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Nuclear Power

Nuclear Power. Dennis Silverman, U C Irvine. In the US, 20% of our electricity is produced by nuclear power. There are 103 US nuclear power plants. California related reactors. Diablo Canyon, two reactors. San Onofre, two reactors. ⅓ of Palo Verde 1, 2, & 3 in Arizona.

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Nuclear Power

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  1. NuclearPower Dennis Silverman, U C Irvine In the US, 20% of our electricity is produced by nuclear power. There are 103 US nuclear power plants.

  2. California related reactors Diablo Canyon, two reactors San Onofre, two reactors ⅓ of Palo Verde 1, 2, & 3 in Arizona

  3. California Nuclear energy • Each of the five reactors produces about 1,100 million watts (megawatts) of electricity • This is enough to power one million homes per reactor • Each reactor’s production is equivalent to 15 million barrels of oil or 3.5 million tons of coal a year. • The total 5,500 reactor produced megawatts is out of a peak state electrical power of 30,000 – 40,000 megawatts.

  4. Worldwide Nuclear Power Reactors • There are 440 nuclear power reactors in 31 countries. • 30 more are under construction. • They account for 16% of the world’s electricity. • They produce a total of 351 gigawatts (billion watts) of electricity.

  5. World Nuclear Power Plants

  6. Nuclear Electricity Production by Countries and Regions in Gigawatts (World Total 350 Gigawatts)

  7. Production of Pu in Nuclear Reactors • 239Pu is produced in nuclear reactors. • It also fissions by absorbing a thermal neutron, and on average produces 1/3 of the energy in a fuel cycle. • 239Pu is relatively stable, with a half life of 24 thousand years. • It is used in nuclear weapons • It can be bred for nuclear reactors

  8. Nuclear Weapons to Reactor Fuel • We are buying highly enriched uranium (20% 235U) from the former Soviet Union nuclear weapons for 20 years from 1993--2013 • Converting it to low enriched uranium (3% 235U) for reactor fuel • It will satisfy 9 years of US reactor fuel demand • It comes from 6,855 Soviet nuclear warheads so far

  9. Nuclear Plant Future • The countries of the world are each planning their own course of nuclear plant development or decline • Nuclear power is competitive with fossil fuels • It is non-polluting • Newer designs are being sought to make them more economical and safer • Nuclear fuel reprocessing makes disposal easier • Disposal of high level radioactive waste still being studied

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