Abstracts – Browse Results
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Adams, J (2019) Dynamic criticality analysis of industrial assets and system, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Institute of Manufacturing, University of Cambridge.
Al Asali, M W (2020) Craft-inclusive construction: design strategies for thin-tile vaulting, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Cambridge.
Anagnostopoulos, I (2018) Generating as-is BIMs of existing buildings: from planar segments to spaces, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge.
Ariyachandra, M F (2021) Automating the generation of geometric information models to support digital twinning of existing rail infrastructure, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Cambridge.
Bartlett, H V (2006) Understanding the implementation of sustainability principles in UK educational building projects, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Centre for Sustainable Development, University of Cambridge.
Baumgärtner, C E (2000) Collaboration between engineering consultants and their clients: characteristics of success, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Cambridge.
Busic-Sontic, A (2019) Energy efficiency investments in residential buildings: does personality matter?, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Cambridge.
Jimoh, I (2021) What explains the efficiency of major public project delivery in Nigeria?, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Cambridge.
Jin, Y (2018) Supervised learning for back analysis of excavations in the observational method, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Cambridge.
Konstantinou, E (2018) Vision-based construction worker task productivity monitoring, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge.
Lloyd, C A (2020) Modular manufacture and construction of small nuclear power generation systems, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Cambridge.
- Type: Thesis
- Keywords: competitiveness; optimisation; construction cost; in-situ; nuclear power; overheads; capital investment; investment; learning; manufacturing
- ISBN/ISSN:
- URL: https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.46941
- Abstract:
Nuclear power is a stable, secure, low-carbon energy source; however, recent nuclear power plant projects are challenged by long build times and high construction costs, making them difficult to finance. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are nuclear reactors smaller than 300 MWe and claim to leverage manufacturing principles and modular build to resolve these issues and help improve the competitiveness of nuclear power. This project investigates modular build in a nuclear context, explores modularisation principles and best practises in other industries, identifies key constraints and optimisation criteria, and develops a new conceptual framework for modularising nuclear plants based on their size and subject to transport constraints. Transportation limits the type and amount of construction work that can be moved off-site. Due to their smaller size, up to 80% of a SMR plant can be modularised and transported by road, compared to only 20% for large reactors. Schedule and cost benefits are maximised when at least 60% of in-situ work is moved off-site, favouring fully modular units smaller than 600 MWe. Stick-built SMRs are not competitive with large reactors on the basis of their construction cost. A fully modularised SMR, however, can move 50% of its overnight construction cost off-site, achieving costs of $5,470/kWe (300 MWe SMR), competitive with the reference $6,000/kWe cost for a stick-built large reactor. Build schedule indirectly impacts construction cost by affecting overheads and interest during construction. Modular SMRs have the greatest scope for schedule reduction, moving 30% of in-situ time off-site and reducing build time to 3.5 years (300 MWe SMR), compared to 6.5 years for stick-built large reactors. Production learning is also critical to SMR economics and, when coupled with shorter build schedules, significantly impacts SMR total capital investment costs. A standardised series of modular SMRs can reach total capital costs of $4,600/kWe (300 MWe SMR) and can compete with the $4,400/kWe benchmark for energy technologies. SMRs have a unique opportunity to utilise modularisation and this project shows how they can leverage modular build to improve the economic competitiveness of nuclear power.
Mándoki, R (2022) The social sustainability of standardisation in the Hungarian residential building sector, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Cambridge.
Montali, J (2019) Digitised engineering knowledge for prefabricated fac?ades, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge.
O'Brien, S (2022) Critical infrastructure organisation management: an analysis of the transition to the Industry 4.0 era, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Cambridge.
Pelenur, M (2014) Retrofitting the domestic built environment: Investigating household perspectives towards energy efficiency technologies and behaviour, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Cambridge.
Robertson, B (2020) On-site installation flexibility for disruption management in modular off-site construction systems, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Cambridge.
TomasÌŒevicÌ, V (2004) Developing productive relationships in the construction industry, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge.
Vick, S (2018) Automated spatial progress monitoring for asphalt road construction projects, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge.
Zomer, T (2021) Institutional pressures and decoupling in projects: the case of BIM Level 2 and coercive isomorphism in the UK's construction sector, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Cambridge.