Nuclear Energy

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Nuclear Energy

• About 20 of US electricity is from nuclear power
  plants.

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http//www.nrc.gov/images/info-finder/reactor/rea
ctors-map.gif
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Nuclear Energy

• A nuclear reactor uses heat from a controlled
  fission reaction
• This is used to create the steam needed to
  generate electricity.

http//www.converdyn.com/industry/images/chain-re
action.gif
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Nuclear Energy

• Control Rods are used in the core to make sure
  the fission reaction does not create too much
  heat.
• Made from Boron or Cadmium

Click Here for a Demo.
http//www.pplweb.com/NR/rdonlyres/2FD20393-1529-
462D-BF8D-266B8B3AC063/0/diagram_controlrod.gif
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The core of a reactor.
Cerenkov radiation
http//echelon1.mit.edu/nate/reactor/cerenkov.jp
g
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http//www.npp.hu/mukodes/kepek/navegre-e.jpg
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http//www.johnharveyphoto.com/RoadTrip/NuclearRe
actor.jpg
Cooling Tower, not the reactor!
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http//www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/at_a_gl
ance/states/tn_chattanooga20.jpg
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Nuclear Energy

• Nuclear fuel is Uranium Dioxide (UO2)
• 3-5 of U-235 isotope must be present.
• Remember U-238 is most abundant! (only 0.7 is
  U-235)

http//americanhistory.si.edu/tmi/images/02.09_th
umb.jpg
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Uranium Soil Concentrations
http//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/12/Ura
niumdisstribution.jpg
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Nuclear Energy

• Pros
• No air pollutants.
• No carbon dioxide.
• Overall efficiency around 35, same as fossil
  fuel plants.
• Only 0.03 per kWh of energy produced (but larger
  start-up costs)

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Nuclear Energy

• Cons
• Mining for uranium.
• Disposal of nuclear waste.
• Possible release of radioactivity.
• RBMK Reactor (Chernobyl) vs. LWR Reactor (United
  States)

http//www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/spent
-fuel-stor-locations.gif
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RBMK Reactor (Chernobyl)
If H2O is lost, reaction speeds up!
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LWR Reactor (United States)
http//casenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/s
tudent-bwr.gif
If H2O is lost, reaction slows down!