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Boiling Water
5Easy Stepsin
Vanessa Holfeltzhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/o2ma/287058391/
Step 1: Get Some Uranium
http://www.flickr.com/photos/psd/132312723/
Step 2: Enrich that Uranium
99.27% 238U
0.72% 235U
have need
4% 235U
Uranium “flavors”
doe.gov
Step 3: Make Reactor Fuel
238UO2
235UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
UO2
1/2 inch
3/8 inch
UO2
nrc.gov, doe.gov
Step 4: Build a NuclearPower Reactor
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dsnet/2346674/
Step 5: Fission
Chain Reaction
= neutron
= fission eventnrc.gov
nrc.gov
Results
• ≈ 200 MeV is released per fission• Most of this becomes kinetic energy of fission
fragments• A room temperature atom has about 1/40 eV
kinetic energy -- fission fragments have400,000,000 times that energy!
• Punchline: fission fragments are hot
http://flickr.com/photos/alternatewords/2186936047/
Bonus Step: Make electricity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Dampfturbine_Laeufer01.jpg
water in ≈ 290ºC
water out ≈ 325ºC
fuel
nrc. gov/reactors/operating/ops-experience/vessel-head-degradation/images.html
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/students/reactors.html
In the US, 1 in 5 slices of toast ismade with nuclear power.
amazon.com
http://flickr.com/photos/blmurch/495781095/
What’s in spent fuel?
• Something that is radioactiveemits radiation
• Radiation is energy travelingtrough space (light,microwaves, x-rays, gammarays, etc.)
• Radioactive materials decayinto non-radioactive materials
• Spent nuclear fuel becomesless radioactive over time
doe.gov
Cooling Tower Reactor ContainmentBuilding
http://flickr.com/photos/thespeak/150544424/