Browsing by Subject "energy"
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Item An Analysis of International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)-Compliant Single-Family Residential Energy Use(2009-06-02) Kim, SeongchanIn 2001, the Texas State Senate passed Senate Bill 5 to reduce ozone levels by encouraging the reduction of emissions of NOx that were not regulated by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, including point sources (power plants), area sources (such as residential emissions), road mobile sources, and non-road mobile sources. For the building energy section, the Texas State Legislature adopted the 2000/2001 International Energy Conservation Code, as modified by the 2001 Supplement, as the state's building energy code. The 2000/2001 IECC is a comprehensive energy conservation code that establishes a standard for the insulation levels, glazing and cooling and heating system efficiencies through the use of prescriptive and performance-based provisions. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to improve the accuracy of a 2000/2001 IECCcompliant performance simulation using the DOE-2.1e simulation program to investigate the energy performance of a typical single-family house. To achieve this purpose, several objectives had to be accomplished, including: 1) the development of an IECC-compliant simulation model, 2) the development and testing of specific improvements to the existing code-traceable model, 3) the calibration and installation of sensors in a case-study house, 4) the validation of the improved simulation model with measured data from the case-study house, and 5) use the validated model to simulate the energy-conserving features of single-family residences that cannot be simulated with existing versions of the DOE-2.1e program. In order to create the code-traceable IECC-compliant simulation model, a base-case house simulation was created and the results calibrated with measured energy and environmental data from the case-study house. This was done in order to obtain an improved simulation model that would more accurately represent the case-study building. The calibrated model was then used to verify the accuracy of the improved simulation methods against previous models and measured data. After validation of the new simulation methodologies, the IECC simulation model was used to simulate different energy-conserving features for a single-family residence that could not be simulated with the previous version of the DOE-2 input file. Finally, areas for future work were identified in an effort to continue to improve the model.Item An integrated approach for techno-economic and environmental analysis of energy from biomass and fossil fuels(Texas A&M University, 2007-04-25) Mohan, TanyaBiomass conversion into forms of energy is receiving current attention because of environmental, energy and agricultural concerns. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the environmental, energy, economic, and technological aspects of using a form of biomass, switchgrass (panicum virgatum), as a partial or complete replacement for coal in power generation and cogeneration systems. To examine the effects of such a substitution, an environmental biocomplexity approach is used, wherein the agricultural, technological, economic, and environmental factors are addressed. In particular, lifecycle analysis (LCA) and a three-dimensional integrated economic, energy and environmental analysis is employed. The effectiveness of alternate technologies for switchgrass preparation, harvest and use in terms of greenhouse gas impact, cost and environmental implications is examined. Also, different scenarios of cofiring and biomass preparation pathways are investigated. Optimization of the total biomass power generation cost with minimum greenhouse gas effect is undertaken using mathematical programming for various alternate competitive biomass processing pathways. As a byproduct of this work a generic tool to optimize the cost and greenhouse gas emissions for allocation of fuel sources to the power generating sinks is developed. Further, this work discusses the sensitivity of the findings to varied cofiring ratios, coal prices, hauling distances, per acre yields, etc. Besides electricity generation in power plants, another viable alternative for reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs) is the utilization of biomass in conjunction with combined heat and power (CHP) in the process industries. This work addresses the utilization of biowaste or biomass source in a processing facility for CHP. A systematic algebraic procedure for targeting cogeneration potential ahead of detailed power generation network design is presented. The approach presented here effectively utilizes the biomass and biowaste sources as external fuel, and matches it with the use and dispatch of fuel sources within the process, heating and non-heating steam demands, and power generation. The concept of extractable energy coupled with flow balance via cascade diagram has been used as a basis to construct this approach. The work also discusses important economic factors and environmental policies required for the cost-effective utilization of biomass for electricity generation and CHP.Item Development of a method for recording energy costs and uses during the construction process(2009-05-15) Arnold, Althea GayleRising energy costs should be a concern to contractors, designers, and owners. It is difficult to make a quantity takeoff for energy usage because these costs are imbedded in the materials, equipment, or overhead costs. This research examines energy consumption during the construction process, sets forth methods for recording this energy consumption and establishes a program for the recording and analysis of this data. An energy study of electricity, gasoline, and diesel consumption was made for the construction of three buildings to determine what data was available. After available data was evaluated, and the Energy Data Analysis program developed, three other construction sites were visited to determine how readily energy data can be recorded using the program. Four construction energy phases were identified from this research. The four phases are: 1) site clearing and preparation, 2) building structure, 3) interior finishes, and 4) commissioning. The main type of energy consumption during Phase 1 is diesel fuel for earth moving equipment. The energy uses for Phases 2 and 3 varied considerably among the projects studied and were difficult to quantify. However, the energy use during these phases was low compared to other phases and for many projects may not be economical to evaluate. During Phase 4, electrical energy demand was high due to Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) commissioning requirements and power up of all electrical power uses including lighting. These few construction projects are not enough to make definitive conclusions about what percentage of the total project cost is spent on energy. This research found that construction energy costs vary during different phases of the building process and can be a significant part of that phase (as high as 5.7% of the cost). The Visual Basic program developed during this research will facilitate future energy studies on construction sites. When the program is applied to a project, it identifies and quantifies the energy use, and makes predictions as to which project tasks warrant further energy studies.Item Development of a Pre-Screening Methodology to Aid in Determining Potential Energy Savings in Commercial Building(2009-05-15) Hicks, Dave C.This thesis presents a methodology developed to aid in the determination of potential sources and the potential scale of energy savings in commercial buildings. As a pre-screening tool, the methodology is designed to serve as the first analysis of the building?s potential for energy savings using limited data prior to a site visit. A Microsoft? Excel-based tool was developed to perform this analysis semi-automatically with user operation. A fundamental concept used in this methodology is that of the energy balance load, defined as heating plus electricity minus cooling. The methodology is designed to require only historical weather data, historical whole-building energy consumption data, the total conditioned floor area, and the basic function of the building. Upon following a short procedure developed and outlined in this thesis, this limited data yields information that can lead to conclusions about the building?s energy consumption. The output information includes estimates of a major building thermal parameter?the building?s overall heat transfer coefficient including the total outside air flow rate into the building. In addition to providing this information, the Excel tool includes already-formatted plots of the energy consumption commonly used in energy analysis. These include cooling, heating, and electricity vs. both outside air temperature and time. Three case studies illustrate the utility of this methodology. The calculated energy balance load?calculated using parameters determined through this methodology?yielded values on average within 5.4% of measured values.Item Economic assessment of small-scale electricity generation from wind(Texas A&M University, 2007-09-17) McAllister, Kristen DawnAnalysis was done to determine if small-scale wind energy could be economically feasible on a cotton farm with 1,200 irrigated acres, a house, and a barn. Lubbock and Midland were locations chosen for this model farm and the twenty-year analysis. A 10 kW wind turbine on a 30m tower was installed and five different scenarios were calculated for both locations. Wind speeds for both locations were collected and analyzed to find the closest fitting distribution to incorporate the appropriate risk. This distribution was the empirical distribution at both locations every month except December in Lubbock, which closely matched the Gamma distribution. Electricity production, usage and costs were analyzed to find the net present value of the investment. The economic analysis of this system showed that the wind turbine under all situations was much less economical than purchasing electricity solely from the electric company. Small-scale wind energy produced under thesis assumptions was over $10,000 more expensive than traditional electricity in Lubbock and Midland over the twenty year planning horizon.Item Effects of Dietary Energy Density and Intake on Maintenance Energy Requirements in Beef Cows(2014-12-11) Trubenbach, Levi AnthonyA variety of issues concerning the sustainability of beef production systems, including alternative land use decisions and liquidation in cow inventory, have magnified the need to enhance system efficiency. One approach to increasing production efficiency is through the intensification of cow-calf systems. In intensified systems cows will be housed in a controlled environment (i.e. drylot) for at least a portion of their reproductive cycle, subsequently offering the opportunity to develop nutritional manipulation strategies to optimize cow efficiency. An experiment was conducted to analyze the effects of dietary energy density and intake on maintenance energy requirements in beef cows. In a 2 x 2 factorial treatment arrangement, thirty-two crossbred cows were fed either a high- (H, 2.54 Mcal ME/kg) or a low-energy (L, 1.96 Mcal ME/kg) diet at one of two levels of intake (80; 80% NRC NE requirements, 120; 120% NRC NE requirements). Several methods using empirical equations were used to estimate body energy on d 0 and 56 as a proxy for RE. HE was calculated as the difference between ME and RE. Body weight gain tended to be greater (P = 0.08) in H than L, but was not different (P = 0.12) between 120 than 80. Retained energy tended to be greater (P ? 0.10) in H than L and greater (P ? 0.08) in 120 than 80. Heat energy per EBW^0.75 was greater (P < 0.01) in L than H and greater (P < 0.01) in 120 than 80, with no interaction (P = 0.29). Birth weight and adjusted 205-d weaning weight of the calves from treated cows were not affected by diet (P > 0.22) or level of intake (P > 0.56). Feed requirement for maintenance was calculated to be 92.54 and 168.06 kcal ME/EBW^0.75 for H and L, respectively. Fasting heat production was estimated to be 54.60 and 74.78 kcal/EBW^0.75 for H and L, respectively. Overall, increasing dietary energy density resulted in a decrease in maintenance requirements of approximately 28% and intake restriction decreased HE by approximately 28%, with no interaction, suggesting additive effects. Limit feeding high-energy diets to beef cows has the potential to increase the efficiency of production and land use in U.S. cow-calf systems.Item Effects of Varying Nutrient Profiles and Enzyme Supplementation in Broiler Diets on Growth Performance and Energy Digestibility(2012-11-16) Campasino, Ashley Marie 1989-The current research program was designed to evaluate the impact of various dietary and ingredient nutrient profiles and exogenous enzyme inclusion on growth performance and energy utilization in broilers. Experiment one was designed to observe increasing levels of distillers? dried grains with Solubles (DDGS) and a non-starch polysaccharide degrading enzyme (NSPase) on energy digestibility. Experiment two evaluated the influence nutrient variation in corn and xylanase supplementation on growth performance and nutrient utilization. In experiment one, DDGS concentration was increased from 0 to 15% in 5% increments and included the addition of an NSPase enzyme. Early broiler body weight and FCR was negatively affected with increasing DDGS concentration up to 15%. The decreased growth performance was associated with a decrease in energy and nitrogen utilization as a linear decrease was observed in IDE, INDC, and AMEn. Addition of the NSPase negated many of the negative effects on nutrient utilization as improvements in all digestibility measurements were observed. Interactions were observed with DDGS concentration and NSPase inclusion as the benefit of enzyme inclusion was augmented as DDGS level increase. Experiment two evaluated different corn crops from six geographical locations in the US in an effort to determine the effects of xylanase inclusion and corn nutrient variation on growth performance and nutrient utilization. Significant differences were observed in growth performance, IDE, and AMEn in broilers when fed corn. Corn source impacted early body weights, and FCR throughout the experiment. Energy utilization was also impacted on all measured parameters, following the starter phase (day 17) and at the conclusion of the trial (day 41) by corn source. Xylanase inclusion improved FCR during the finisher phase as well as the cumulative FCR (day 1-41). Digestibility data indicates that corn source impacts the xylanase effectiveness in young broilers, as improvements were not observed in all corn types. Xylanase inclusion, however, did increase IDE and AMEn in all corn sources on day 41 of age. Data from this research program confirm that ingredient nutrient content, through the presence of ingredients with anti-nutritive properties or the incidence of varying nutrient profiles, does impact observed growth performance as related to reduced nutrient digestibility. Additionally, the inclusion of a dietary exogenous enzyme does improve energy and nitrogen digestibility in broilers, ultimately improving growth performance of broilers and improving efficiency.Item Electrolytic Methods as a Cost and Energy Effective Alternative of Harvesting Algae for Biofuel(2012-08-30) Morrison, Taylor 1986-Process variables of electrolytic technology to reduce the energy consumption of harvesting Nonnocloropsis salina were investigated including electro-coagulation, electro-floatation, and electro-flocculation. Electro-coagulation and electro-flocculation showed significant cost savings, however electro-floatation did not. The objectives were to determine the effects of electrode material, pH adjustment and electro-polymer addition for electro-coagulation and determine the performance characteristics for electro-coagulation and electro-flocculation. Both treatments proved to be competitive with the energy consumption of a centrifuge. The best electrolytic treatments were electro-coagulation with aluminum and nickel electrodes. Energy requirements at optimum conditions were 239 and 344 kWh/ton. The best treatment combination using electro-flocculation was 432 kWh/ton with no electrode consumption, which could lead to potential cost savings.Item An energy return on investment for a geothermal power plant on the Texas Gulf Coast(2013-05) Kampa, Kyle Benjamin; King, Carey Wayne, 1974-This thesis examines the energy return on investment (EROI) of a model 3 MW hybrid gas-geothermal plant on the Texas Gulf Coast. The model plant uses a design similar to the DOE Pleasant Bayou No. 2 test geothermal plant, and uses a gas engine to harness entrained methane and an Organic Rankine Cycle turbine to harness thermal energy from hot brines. The indirect energy cost was calculated using the Carnegie Mellon University Economic Input-Output Life Environmental Life Cycle Analysis (EIO-LCA) model. The EROI of the plant using the 1997 EIO-LCA energy data is 12.40, and the EROI of the plant using 2002 EIO-LCA energy data is 14.18. Sensitivity analysis was run to determine how the plant parameters affect the EROI. A literature review of the EROI of different power sources shows that the EROI of the hybrid geothermal plant is greater than the EROI of flash steam geothermal and solar, but is lower than the EROI of dry steam geothermal, wind power, nuclear, coal, gas, and hydroelectric plants. An analysis of the EROI to financial return on investment (FROI) shows that the FROI for a hybrid geothermal plant could be competitive with wind and solar as a viable renewable resource in the Texas electricity market.Item Evaluation of Exogenous Enzymes Targeting Non-starch Polysaccharides in Reduced Energy Diets on Broiler Growth Performance and Processing Parameters(2013-12-04) Klein, Joseph ThomasMultiple experiments were conducted to investigate the inclusion of a cocktail NSPase and ?-mannanase, separately and in combination, in reduced energy diets on broiler growth performance and processing yield. Each experiment contained a positive control (PC), negative control (NC) diet (-132 kcal/kg AME), and the inclusion of enzymes in the NC to evaluate enzyme effectiveness. The reduction in energy negatively impacted performance and processing parameters in all experiments. The inclusion of NSPase negated the negative effects of energy reduction in experiment 1. Experiment 2 evaluated increased pelleting temperature on NSPase activity. Body weight (BW) was increased (P<0.05) with the inclusion of NSPase pelleted at 80, 85, and 90 C throughout the experiment compared to NC; however, the treatment pelleted at 80 C outperformed the other NSPase pelleted treatments. The inclusion of NSPase pelleted at 80 C reduced (P<0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to the NC throughout the experiment. At the conclusion of the trial, NSPase inclusion pelleted at 85 and 90 C yielded FCR similar to PC. The experimental design of experiment 3 and 4 included five dietary treatments including a PC, NC, NC supplemented with ?-mannanase, NSPase, and ?-mannanase/NSPase. Performance parameters were evaluated on d 14, 28, 42, and 47 and a subset of broilers were processed on day 48. Increases (P<0.05) in BW were observed with the inclusion of NSPase and ?-mannanase/ NSPase on day 14 and with all treatment groups on day 28. An additive effect was observed with reduced FCR through day 28 with the combination of ?-mannanase/ NSPase. In experiment 4, performance was evaluated on days 14, 27, 35, and 41 and carcass yields determined on day 42. Increases in day 14 BW were observed with the inclusion of the NSPase alone and ?-mannanase/NSPase to reach a similar weight as the PC. Inclusion of ?-mannanase/NSPase increased (P<0.05) BW compared to the NC. Inclusion of the NSPase reduced (P<0.05) cumulative FCR through 41 days of age. Inclusion of ?-mannanase/NSPase resulted in reduced (P<0.05) FCR in the finisher phase and cumulatively throughout the trial to levels of the PC. The combination of ?-mannanase/NSPase did increase (P<0.05) WOG weight similar to observations in BW. These data confirm that enzyme supplementation in low energy diets improve performance and indicate that additive effects of a combination of enzymes could potentially be a cost saving strategy for producers.Item Gas Kinetic Study of Magnetic Field Effects on Plasma Plumes(2012-12-07) Ebersohn, Frans 1987-Plasma flow physics in magnetic nozzles must be clearly understood for optimal design of plasma propulsion devices. Toward that end, in this thesis we: i) perform an extensive literature survey of magnetic nozzle physics, ii) assess the validity of magnetohydrodynamics for studying magnetic nozzle physics, and iii) illustrate the effects of the Hall term in simple flows as well as in magnetic nozzle configurations through numerical experiments with the Magneto-Gas Kinetic Method (MGKM). The crucial steps necessary for thrust generation in magnetic nozzles are energy conversion, plasma detachment, and momentum transfer. These three physical phenomena must be understood to optimize magnetic nozzle design. The operating dimensionless parameter ranges of six prominent experiments are considered and the corresponding mechanisms are discussed. An order of magnitude analysis of the governing equations reveal: i) most magnetic nozzles under consideration operate at the edge of the continuum regime rendering continuum-based description and computation valid; ii) in the context of MHD framework, the generalized Ohm?s law must be used to capture all of the relevant physics. This work also continues the development of the Magneto Gas Kinetic Method (MGKM) computational tool. Validation of the solver is performed in shock-tube and Hartmann channel flows in the Hall physics regime. Comparison with theory and available data is made whenever possible. Novel numerical experiments of magnetic nozzle plasma jets in the Hall regime are performed, confirming the theoretically predicted azimuthal rotation of the plasma jet due to Hall physics. The primary conclusion from this work is that the addition of the Hall effect generates helical structures in magnetic nozzle plasma flows. Preliminary results are encouraging for future magnetic nozzle studies and further challenges are identified.Item Impact of Climate Change on Long Term Nuclear Power Plant Operation(2010-10-12) Redwine, Adam B.The present work examines the potential impact of changes in climatic conditions on the long-term functioning of nuclear power plants. Nuclear power plants are potentially susceptible to changes both in acute risks, such as severe storm events, and chronic risks, such as detrimental changes in the thermodynamics of plant operation. Extending plant lifetimes well beyond the lengths of operation for which they were originally designed suggests the necessity of studying the impacts such changes might have. Potential threats are examined in light of earlier work performed by Business Continuity Consulting on commission for Enteritgy Nuclear. The fourteen risk drivers identified in that work as threats warranting additional investigation are studied individually, and their relevance and likely impact extrapolated for regions covered by the ten selected sites under examination. Thermodynamic eff ects are simulated with a plant analysis program known as PEPSE (Performance Evaluation of Plant Systems Efficiencies), with which a broad range of modeled environmental and plant conditions are analyzed for potential impacts to plant functioning. Of the fourteen climatic risk drivers considered, changes in drought and ood severity and frequency resulting from climate change were determined to be the most likely detriments to plant operations. Precipitation gures indicate that plants located in the Midwest are particularly susceptible to future drought conditions while those in the Northeast are likely to experience more frequent ooding. Many of the risk drivers specifi ed by the earlier work were only cursorily examined in light of the complex nature of these phenomena and lack of well defi ned correlation to climate change. Other risks were analyzed using the gathered data, but were determined not to pose signi ficant threats to plant operations. In addition to large scale climatic e ffects, changes related to coolant uid temperature rise and plant component efficiency were examined to qualify their e ect on the thermodynamics of the model plant. Plant operating conditions were modeled for a wide range of conditions related to theoretical environmental changes. These examinations showed negligibly small impacts caused by increased coolant water temperature and moderate impact caused by changes in air humidity.Item Modeling the elastic and plastic response of single crystals and polycrystalline aggregates(Texas A&M University, 2005-02-17) Patwardhan, Parag VilasUnderstanding the elastic-plastic response of polycrystalline materials is an extremely difficult task. A polycrystalline material consists of a large number of crystals having different orientations. On its own, each crystal would deform in a specific manner. However, when it is part of a polycrystalline aggregate, the crystal has to ensure compatibility with the aggregate, which causes the response of the crystal to change. Knowing the response of a crystal enables us to view the change in orientation of the crystal when subjected to external macroscopic forces. This ability is useful in predicting the evolution of texture in a material. In addition, by predicting the response of a crystal that is part of a polycrystalline aggregate, we are able to determine the free energy of each crystal. This is useful in studying phenomena like grain growth and diffusion of atoms across high energy grain boundaries. This dissertation starts out by presenting an overview of the elastic and plastic response of single crystals. An attempt is made to incorporate a hardening law which can describe the hardening of slip systems for all FCC materials. The most commonly used theories for relating the response of single crystals to that of polycrystalline aggregates are the Taylor model and the Sachs model. A new theory is presented which attempts to encompass the Taylor as well as the Sachs Model for polycrystalline materials. All of the above features are incorporated into the software program "Crystals".Item Nationwide Used Fuel Inventory Analysis(2013-11-27) Yancey, KristinaThe goal of this research was to develop a methodology to collect inventory estimates for the analysis and characterization of used fuel in the United States. To accomplish this, the Spent Fuel Database (SFD) was created. Data was collected for the database from publicly available information on the 103 operating reactors in January 2012. Using this data, plant models were developed using ORIGEN-ARP, a point-depletion tool. The output for each reactor model included current inventory estimates for used fuel taken out of the reactor 0, 1, 3, 5, 10, and 20 years ago. To determine the applicability of the database, a methodology was developed to analyze and compare the SFD with mass values produced using knowledge of past fuel assembly designs for general reactor classes. The methodology was centered around the idea of the ?applicability range? (AR) of the database, which was defined as the degree to which a correct estimate can be made quantitatively. Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) were shown to have a much higher AR than Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs), and older assembly classes were shown to have a lower AR than newer classes. The fission products in the database were shown to consistently have a high AR. Berkelium and californium had low AR for all of the assembly classes, curium had low AR for BWR classes and mixed AR for PWR classes, and americium and some plutonium isotopes had low AR for BWR classes. An assessment of the inventory estimates considered the potential radiotoxicity and heat load from these masses. The radiotoxicity by ingestion decreased by about a factor of 10 from the newest used fuel to the oldest, and the radiotoxicity by inhalation decreased by a factor of 2. While one person could never eat or inhale a spent fuel assembly, radiotoxicity was used as a metric for the upper limit of possible harm. The heat load decreased by more than a factor of 100 over the same range of fuel assemblies. On a per assembly basis, the radiotoxicity and heat load showed similar trends, with newer PWR assemblies being the highest and BWR assemblies being the lowest in both categories. Considering these results, at a potential interim storage facility, priority should be given to the oldest BWR assemblies to reduce the radiotoxic risk and heating requirements. Also, reprocessing and transmuting is highly encouraged to reduce the radiotoxicity and heat of the waste entering storage. Finally, to continue improving the SFD, future work should seek to quantify the magnitude of the impact of variations in AR for curium and for BWR classes. Moreover, future work should incorporate the used fuel from all the shutdown reactors into the database. Even in its current form, though, the SFD is a useful reference tool.Item The Pecan Street Project : developing the electric utility system of the future(2009-08) Smith, Christopher Alan; Eaton, David J.; Webber, Michael E., 1971-The Pecan Street Project (PSP) is a public-private initiative that seeks to establish the City of Austin and its electric utility, Austin Energy (AE), as leaders in developing the electric utility system of the future and clean energy economy. The four main components of the project are to: 1) develop a local, public-private consortium dedicated to research and development of clean energy technologies and distributed power generation; 2) open the city’s electric grid to act as a lab to test emerging clean energy technologies; 3) develop a new business model to ensure AE’s continued profitability; and 4) show the world how the new business and systems model can work. This report provides a case study of PSP and describes an analytical approach for evaluating projects, programs, and policies proposed by PSP working groups to develop a cleaner, more efficient electric system. This report includes a history of the project, discusses opportunities and challenges identified by PSP, and evaluates the potential economic, environmental, system, and other impacts of different project ideas through a technical analysis. This report concludes with a series of recommendations to PSP and identifies policy implications for the City of Austin, AE, other policymakers, and other electric utilities.Item Statewise Correlates of Civil Nuclear Energy(2014-08-01) Kafle, NischalQuantitative empirical analysis has been used in several works, over the past decade or so, to identify correlates of states motivation for pursuing military nuclear technology. Nelson and Sprecher used such methodology to identify various national attributes that correlate to states peaceful use of nuclear power for electricity generation, which was termed as \Nuclear Reliance." The major initial objective for the present work was to replace a dichotomous subjective independent variable used by Nelson and Sprecher to represent engagement in international commerce in civil nuclear technology with more objectively defined variables carrying a similar representation. Ordinary least squares stepwise regression was applied to a dataset consisting of 27 independent variables that was created for this study. Data for 13 of 27 independent variables were added to the dataset from previous study, and 9 of 14 previous attributes data were updated. Supervised stepwise regression was used to create a linear regression model with five predictors having acceptable confidence level (p < 0:01) and coefficient of determination (R^(2) ? 0:51). Results from stepwise linear regression showed that states that trade knowledge and material for nuclear power technology are heavily involved in civil nuclear power that states that are not involved in international trade of such technology and material. Analyses of the individual steps at several different levels of aggregation showed that some predictors were included as a consequence of improvements to residuals only for a few states. Preliminary results show that an analysis based on change from some prior year (1980 was used, for illustrative purposes) has considerable promise.