What is nuclear energy?

Everything around you is made up of tiny objects called atoms. Most of the
mass of each atom is concentrated in the center (which is called the nucleus), and
the rest of the mass is in the cloud of electrons surrounding the nucleus. Protons
and neutrons are subatomic particles that comprise the nucleus (see figure 1).
Nuclear energy is the energy found in the core, or the nucleus, of an atom.
Energy is what holds the nucleus together. There is a huge amount of power in an
atomically dense nucleus. In fact, the power that holds the nucleus together is
officially called the "strong force". Nuclear energy can be used to create electricity,
but it must first be released from the atom.
Under certain circumstances, the nucleus of a very large atom can split in
two. In this process, a certain amount of the large atoms mass is converted to pure
energy following Einsteins famous formula E = MC2, where M is the small amount
of mass and C is the speed of light (a very large number).
History
In the 1930s and 40s, humans discovered this energy and recognized its
potential as a weapon. Technology developed in the Manhattan Project successfully
used this energy in a chain reaction to create nuclear bombs. Soon after World War
II ended, the newfound energy source found a home in the propulsion of the nuclear
navy, providing submarines with engines that could run for over a year without
refueling. This technology was quickly transferred to the public sector, where
commercial power plants were developed and deployed to produce electricity.
Fission and Fusion

Nuclear energy can be used to make electricity. But first the energy must be
released. It can be released from atoms in two ways: nuclear fusion and nuclear
fission. In nuclear fusion, energy is released when atoms are combined or fused
together to form a larger atom. This is how the sun produces energy. In nuclear
fission, atoms are split apart to form smaller atoms, releasing energy. Nuclear power
plants use nuclear fission to produce electricity.
Fission is the energetic splitting of large atoms such as Uranium or
Plutonium into two smaller atoms, called fission products. To split an atom, you have
to hit it with a neutron. Several neutrons are also released which can go on to split
other nearby atoms, producing a nuclear chain reaction of sustained energy release.
This nuclear reaction was the first of the two to be discovered. All commercial
nuclear power plants in operation use this reaction to generate heat which they turn
into electricity.
Fusion is the combining of two small atoms such as Hydrogen or Helium to
produce heavier atoms and energy. These reactions can release more energy than
fission without producing as many radioactive byproducts. Fusion reactions occur in
the sun, generally using Hydrogen as fuel and producing Helium as waste (fun fact:
Helium was discovered in the sun and named after the Greek Sun God, Helios). This
reaction has not been commercially developed yet and is a serious research interest
worldwide, due to its promise of nearly limitless, low-pollution, and non-proliferative
energy.
Applications
Nuclear energy produces electricity that can be used to power homes,
schools, businesses, and hospitals. The first nuclear reactor to produce electricity

was located near Arco, Idaho, in the U.S. The Experimental Breeder Reactor began
powering itself in 1951. The first nuclear power plant designed to provide energy to
a community was established in Obninsk, Russia, in 1954. Building nuclear reactors
requires a high level of technology, and only the countries that have signed the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty can get the uranium or plutonium that is required.
For these reasons, most nuclear power plants are located in the developed world.

Advantages
1. Clean and ecological - Nuclear power plants produce renewable, clean
energy. They do not pollute the air or produce greenhouse gases. They
can be built in urban or rural areas, and do not radically alter the
environment around them. The steam powering the turbines and
generators is ultimately recycled. It is cooled down in a separate structure
called a cooling tower. The steam turns back into water and can be used
again to produce more electricity. Excess steam is simply recycled into the
atmosphere, where it does no harm as clean water vapor (see figure 2).
2. Independence - With nuclear power, many countries can approach
energy independence. Being "addicted to oil" is a major national and
global security concern for various reasons. Using electric or plug-in hybrid
electric vehicles (PHEVs) powered by nuclear reactors, we could reduce
our oil demands by orders of magnitude. Additionally, many nuclear
reactor designs can provide high-quality process heat in addition to
electricity, which can in turn be used to desalinate water, prepare
hydrogen for fuel cells, or to heat neighborhoods, among many other
industrial processes.

Disadvantages
1. Radioactive waste - Nuclear waste is on major downside to this form of
energy. When atoms split to release energy, the smaller atoms that are left
behind are often left in excited states, emitting energetic particles that can
cause biological damage. Some of the longest lived atoms dont decay to
stability for hundreds of thousands of years. This nuclear waste must be
controlled and kept out of the environment for at least that long. Designing
systems to last that long is a daunting task one that been a major selling
point of anti-nuclear groups.
2. Accidents - Three major accidents have occurred in commercial power
plants: Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, and Fukushima. Chernobyl was an
uncontrolled steam explosion which released a large amount of radiation into
the environment, killing over 50 people, requiring a mass evacuation of
hundreds of thousands of people, and causing up to 4000 cancer cases (see
figure 3). Three Mile Island was a partial-core meltdown, where coolant levels
dropped below the fuel and allowed some of it to melt. No one was hurt and
very little radiation was released, but the plant had to close, causing the
operating company and its investors to lose a lot of money. Fukushima was a
station black-out caused by a huge Tsunami. Four neighboring plants lost
cooling and the decay heat melted the cores. Radiation was released and the
public was evacuated. These three accidents are very scary and keep many
people from being comfortable with nuclear power.
3. Cost - Nuclear power plants are larger and more complicated than other
power plants. Many redundant safety systems are built to keep the plant
operating safely. This complexity causes the up-front cost of a nuclear power
plant to be much higher than for a comparable coal plant. Once the plant is

built, the fuel costs are much less than fossil fuel costs. In general, the older a
nuclear plant gets, the more money its operators make. The large capital cost
keeps many investors from agreeing to finance nuclear power plants.

Figure 1- Structure of an Atom

Figure 2 - Diagram of Inner Workings of Nuclear Reactor

Figure 3- Aftermath of Chernobyl Disaster

References:
http://nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/nuclear-energy/
https://whatisnuclear.com/articles/nucenergy.html
http://www.nnr.co.za/what-is-nuclear-energy/
http://sustainablebalance.ca/what-is-nuclear-energy/
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/04/chernobyl-in-pictures-30-years-on
http://sustainablebalance.ca/what-is-nuclear-energy/