Identification and resolution of problems with methodology used in selection of technological concepts for R&D support

How to better evaluate the merits of competing technological concepts. This project is concerned with evaluation of the merits of competing technological concepts and managing the R&D investments needed to bring them to fruition. A weakness of the current R&D process is that arguments regarding who should receive funding come from a concept's proponents, who are usually interested and biased. More objective evaluation methods are needed. As part of this work it is important to understand better how qualified experts evaluate technological concepts. Can a probabilistically formulated method of integrating knowledge of various performance attributes provide better understanding of the likely performance of a technological concept? This is the question of interest. A nuclear power plant example (impetus for the actual study below). The impetus for the study began with The U.S. Department of Energy's Generation IV advanced reactor technology program, the program that will select the next generation of nuclear reactors. Generation IV chose twenty-seven criteria for use in determining which nuclear power plant concepts would be best for a given mission. These criteria came in the form of twenty-seven questions asked of prospective concept designers.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Nuclear Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2004

Author dc:creator

• Hardman, William L

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Michael W. Golay.

• Ocean Engineering.
• Nuclear Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33443

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/33443