FUELAND ENERGY UTILIZATION

ECE4433

SEGi University

ASSIGNMENT 1

NUCLEAR ENERGY

Candidates Name: Ahmed Khalid GasmElseed

Student ID: SCM-031773

Lecturer: Dr.Yap

Date of Submission: 9/10/2017

1.0 Background
in Germany in 1895 a fellow named Roentgen was conducting
experiments using cathode rays in a glass tube where he put under vacuum , he
noticed that plates that he placed at the sides where lighting up when the rays are
passing by it, he called this new type of rays X-rays and he further studied it, and this
was the beginning of the road to nuclear energy discovery.

A year after in France, Becquerel made a discovery that uranium emits some kind of
energy when he left its salts to sit on photographic plates they would expose, Marie
and Pierre Curie shortly after conducted more studies on the phenomenon and
discovered new elements that has similar energy emitting characteristics as uranium
which are polonium and radium, they named the phenomenon radioactivity.

Ernest Rutherford, studied radioactivity and discovered the alpha and beta rays, and
with further experimentation he found out that most of the atom mass is allocated in
the centre of the atom and that led him into discovering the atomic nucleus, and later
on the gamma radiation and he laid the foundations of discovering the neutron by
theorizing the existence of a neutral particle in the nucleus where in 1932 Chadwick
proved that theory and this paved the way for the discovering and utilization of
nuclear energy.

Nuclear fission

The process of splitting uranium or plutonium atoms, this leads to an enormous

release of heat energy that can be used to generate electricity. Uranium is the most
common fuel used for fission, even though its non-renewable but its one of the most
common metals found worldwide, during a nuclear fission reaction a neutron is
bombarded into the uranium nucleus, which causes it to split into two or more
subatomic particles accompanied by neutrons as well as photons in the form of
gamma rays, this reaction needs little energy for it to happen but it releases an
enormous amount of energy that is millions of times more than the energy released
in chemical reactions accompanied with many highly radioactive particles as by-
products of the reaction, this energy is harvested and put to use through nuclear
power plants where nuclear fission is the main reactions used.
 Figure 1: A nuclear fission reaction showing the nuclei involved,
energy released and by-products.

Nuclear fusion
Is the opposite of fission, where two or more nuclei combine to form a new element
with a greater atomic number, this reaction can be natural occurring and a big
example is the creation of helium in the sun, whith an astonishing amount of energy
released which can be as three to four times greater than fission energy it also
requires an extremely high energy due to the electrostatic repulsion between
protons. Even though fusion reaction is still under experimentation for power
production but its safe to say that the main fuel source for it is hydrogen isotopes
deuterium and tritium.
Figure 2: A nuclear fusion reaction showing the nuclei involved and released energy
and by-products

Statistics

With all the controversy surrounding nuclear energy and the major incidents that
happened throughout its operation time such as Chernobyl and Fukushima, it
remains one of the most efficient, cheapest and environmental friendly sources of
energy.

Major countries like U.S.A, Russia and Canada made nuclear energy as a highly
profitable bussines by selling their technologies to developing countries who are
looking for new sources of energy, thats why nuclear energy is considered a vital
pillar in the economy of 1st world countries.
Figure 3: Nuclear generated power (Nei.org, 2017)
Figure 4: Nuclear share of electricity in the world (IAEA, 2017)
 Table 1: Number of nuclear power reactors under operation around the world (IAEA,
2017)

Technologies

As mentioned, nuclear fission is used to generate electrical power through nuclear power
plants, they share similar concepts with coal or gas fired stations in the use of steam to
flow through turbines, with small quantities of uranium fuel needed where its formed
into pellets and arranged into long rods, as the uranium is splitting in the reactor core the
process is controlled by using water or a nutron absorbing metal such as graphite or
cadmium, the heat released from the fission heats the water generating steam which is
used to power the turbines generating the electrical power.
 Figure 5: Nuclear Power Plant (technologystudent.com, 2017)

most nuclear power plants around the world use two types of nuclear reactors which are:

pressurized water reactor (PWR)

in Russia known as VVER they are the most common type of reactor used worldwide
with 230 in operation, its different from the other types of reactors with a major design
of a primary cooling circuit that flows through the reactor core and a secondary one
where the generation of steam occurs and powers the turbines.
Fuel assembly varies from 200-300 rods with about 150-200fuel assemblies and 80-100
tonnes of uranium fuel, setup vertically in the reactor core.
The reactor operates and heats the water at 325, so the water has to be pressurized and
maintained at 150atm so it doesnt vaporize, it is then transferred to the secondary circuit
where the water there is under less pressure so it vaporizes and the steam is transferred to
the turbines to generate electricity.
 Figure 6: Pressurized Water Reactor (world-nuclear.org, 2017)

boiling water reactor (BWR)

it is very similar to the PWR only the difference is there is one circuit where the water is
at low pressure 75atm where it boils in the reactor core at around 285 and the steam is
directly transferred to the turbines, which makes the reactor core a part of the main
circuit.
With less conditions and sections, the reactor life efficiency and life are high, with a fuel
assembly of 90-100 fuel rods and up to 750 in the rods holding around 140 tonnes of fuel.
Figure 7: Boiling Water Reactor (world-nuclear.org, 2017)
 Table 2: Nuclear Reactors in operation (world-nuclear.org, 2017)

nuclear energy in Canada

Canada relies on nuclear energy for the production of 15% of its electricity, with 55% of
it in Ontario. The industry also includes mining, milling and processing of uranium,
design and operation of nuclear power plants and nuclear medicine(isotopes) as well as
research and development contributions. With the country leading in the production of
uranium fuel with Saskatchewan having the worlds largest natural uranium deposits that
is 21% of the world production.
Canada has 22 reactors with 18 in service, most of them (around 20) are in three areas in
Ontario: Darlington, Pickering and Bruce power and nuclear facilities.
The growth of the industry in Canada and the world is facing a number of major
challenges such as:

economic, technical and regulatory issues in building and refurbishing nuclear

reactors;
environmental and health risks associated with radioactive material, especially
long-term waste management;
concerns regarding nuclear safety and liability;
the maintenance of research and development capacity in the nuclear sector,
including the availability of the required expertise and skilled workforce; and
public perception and acceptability of nuclear technologies.

These challenges were supported by the Fukushima disaster, thats why the Canadian
nuclear safety commission is becoming stricter with general inspections orders for the
power plants operators.
Advantages & disadvantages:

Advantages
1. nuclear power plants produce equivalent amounts of electricity to fossil fuelled
stations.

2. Nuclear power stations are environmentally friendly and no burning of fuel occurs
which means no emissions of polluting gases.

3. Many developed countries such as the USA and the UK no longer want to rely on oil
and gas imported from the Middle East, a politically unstable part of the world.

4. Countries such as France is proof of the stability and efficiency of nuclear energy when
it comes to power generation where approximately 90 percent of their electricity is from
nuclear power and lead the world in nuclear power generating technology.

5. Nuclear reactors are very versatile and adaptable in which they can be manufactured
small enough to power ships and submarines. With the research going onto extending it
beyond military vessels.

Disadvantages

1. the controversy that accompanies nuclear power is making many people and
environmental organisations very concerned about the radioactive fuel it needs.

2. The serious accidents that occurred during a period of a small number of nuclear
power stations. The accident at Chernobyl (Ukraine) in 1986, led to 30 people being
killed and over 100,000 people being evacuated. In the preceding years another 200,00
people were resettled away from the radioactive area. Radiation was even detected over a
thousand miles away in the UK as a result of the Chernobyl accident. It has been
suggested that over time 2500 people died as a result of the accident.

3. the storage of radioactive waste produced through the use of nuclear power is raising a
lot of concerns because it remains radioactive for thousands of years and is stored in
places such as deep caves and mines.

4. high cost of storing and monitoring radioactive waste.

5. Nuclear powered ships and submarines if not maintained properly throughout time
leakage can occur and they will become a big threat to marine life.

6. health concerns for populations that are living near nuclear facilities or waste disposal
areas due to fear of radioactive leakage or major accidents.
7. the threat of unstable countries that poses nuclear energy to weaponize it and use it for
devious purposes.

Conclusion
Still there is a lot of controversy that surrounds the use of nuclear energy, but with the
limitation of fossil fuels which are the main sources of energy worldwide developing
countries are leading the search for other alternative sources and nuclear is a very
distinguished candidate with its efficiency and long lifetime but as it has a bright side it
has a darker side in the form of nuclear weaponry, so its up to humanity to choose a long
prosperous life with unlimited energy or total destruction and annihilation in the form of
a nuclear war, thats why nuclear power is a necessary evil.
References