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98-530: The Energy Saving trust no longer awards a "Recommended" certification. Its product certifications now include "Energy Saving Trust Endorsed", "Energy Saving Trust Listed", and "Verified by Energy Saving Trust". The product criteria were created and managed by the Energy Saving Trust Recommended team, then peer-reviewed by an independent panel of industry experts. The criteria were reviewed annually to make sure they still represent only

196-479: A nuclear proliferation risk as they can be configured to produce plutonium , as well as tritium gas used in boosted fission weapons . Reactor spent fuel can be reprocessed to yield up to 25% more nuclear fuel, which can be used in reactors again. Reprocessing can also significantly reduce the volume of nuclear waste, and has been practiced in Europe, Russia, India and Japan. Due to concerns of proliferation risks,

294-558: A " neutron howitzer ") produced a barium residue, which they reasoned was created by fission of the uranium nuclei. In their second publication on nuclear fission in February 1939, Hahn and Strassmann predicted the existence and liberation of additional neutrons during the fission process, opening the possibility of a nuclear chain reaction . Subsequent studies in early 1939 (one of them by Szilárd and Fermi), revealed that several neutrons were indeed released during fission, making available

392-619: A company specializing in IT and infrastructure maintenance in the near future. In March 2011, Hitachi agreed to sell its hard disk drive subsidiary, HGST , to Western Digital for a combination of cash and shares worth US$ 4.3 billion. Due to concerns of a duopoly of WD and Seagate Technology by the EU Commission and the Federal Trade Commission , Hitachi's 3.5" HDD division was sold to Toshiba . The transaction

490-441: A crucial role in generating large amounts of electricity with low carbon emissions, contributing significantly to the global energy mix. Just as conventional thermal power stations generate electricity by harnessing the thermal energy released from burning fossil fuels , nuclear reactors convert the energy released by controlled nuclear fission into thermal energy for further conversion to mechanical or electrical forms. When

588-445: A gas or a liquid metal (like liquid sodium or lead) or molten salt – is circulated past the reactor core to absorb the heat that it generates. The heat is carried away from the reactor and is then used to generate steam. Most reactor systems employ a cooling system that is physically separated from the water that will be boiled to produce pressurized steam for the turbines , like the pressurized water reactor . However, in some reactors

686-442: A large fissile atomic nucleus such as uranium-235 , uranium-233 , or plutonium-239 absorbs a neutron, it may undergo nuclear fission. The heavy nucleus splits into two or more lighter nuclei, (the fission products ), releasing kinetic energy , gamma radiation , and free neutrons . A portion of these neutrons may be absorbed by other fissile atoms and trigger further fission events, which release more neutrons, and so on. This

784-424: A less effective moderator. In other reactors, the coolant acts as a poison by absorbing neutrons in the same way that the control rods do. In these reactors, power output can be increased by heating the coolant, which makes it a less dense poison. Nuclear reactors generally have automatic and manual systems to scram the reactor in an emergency shut down. These systems insert large amounts of poison (often boron in

882-570: A number of ways: A kilogram of uranium-235 (U-235) converted via nuclear processes releases approximately three million times more energy than a kilogram of coal burned conventionally (7.2 × 10 joules per kilogram of uranium-235 versus 2.4 × 10 joules per kilogram of coal). The fission of one kilogram of uranium-235 releases about 19 billion kilocalories , so the energy released by 1 kg of uranium-235 corresponds to that released by burning 2.7 million kg of coal. A nuclear reactor coolant – usually water but sometimes

980-465: A patent on reactors on 19 December 1944. Its issuance was delayed for 10 years because of wartime secrecy. "World's first nuclear power plant" is the claim made by signs at the site of the EBR-I , which is now a museum near Arco, Idaho . Originally called "Chicago Pile-4", it was carried out under the direction of Walter Zinn for Argonne National Laboratory . This experimental LMFBR operated by

1078-773: A pile (hence the name) of graphite blocks, embedded in which was natural uranium oxide 'pseudospheres' or 'briquettes'. Soon after the Chicago Pile, the Metallurgical Laboratory developed a number of nuclear reactors for the Manhattan Project starting in 1943. The primary purpose for the largest reactors (located at the Hanford Site in Washington ), was the mass production of plutonium for nuclear weapons. Fermi and Szilard applied for

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1176-489: A pivotal moment following the 2008 global financial crisis . This crisis led to a record loss of 787.3 billion yen, prompting a strategic overhaul. The company concentrated its efforts on the 'Social Innovation Business', capitalising on its strengths in infrastructure and IT, and underwent major structural changes. These involved consolidating unprofitable operations and venturing into new fields such as digital systems and renewable energy, adapting to changing market dynamics. As

1274-407: A planned typical lifetime of 30–40 years, though many of those have received renovations and life extensions of 15–20 years. Some believe nuclear power plants can operate for as long as 80 years or longer with proper maintenance and management. While most components of a nuclear power plant, such as steam generators, are replaced when they reach the end of their useful lifetime, the overall lifetime of

1372-566: A private enterprise" to proceed. In October 2019, the talks between Honda and Hitachi to consolidate their four automotive parts businesses, Showa , Nissin and Keihin of the former and the latter's Hitachi Automotive Systems, have reportedly begun, resulting in the creation of a "mega supplier" named Hitachi Astemo incorporated in January 2021. In March 2020, an improved version of the L0 Series SCMaglev rolling stock for

1470-471: A reactor. One such process is delayed neutron emission by a number of neutron-rich fission isotopes. These delayed neutrons account for about 0.65% of the total neutrons produced in fission, with the remainder (termed " prompt neutrons ") released immediately upon fission. The fission products which produce delayed neutrons have half-lives for their decay by neutron emission that range from milliseconds to as long as several minutes, and so considerable time

1568-423: A result of these strategic moves, Hitachi returned to profitability by March 2011. Today, Hitachi's corporate activities are organised into three large sections: Digital Systems and Services, Green Energy and Mobility, and Connective Industries. The Digital Systems and Services segment features Lumada. This segment focuses on business processes and operational efficiency. This segment accounted for 21.9 percent of

1666-529: A set of theoretical nuclear reactor designs. These are generally not expected to be available for commercial use before 2040–2050, although the World Nuclear Association suggested that some might enter commercial operation before 2030. Current reactors in operation around the world are generally considered second- or third-generation systems, with the first-generation systems having been retired some time ago. Research into these reactor types

1764-446: Is a device used to initiate and control a fission nuclear chain reaction . Nuclear reactors are used at nuclear power plants for electricity generation and in nuclear marine propulsion . When a fissile nucleus like uranium-235 or plutonium-239 absorbs a neutron , it splits into lighter nuclei, releasing energy, gamma radiation , and free neutrons, which can induce further fission in a self-sustaining chain reaction . The process

1862-526: Is active in a range of industries, including digital systems, power and renewable energy , railway systems, healthcare products , and financial systems . The company was founded as an electrical machinery manufacturing subsidiary of the Kuhara Mining Plant in Hitachi, Ibaraki by engineer Namihei Odaira in 1910. It started as an independent company under its current name in 1920. Hitachi

1960-499: Is carefully controlled using control rods and neutron moderators to regulate the number of neutrons that continue the reaction, ensuring the reactor operates safely, although inherent control by means of delayed neutrons also plays an important role in reactor output control. The efficiency of nuclear fuel is much higher than fossil fuels; the 5% enriched uranium used in the newest reactors has an energy density 120,000 times higher than coal. Nuclear reactors have their origins in

2058-482: Is evident in its leadership, as all its 12 CEOs, including founder Odaira, have engineering backgrounds. Remarkably, 8 out of the 12 consecutive CEOs, including Odaira, are alumni of the University of Tokyo 's Faculty of Engineering. Historically recognised for its technology and industrial products, including electric generators , consumer electronics , trains , computers , and nuclear reactors , Hitachi faced

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2156-413: Is inserted deeper into the reactor, it absorbs more neutrons than the material it displaces – often the moderator. This action results in fewer neutrons available to cause fission and reduces the reactor's power output. Conversely, extracting the control rod will result in an increase in the rate of fission events and an increase in power. The physics of radioactive decay also affects neutron populations in

2254-428: Is known as a nuclear chain reaction . To control such a nuclear chain reaction, control rods containing neutron poisons and neutron moderators are able to change the portion of neutrons that will go on to cause more fission. Nuclear reactors generally have automatic and manual systems to shut the fission reaction down if monitoring or instrumentation detects unsafe conditions. The reactor core generates heat in

2352-547: Is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and is a key component of the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX Core30 indices. As of June 2024, it has a market capitalisation of 16.9 trillion yen, making it the fourth largest Japanese company by market value. In terms of global recognition, Hitachi was ranked 38th in the 2012 Fortune Global 500 and 129th in the 2012 Forbes Global 2000 . Hitachi is a highly globalised conglomerate. In

2450-405: Is mined, processed, enriched, used, possibly reprocessed and disposed of is known as the nuclear fuel cycle . Under 1% of the uranium found in nature is the easily fissionable U-235 isotope and as a result most reactor designs require enriched fuel. Enrichment involves increasing the percentage of U-235 and is usually done by means of gaseous diffusion or gas centrifuge . The enriched result

2548-401: Is produced. Fission also produces iodine-135 , which in turn decays (with a half-life of 6.57 hours) to new xenon-135. When the reactor is shut down, iodine-135 continues to decay to xenon-135, making restarting the reactor more difficult for a day or two, as the xenon-135 decays into cesium-135, which is not nearly as poisonous as xenon-135, with a half-life of 9.2 hours. This temporary state is

2646-448: Is reaching or crossing their design lifetimes of 30 or 40 years. In 2014, Greenpeace warned that the lifetime extension of ageing nuclear power plants amounts to entering a new era of risk. It estimated the current European nuclear liability coverage in average to be too low by a factor of between 100 and 1,000 to cover the likely costs, while at the same time, the likelihood of a serious accident happening in Europe continues to increase as

2744-416: Is required to determine exactly when a reactor reaches the critical point. Keeping the reactor in the zone of chain reactivity where delayed neutrons are necessary to achieve a critical mass state allows mechanical devices or human operators to control a chain reaction in "real time"; otherwise the time between achievement of criticality and nuclear meltdown as a result of an exponential power surge from

2842-567: Is taking for 2016 an estimated ¥65 billion write-off in value of a SILEX technology laser uranium enrichment joint venture with General Electric . In February 2017, Hitachi and Honda announced a partnership to develop, produce and sell motors for electric vehicles. Also in 2017, private equity firm KKR bought Hitachi Kokusai's (itself a subsidiary of Hitachi) semiconductor equipment division, becoming Kokusai Electric . In 2019, Applied Materials announced that it would acquire Kokusai Electric from KKR for US$ 2.2 billion. The deal

2940-573: The Chuo Shinkansen was introduced, marking the first magnetically levitated train manufactured by Hitachi. In September 2020, Hitachi abandoned plans to create nuclear power plants in Gloucestershire and Wales due to issues with funding due to the impact of COVID-19 . In the same month, Hitachi Capital agreed to be bought by its second-largest shareholder, business partner, and former rival Mitsubishi UFJ Lease , which invested in

3038-432: The Manhattan Project . Eventually, the first artificial nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1 , was constructed at the University of Chicago , by a team led by Italian physicist Enrico Fermi, in late 1942. By this time, the program had been pressured for a year by U.S. entry into the war. The Chicago Pile achieved criticality on 2 December 1942 at 3:25 PM. The reactor support structure was made of wood, which supported

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3136-517: The PWR , BWR and PHWR designs above, and some are more radical departures. The former include the advanced boiling water reactor (ABWR), two of which are now operating with others under construction, and the planned passively safe Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR) and AP1000 units (see Nuclear Power 2010 Program ). Rolls-Royce aims to sell nuclear reactors for the production of synfuel for aircraft. Generation IV reactors are

3234-524: The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission produced 0.8 kW in a test on 20 December 1951 and 100 kW (electrical) the following day, having a design output of 200 kW (electrical). Besides the military uses of nuclear reactors, there were political reasons to pursue civilian use of atomic energy. U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower made his famous Atoms for Peace speech to the UN General Assembly on 8 December 1953. This diplomacy led to

3332-477: The coolant also acts as a neutron moderator . A moderator increases the power of the reactor by causing the fast neutrons that are released from fission to lose energy and become thermal neutrons. Thermal neutrons are more likely than fast neutrons to cause fission. If the coolant is a moderator, then temperature changes can affect the density of the coolant/moderator and therefore change power output. A higher temperature coolant would be less dense, and therefore

3430-552: The purge of key pre-war Japanese figures ended. However, he died in October of the same year at age 77. Despite these challenges, Hitachi demonstrated strong resilience, quickly recovering its pre-war production and technology levels and expanding its business scope. In 1949, Hitachi built its first power shovel, marking the start of what is now Hitachi Construction Machinery . The company also innovated in electric generators during this period. Furthermore, in 1960, Hitachi developed

3528-402: The "iodine pit." If the reactor has sufficient extra reactivity capacity, it can be restarted. As the extra xenon-135 is transmuted to xenon-136, which is much less a neutron poison, within a few hours the reactor experiences a "xenon burnoff (power) transient". Control rods must be further inserted to replace the neutron absorption of the lost xenon-135. Failure to properly follow such a procedure

3626-580: The 1986 Chernobyl disaster and 2011 Fukushima disaster . As of 2022 , the International Atomic Energy Agency reported there are 422 nuclear power reactors and 223 nuclear research reactors in operation around the world. The US Department of Energy classes reactors into generations, with the majority of the global fleet being Generation II reactors constructed from the 1960s to 1990s, and Generation IV reactors currently in development. Reactors can also be grouped by

3724-601: The Darlington site in Ontario, Canada. OPG and GE-Hitachi will be collaborating on the design, planning and preparation of license materials for the construction of Canada's first SMR which is planned to enter operation in 2028. Hitachi, with its focus on energy, information technology, and infrastructure, has seen a significant improvement in profitability since the record loss in 2009. Reflecting this, Hitachi’s market capitalisation has more than octupled since 2010, becoming

3822-512: The Energy Saving Trust's criteria in order to become a member. Over 250 large, medium and small companies were members of the scheme, including Hitachi Digital Media Group , Sony , Epson , John Lewis Partnership , Home Retail Group , Next , Samsung , Beko , Glen Dimplex , Baxi , Electrolux , Pure radios , Indesit , Knauf Insulation , Panasonic , Smeg and Aga Rangemaster . Up until 2010 Energy Saving Trust Recommended

3920-552: The Hitachi HM6147 chip, developed by a Hitachi team led by Toshiaki Masuhara, was able to match the Intel's flagship 2147 HMOS's performance with 87 per cent less power. Until the early 1980s, American semiconductor producers were focusing on the development and production of NMOS transistors, with which they dominated the global market, while Hitachi invested heavily in developing efficient CMOS transistors. This success led to

4018-570: The Hitachi NAS Platform. Since September 19, 2017, Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) has become part of Hitachi Vantara, a new company that unifies the operations of Pentaho , Hitachi Data Systems and Hitachi Insight Group. The company name "Hitachi Data Systems" (HDS) and its logo is no longer used in the market. Hitachi Consulting , the group's international management and technology consulting subsidiary with headquarters in Dallas, Texas,

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4116-546: The Hitachi subsidiary in 2016. In November 2020, it announced that Hitachi Metals and Hitachi Construction Machinery , both being some of the last remaining listed subsidiaries, will likely be detached from the group according to the restructuring plan. In December, Hitachi sold a 60% stake in its overseas home appliance business to Turkish Arcelik for US$ 300 million. In December 2021, it was announced by OPG that they had selected GE-Hitachi to construct two BWRX-300 reactors at

4214-736: The U.S. military sought other uses for nuclear reactor technology. Research by the Army led to the power stations for Camp Century, Greenland and McMurdo Station, Antarctica Army Nuclear Power Program . The Air Force Nuclear Bomber project resulted in the Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment . The U.S. Navy succeeded when they steamed the USS Nautilus (SSN-571) on nuclear power 17 January 1955. The first commercial nuclear power station, Calder Hall in Sellafield , England

4312-451: The UK, from E.ON and RWE for £700 million. In November 2012, Hitachi and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries agreed to merge their thermal power generation businesses into a joint venture to be owned 65% by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and 35% by Hitachi. The joint venture named Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) began operations in February 2014. In 2020 Hitachi transferred its share of

4410-554: The United Kingdom, expanded in the 2010s, with Hitachi Newton Aycliffe starting operations in October 2015. Following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011 and the extended temporary closure of most Japanese nuclear plants, Hitachi's nuclear business became unprofitable and in 2016 Hitachi CEO Toshiaki Higashihara argued Japan should consider a merger of the various competing nuclear businesses. Hitachi

4508-535: The United States does not engage in or encourage reprocessing. Reactors are also used in nuclear propulsion of vehicles. Nuclear marine propulsion of ships and submarines is largely restricted to naval use. Reactors have also been tested for nuclear aircraft propulsion and spacecraft propulsion . Reactor safety is maintained through various systems that control the rate of fission. The insertion of control rods, which absorb neutrons, can rapidly decrease

4606-565: The World War II Allied Manhattan Project . The world's first artificial nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1, achieved criticality on 2 December 1942. Early reactor designs sought to produce weapons-grade plutonium for fission bombs , later incorporating grid electricity production in addition. In 1957, Shippingport Atomic Power Station became the first reactor dedicated to peaceful use; in Russia, in 1954,

4704-569: The area was contaminated, like Fukushima, Three Mile Island, Sellafield, and Chernobyl. The British branch of the French concern EDF Energy , for example, extended the operating lives of its Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors (AGR) with only between 3 and 10 years. All seven AGR plants were expected to be shut down in 2022 and in decommissioning by 2028. Hinkley Point B was extended from 40 to 46 years, and closed. The same happened with Hunterston B , also after 46 years. An increasing number of reactors

4802-643: The automotive and electronics industries. Among the Hitachi Metals facilities is Hitachi Metal Yasugi Works or Tatara Works, one of the oldest furnaces in Japan, famously featured as a main backdrop in Princess Mononoke , a Japanese animation film set in the Muromachi period . As of September 2020, Hitachi Metals is set to be divested as part of the long-term restructuring plan being executed by

4900-740: The beginning of his quest to produce the Einstein-Szilárd letter to alert the U.S. government. Shortly after, Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939, starting World War II in Europe. The U.S. was not yet officially at war, but in October, when the Einstein-Szilárd letter was delivered to him, Roosevelt commented that the purpose of doing the research was to make sure "the Nazis don't blow us up." The U.S. nuclear project followed, although with some delay as there remained skepticism (some of it from Enrico Fermi ) and also little action from

4998-458: The choices of coolant and moderator. Almost 90% of global nuclear energy comes from pressurized water reactors and boiling water reactors , which use water as a coolant and moderator. Other designs include heavy water reactors , gas-cooled reactors , and fast breeder reactors , variously optimizing efficiency, safety, and fuel type , enrichment , and burnup . Small modular reactors are also an area of current development. These reactors play

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5096-515: The company started manufacturing elevators and electric refrigerators. World War II and its aftermath significantly impacted Hitachi, leading to the destruction of factories, post-war internal discord, and the removal of founder Namihei Odaira by the Allied occupational forces. Hitachi went public in 1949, listing on the Tokyo Exchange (TYO:6501). Odaira returned to the company in 1951 when

5194-544: The company, making it difficult to implement fundamental solutions. These delays in essential reforms proved detrimental when facing the 2007–2008 financial crisis and led to the record loss. This prompted Hitachi to restructure and sell a number of divisions and businesses under the leadership of Takashi Kawamura . From 2008 to 2018, Hitachi reduced the number of its listed group companies and consolidated subsidiaries in Japan from 22 to 4 and around 400 to 202, respectively, through restructuring and sell-offs. It plans to become

5292-489: The compatriot auto suppliers. The rest of the group companies include: Bought by Mitsubishi , it had been the group's financial business arm. Spin-off entities from Hitachi Works include Hitachi Cable (1956) and Hitachi Canadian Industries Limited (founded 1988 in Saskatoon and closed in 2016 as Mitsubishi-Hitachi Power Systems). As Hitachi pulled out of MHPS and handed over the control to MHI , Hitachi Works

5390-467: The complexities of handling actinides , but significant scientific and technical obstacles remain. Despite research having started in the 1950s, no commercial fusion reactor is expected before 2050. The ITER project is currently leading the effort to harness fusion power. Thermal reactors generally depend on refined and enriched uranium . Some nuclear reactors can operate with a mixture of plutonium and uranium (see MOX ). The process by which uranium ore

5488-688: The dissemination of reactor technology to U.S. institutions and worldwide. The first nuclear power plant built for civil purposes was the AM-1 Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant , launched on 27 June 1954 in the Soviet Union . It produced around 5 MW (electrical). It was built after the F-1 (nuclear reactor) which was the first reactor to go critical in Europe, and was also built by the Soviet Union. After World War II,

5586-494: The energy of the neutrons that sustain the fission chain reaction : In principle, fusion power could be produced by nuclear fusion of elements such as the deuterium isotope of hydrogen . While an ongoing rich research topic since at least the 1940s, no self-sustaining fusion reactor for any purpose has ever been built. Used by thermal reactors: In 2003, the French Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique (CEA)

5684-463: The first consumer HDD with a storage of 1 TB, which was released in the same year. In FY2008, Hitachi lost US$ 7.8 billion, the largest corporate loss in Japanese history up to that point. Since its zenith in the 1980s and 1990s, a number of departments had suffered a decline in efficiency. However, being one of the largest conglomerates in the world at the time, conflicts of interest existed across

5782-524: The first small nuclear power reactor APS-1 OBNINSK reached criticality. Other countries followed suit. Heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid coolant (water or gas), which in turn runs through turbines . In commercial reactors, turbines drive electrical generator shafts. The heat can also be used for district heating , and industrial applications including desalination and hydrogen production . Some reactors are used to produce isotopes for medical and industrial use. Reactors pose

5880-432: The fiscal year 2023, it generated approximately 61% of its total revenue of 9.7 trillion yen from international markets. The major contributors to this global revenue were Asia , Europe , and North America , with each region accounting for 22%, 16%, and 16% of the total revenue, respectively. Hitachi's mission is to 'contribute to society through the development of superior, original technology and products'. This ethos

5978-407: The fission process generates heat, some of which can be converted into usable energy. A common method of harnessing this thermal energy is to use it to boil water to produce pressurized steam which will then drive a steam turbine that turns an alternator and generates electricity. Modern nuclear power plants are typically designed for a lifetime of 60 years, while older reactors were built with

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6076-529: The form of boric acid ) into the reactor to shut the fission reaction down if unsafe conditions are detected or anticipated. Most types of reactors are sensitive to a process variously known as xenon poisoning, or the iodine pit . The common fission product Xenon-135 produced in the fission process acts as a neutron poison that absorbs neutrons and therefore tends to shut the reactor down. Xenon-135 accumulation can be controlled by keeping power levels high enough to destroy it by neutron absorption as fast as it

6174-410: The former's wholly owned Hitachi Automotive Systems, to be better equipped for the changing car market environment, frequently represented as CASE, for which they will integrate their assets to accelerate development of new technology and software. Hitachi Astemo is considered a "mega supplier", as annual sales of the four predecessors combined stood at $ 17 billion, placing it as the second largest among

6272-737: The fourth largest company in Japan by market capitalisation in June 2024. Hitachi Vantara is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi which provides hardware, software and services to help companies manage their digital data. Its flagship products are the Virtual Storage Platform (for enterprise storage), Hitachi Unified Storage VM for large-sized companies, Hitachi Unified Storage for small and mid-sized companies, Hitachi Content Platform (archiving and cloud architecture), Hitachi Command Suite (for storage management), Hitachi TrueCopy and Hitachi Universal Replicator (for remote replication), and

6370-424: The fuel rods. This allows the reactor to be constructed with an excess of fissionable material, which is nevertheless made relatively safe early in the reactor's fuel burn cycle by the presence of the neutron-absorbing material which is later replaced by normally produced long-lived neutron poisons (far longer-lived than xenon-135) which gradually accumulate over the fuel load's operating life. The energy released in

6468-591: The group. Hitachi is a major rolling stock manufacturer. Hitachi acquired Italian rolling stock manufacturer AnsaldoBreda in 2015, renaming it Hitachi Rail Italy Hitachi Astemo, which stands for "Advanced Sustainable Technologies for Mobility", is a 67-33 joint venture between Hitachi and Honda , which merged their four auto parts affiliates and division, the latter's three keiretsu companies Showa Corporation , Keihin Corporation , and Nissin Kogyo , and

6566-447: The idea of nuclear fission as a neutron source, since that process was not yet discovered. Szilárd's ideas for nuclear reactors using neutron-mediated nuclear chain reactions in light elements proved unworkable. Inspiration for a new type of reactor using uranium came from the discovery by Otto Hahn , Lise Meitner , and Fritz Strassmann in 1938 that bombardment of uranium with neutrons (provided by an alpha-on-beryllium fusion reaction,

6664-509: The kanji for 'sun' (日, hi ) and 'rise' (立, tachi ), was coined by Odaira. While industrial machinery in Japan was usually powered by steam at the time, Odaira built water power stations in the mine and electrified almost all facilities in the factory. This led to the accumulation of expertise in electrical engineering, and helped the company develop various electrical equipment later in its history. In 1924, Hitachi completed Japan's first mainline electric locomotive ( JNR Class ED15 ). In 1932,

6762-506: The most efficient products. Over 5% of products were tested every year to check they meet the criteria, the highest percentage of any UK certification scheme of this type. The Energy Saving Trust Recommended label can be found across 31 product types in 7 product sectors. These include: Energy Saving Trust Recommended was a voluntary scheme which means all members put themselves and their products forward to be certified. As well as products meeting set standards on performance, all companies met

6860-449: The normal nuclear chain reaction, would be too short to allow for intervention. This last stage, where delayed neutrons are no longer required to maintain criticality, is known as the prompt critical point. There is a scale for describing criticality in numerical form, in which bare criticality is known as zero dollars and the prompt critical point is one dollar , and other points in the process interpolated in cents. In some reactors,

6958-581: The opportunity for the nuclear chain reaction that Szilárd had envisioned six years previously. On 2 August 1939, Albert Einstein signed a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt (written by Szilárd) suggesting that the discovery of uranium's fission could lead to the development of "extremely powerful bombs of a new type", giving impetus to the study of reactors and fission. Szilárd and Einstein knew each other well and had worked together years previously, but Einstein had never thought about this possibility for nuclear energy until Szilard reported it to him, at

7056-406: The physics of radioactive decay and are simply accounted for during the reactor's operation, while others are mechanisms engineered into the reactor design for a distinct purpose. The fastest method for adjusting levels of fission-inducing neutrons in a reactor is via movement of the control rods . Control rods are made of so-called neutron poisons and therefore absorb neutrons. When a control rod

7154-463: The power plant is limited by the life of components that cannot be replaced when aged by wear and neutron embrittlement , such as the reactor pressure vessel. At the end of their planned life span, plants may get an extension of the operating license for some 20 years and in the US even a "subsequent license renewal" (SLR) for an additional 20 years. Even when a license is extended, it does not guarantee

7252-571: The process. In October   2021, the enterprise was rebranded Hitachi   Energy . In 2019, Hitachi sold its medical imaging business to Fujifilm for US$ 1.7 billion. Showa Denko bought Hitachi Chemical from Hitachi and other shareholders, at US$ 42.97 per share. Until then, Hitachi Chemical had been considered to be a core unit of the group. Hitachi also suspended the ABWR development by its British subsidiary Horizon Nuclear Power as it did not provide adequate "economic rationality as

7350-572: The reactor fleet grows older. The neutron was discovered in 1932 by British physicist James Chadwick . The concept of a nuclear chain reaction brought about by nuclear reactions mediated by neutrons was first realized shortly thereafter, by Hungarian scientist Leó Szilárd , in 1933. He filed a patent for his idea of a simple reactor the following year while working at the Admiralty in London, England. However, Szilárd's idea did not incorporate

7448-416: The reactor will continue to operate, particularly in the face of safety concerns or incident. Many reactors are closed long before their license or design life expired and are decommissioned . The costs for replacements or improvements required for continued safe operation may be so high that they are not cost-effective. Or they may be shut down due to technical failure. Other ones have been shut down because

7546-437: The reactor's output, while other systems automatically shut down the reactor in the event of unsafe conditions. The buildup of neutron-absorbing fission products like xenon-135 can influence reactor behavior, requiring careful management to prevent issues such as the iodine pit , which can complicate reactor restarts. There have been two reactor accidents classed as an International Nuclear Event Scale Level 7 "major accident":

7644-460: The server-side system. Other contactless fare card systems such as ICOCA and PASMO have been introduced throughout the country since, almost all of which are modelled after Suica and thus mutually compatible. It is now widely used as a contactless payment system in non-railway business as well, and Hitachi has been involved in the series of developments in this area. At the CES 2007 , Hitachi revealed

7742-599: The small number of officials in the government who were initially charged with moving the project forward. The following year, the U.S. Government received the Frisch–Peierls memorandum from the UK, which stated that the amount of uranium needed for a chain reaction was far lower than had previously been thought. The memorandum was a product of the MAUD Committee , which was working on the UK atomic bomb project, known as Tube Alloys , later to be subsumed within

7840-424: The term Society 5.0 for this). Hitachi Cambridge Laboratory (HCL), a Hitachi-funded research centre within the University of Cambridge founded in 1985, now focuses on quantum computation and magnetism . Hitachi conducts similar initiatives with Kyoto University , Hokkaido University and National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology as well. Nuclear reactor A nuclear reactor

7938-526: The total revenue in FY2022. Founded in 1910 in Ibaraki Prefecture by electrical engineer Namihei Odaira, Hitachi's first product was Japan's inaugural 4-kilowatt induction motor, designed for copper mining. Originally an in-house venture of Fusanosuke Kuhara's mining company, Hitachi became independent in 1911 and moved its headquarters to Tokyo in 1918. The company's name 'Hitachi', combining

8036-503: The total revenue in FY2022. In the Connective Industries segment, Hitachi offers building systems such as elevators and escalators, healthcare with a focus on less invasive cancer treatments and diverse medical equipment, and a variety of industrial equipment such as air compressors and transformers. Additionally, the segment provides sustainable water and wastewater management. This segment accounted for 27.3 per cent of

8134-579: The total revenue in FY2022. The Green Energy and Mobility segment focuses on developing and providing power systems. This includes power generation, transmission, and distribution systems. In the rail industry, the company is a provider of rolling stock and traction equipment to signaling, traffic management systems, and maintenance depots. A key component of this segment is the ZeroCarbon suite, designed to enable fleet operators to transition to electric vehicles. This segment accounted for 22.9 per cent of

8232-403: The venture to MHI. In October 2015, Hitachi completed a deal with Johnson Controls to form a joint venture that would take over Hitachi's HVAC business. Hitachi maintained a 40% stake in the resulting company, Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning. In May 2016, Hitachi announced it was investing $ 2.8 billion into its IoT interests. Hitachi’s rail business in Europe , especially in

8330-424: The water for the steam turbines is boiled directly by the reactor core ; for example the boiling water reactor . The rate of fission reactions within a reactor core can be adjusted by controlling the quantity of neutrons that are able to induce further fission events. Nuclear reactors typically employ several methods of neutron control to adjust the reactor's power output. Some of these methods arise naturally from

8428-406: The world's first electric train seat reservation system, MARS-1 , for Japanese National Railways , allowing nationwide booking for express train seats. Around the same time, Hitachi began expanding its business overseas, with the establishment of Hitachi America, Ltd. 1959. In 1961, Hitachi began selling fully-automated washing machines and completed its first experimental nuclear reactor. In 1964,

8526-417: The world's first fully MOX -fuelled nuclear power station, Fugen . This was an innovative initiative, as MOX was seen as an efficient way of utilising plutonium from nuclear waste, which would otherwise have to be stored in security to ensure that it is not used to build nuclear weapons. In 1978, Hitachi's Twin-Well Hi- CMOS process ushered in a new era in the global semiconductor industry . For instance,

8624-669: The world's first high-speed railway line, the Shinkansen , opened. Hitachi not only built the innovative Series 0 rolling stock but also played a crucial part in developing the equally pioneering Automatic Train Control system (ATC) and the Computer-Aided Traffic Control System (COMTRAC). These contributions helped achieve the Shinkansen's punctual and safe operation. In 1977, Hitachi completed

8722-473: The world's three largest manufacturers by revenue all being Japanese companies by 1987, amongst which Hitachi was counted. Hitachi Europe, Ltd. was established in 1982. In 2001, the contactless fare card system Suica was introduced at 424 JR East stations throughout the Greater Tokyo Area. While the card itself was developed using Sony 's FeliCa system, Hitachi was responsible for building

8820-481: Was a key step in the Chernobyl disaster . Reactors used in nuclear marine propulsion (especially nuclear submarines ) often cannot be run at continuous power around the clock in the same way that land-based power reactors are normally run, and in addition often need to have a very long core life without refueling . For this reason many designs use highly enriched uranium but incorporate burnable neutron poison in

8918-537: Was also transferred, becoming part of Mitsubishi Power. Other former businesses Hitachi had had include the following: Hitachi has research partnerships with several universities, and funds research centres within these universities. Hitachi-UTokyo Lab., which is a joint research centre with the Faculty of Engineering , University of Tokyo , focuses on the realisation of data-driven and more efficient society (Former Chairman and UTokyo alumnus Hiroaki Nakanishi coined

9016-585: Was completed in March 2012. In January 2012, Hitachi announced it would stop producing televisions in Japan. In September 2012, Hitachi announced that it had invented a long-term data solution out of quartz glass that was capable of preserving information for millions of years. In October 2012, Hitachi agreed to acquire the United Kingdom-based nuclear energy company Horizon Nuclear Power , which plans to construct up to six nuclear power plants in

9114-561: Was entirely funded by the UK Government Department of Energy and Climate Change . From April 2010 onwards its aim was to become a self-funding scheme. As a result membership fees and product certification fees were introduced. Hitachi Hitachi, Ltd. ( Japanese pronunciation: [çi̥taꜜtɕi] ) is a Japanese multinational conglomerate founded in 1910 and headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo . The company

9212-536: Was integrated with Hitachi Vantara in 2019. On November 1, 2023, Hitachi spun off Hitachi Vantara LLC's digital solutions business into a new company, Hitachi Digital Services; Hitachi Vantara now focuses on its storage and hybrid cloud-centric data infrastructure services portfolio. Among other things, Hitachi Metals supplies materials for aircraft engines and fuselage components (e.g. landing gear), along with finished components for same and other aerospace applications. It also provides materials, components and tools for

9310-677: Was later terminated in 2021. In 2017, KKR also bought Hitachi's power tools subsidiary Hitachi Koki for US$ 1.3 billion, changing its name to Koki Holdings (HiKOKI) and marketing its tools as Metabo HPT in the US market. In 2018, Hitachi stopped selling televisions in Japan because its market share had dropped to 1%, opting to sell Sony TVs through its existing dealer network. On March 14, 2018, Zoomdata announced its partnership with Hitachi INS Software to help develop big data analytics market in Japan. In December 2018, Hitachi Ltd. announced it would take over 80% of ABB 's power grid division for $ 6.4 billion renaming it Hitachi-ABB Power Grids in

9408-788: Was officially started by the Generation ;IV International Forum (GIF) based on eight technology goals. The primary goals being to improve nuclear safety, improve proliferation resistance, minimize waste and natural resource utilization, and to decrease the cost to build and run such plants. Generation V reactors are designs which are theoretically possible, but which are not being actively considered or researched at present. Though some generation V reactors could potentially be built with current or near term technology, they trigger little interest for reasons of economics, practicality, or safety. Controlled nuclear fusion could in principle be used in fusion power plants to produce power without

9506-463: Was opened in 1956 with an initial capacity of 50 MW (later 200 MW). The first portable nuclear reactor "Alco PM-2A" was used to generate electrical power (2 MW) for Camp Century from 1960 to 1963. All commercial power reactors are based on nuclear fission . They generally use uranium and its product plutonium as nuclear fuel , though a thorium fuel cycle is also possible. Fission reactors can be divided roughly into two classes, depending on

9604-649: Was the first to refer to "Gen II" types in Nucleonics Week . The first mention of "Gen III" was in 2000, in conjunction with the launch of the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) plans. "Gen IV" was named in 2000, by the United States Department of Energy (DOE), for developing new plant types. More than a dozen advanced reactor designs are in various stages of development. Some are evolutionary from

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