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Exploring Nuclear Energy
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Nuclear Fusion and Fission
Small nuclei into large Immense temperature and pressure Core of stars Nuclear Fission Large nuclei into small Critical mass to sustain Two isotopes we use Iron is the “dead end” of both fusion and fission – it is the lowest energy nucleus and cannot be split or fused. Exploring Nuclear Energy 2018 ©The NEED Project
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Global Total Primary Energy Supply (TPES) by fuel, 2016
Nuclear provides 5% of total energy and 10% of global electricity generation. Since the Fukushima Daiichi accident in 2009, world nuclear power production has gone down. In 2009, 13.1% of electricity worldwide was produced by nuclear power. In 2011 that number had dropped to 10.8%. Data: International Energy Agency Exploring Nuclear Energy 2018 ©The NEED Project *In this graph peat and oil shale are aggregated with coal
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Top 5 Nuclear Electricity Generating Countries, 2015
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, International Energy Statistics The United States generates more electricity from nuclear than any other country. However for some countries like France, nuclear energy makes up a higher percentage of the country’s electricity production. Exploring Nuclear Energy 2018 ©The NEED Project
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Primary Energy Consumption by Source and Sector
Nuclear makes up a relatively small chunk of our energy consumption nationally. Other non-renewables make up the largest portion of our energy picture. Nuclear is used only to generate electricity, however, while other sources can have multiple uses. Source: Energy Information Administration
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U.S. Electricity Production, 2016
Natural Gas Coal Nuclear Hydropower Petroleum Wind Biomass Geothermal Solar U.S. Electricity Production, 2016 Nuclear energy accounts for a sizeable chunk of U.S. electricity production. Uranium costs are relatively low and uranium is abundant. However nuclear plants are more expensive to build and have many regulatory and licensing procedures to go through before building. *Total does not equal 100% due to independent rounding. Data: Energy Information Administration Exploring Nuclear Energy 2018 ©The NEED Project
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U.S. Electricity Flow 2017 Quadrillion Btu
Source: Energy Information Administration Exploring Nuclear Energy 2018 ©The NEED Project
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Nuclear Energy Production
State % Electricity from Nuclear U.S. Total 19.9% South Carolina 58.1% New Hampshire 57.1% Illinois 53.4% Connecticut 48.4% Maryland 44.3% New Jersey 44.2% Pennsylvania 41.6% Tennessee 40.0% New York 33.0% Virginia 32.7% North Carolina 32.4% Alabama 31.3% Arizona 30.6% Michigan 28.0% Although the national percentage of nuclear generated electricity is 19.9%, it varies from state to state. Twenty states and Washington, D.C. have no nuclear electricity generation at all. Geography often plays a part in where nuclear energy can be produced. Nuclear plants are often sited near a water source, like a lake or river. Regulations stipulate how much land and what features must surround the plant. Data: Nuclear Energy Institute, July 2018
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Anatomy of a Nuclear Power Plant
The pressurized water reactor (PWR) is the most common type of commercial reactor design used worldwide. It has primary, secondary, and external heat exchange systems and is pressurized to prevent water from boiling in the reactor. Pressurized steam is piped into the reactor. Fission is taking place in the fuel rods within this reactor. The steam passing through the reactor is super heated. The super heated pressurized steam then travels to the steam generator to heat a secondary water system. The steam produced there travels through a steam line to the turbine to turn the generator and create electricity. Unused steam continues to a condenser where water from the environment condenses it back into liquid water. The cooling water in the environment never comes into contact with the steam so it is safe to return to the environment. The newly condensed water can be pumped back into the containment building and reheated in the steam generator to start the process over again. The pressurized steam loops back from the steam generator to the reactor to be super heated again. Source: NRC Exploring Nuclear Energy 2018 ©The NEED Project
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Anatomy of a Nuclear Power Plant
A Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) is less common. In this design there is only one loop for the water to travel from the reactor to the turbine, whereas with the PWR there is a secondary loop. In this model, water is pumped into the reactor creating steam and hot water that will turn the turbine attached to the generator to generate electricity. The unused steam/water mixture travels to the condenser and is condensed by water from the environment. The cooling water in the environment never comes into contact with the steam so it is safe to return to the environment. The resulting water in the condenser is pumped back into the reactor vessel to begin the process again. Source: NRC Exploring Nuclear Energy 2018 ©The NEED Project
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Advantages of Nuclear Power
Clean Plentiful Supply High energy content in uranium Small fuel pellet Can provide base load power Energy savings in transportation Operating cost is low after construction Nuclear power plants do not emit carbon dioxide. No products are burned. Emissions released by a nuclear power plant are water vapor. There is a large supply of nuclear fuel (Uranium) and costs are low to retrieve it. Nuclear can provide power quickly when other sources are down. Exploring Nuclear Energy 2018 ©The NEED Project
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Drawbacks to Using Nuclear Power
Initial construction costs Radioactive waste byproduct Storage Natural disasters Public perception It takes longer to build a nuclear plant than coal or natural gas plant. Overall costs can be high and often construction can be politically charged. Waste (spent fuel) and radiation must be contained and must be handled safely and securely. Public concerns center around radiation, waste containment, and proliferation. Exploring Nuclear Energy 2018 ©The NEED Project
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New Nuclear Technologies
Modular, small-scale reactors Breeder reactors Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are nuclear power plants that are smaller in size (300 MWe or less) than current generation base load plants (1,000 MWe or higher). These smaller, compact designs are factory-fabricated reactors that can be transported by truck or rail to a nuclear power site and are built mostly underground. These reactors are built to withstand major environmental events, and even plane crashes! These modules reduce construction time, capital costs, increase flexibility of siting, and allow for multiple generation sources on one site. Breeder reactors could increase the amount of energy extracted from Uranium while reducing the amount of radioactive waste products. Image courtesy of Department of Energy Exploring Nuclear Energy 2018 ©The NEED Project
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Food for thought… Efficient vehicles Reduced use of vehicles Efficient buildings Efficient coal power plants Gas instead of coal power plants Capture CO2 at base load power plant Nuclear power for coal power Wind power for coal power Photovoltaic power for coal power Capture CO2 at H2 plant Capture CO2 at coal-to-synfuels plant Wind H2 in fuel-cell car for gasoline in hybrid car Biomass fuel for fossil fuel Of the 15 methods (wedges) proposed by a Princeton University study to stabilize Carbon Dioxide emissions, 13 of them relate to energy use. Implementation of any 7 would accomplish the goal of stabilizing emissions. Exploring Nuclear Energy 2018 ©The NEED Project
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For More Information The NEED Project
Energy Information Administration U.S. Department of Energy Exploring Nuclear Energy 2018 ©The NEED Project
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