Health and safety. Preliminary comparative assessment of the satellite power system (SPS) and other energy alternatives

Technical Report · Tue Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5380857· OSTI ID:5380857

Habegger, L. J.; Gasper, J. R.; Brown, C. D.

Existing data on the health and safety risks of a satellite power system and four electrical generation systems are analyzed: a combined-cycle coal power system with a low-Btu gasifier and open-cycle gas turbine, a fission power system with fuel reprocessing, a central-station, terrestrial, solar-photovoltaic power system, and a first-generation design for a fusion power system. The systems are compared on the basis of expected deaths and person-days lost per year associated with 1000 MW of average electricity generation and the number of health and safety risks that are identified as potentially significant but unquantifiable. The appendices provide more detailed information on risks, uncertainties, additional research needed, and references for the identified impacts of each system.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 5380857
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER-0053
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140400 -- Solar Energy-- Environmental Aspects
140600* -- Solar Energy-- Photovoltaic Power Systems
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200200 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Waste Management
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210200 -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700200 -- Fusion Energy-- Fusion Power Plant Technology
ACCIDENTS
AIR POLLUTION
AIR TRANSPORT
COAL FINES
COAL MINING
COMBINED-CYCLE POWER PLANTS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CONSTRUCTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FUELS
GAS TURBINES
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS
MACHINERY
MATERIALS
MINING
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR FUELS
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
OPERATION
ORBITAL SOLAR POWER PLANTS
PERSONNEL
PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER PLANTS
POLLUTION
POWER PLANTS
PUBLIC HEALTH
RADIATION HAZARDS
RADIATIONS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
REPROCESSING
SAFETY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
THERMONUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
TRANSPORT
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY
WATER COOLED REACTORS