Nuclear Energy Quinci James Dawson Miller

What is nuclear Energy? Nuclear energy is the energy in the nucleus, or core, of an atom. Atoms are tiny units that make up all matter in the universe. Energy is what holds the nucleus together.

How is nuclear energy produced? In a nuclear-fueled power plant – much like a fossil-fueled power plant– water is turned into steam, which in turn drives turbine generators to produce electricity. The difference is the source of heat. At nuclear power plants, the heat to make the steam is created when uranium atoms split – called fission.

Nuclear plant diagram

Cont. Nuclear plants, like plants that burn coal, oil and natural gas, produce electricity by boiling water into steam. This steam then turns turbines to produce electricity. The difference is that nuclear plants do not burn anything. Instead, they use uranium fuel, consisting of solid ceramic pellets, to produce electricity through a process called fission.

The cost of nuclear energy Nuclear energy is one of America’s lowest-cost “round the clock” electricity sources, with national average production costs at 2.4 cents per kilowatt-hour in Similarly, the average cost of electricity produced by coal was 3.27 cents per kilowatt-hour, natural gas 3.4 cents. The average production cost for nuclear energy has remained well below three cents per kilowatt-hour for the past 18 years. Nuclear and coal plants, in fact, have consistently been the most stable and predictable source of low-priced power among all baseload or always-on generators for decades.

Pros of nuclear energy Lower carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gases) released into the atmosphere in power generation. Low operating costs (relatively). Known, developed technology “ready” for market. Large power-generating capacity able to meet industrial and city needs (as opposed to low-power technologies like solar that might meet only local, residential, or office needs but cannot generate power for heavy manufacturing). Existing and future nuclear waste can be reduced through waste recycling and reprocessing, similar to Japan and the EU (at added cost).

cons of nuclear energy High subsidies needed for construction and operation, as well as loan guarantees. Subsidies and investment could be spent on other solutions (such as renewable energy systems). High-known risks in an accident. Unknown risks. Target for terrorism (as are all centralized power generation sources). Nuclear is a centralized power source requiring large infrastructure, investment, and coordination where decentralized sources (including solar and wind) can be more efficient, less costly, and more resilient. Uranium sources are just as finite as other fuel sources, such as coal, natural gas, etc., and are expensive to mine, refine, and transport, and produce considerable environmental waste (including greenhouse gasses) during all of these processes.

Cont. There are a significant number of cons of nuclear energy compared to pros of it. This is the center of some controversy for nuclear energy.

Nuclear Power Plants in the U.S.A

Nuclear weapons A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion (thermonuclear weapon). Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter.

Picture of nuclear weapon

Aftermath of a Nuclear weapon Sedan Crater is the biggest crater in the nevada test site that was made with a nuclear weapon. They buried this weapon and detonated it on July 6, 1962.

Yucca Mountain Yucca Mountain is a place where they were going to store nuclear waste but now they are shutting down due to the president's commands. It is located on federal land adjacent to the Nevada Test Site in Nye County, Nevada, about 80 mi (130 km) northwest of the Las Vegas Valley.The main tunnel of the Exploratory Studies Facility is U-shaped, 5 mi (8.0 km) long and 25 ft (7.6 m) wide.

Picture of the tunnel

The machine that drilled the tunnel

Works cited "World Nuclear Association." The Nuclear Debate. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov "Nuclear Power's Production Costs Are Low." Nuclear Matters. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov