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How much energy

How much energy. 200 MeV is released per fission event The fission of 1 g of uranium or plutonium per day liberates about 1 MW. This is the energy equivalent of 3 tons of coal or about 600 gallons of fuel oil per day No CO 2 emissions! Vastly superior in terms of energy per amount of fuel.

aaron-roberts
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How much energy

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  1. How much energy • 200 MeV is released per fission event • The fission of 1 g of uranium or plutonium per day liberates about 1 MW. • This is the energy equivalent of 3 tons of coal or about 600 gallons of fuel oil per day • No CO2 emissions! • Vastly superior in terms of energy per amount of fuel

  2. Self sustaining or chain reaction • The fission reaction itself releases neutrons, these can be used to fission additional nuclei, so the elements are there for a sustained or chain reaction. • Tremendous power capability made this an ideal weapon.

  3. Fission Bombs • Created in response to a fear that Nazi Germany would develop one first, which would tip the balance of power and possibly the outcome of WWII in their favor. • Manhattan Project – Secret US project to develop a nuclear weapon • Developed 3 nuclear devices, one with 235U and two with 239PU. • One was tested in New Mexico in 1945, the other two were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan in August 1945, ending WWII in the Pacific.

  4. Critical Mass • In order to sustain a chain reaction, one needs a specific amount of fissionable material, called the critical mass • Critical mass is the smallest amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction. • Creating the critical mass was one of the challenges that faced the Manhattan project

  5. The devices • Fat Man and Little Boy • Little Boy – device dropped on Hiroshima • Gun-type device • One mass of U-235, the "bullet," is fired down a gun barrel into another mass of U-235, rapidly creating the critical mass of U-235, resulting in an explosion.

  6. The devices • Fat Man • Tested in New Mexico and dropped on Nagasaki • Used Plutonium rather than Uranium • Implosion style device • The required implosion was achieved by using shaped charges with many explosive lenses to produce the perfectly spherical explosive wave which compressed the plutonium sphere.

  7. Effects of a Fission explosion • Blast Damage • Thermal radiation • Electromagnetic Pulse • Ionizing radiation • earthquake

  8. Blast Damage • 40-50% of the total energy released is in the blast. • Most of the destruction due to blast effects • Blast wind may exceed 1000 km/h.

  9. Thermal Radiation • 35-45% of the energy released is in thermal radiation • Burns occur • Eye injures • Flash Blindness-caused by the initial bright flash, can last up to 40 minutes • Retinal burns – scarring due to the direct concentration of explosions thermal energy on the eye-rare the fireball needs to be in the direct line of sight • Firestorms-gale force winds that blow in from all sides towards the center of a fire

  10. Electromagnetic pulse • The nuclear explosion produced high energy electromagnetic radiation-Gamma rays. • The Gamma rays interact with (scatter) electrons and produce higher energy electrons. • Long metal objects (cables, etc) act as antenna and generate high voltages and currents, which can damage or destroy electrical equipment. • No known biological effects, though useful against Sentinels (The Matrix).

  11. Ionizing radiation • About 5% of the energy • In the form of neutrons, gamma rays, alpha particles and electrons, moving at nearly the speed of light • Neutrons transmutate (change the atomic structure of) the surrounding matter, often making it radioactive. This adds to the radioactive fallout

  12. What does this have to do with Nuclear Energy • It sets the historical context and shows the power released • To point out that this is NOT what will happen if there is an accident in a nuclear power facility-they do not “blow up” like explosive nuclear devices. More on that later

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