Introduction
due to our problems with foreign oil. Energy alternatives, like gas, coal,
solar, wind and nuclear have been researched and each of their
should be given the facts on this energy source, its past record and
Nuclear Energy
How does nuclear energy work? This report will explain all about
and fusion. We will also explain how a nuclear power plant works. To
help you understand this topic better. We will outline the development
nuclear energy and where it is used. We will also analyze the problems
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What is it?
with a proton. One law of the universe is that energy and matter can't
be created or destroyed but can change form. This means that no one
can create or destroy energy because another one of the laws is the
this famous equation to discover atomic energy and also create atomic
bombs.
project. They were attempting to build the world's first nuclear reactor.
uranium. Canadian physicist Walter Zinn was in charge of ZIP. ZIP was
the lever that could shutdown the experiment if anything went wrong.
As Zinn turned on the machine, Fermi measured the rise in power and
in the late afternoon their goal was reached. "The power of the reactor
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bulb but nevertheless proof that man had controlled the release of
energy from the atom"(Ontario Hydro, 1989 p.4). They sent a coded
the New World" This meant that nuclear energy had become a reality.
scientific team were a success and Canada's and the world's first
when the plant was shut down. By the time the authorities could bring
the plant under control serious damage had been done to the plant.
This day was known as Black Friday. No one was hurt but radioactive
particles flew throughout the building and before the reactor was
the plant took 14 months and the groundwork was laid for the CANDU
nuclear energy. This produces heat which boils water and creates
steam. This steam turns turbines to create energy. The problem is that
after the burning is done the leftover material stays radioactive for
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Fusion gives off energy to boil water and make steam to turn turbines.
Unfortunately scientists have not yet been able to use nuclear fusion to
make electricity because there are three things required. First, you
small nuclei that will fuse together and give off energy. Third, you need
the ability to capture the energy given off. As you know nuclear fission
works on uranium but nuclear fusion uses deuterium and tritium, both
A nuclear power plant works like this. First you put in a uranium bundle
of about eight rods. Second, you fire a proton at one of the uranium
nuclei to split it. This causes a chain reaction splitting all of the other
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steam from ordinary water. The steam turns turbines, which makes
Advantages
One of its best qualities is that it gives off lots of energy from little
it doesn't give off greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are gases like
carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and fly ash, which have made the
Such as cancer therapy, CAT scan, MRI machines and the use of
irradiation of food.
years, concern of nuclear power plants has become a public issue and
Yankee plant and another to the Millstone plants. These inspectors are
responsible for looking over the operations at the plant and that all
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federal regulations are being followed. There are also frequent spot
Northeast Utilities set up a task force in 1979 to work with the NRC to
Along with the NRC and NE task force was the results of the Kemeny
economic value. Uranium is cheaper than oil and coal, and shipments
constant basis for coal and oil. But uranium is also a non-reusable
considerably smaller than other electrical plants with the same output
of energy. However, since 1975 there have been no new orders for
nuclear plants. The main reasons for this are the uncertainty of
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than coal.
Disadvantages
radioactive waste. This waste is causing a big problem for the world for
its storage and irradiating. The problem with using this nuclear power
when the uranium and nuclear waste are heated to such a level that
they melt creating a substance that can supposedly melt through steel,
concrete and iron. This is the reason a lot of people don't like nuclear
water, ground, and the biosphere (people, plants, and animals). The
type of testing surrounding water and land mass, all life forms and the
air.
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the surrounding population. There are now federal laws and regulations
for the recording of data near a possible plant site. One law that helps
there must be an area around a plant site that is restricted. There also
has to be some structures and dispose of all wastes that occur during
that it ensures the safety of the public and environment. The major
economics).
• Gases and steam from the air ejectors, that are in the main
steam system
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with radioactivity
gases.
The first two release paths are non-radioactive. Often, news photos of
nuclear plants tend to focus on the tall (400 foot high) dry cooling
towers (e.g. Three Mile Island, Perry). The major effect of these cooling
towers is heating of the air around the plant. Warm water vapor is all
exhaust from those buildings that do not have any processes with
office building.
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at a nuclear plant.
tube could that exhaust have any radioactivity. At BWRs, the air ejector
exhaust is radioactive, but that exhaust must also pass through delay
to the environment from the very tall stack that you sometimes see at
processes have radiation monitors that sample for particles and gases.
stored. The gases are periodically sampled and can only be released
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Water-Liquid Releases
• Non-radioactive
• Slightly radioactive
Water that has been used to cool the condenser, various heat
to a river, sea, lake. The thermal discharge of any type of power plant,
nuclear or fossil fuel, using a steam cycle operating under the same
should be the same. In some cases, a coal plant may operate at higher
to make use of more of the hot water and steam using cogeneration
principles.
down) is also non-radioactive. Very low levels of leakage (e.g. less than
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400 gallons per day) may be allowed from the reactor cooling system
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designed containers.
For introductory information on low level waste, see Low Level Waste
large cooling pools at the plant. In some cases, where storage has
become limited, dry cask storage on-site may be used. This storage is
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Originally, the intent had been that the spent fuel would be
intent was to store those rods in specially designed vaults where the
rods could be recovered for the first 50-100 years and then made
mixed oxide fuel (also called MOX). Currently, France, Great Britain,
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studies reported on these effects. The most recent, BEIR VII Phase 2,
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Conclusion
promise for the future. Although we believe that nuclear energy is not
our energy sources should not be limited to the school system but be
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Bibliography
Books
Web Pages
www.energyed.ergon.com.au/educatio/nuclear/how.html
www.energy.ca.gov/links/nuclear.html
www.formal.stanford.edu/jmc/progress/nuclear-faqy-
html/chapter07.html
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