Nuclear Energy

What we will cover

nuclear fission

energy of the atomic nucleus

splitting of the atomic nuclei
produce controlled reaction in reactor

why we use uranium

hazards of nuclear energy
nuclear waste and disposal

Importance in US/world

19% of US electricity production

8% of US energy overall
France, 78% of electrical energy
443 plants worldwide
100 in US
6 in Illinois

Nuclear Energy Use in the World

Uranium
all forms radioactive
heavy element (gallon container 150 lb)

most is

238

U (no slow neutron fission)

cant use for much

we want

235

U, but only 0.7% of all uranium

must enrich from ore (yellow cake, 0.14%

U3O8)
need centrifuges

Where uranium ore comes from

Ameren
Illinois

Fission Reactors
as fission occurs, energy is released
(E=mc2)
major components of a fission
reactor:
core, control rods, coolant, reactor vessel

waste disposal is problem

Uranium (continued)

reactor fuel rod is 3-5% 235U

depleted reactor rod < 0.7%
highly enriched > 20%
bomb grade > 90%
get 239Pu from reactor rods
energy released because mass of new
elements < original

Nuclear Power
we use

U in all of our reactors

235

moderator to slow down neutrons is

water (Soviet Union often used
graphite)
fuel rods hold

235

control rods absorb neutrons

Nuclear Energy and the

Environment
nuclear fuel cycle:
production of nuclear power from the mining
and processing of uranium to controlled fission,
the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, the
decommissioning of power plants and the
disposal of radioactive waste

each part of the cycle is associated with

different potential environmental problems

Radioactive Emissions
radioisotope: an isotope of a chemical
element that spontaneously
undergoes radioactive decay
radioactive emissions are both
particles and radiation
can cause biological effects

Half Life
time for half of the amount to decay
range from fractions of a second to
thousands of years
32P 14 days
35S 87 days
14C 5700 years
Plutonium 24,000 years

Nuclear Power Plant Accidents

Three Mile Island (1979)
Chernobyl (1986)
Fukushima (2011)

Comparison of Fukushima an
d Chernobyl

Waste Disposal
various sources of waste
low level versus high level waste
depleted fuel rods
military/nuclear weapon waste

public attitudes
NIMBY, NIMTOO
Good radiation versus bad radiation

Yucca Mountain Project

(civilian waste)

< 7.5 inches rainfall year

$4 billion so far during last 20 years

Where is waste now?

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

Military waste

http://www.wipp.energy.gov/

Future of Nuclear Power

climate change concerns
can public be convinced?
new and safer reactor designs
what would you do?

So what is the future?

coal is dirty and has many
environmental impacts
natural gas extraction causes
problems, but burning it is better
we are running out of oil
renewables have promise, but we use
so much energy
nuclear was looking good, but now
what?