency systems and over designed construction are only part of what has to be done to make absolutely certain such accidents, if they occur, will be contained allowing no harmful radioactivity to reach the environment. Handling of radioactive wastes is very critical in a nuclear power plant. These wastes have to be stored in protective containers and transported to predetermined storage sites. At these sites the containers of radioactive wastes are lowered into large salt mines. Licensing and regulation of nuclear power plants during construction and operation is the responsibility of the Atomic Energy Commission. The five member federal panel has issues strict requirements that must be met in each step in the process of obtaining permits and licenses, construction, and generation.

Tyrimo objektas – Lietuvos žemdirbystės instituto, energetinėje plantacijoje augantys augalai: sida (Sida hermaphrodita), drambliažolė (Miscanthus x gigantus), sachalininės ir japoninės rūgtys (Reynoutria sachalinensis FR., Reynoutria japonica Houtt.), geltonžiedis legėstas (Silphium perfoliatum L.) bei topinambai (Helianthus tuberosus L.). Tyrimo tikslas – pateikti dekoratyvinių augalų, naudojamų energetiniams tikslams, augimo ir vystymosi rodiklius. Uždaviniai: 1. Nustatyti augalų vegetacijos bei intensyvaus augimo pradžias. 2. Nustatyti azoto trąšų įtaką augalų augimui. 3. Įvertinti pasėlių būklę, vystymąsi ir nustatyti metinį biomasės derlių spalio mėnesį. 4. Įvertinti dekoratyvinių augalų auginimo energetiniams tikslams tinkamumą ir galimybes. Darbo metodai: augalai buvo vertinami pagal augalo aukštį (augalas matuojamas nuo žemės paviršiaus iki aukščiausiojo jo taško), stiebų skaičių (stiebų skaičius skaičiuojamas viename augalo kere) ir skersmenį (augalas matuojamas nuo žemės paviršiaus 15 cm). Skirtinga augalų rūšis matuojama pasirenkant iš kiekvieno laukelio po 5 augalus. Iš gautų duomenų vedamas vidurkis. Augalų žalia masė nustatoma nupjovus derlių ir jį pasvėrus. Augalų sausa masė nustatoma pasvėrus išdžiovintą žalią masę. Išanalizavus tyrimo duomenis paaiškėjo, jog iš visų tirtų augalų energetiniams tikslams tikslinga auginti sidas ir topinambus, kadangi sausos biomasės duomenimis konkurencingumo skalėje pirmumą tenka pripažinti būtent šiems augalams... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Object of the research comprises the plants growing in energetic plantation in Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture, namely Sida hermaphrodita, Miscanthus x gigantus, sachalin and Japanese species (Reynoutria sachalinensis FR., Reynoutria japonica Houtt.), Silphium perfoliatum L. and Helianthus tuberosus L.). Aim of the research is to provide the indicators related to growing and development of the plants used for energetic purposes. Tasks: 1. To establish the beginning of vegetation and intensive growing of the plants. 2. To establish the impact of nitrogen over the plant-growing. 3. To estimate the condition of crop, development as well as to establish annual yield in October. 4. To assess suitability and opportunities related to growing of decorative plants for energetic purposes. Work methods: the plants were assessed according to their height (a plant is measured from the soil surface up to the highest point), number of stems (number of stems calculated on one patula of the plant) and diameter (a plant is measured from the soil surface 15 cm). Different species of the plants were measured when selecting 5 plants from every field. An average was calculated referring to the data obtained. Green mass of the plants was established after having cut and having weighted the yield. Dry mass of the plants was established having weighted the dried green mass. Upon the analysis of the research data is was ascertained that out of all plants it is purposeful to grow Sida... [to full text]

Cadmium is heavy metal toxic for plants and animals and environmental contaminant which must be removed from natural environment. In recent years a new method phytoremediation is getting more attention. This method uses plants called hyperaccumulators for extraction of heavy metals from soils. Hyperaccumulators have, however, after accumulation of heavy metals no other use. Therefore new possibilities are discussed in last few years. Energy plants, in this thesis sorghum and malva, could be used for accumulation of heavy metals from soils and after that these plants could be used as energy source. This thesis wants to find out if sorgum and malva are able to grow in cadmium contaminated environment and if these plants will accumulate cadmium. It also compares different cultivars of sorghum in toxicity tests and compares ability of these cultivars to grow in cadmium contaminated environment and to accumulate this heavy metal. Further it focuses on affection of uptake of kadmium ions by sorhum in presence of glutathione or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.