Energy is fundamental item used in making things work. Plants and animals use it to power their bodies and humans use it to power everything else. The problem happens to be the source in which the energy originates. The energy source used right now is burning coal. It is very dirty and it results in massive CO2 emissions. Scientists are looking for alternative energy resources. One of the sources they discovered is nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is “energy stored in the nucleus of an atom” (Office of Nuclear Energy, 30). The idea was first introduced in 1953 by President Dwight Eisenhower as a resolution to the impending coal and oil shortages. Nuclear energy is generated by nuclear fission. Nuclear fission is the process in which radioactive isotopes split apart into smaller atoms. The most common fuel used for nuclear energy is uranium-235 (U235), a radioactive isotope found in most rocks. The process of nuclear fission starts with mining uranium ore. Once the ore is mined, it goes through a purification process. The U235 needs to have a concentration of three percent; it is enough to form a suitable reaction. The now purified U235 is formed into 1.5 cm long pellets that are faintly thicker than a pencil. Fuel assemblies are fashioned out of 100, 4 m long fuel rods containing stacked U235 pellets. A few chiliads of these fuel assemblies are grouped together and settled into a nuclear reactor. Nuclear fission commences as a neutron is thrown into the reactor. The neutron strikes an atom of U235. This releases heat, neutrons, tin, and molybdenum. The newly released neutrons strike more atoms of U235, thus creating a chain reaction. To keep the heat from the reactions from causing a meltdown, water is circulated between the fuel ro... ... middle of paper ... ...Lamb. "How Nuclear Power Works" 09 October 2000. HowStuffWorks.com. 01 December 2013. • N/A. "Energy: What do we want to achieve? - European Commission." Energy: What do we want to achieve? - European Commission. European Commission , n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2013. . • "2012 NEA Annual Report." 2012 NEA Annual Report. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2013. . • NRC. "List of Power Reactor Units." NRC:. N.p., 17 Sept. 2013. Web. 1 Dec. 2013. . • N/A. "Nuclear Power and the Environment." - Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy. EIA, 28 June 2013. Web. 1 Dec. 2013. .
"Plutonium End Game." Chapter 2: A Brief History of Commercial Plutonium. Jan. 2001. 28 July 2008 .
Smil, V. (2010).Myths in the Headlines: Nuclear Power, Energy: Myths and Realities: Bringing Science to the Energy Policy Debate (pp. 150-157). Washington, D.C.: Publisher for the American Enterprise Institute.
"Miller Center." Address to the Nation on Energy (April 18, 1977)-. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2014.
Afgan, Naim H. "Sustainable Nuclear Energy Dilemma." Thermal Science 17.2 (2013): 305-321. Academic Search Premier. Web. 25 Feb. 2014.
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.
Nuclear power has grown to be a big percentage of the world’s energy. As of January 18, 2013 in 31 countries 437 nuclear power plant units with an installed electric net capacity of about 372 GW are in operation and 68 plants with an installed capacity of 65 GW are in 15 countries under construction. As of end 2011 the total electricity production since 1951 amounts to 69,760 billion kWh. The cumulative operating experience amounted to 15, 15,080 years by end of 2012. (European Nuclear Society) The change that nuclear power has brought to the world has led to benefits in today’s energy’s usage.
Around 1894, scientists discovered that by bombarding a radioactive substance with neutrons, a highly powerful energy could be produced. This is ionizing radiation, which is strong enough to rip the electrons from the nucleus of an atom, hence the name “nuclear energy.” over a century later, nuclear substances are harnessed in order to provide energy. However, nuclear energy is not only discussed amongst scientists, but anyone fearing the safety and future of the environments surrounding the area where a nuclear power plant is implemented.
Nuclear fission is going to become more and more useful in worldwide power production for the foreseeable future. The reasons are numerous, but can be summarized by the relative ease of reliable power production that is provided. This does not go without having many disadvantages. But it is the fact that nuclear fission provides a massive amount of reliable electrical energy at a relatively low cost that has many countries investigating the possibilities of nuclear power generation. To understand why nuclear power would be the only option (at this time) for an alternative to fossil fuel burning for energy production is to understand its history, the world’s current power production from nuclear power, and where it is going in the foreseeable future.
Koirkpatick, Cullen. "Nuclear Power: The Power of the Future." Nuclear Power. Cullen Kirkpatrick. Web. 12 Feb 2014. .
Cohen, Bernard L. "Nuclear Power Risk." Nuclear Power Risk. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. .
Nuclear Energy is a method of creating electricity by heating water from nuclear reactions. The process allows for large quantities of electricity to be created from very little nuclear fuel. Nuclear Energy creates only a fraction of the world’s energy production; this is because many people are fearful of the possibility of a meltdown or any other form of a nuclear disaster. However, even with all the disadvantages and hazards Nuclear Energy creates, it could become the most beneficial form of energy in the future.
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...
However, nuclear power is a sustainable energy source which reduces carbon emissions, produces virtually no air pollution, and increases energy security. Because of western world energy codes and technologies, the methods of storing/disposing of nuclear waste are safer than ever. In addition to an increased focus on saving the environment, many governments have proclaimed a need for energy through a method that is environmentally friendly. According to the World Nuclear Association, “Electricity demand is increasing twice as fast as overall energy use and is likely to rise by more than two-thirds 2011 to 2035 (World Energy Needs and Nuclear Power)”. As of now, Nuclear power provides about 11% of the world's electricity (Ricotti). Only through nuclear energy will the world’s exponential energy demands be met. Despite political hype, environmental consequences, and lack of facility standardization, Nuclear power continues to offer a solution to be a worldwide, emission-free, scalable energy source that can meet global energy demands, as...
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.
The greatest disadvantages of nuclear energy are the risks posed to mankind and the environment by radioactive materials. ‘On average a nuclear plant annually generates 20 metric tons of used nuclear fuel cla...