NUCLEAR ENERGY BY: KATRINA HAASE

WHAT IS NUCLEAR ENERGY?  First off, a nuclear reaction is a change that occurs in the nuclei of an atom. The energy that this change gives off is called nuclear energy.  Nuclear energy can be made both naturally and by man. EX: Nuclear reactions occur in the sun and make natural nuclear energy. EX: The explosion of hydrogen and atomic bombs create man-made nuclear energy.

ADVANTAGES OF NUCLEAR ENERGY.  It will last much longer than both coal and fuel combined.  Nuclear power plants require less fuel than factories that burn fossil fuels. This is because one ton of uranium produces more energy than several million barrels of oil or tons of coal.  While coal and oil both contaminate the air, a properly run nuclear power plant is harmless to the air we breathe.

DISADVANTAGES OF NUCLEAR ENERGY.  There is enough nuclear power/bombs in the world that it could kill every single living thing on Earth. If some were to go wrong or nuclear power got into the hands of the wrong person, then there could be a total destruction of the entire planet.  Nuclear explosions can produce radiation and nuclear waste if not properly contained. Radiation can cause serious illnesses such as cancer and can even cause death.  There have been accidents in the past in which brought about nuclear meltdowns. This happens when the fission reaction gets out of control causing a nuclear explosion and immense amounts of radiation.  Nuclear reactors only last approximately years.

 This is a nuclear meltdown in 1979 at the Three Mile Island reactor near Harrisburg, PA. The cooling system failed and radiation was released, but luckily there were no deaths that aspired.

FACTS.  There are 103 nuclear reactors in America.  These lone 103 power about 20% of all of America’s energy.  80% of people living within a 10 mile radius of a nuclear reactor approve of nuclear energy. In addition, this 80% does not include the employees that work on the nuclear reactors.

NUCLEAR WASTE.  Radio active waste is sometimes buried in canisters. Must be careful because it can leak into the ground and it takes a long time to decompose  It is also sometimes recycled and reused over again.  Sometimes it is dumped in special areas in low concentrations.  Occasionally scientists let nuclear waste go through radioactive decay prior to disposing of them.

This is a Uranium mine for nuclear waste. A worker is reopening a tunnel of the Asse nuclear waste disposal center.

FISSION.  The definition of fissure is to crack or spilt apart.  It is the splitting of the nucleus of an atom that creates large amounts of energy.  This is the kind of nuclear power used in nuclear power plants  It can also be found naturally in some radio active elements.

FUSION.  Fuse’s definition is to unite or blend into a whole.  It is when the nuclear of the atoms combine together to create energy.  The most common usage of this that we know of is with stars such as our sun.  On Earth, we have not successfully initiated a fusion nuclear reaction. It is believe that through creating a fusion reaction we can harness enough energy to power most of the planet. It would be like having our own sun on Earth.

HOW A FISSION NUCLEAR POWER PLANT WORKS.  First one would need to get Uranium Oxide by mining it from the ground.  It would then need to be enriched and processed in a useable form.  This enriched Uranium is put into fuel rods for a nuclear reactor.  Uranium creates energy with the high amounts of heat it releases. This is called a fission chain reaction.  Water is then boiled and the steam runs the generators to produce electricity.

 This is how a fission chain reaction works. It all starts with an incident neutron.

NUKING NUCLEAR WASTE.  Currently, the United States is generating more than 2,200 tons of nuclear waste annually.  A new 405 million dollar project has come along called the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership.  They are trying to transform nuclear leftovers (waste) into fuel for a new breed of reactors.  Trying to cut the amount of the nuclear waste is their goal, so they are attempting to recycle this nuclear waste.  They say these new reactors can produce more than 100 times as much energy as the old ones and can produce 40% less waste.

IMPROVEMENTS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY.  Much of the world halted its plans for nuclear energy after the disaster in the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in Japan.  The power plant in Japan was 40 years old and improvements have made nuclear energy much safer.  Through Japan’s disaster we have learned how to create safer and better nuclear power plants. For instance, we have figured out that no matter what we need to keep the power plant cool under any circumstances with both man-made and natural resources.  “When someone dies in a car accident we don’t stop using cars. We work to make them safer.” -Dr. Yaron Danon, a professor of nuclear engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

 This is a nuclear power plant currently under construction in China. It is one of the newest and safest models yet to be built in the world.

THE FUTURE OF NUCLEAR POWER.  According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, nuclear energy is not disappearing anytime soon.  By the end of last year nuclear energy accounted for nearly 15% of energy worldwide. France get 78% of its power from nuclear energy China has four nuclear reactors under construction and is expecting to launch a fivefold expansion by In the United States, 103 reactors provide 20% of our energy.

MICRO NUCLEAR BATTERY IN PROGRESS.  Researches are now developing a penny-size nuclear battery made of the decaying of the radioactive isotope plutonium-238.  It is a much gentler and safer process than nuclear fission and has been used on space air crafts and pacemakers before.  The nuclear battery is six times for powerful than a chemical battery.  Eventually researchers in Missouri after working out all the minor issues hope to make the battery thinner than a strand of human hair.

 This is what is done so far with the micro nuclear battery. As stated, the researchers are still currently working out the issues with the battery’s nuclear make-up.

MY OPINION.  I believe nuclear energy is going to play a huge role in the future with alternative energy sources.  I like the idea of nuclear energy, but I also believe we as a species should be very careful because of the great risks it presents.  I don’t feel that humans should be so reliant on nuclear energy and that more improvements should be made before anyone should implement it on a large scale.

WORKS CITED.    daiichi-can-better-reactors-provide-safe-nuclear-powered-future   sized-nuclear-battery sized-nuclear-battery