At first glance, nuclear energy seems like a great alternative to burning fossil fuels. It is a cleaner more efficient power source, that does not cause global warming or acid rain. U.S. nuclear reactors rely on uranium, which is naturally abundant locally, so nuclear power reduces reliance on foreign energy. However, while some argue that nuclear power plants are as safe as any energy production, the radioactive waste produced as well as nuclear accidents like Three Mile Island are evidence that alternative options should be explored. According to Sandra Alters, nuclear reactors work like this: Fuel rods, made of zirconium, with pellets of fissionable fuel (uranium in the US) are assembled into bundles in the core of the reactor. They are surrounded by control rods, made of iron, cadmium, indium or silver, which absorb or capture neutrons to slow the reaction. Neutron moderation is also important because neutrons have to be slowed so that the atomic nucleus can capture them. By the process of fission, or splitting of the uranium nucleus into smaller fragments by bombarding with neutrons, heat is produced. In a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) this heat circulates in a pool of radioactive water, which transfers its heat to a second pool of water that produces steam, which runs through a turbine and turns the generator, turning mechanical energy into electrical energy. Uranium-235 is the ideal fuel, because it is readily available and reactions with it release neutrons that continue the change reaction. However, Uranium straight from the ground is 98% Uranium-238, which much be enriched to at least 5% Uranium-235 for fission to occur. Further challenges include maintaining a critical mass, or the amount of fissionable required... ... middle of paper ... ...ear power needs to be rethought. References Alters, Sandra M. (2009). Nuclear Energy. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. doi:GALE|EJ3020670105 Canadian Nuclear Association. (2012). Nuclear Facts- Is nuclear energy a good choice for the environment? Retrieved from http://www.cna.ca/nuclear_facts/nuclear_environment/ Environmental Protection Agency (n.d.) Gamma Rays. Retrieved from http://www.epa. gov/radiation/understand/gamma.html Freudenrich, Craig. (n.d.) How Nuclear Fusion Reactors Work. Retrieved from http://science .howstuffworks.com/fusion-reactor.htm Greenpeace. (n.d.) Radioactive Waste. Retrieved from http://www.greenpeace.org /usa/en/campaigns/nuclear/safety-and-security/radioactive-waste/ Pressurized Water Reactor [Online image]. Retrieved January 20, 2014 from http://www.nrc. gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/brochures/br0164/r5/br0164r5.pdf
...ed the water begins to boil and steam is produced. When the steam is produced is moved up towards the reactor opening, as it moves up the steam passes through turbines that spin creating energy. The turbines begin to move which is what produces the energy. During this process a lot of steam is produced which is why so much power is created.
Nuclear energy is a very powerful source of energy. Just a little bit is required to make large amounts of electricity, which powers 1 in 5 households in the U.S. Nuclear energy has been advanced over the years and has been relied on heavily by many countries today.
Chernobyl is located in the Ukraine which is about 110 kilometers north of Kiev, near Belarus border. It is a small town with amount of population about 12,500 people. There was a nuclear power station with four reactors that has been built which is located about 15 kilometers to its northwest. A 22 sq. km in size of manmade water reservoir was created in order to cool down the reactor. This power plant was using Soviet-design RBMK-1000 nuclear reactors which are said as old and outdated design. This RBMK reactor are using U-235 fuel to heat water, creating steam that spin the turbines and generate electricity. Graphite is used to controls the core reactivity and also to keep the continuous nuclear reaction occurring in the core. When the core produces more steam and bubbles, it became more reactive and creating positive-feedback loop which is called as positive-void coefficient. Compared to other design of nuclear reactor, water is used as a coolant and to moderate the reactivity of the nuclear core. When the core heats up and produces more steam, the increase in steam bubbles or voids in the water reduces the reactivity in the nuclear core. This is an important safety feature found in most reactors built in the United States and other Western nations.
When the atoms are arranged in a reactor, the splitting of an atom will cause nearby atoms to split, forming a chain reaction. As the energy is released, it is sent through coolant tanks full of water, which is then heated into steam. The steam is channeled and used to spin a turbine, which in turn powers a generator, producing electricity (whatisnuclear.com, Nuclear Reactors). Despite this, many still fear events such as this.
Central Idea: Nuclear energy only contributes a small amount to the world’s electricity yet it has hazards and dangers that far out-way its benefits. There are many other alternative power producing sources that can produce energy more efficiently and more safely than nuclear power plants can.
After the United States developed the atomic at the end of World War II, interest in nuclear technology increased exponentially. People soon realized that nuclear technology could be used for electricity, as another alternative to fossil fuels. Today, nuclear power has its place in the world, but there is still a lot of controversy over the use of nuclear energy. Things such as the containment of radiation and few nuclear power plant accidents have given nuclear power a bad image. However, nuclear power is a reliable source of energy because it has no carbon emissions, energy is available at any time, little fuel is needed for a lot of energy, and as time goes on, it is becoming safer and safer.
We need to switch to nuclear power instead of fossil fuels such as coal and oil. Nuclear energy is a clean way to create electricity versus other ways that produce the same amount of electricity, but have a harsh effect on our world. Most people have bad feelings towards nuclear power because of three major incidents, Three-mile Island in 1979, Chernobyl in 1986, and more recently Fukushima in 2011. It is because of these events that many dislike the idea of nuclear power and have a misunderstanding of what actually happened in these events. According to the World Nuclear Association, “These three significant accidents occurred during more than 16,000 reactor-years of civil operation.
Nuclear power is the generation of electricity from an atomic reaction. (World Statistics: Nuclear Energy Around the World n.d.) Though it produces zero carbon emissions there has been a decline in support for nuclear power and increased its support for alternative energies in the pursuit for a fossil free energy sector. Factors that have resulted in the reduction of support for nuclear energy include nuclear accidents and waste and the positives of renewable energy which include clean energy, sustainable and reduced health and environmental risks.
Media coverage of such cases have made the public less comfortable with the idea of moving further towards nuclear power and they only opt for reducing human activities to reduce global warming. It is true that there have been some notable disasters involving nuclear power, but compared to other power systems, nuclear power has an impressive track record. First, it is less harmful and second, it will be able to cater for the growing world population. Nuclear power produces clean energy and it delivers it at a cost that is competitive in the energy market (Patterson). According to the US Energy Information Administration, there are currently 65 such plants in the Unite States (National Research Council). They produce 19 percent of the total US energy generation.
The use of nuclear energy has increased in the United States since 1973. Nuclear energy's share of U.S. electricity generation has grown from 4 percent in 1973 to 19 percent in 1998. This is excellent news for the environment. Nuclear energy and hydropower are the cleanest large-scale means of electricity production. Since nuclear power plants do not burn fuel, they emit no combustion byproducts—like carbon dioxide—into the atmosphere (www.nei.org). Nuclear power can come from the fission of Uranium, plutonium or thorium or the fusion of hydrogen into helium. Today uranium (U-235 and U-238) is most commonly used in the production of nuclear energy. The expa...
There are two main types of nuclear reactors used in the world, Pressurized Water Reactors, known as PWR’s, and Boiling Water Reactors, known as BWR’s. The former is more complicated and thusly more safe and more commonly used, while the latter presents several unnecessary hazards and is quickly being phased out of usage (Duke, n.d.). In both systems, reactions take place inside of a reaction chamber located within a co...
To begin, nuclear power is produced by nuclear fission, which is the splitting of an atom to start a chain reaction (“11 Facts”). This chain reaction produces massive amounts of heat. Nuclear reactors take advantage of this heat by pumping water into the reactor, which in turn produces steam. The steam then becomes pressurized through a pipeline and exits into a turbine (“How do Nuclear”). The pressurized steam causes the turbine blades to spin, producing power which is linked to a generator for use in the main power lines. When the steam passes the turbine blades, it goes past cooled pipes and condensates (“How do Nuclear”). After the condensation process is finished and the steam reverts back to water, it is pumped into the reactor again, thus completing the process of producing nuclear-based power.
... high energy density method, but also while being environmentally healthy as well as sustainable for years to come. In comparison to any other nuclear resource, nuclear energy is the solution that is reliable and powerful. Although interpreted as being affiliated with nuclear warfare, it is in fact, streamlined for an energy model. Hard limits that are put in place by uranium deficiencies and excessive nuclear waste are built on false data. Uranium, being a relatively common metal, can be easily accessible. Nuclear waste disposal is not only safe, but is also being reduced every day. By being used in medicine and space missions as well as minimizing emissions, nuclear energy is also a means to a better environment as well as innovation. Only with nuclear energy, can global energy demands be met and the world can be ushered into a cleaner and more innovative future.
Nuclear power, the use of exothermic nuclear processes to produce an enormous amount of electricity and heat for domestic, medical, military and industrial purposes i.e. “By the end of 2012 2346.3 kilowatt hours (KWh) of electricity was generated by nuclear reactors around the world” (International atomic energy agency Vienna, 2013, p.13). However, with that been said it is evident that the process of generating electricity from a nuclear reactor has numerous health and environmental safety issues.
Nuclear energy is generated by a process called fission. Fission occurs within the reactor of a nuclear power plant when a neutron is fired at an atom of uranium causing it to split and release subsequent neutrons.1 These are able to crash into other uranium atoms causing a chain reaction and releasing a great deal of heat energy.