Nuclear Energy: Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant

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Nuclear Energy: Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant On March 11th, 2011, the country of Japan was greatly affected by the well-known Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant nuclear disaster. Due to the limited amounts of natural resources such as coal in the country of Japan, there was not a sufficient amount to cheaply and easily provide for the country’s energy needs through the use of fossil fuel. This resulted in the production of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. This power plant consisted of six boiling water reactors that ran electrical generators (Nuclear Energy Agency, 2011). Boiling water reactors function when water flows through the reactor core which contains an array of fuel rods. Control rods, which are among the fuel rods, prevent overheating by absorbing neutrons. They can be raised and lowered to control neutron moderation and therefore control the rate of the nuclear reaction. When they are lowered, it slows down the rate by absorbing more neutrons and when they are raised, it allows the rate to speed up by absorbing fewer neutrons (Brain & Lamb, 2011). The fission of uranium-235, which is the splitting of the nuclei into smaller remains by being bombarded with neutrons, is stored in the fuel rods as pellets. During the process of fission, a chain reaction occurs. As a neutron joins a Uranium-235 atom, that atom briefly becomes Uranium-236. Then it breaks apart in two and gives off three neutrons, making the nucleus of the original atom release gamma radiation from radioactive decay. The other three neutrons then become attached to other Uranium-235 atoms and cause fission to occur again. As water flows through the reactor core, acting as a coolant to prevent the pellets from melting, it picks up heat generated from ... ... middle of paper ... ...disaster affected the environment? Retrieved from http://mag.audubon.org/articles/birds/how-has-fukushimas-nuclear- disaster-affected-environment Nuclear Energy Agency. (n.d.). Fukushima press kit. Retrieved from http://www.oecd- nea.org/press/press-kits/fukushima.html Oskin, B. (2013, March). Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011: Facts and information. Retrieved from http://www.livescience.com/39110-japan-2011-earthquake-tsunami- facts.html United Nations Information Service. (2013, May). No immediate health risks from Fukushima Nuclear Accident Says UN Expert Science Panel. Retrieved from http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/en/pressrels/2013/unisinf475.html World Health Organization. (2013, February). Global report on Fukushima nuclear accident Details Health Risks. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2013/fukushima_report_20130228/e n/

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