1. Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable Future Richard T. Wright Energy from Nuclear Power PPT by Clark E. Adams Chapter 13

2. Energy from Nuclear Power Nuclear energy in perspective How nuclear power works The hazards and costs of nuclear power facilities More advanced reactors The future of nuclear power

3. Nuclear Energy in Perspective

6. How Nuclear Power Works From mass to energy Comparing nuclear power to coal power

7. From Mass to Energy http://www.nv.doe.gov/news&pubs/photos&films/atm.htm

8. Terms and Definitions Fission: a large atom of one element is split to produce two different smaller elements Fusion: two small atoms combine to form a larger atom of a different element Isotope: different (mass number) forms of the same element

9. Two Forms of Uranium 238 U = 92 protons + 146 neutrons 235 U = 92 protons + 143 neutrons

10. Fission, Fusion, or Both? Energy is released Begins with 235 U Produces radioactive by-products Produces free neutrons

11. Fission, Fusion, or Both? Splits a larger atom into smaller atoms Fuses smaller atoms in one larger atom Begins with 2 H and 3 H Produces helium

12. Terms and Definitions Fuel rods: rods full of 235 U pellets Moderator: fluid (water) coolant that slows down neutrons Control rods: moderate rate of the chain reaction by absorbing neutrons

13. A Nuclear Reactor

14. A Nuclear Reactor Is Designed to Sustain a continuous chain reaction Prevent amplification into a nuclear explosion Consist of an array of fuel and control rods Make some material intensely hot

15. A Nuclear Power Plant

16. A Nuclear Power Plant Designed to Use steam to drive turbogenerators Convert steam into electricity Produce superheated water in a reactor vessel Prevent meltdown

17. Comparing Nuclear Power with Coal Power

18. Requires 3.5 million tons of raw fuel Requires 30 tons of raw material Emits over 7 million tons of CO 2 into the atmosphere Emits no CO 2 into the atmosphere

19. Comparing Nuclear Power with Coal Power Emits over 300 thousand tons of SO 2 into the atmosphere Emits no acid-forming pollutants Produces about 100 thousand tons of ash Produces 250 tons of radioactive waste Possible meltdown

20. Comparing Nuclear Power with Coal Power Produces 250 tons of radioactive waste Possible meltdown

21. Terms and Definitions Radioisotopes: unstable isotopes of the elements resulting from the fission process

22. Terms and Definitions Radioactive emissions: subatomic particles (neutrons) and high-energy radiation (alpha, beta, and gamma rays) Radioactive wastes: materials that become radioactive by absorbing neutrons from the fission process

23. The Hazards and Costs of Nuclear Power Facilities Radioactive emissions Radioactive wastes Disposal of radioactive wastes Nuclear power accidents Safety and nuclear power Economic problems with nuclear power

24. Radioactive Emissions and Wastes

25. Radioactive Decay Half life = the time for half the amount of a radioactive isotope to decay

27. Half-life Molybdenum-99 (half-life = 2.8 days) Xenon-133 (half-life = 5.3 days) Krypton-85 (half-life = 10.7 years) Cesium-137 (half-life = 30.0 years) Plutonium-239 (half-life = 24,000 years)

28. Disposal of Radioactive Wastes (200 Thousand Tons) Finding long-term containment sites Transport of highly toxic radioactive wastes across the United States The lack of any resolution to the radioactive waste problem Environmental racism Cost ($60 billion to 1.5 trillion)

29. Disposal of Radioactive Wastes To be safe, plutonium-239 would require 240,000 years (10 half-lives) of containment! Discuss the implications of this in terms of disposal of radioactive wastes. Yucca Mountain in southwestern Nevada = the nation’s nuclear waste repository

30. Nuclear Power Accidents Three-mile Island  1979  Harrisburg, PA  Loss of coolant in reactor vessel  Damage so bad, reactor shut down permanently  Unknown amount of radioactive waste released into atmosphere

31. How Chernobyl Blew Up Loss of water coolant perhaps triggered the accident. When the water-circulation system failed, the temperature in the reactor core increased to over 5,000 o F, causing the uranium fuel to begin melting and producing steam that reacted with the zirconium alloy cladding of the fuel rods to produce hydrogen gas.

32. How Chernobyl Blew Up A second reaction between steam and graphite produced free hydrogen and carbon oxides. When this gas combined with oxygen, a blast blew off the top of the building, igniting the graphite. The burning graphite threw a dense cloud of radioactive fission products into the air.

33. Consequences of Radiation Exposure Block cell division Damage biological tissues and DNA Death Cancer Birth defects

34. Safety and Nuclear Power Passive rather than active safety features New generations of reactors (ALWRs, see Fig. 13-15) Terrorism and nuclear power: dirty bombs or outright attacks

35. Economic Problems with Nuclear Power Energy demand estimates were unrealistic. Costs increases (5x) to comply with new safety standards. Withdrawal of government subsidies to nuclear industry. Public protests delayed construction. Any accident financially ruins the utility.

36. More Advanced Reactors Breeder reactors Fusion reactors

39. Breeder, Fusion, or Both Creates more fuel than it consumes Raw material is 238 U Splits atoms

40. Breeder, Fusion, or Both Fuses atoms Releases energy Raw material is deuterium and tritium Source of unprecedented thermal pollution

41. The Future of Nuclear Power: Opposition General distrust of technology Skepticism of management Doubt overall safety claims about nuclear power plants Nuclear power plants are prime targets for terrorist attacks Nuclear waste disposal problems

42. The Future of Nuclear Power: Rebirth? Need to address public concerns listed in the opposition section. Waste dilemma must be resolved. Strong political leadership capable of analyzing the full spectrum of problems associated with the future of nuclear power is needed.

43. End of Chapter 13