Homework Ch. 8 Nuclear Energy

1. Discuss the case for and the case against nuclear energy. For: Highly reliable baseload source of energy to generate electricity. Carbon-free. Plentiful uranium. Avoids other fossil-fuel emissions. Against: High cost, with frequent cost overruns and multi-year delays in construction. Unsolved problem of where to store spent fuel. Risk of catastrophic accidents.

2. Describe the difference between fission and fusion reactions 2. Describe the difference between fission and fusion reactions. Which one do electric utilities use to generate electricity? Fission generates energy when the nucleus of a heavy unstable element such as U238 splits into two lighter elements. Fusion is when the nuclei of two lighter elements fuse together to generate much larger amounts of energy. To date, electric utilities use fission to produce the heat needed to generate electricity.

3. Describe the accidents at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima and their relevance to the use of nuclear energy in the United States. TMI is the most serious nuclear energy plant accident in the U.S., though some would say it is better described as an incident. A gradual loss of cooling water followed by the inability of plant operators to monitor the reactor core led to a partial meltdown and the release of a small amount of radioactivity. After a state of emergency was declared, operators started the backup cooling system. Started 4 a.m. Wednesday March 28, 1979. Over by 8 p.m. It was a tipping point in public confidence in the safety of nuclear energy. After that time, no new plants were started in the U.S. until recently.

Question 3 (cont.) Chernobyl, in the former Soviet Union and now Ukraine, is the most serious global accident to date. Early on April 26, 1986, during a scheduled shutdown for routine maintenance, an inexperienced night shift was supposed to carry out an important test of the safety systems. A power surge overheated the reactor, rupturing some fuel assemblies and setting off explosions. The fire began burning the graphite blocks that made up the reactor’s core. Firefighters were exposed to huge doses of radiation. Residents were not told to leave until 36 hours after the accident . You can visit if you wish; now a tourist attraction (I wouldn’t recommend!)! Plan is to dismantle the reactors and clean up the site by 2065. The accident was the result of a severely flawed Soviet-era reactor design combined with human error. It is highly unlikely that a Chernobyl-style accident could occur in the U.S. Nevertheless, it further reinforced concerns about nuclear reactor safety.

Question 3 (Finale) Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan malfunctioned after a magnitude 9.0 earthquake followed by a 15-meter (50 foot) tsunami. On March 11, 2011, four reactors largely melted when the power supply, needed for the cooling system, shut down, and the backup cooling system malfunctioned. There have been few direct deaths, though it is harder to measure long-term effects. There is an area around the plant that is still largely uninhabitable, and radioactivity still appears to be leaking into the nearby ocean. The event put an end to talks about a nuclear renaissance. Germany accelerated the phase-out of nuclear energy, while the U.S. has held a steady course and is poised to bring several new plants online around 2019-2020. Japan shut down its plants in the aftermath, but is contemplating increasing its reliance on nuclear energy. Four reactors have restarted.

The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission and its successor, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, have both promoted and regulated the nuclear industry. Should these two roles be combined or separated? Explain. Economists call for separation. Advocates are less likely to regulate the industry stringently.

Your answer? Quiz question 1. “The accident at Fukushima was unavoidable. No one could have anticipated such a large earthquake and tsunami.” Explain whether you agree or disagree with the statement. Your answer? Quiz question 1. I disagree. Government failure contributed to the disaster. The Tokyo Electric Company had updated information recommending that they take stronger measures, as the latest studies showed stronger earthquake and tsunami concerns than the original report done back in the 1960s. However, there was a cozy relationship between the government and TEPCO they may have contributed to TEPCO’s delaying action on the report.

France uses reprocessing, the U.S. does not. What are the arguments for and against reprocessing nuclear fuel? Provide an example of a country that uses reprocessing, and a country that does not. For: It reduces nuclear waste. Against: It increases the cost of nuclear energy and separates out plutonium, which can be used to make nuclear weapons. France uses reprocessing, the U.S. does not.

a. unenriched uranium b. enriched uranium c. Plutonium d. MOX Which of the following is the major source of fuel used to generate electricity in U.S. nuclear plants? a. unenriched uranium b. enriched uranium c. Plutonium d. MOX e. Thorium f. Deuterium g. Tritium Quiz question 2

What are advantages and disadvantages of the CANDU reactor as compared to U.S nuclear reactors? CANDU can use unenriched uranium, which is far more abundant than enriched uranium. Its cost have increased much more modestly than U.S. plants. Heavy water (deuterium) is harder to come by, and offsets the cost advantage of using unenriched uranium. Capital costs are slightly higher.

Which item would add the most to the levelized cost of nuclear energy? New safety measures as a result of Fukushima. Removing subsided loan guarantees. Decommissioning nuclear energy plants Ending the limited liability provision of the Price-Anderson Act. b. At least, that’s my two cents.

Build Keystone Pipeline. Reopen Yucca Mountain. Describe one likely energy policy under the administration of President Trump and whether that policy will increase or decrease the prospects for nuclear energy. Reboot coal industry. Encourage fracking. Build Keystone Pipeline. Reopen Yucca Mountain. Only the last would favor nuclear energy.