1. Nuclear Energy

2. Nuclear Energy
most striking development in sources of power in recent years.
Release of the atom

3. How long…..
Have we known about atomic power?

4. Ancient Greeks
included atomic theory as one of their philosophical studies
Knowledge about atoms was developed in the 17th century

5. Early 1900’s
theory became clarified

6. 1940”s
atom was split
resulting power was put to work

7. Nuclear fission
the nuclei of heavy atoms are split under bombardment by neutrons

8. Nuclear fission
when a sufficient amount of fissionable material is brought together
chain reaction occurs

9. Nuclear fission
splitting atoms and releasing a tremendous amount of heat

10. Nuclear fission
approximately 20,000 times as much heat and energy is released from uranium fuels as from an equivalent amount of coal

11. Use of fission power 1945 first large scale use
atomic bombs were used by the US to knock Japan out of WWII

12. WWII
since then attention has been given to the peaceful uses of atomic energy

13. 1980
the amount of electrical power generated by nuclear power plants was about 11% of the total electrical supplies in the US

14. Energy from fission
atomic energy in the US today is produced by the process known as nuclear fission

15. Fuel supplies adequate supplies for nuclear power
major mineral sources for nuclear power
Uranium 238
Thorium 232

16. Fuel from those - U 235 and Plutonium 239 can be produced
in the early stages of development US relied heavily upon imports of uranium

17. Fuel
from South Africa and Canada

18. 1950’s and 60’s western US deposits were developed
Bureau of Mines reported that -

19. .
“Domestic production is adequate to supply present and near-future domestic requirements.”

20. In 1981
US was still the world leading miner of uranium

21. Nuclear Fusion Fusion is combining together
the atoms are fused together rather than split apart
possibilities for nuclear fusion are much greater than those for nuclear fission

22. Fusion
problems
process is so difficult to control that it is questionable whether commercial adaptation will ever be economically feasible

23. Problems fusion requires extreme pressure and temperatures
as high as 100 million degrees

24. Problems such heat was achieved by the Hydrogen bomb
by first setting off a fission explosion

25. Fuel for fusion fusion reactors would be fueled by deuterium
an isotope of hydrogen
available in almost unlimited supply in sea water

26. US Government demonstration fusion reactor
hopes to have in operation by 2015

27. LWR Light Water Reactor use ordinary water
have been in commercial use since 1957

28. LWR
free from environmental problems of coal fired electric power plants

29. LWR disadvantages potential of a reactor explosion
contamination form atomic wastes
construction costs and technical problems

30. Safety?
1974 report stated of Nuclear Power

31. Safety?
“its use poses serious environmental issues, including reactor safety, radioactive waste management and nuclear theft……..

32. Safety?
A very hazardous enterprise.”

33. Three Mile Island March 28, 1979
Human and mechanical failure led to the release of a considerable amount of radioactivity

34. Three Mile Island
evacuation of preschool children and pregnant women within five miles of the plant

35. Three Mile Island Nevertheless
67 nuclear facilities are expected to continued operating
90 were planned for construction by 1990

36. Safety Institutions two Nuclear Safety Analysis Center
monitors performance of safety

37. Safety Institutions Institute of Nuclear Power
inspects existing reactors and evaluates them

38. Industrial Significance
peaceful use
development of under-seas and space nuclear power
medical use of radioisotopes

39. Industrial Significance
research in nuclear physics
ensnarled by many problems technological, economic and social

40. Breeder Reactors fast breeder reactors
more efficient to operate than LWR’s are undergoing experiment

41. Breeder Reactors
two types
LMFBR
Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor

42. Breeder Reactors
GCFBR
Gas cooled fast breeder reactor

43. Breeder Reactors they produce more fuel than they consume
more efficient than LWR’s

44. Breeder Reactors
can use 50-70% of the uranium mined in contrast to only 2% by the LWR

45. Breeder Reactors
safety problems for the LMFBR may prove to be more sever than those of the LWR

46. 1950’s Atomic Energy Commission stated:
all new power plants under construction would be atomic powered

47. 1950’s
nuclear energy would account for one half of all the electricity generated

48. 1950’s forecast does not seem likely to happen
it takes years to get a nuclear plant in operation from the first time it is planned

49. 1950’s forecast
no new plant orders were signed in the early 1980’s due to the Three Mile Island accident.

50. 1974 American Scientists and Engineers completed a study
assessed the possibilities of accident risks in nuclear reactors…...

51. Conclusion……
“The odds of an American dying from a nuclear power accident are 300 million to one.”

52. The End