The nuclear power by Alessia, Judith, Gaia and Davide

Summary - Advantages - Disadvantages - Nuclear power plant -What is Nuclear Power and how it works - Advantages - Disadvantages - Nuclear power plant -World Nuclear Power Reactors -Plan of uranium in the world -Keywords

What is Nuclear Power and how it works: Nuclear power is basically the production of energy from atomic nuclei by the use of a controlled nuclear reaction. At present the only method in use is Nuclear fission (where one atom splits into two). Uranium is the “radioactive” element used in nuclear fission.

Nuclear power generates electricity when the uranium nucleus is bombarded by a free neutron and this process can produce a massive amount of energy. An interesting fact is that a pound (about 453,60 g) of enriched uranium is equal to about a million gallons (about 37854,12 hl) of gasoline.

Advantages 1) Nuclear power does not depend on natural aspects. It's a solution for the main disadvantage of renewable energy, like solar energy or eolic energy, because the hours of sun or wind does not always coincide with the hours with more energy demand. 2) It's an alternative to fossil fuels, so the consumption of fuels such as coal or oil is reduced with fewer consequences on the global warming and climate change. 3) Less use of fossil fuels means lowering greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 and others). 4) The production of electric energy is continuous. A nuclear power plant is generating electricity for almost 90% of annual time. It reduces the price volatility of other fuels such as petrol.

Disadvantages: 1) NUCLEAR ACCIDENTS There is significant risk of leakage of radiation in case of any accident. The fission by products released are generally radio active and pollute the land, water, atmosphere and other natural resources. The land around the plant is considered as no man land for living for at least thousands of years. 2) NUCLEAR ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT The setting up of a nuclear plant requires a large area, preferably situated near a natural water body. This is usually accompanied with clearing of forest which disturbs the natural habitat of several creatures and gradually upsets the ecological balance of the region. Eutrophication is another resul of radioactive wastes. Eutrophication is the enrichment of an cosystem with chemical nuttrients. 3) NUCLEAR WASTE The waste produced by nuclear reactors needs to be disposed off at a safe place since they are extremely hazardous and can leak radiations if not stored properly. Such kind of waste emits radiations from tens to hundreds of years.

4) NUCLEAR POLLUTION AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND PROLIFERATION There are power reactors called breeders that produce plutonium. It’s an element which isn’t found in nature however it’s a fissionable element. It’s a by-product of the chain reaction and is very harmful if introduced in nature. It’s primarily used to produce nuclear weapons. Most likely, it’s named as dirty bomb. 5) UNRENEWABLE Nuclear energy uses uranium which is a scarce resource and isn’t found in many countries. Most of the countries rely on other countries for costant supply of this fuel. Once all was extracted, nuclear plants will not be of any use. Due to its hazardous effects and limited supply, it cannot be termed as renewable. 6) NUCLEAR DISASTERS The biggest concern associated with a nuclear power accident is the negative effects that exposure to radiation can have on the human body. If a person was to be exposed to an acute dose of high-levels of radiation, the result would be radiation sickness. Radiation sickness is defined as illness caused by exposure to a large dose of radiation over a short period of time. Symptoms may include skin burns, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hair loss, general weakness and possibly death.

Nuclear power plant

Keywords - Nuclear reaction - Unrenewable - Uranium - Plutonium - Radioactive - Neutron - Continuous - Risk - Radiations - Unrenewable - Plutonium - Radiation Siknesses - Splitting - Steam