A Primer on Nuclear Power

7/27/2019 A Primer on Nuclear Power

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A Primer on Nuclear Power

Harry Draaisma

301234534

Team Alif

TA: Ali Hekamati

EN! 100"105


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Ackknowle#$ements:

% woul# like to e&ten# my sincerest t'anks to (ot' my TA) Ali Hekamati) for markin$ my

*re+limanary assi$nments to *re*are for t'is *a*er an# my instructor) ,ic'eal-oer#sma) for

teca'in$ us t'e *ro*er way to write a *a*er of t'is ma$nitu#e. %/# also like to t'ank !lara

c'irrmeister an# ,ic'ael urewic for 'el*in$ me e#it t'is *a*er.


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A Primer on Nuclear Power

'en man first s*lit a*art t'e atom it unleas'e# a *ower so $reat) t'at it s'ifte# t'e ery

course of 'istory. T'is atomic *ower was uickly utilie# into a wea*on so catastro*'ic t'at it

coul# o(literate entire cities. ut w'en t'e flames of war #ie# out) it was #eci#e# t'at suc'

ener$y coul# (e more (eneficial in *eaceful ciilian uses. %n 1653 t'e Atomic Ener$y

!ommission 'areste# t'e first electricity from atomic ener$y 718. %t was only enou$' *ower to

make four li$'t (ul(s $low #imly) (ut from t'ese small ste*s came t'e (e$innin$ of nuclear

*ower. 9rom t'ese 'um(le (e$innin$s) nuclear *ower 'as (ecome a ma-or alternatie ener$y

*ro#ucer worl#wi#e) *ro#ucin$ 10 of worl#;s total electricity 728. %t s'ows no si$ns of slowin$

#own eit'er) as countries like !'ina seek to $ain more self+reliance wit' lar$e scale nuclear

*ower *lant #eelo*ment 738. Howeer wit' any tec'nolo$y t'ere are always risks inole# an#

nuclear *ower is no e&ce*tion. Nuclear acci#ents) like !'erno(yl an# more recently 9ukus'ima)

remin# us of t'e #eastation nuclear *ower can still wiel# if not treate# wit' care. Des*ite t'ese

risks) nuclear *ower looks to (e a ma-or *art of our future. As suc') it is im*ortant for us to

un#erstan# it so t'at it may (e *ut to it may reac' its ma&imum *otential. As suc') t'is *a*er will

outline (ot' t'e (enefits an# #etriments of nuclear *ower) so t'at t'e com*le&ities of suc' $reat

atomic *ower can (e un#erstoo# an# its role in our ener$y *ro#ucin$ future ma#e clear

T'e most o(ious (enefit of nuclear ener$y is t'e s'eer amount of *ower it can *ro#uce.

As state# earlier) nuclear *ower alrea#y *ro#uces u* to 10 of t'e worl#;s electricity. 'ile t'is


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mi$'t not seem im*ressie) it is im*ortant to consi#er t'at usin$ fossil fuels for mass ener$y

consum*tion starte# wit' t'e inention of t'e first $as lam*s in t'e early 1


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frien#liness. A fully runnin$ nuclear *ower *lant is com*letely car(on emission free 78. ecause

of t'is) nuclear *ower 'as (een foun# to actually sae lies oer t'e lon$ term (y *reentin$

#eat's cause# #irectly or in#irectly (y air *ollution 7


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'arest t'e most ener$y an# 'y#roelectric is (oun# to only t'e lar$est of riers to (e een

remotely economically feasi(le. ince nuclear *ower only relies on im*orte# or mine# minerals)

*ower *lants can (e (uilt almost anyw'ere in t'e worl#. T'is is no con-ecture eit'erF nuclear

*ower *lants alrea#y e&ist in oer 31 countries aroun# t'e worl# 758. T'is also means t'at in t'e

eent t'at oil *ro#uction is (rou$'t to stan#still (y some catastro*'e) nuclear *ower mi$'t (e t'e

only ener$y source wit' enou$' scale to een 'ae a 'o*e of kee*in$ *ower *ro#uction at

reasona(le leels in certain countries. Alt'ou$' t'is 'as yet to occur) t'e oil crisis of t'e 160;s

soli#ifie# nuclear *ower;s re*utation as a resere ener$y *ro#uction source in t'e B 78. T'ese

factors make nuclear *ower one of t'e most ersatile alternatie ener$y sources on t'e market.

Gersatility is uniue a#anta$e nuclear 'as oer ot'er forms of alternatie ener$y) (ut t'e

sti$ma t'at 'an$s oer nuclear is somet'in$ t'at it 'as yet to oercome. Pu(lic o*inion of

nuclear *ower 'as 'a# a tur(ulent relations'i*) as een mentionin$ t'e wor# nuclear to some

*eo*le will 'ae t'em imme#iately recall ima$es of nuclear inci#ents like !'erno(yl) or more

recently 9ukus'ima. %n#ee#) t'e risk of nuclear inci#ents is *ro(a(ly one of t'e lar$est factors of

'ostility a$ainst nuclear *lants. %nci#ents may release massie amounts of ra#ioactie material

into t'e atmos*'ere) w'ere it can (e carrie# (y win#s to (lanket areas in a ra#ioactie 'ae) een

in areas not #irectly affecte# (y t'e inci#ent 7128. Des*ite t'is) many *eo*le are actually in faor

of nuclear *lants) wit' t'e caeat t'at t'e *lant isn;t (uilt anyw'ere near w'ere t'ey lie 7138.

Howeer) t'is am(ialence towar#s it is often *erceie# as o**osition to t'e i#ea entirely.

Alt'ou$' nuclear *ower is tryin$ to make $reat stri#es in im*roin$ its ima$e an# safety) it

remains unseen if t'is will affect t'e o*inion of *resent future $enerations.

'et'er you are a$ainst nuclear *ower or su**ortin$ it) one cannot 'el* (ut see t'at it is

$oin$ to (e *art of t'e future. %t will no #ou(t continue to (e an incre#i(ly controersial to*ic)


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es*ecially as t'e nee# for a relia(le alternatie ener$y source (ecomes more an# more a**arent.

9rom its 'orren#ous (e$innin$s as a wea*on of war) to (ecomin$ an ener$y source 'aunte# (y

(ot' its *ast an# *resent) nuclear ener$y *oses -ust one uestion. %f we run out of fossil fuels)

will it sae us w'en t'e $ears of ciiliation come to a $rin#in$ 'alt >r will it sim*ly (e a see#

of #oom) sowe# in a #es*erate attem*t to re*air t'e #ama$e we 'ae #one

718 . ,ic'al. [email protected] years ago in December: Atomic reactor EBR-I produced first

electricity7>nline8 Aaila(le 9TP: 'tt*:""www2.ans.or$Directory: *u(s"ma$aine"nn"#ocs 9ile:

2001+11+2.*#f

728Key World Energy Statistics) %nternational Ener$y A$ency) Paris) 9r) 2012.
http://www2.ans.org/http://www2.ans.org/


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738 I. Juan$ an# H. enie. KAn analysis of !'ina;s nuclear *ower *ro$ramme su**ly c'ain

from t'e *ers*ectie of lie cycleL *resente# at t'e !!" International #onference on

En$ironmental Science and Information Application %ec&nology) u'an) 2006) **. 26+32.

748 . !. Jriffit's. =2013) >ct. 21@.'urdoc( )formerly'urdoc&*William +,."-,/0"12 engineer

and in$entor7>nline8. Aaila(le: 'tt*:""www.o&for##n(.com"iew"article"1651

758 I. %c'iara. KA *ers*ectie on nuclear *ower $eneration in t'e future electric *ower in#ustry+

for nons*ecialists in t'e electric *ower relate# in#ustriesL)3roceedings of t&e IEEE) ol. 3) no.

12) **. 163+1


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7118 9. icks) KT'e nuclear waste *ro(lem an# reconsi#eration of t'e ocean #is*osal o*tionL in

Energy #on$ersion Engineering #onference) c'enecta#y) NI) 2004) **.

Documents

A Primer on Nuclear Power