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Nuclear Power

Nuclear Power. ES 302. Nuclear Trivia. Utilities develop in 1950’s Atomic Energy Commission – promised utilities cheap electricity Gov’t pay ¼ building cost Price Anderson Act Liability protection By ’96 : gov’t subsidized $2T.

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Nuclear Power

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  1. Nuclear Power ES 302

  2. Nuclear Trivia • Utilities develop in 1950’s • Atomic Energy Commission – promised utilities cheap electricity • Gov’t pay ¼ building cost • Price Anderson Act • Liability protection • By ’96 : gov’t subsidized $2T

  3. 437 commercial reactors in 32 countries, producing 17% electricity

  4. www.bio.miami.edu/beck/esc101/Chapter14&15.ppt

  5. Nuclear Energy • The energy that exists within the nucleus of an atom. • Nuclear Fission = the release of energy from the splitting of atoms! • Nuclear Fusion = the combining of two smaller atoms into one larger atom. • http://videos.howstuffworks.com/hsw/11945-nuclear-energy-introduction-to-nuclear-energy-video.htm

  6. Nuclear Fission

  7. Nuclear Fusion

  8. Nulear Change Nuclear Fission Nuclear Fusion Sun and stars, some weapons 2 small (light) isotopes are forced together H + H = He Need temps > 100,000,000ºC Releases more E than fission • Bombs & power plants • Big, unstable isotopes are struck by neutrons, which splits the isotope’s nuclei • More neutrons “shoot out” to strike nearby isotopes, causing a chain reaction.

  9. When people think about nuclear power they think about… • Effects of radiation • Nuclear disasters • Nuclear waste disposal

  10. What is Radiation? • Radiation = particles given off by unstable atoms. • 3 Types: • Alpha (α) • Travels few inches • Blocked by paper (skin) • Beta (β) • Travels few feet • Blocked by aluminum, glass • Gamma (γ) • Travels far • Blocked by lead (steel & concrete).

  11. www.geology.fau.edu/course_info/fall02/ EVR3019/Nuclear_Waste.ppt

  12. Background Radiation • The amount of radiation we are exposed to daily from the environment • Average = 360 millirem/year

  13. Effects of Radiation • Genetic damages: from mutations that alter genes • defects can become apparent in the next generation • Somatic damages: to tissue, such as burns, miscarriages & cancers www.bio.miami.edu/beck/esc101/Chapter14&15.ppt

  14. Nuclear Power Plant a controlled nuclear fission chain reaction heats water produce high-pressure steam that turns turbines which turns generator and creates electricity. http://www.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-power2.htm

  15. Controlled Nuclear Fission Reaction cstl-cst.semo.edu/bornstein/BS105/ Energy%20Use%20-%203.ppt

  16. http://www.animatedsoftware.com/environm/nukequiz/nukequiz_one/nuke_parts/reactor_parts.swfhttp://www.animatedsoftware.com/environm/nukequiz/nukequiz_one/nuke_parts/reactor_parts.swf www.bio.miami.edu/beck/esc101/Chapter14&15.ppt

  17. Nuclear Reactor: Summary Core 35-40,000 fuel rods Uranium oxide pellets 97% U238 (nonfissionable), 3% U235 Control rods Absorb neutrons Moderator Slows down neutrons, maintains chain rxn. Water [75%], solid graphite [20%], heavy water (D2O) [5%] Coolant Transfers heat to steam lines Prevents meltdown

  18. Nuclear waste • Power plants produce radioactive wastes • mostly spent fuel rods (3-4 years) • each reactor produces about 20-30 tons yearly • Currently stored in pools on site • some remain dangerous for tens of thousands of years • How should we store this waste?

  19. Half-Life = time needed for one-half of the nuclei in a radioisotope to decay and emit their radiation to form a stable isotope Half-time emitted Uranium 235 710 million yrs alpha, gamma Plutonium 239 24.000 yrs alpha, gamma www.bio.miami.edu/beck/esc101/Chapter14&15.ppt

  20. Decommissioning Life span of a power plant = 15-40 years Parts wear out, Fuel is spent Plant is shut down Highly radioactive for 240,000 years Must store for 10 times the half-life What can we do with them?

  21. Low-Level & High Level Radioactive Waste Emit small amounts of ionizing radiation Stored 100-500 years 19401970: put in steel drums, dumped in ocean (still UK & Pakistan) 1970+: gov’t run landfills • Stored for thousands of years • Mostly spent fuel rods (240,000 yrs) • Safety debate • Options: • Keep onsight • Bury • Shoot into space • Bury in ocean floor • Bury in Antarctica • Change it into harmless

  22. Renewable or Non-Renewable?

  23. What do you think? What are the pros and cons for nuclear energy? What should we do with radioactive waste?

  24. Domed building Where nuclear fission occurs. Surrounded by thick concrete, steel & lead. Blocks all radiation! Nuclear Reactor

  25. Fuel Rods 35,000 – 70,000 fuel rods 3% Uranium-235 pellets In water (moderator) Control Rods absorb extra neutrons Control the chain reaction Inside the Reactor

  26. Cooling Tower • Water is the coolant in the system. • Tower is used to condense hot steam to liquid water. • Usually taken from river, lake, ocean. • Water can be reused.

  27. http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/search/assetDetail.cfm?guidAssetID=BE0FB49C-7C70-4C56-95F2-B3904BC9077Fhttp://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/search/assetDetail.cfm?guidAssetID=BE0FB49C-7C70-4C56-95F2-B3904BC9077F • 10 min video on nuclear energy • Fission, fusion, overview

  28. Uranium 92U238.02891 How many protons? How many electrons? How many neutrons? 6 C Carbon 12.011 92 protons 92 electrons 146 neutrons

  29. NUCLEAR CHANGE • Isotopes  vary by number of neutrons • Spontaneously undergo change (vary neutrons) • 3 types: radioactive decay nuclear fission nuclear fusion

  30. Radioactivity • Radioactivity: Nuclear changes in which unstable (radioactive) isotopes emit particles & energy • Radioactive decay continues until • original isotope (radioisotope) stable isotope www.bio.miami.edu/beck/esc101/Chapter14&15.ppt

  31. Radioactive Decay • Emits high energy radiation &/or particles • Gamma radiation • Alpha particles • Beta particles • The isotopes “shoot out” these particles, forming different isotopes • The rate this change occurs at = half-life

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