Nuclear Energy

1. Nuclear Energy Jovan Lee, Daryl Wong, Davin Chua, Li Ying Ming, Weng Pei He

2. How does nuclear energy work? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJfIbBDR3e8

3. How does nuclear energy work? • Nuclear plants produce energy through nuclear fission • Process of splitting an atom into two • Generating an intense amount of energy in the process, • Older power plants burn coal. • Uranium undergoes nuclear fission daily at an extremely slow pace • Thus emitting radiation

4. How does nuclear energy work? • Suitable for nuclear power plants • Which require induced fission. • Uranium of the variety U-235 • Crucial for nuclear power plant energy production • U-235 undergoes natural alpha radiation • The throwing off a alpha particle

5. How does nuclear energy work? • Using free neutron, • U-235 nucleus absorb the neutron and split immediately (induced nuclear fusion) • Splitting an atom releases intense heat and gamma radiation, • However, scientists have to first enrich uranium • So it contains approximately 3% of U-235 uranium, • Sufficient for a nuclear power plant.

6. Advantages of nuclear energy Lowest Impact on the Environment • Nuclear energy produced no controlled air pollutants because it does not require burning • Highest energy production relative to environmental impact

7. Advantages of Nuclear Energy Operation • Nuclear Reactors designed to run for a long time before needing to be shut down for quality checks and maintenance. • Operate continuously for an average of 540 days.

8. Advantages of Nuclear Energy Cost • Generally low-cost and produce predictable levels of energy • Comparison with other generators

9. Advantages of Nuclear Energy Safety • Working in Nuclear Power Plants actually very safe • Number of fatalities per 200,000 worker hours for nuclear industry is 0.26 while the fatalities for the private industry is 3.1 per 200k worker hours.

10. Advantages of Nuclear Energy Radiation • Living next-door to a nuclear power plant for a year would result in less radiation exposure than a than a flight from NYC to LA. • It would take 2000 years living next to a reactor to be exposed to the same amount of radiation in an x-ray.

11. Contribution to world’s fuel consumption • About 11-12% of the world’s energy source is nuclear. • About 30 countries are operating over 430 nuclear reactors.

12. Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy Disposal • Disposing waste PERMANENTLY is very difficult • Waste remains radioactive for thousands of years

13. Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy Leakages • Common occurance • Higher than normal lvl of radioactivity recorded in Irish Sea • Due to leakages from Nuclear Waste Disposal Plant at Sellafield in England

14. Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy • Major Accidents or Explosion at Nuclear Power Plant • Nuclear can be used for destructive purposes

15. Case Study- India • Growth rate 1.7%/year • Rising Demand for Energy • India to expand Nuclear Energy Programme

16. Case Study- India Why Nuclear? • High Cost of Coal • High Emission of CO2 & Greenhouse gases from Fossil Fuels Power Stations • Has large reserves of Thorium, fuel similar to Uranium • Necessary Raw Materials

17. Case Study- India • 14 Operating Reactions in 5 different locations • Operated by State Run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) • 3% India Energy from Nuclear • Plans 7-10% supply by 2020

18. Case Study- India • Radioactive Leak from Tarapur Nuclear Plant in 1992 • Released 12 Curies of Radioactivity • 2009, 55 employers consumer radioactive materials from waters • Untreated waters found its way to a water cooler in a Nuclear Plant