Nuclear power bien

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Texas A&M International University *

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Electrical Engineering

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Dec 6, 2023

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Nuclear Power Plant In the modern day, every year, more and more electric energy needs to be used. The answer to this was nuclear energy. It promised to be a pacific spin-off of the new technology to help the world get back on its feet after the shock and horror of the war and the use of the atomic bomb. Everyone imagined nuclear power was the best answer but was it? Nowadays, one of the biggest challenges that humanity faces is finding new sources of energy. That is because of the poor efficiency of energy coming from fossil fuels, the environmental problems they cause, and their high consumption, which threatens to deplete them. Therefore, it is necessary to search for new sources to meet the energy demand that derives from the development of humanity. Most of the energy used by humans corresponds to the heat generated by burning carbon-based fuels, but heat can also be produced indirectly from hundreds of processes that involve atomic nuclei, and that corresponds to the so-called nuclear power. Nuclear power plants are a type of power plant that uses the process of nuclear fission to generate electricity. They do this by using nuclear reactors in combination with the Rankine cycle, where the heat generated by the reactor converts water into steam, which spins a turbine and a generator to create electricity. Nuclear Reactor functioning In a simplified way, a Nuclear Reactor is a piece of equipment where a nuclear fission reaction is processed, just as a chemical reactor is a piece of equipment where a chemical reaction is processed. A Nuclear Reactor that generates electricity is a Thermal Power Plant. It is where the heat source is uranium-235 instead of fuel oil or coal. And therefore, it is a Thermal Power Plant. The great advantage of it is the enormous amount of energy that can be generated, that is, the energy generated, for the few materials used (uranium). Uranium-235, by analogy, is called nuclear fuel, because it can replace oil or coal in generating heat. There is no difference between the energy generated by a conventional source (hydroelectric or heat) and the electrical energy generated by a Nuclear Reactor. 1 Health Nuclear is the largest source of clean power. It generates nearly 800 billion kilowatt hours of electricity each year and produces more than half of the nation’s emissions-free electricity. This avoids more than 470 million metric tons of carbon each year, which is the equivalent of removing 100 million cars off the road. 2 The overall output of pollution from a nuclear power plant is relatively low compared with energy production from fossil fuels. This reduction in greenhouse gasses is a significant indicator of how switching to nuclear energy can help reduce our effect on global climate change in the long run. Nuclear energy not only preserves the environment, but also our public health. It avoids harmful emissions that cause smog and acid rain. Researchers at NASA and Columbia University have noted that nuclear power may have prevented more than 1.8 million air pollution-related deaths. Despite that, it also caused a significant amount of threats. 3 The fallout from nuclear disasters produces a remarkable risk of cancer. Studies showed an increased risk for those who reside near a nuclear power plant generating a higher risk of death from cancer. 4 Nuclear power plants have harsh safety measures in place. However, accidents can happen no matter how careful you are. A meltdown at a nuclear plant can have a catastrophic impact on the 1

Nuclear Power Plant surrounding areas, which we know from events like the Fukushima disaster, Chernobyl, and Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania. 5 Economic Nuclear power doesn’t experience the same price fluctuations that traditional fossil fuel, energy sources, coal, and natural gas. As a consequence of that, the price of nuclear energy can be predicted well into the future. Nuclear power is an economic source of electricity generation, combining the advantages of security, reliability, and very low greenhouse gas emissions. 6 With that income, the nuclear industry supports nearly half a million jobs and contributes an estimated $60 billion to the gross domestic product per year. They also contribute billions of dollars annually to local economies through federal and state tax revenues. 7 On the other hand, they have a prolonged period required for construction. That means the cost of capital is a critical parameter for evaluating the viability of nuclear power. Investors in nuclear power also face the risk that fossil fuel prices could decrease. With improvements in technology, the global availability of natural gas has increased dramatically in recent years. And during the period of relatively low natural gas prices, there was not a single new nuclear plant ordered in the United States. The U.S. Department of Energy predicts that natural gas prices will remain under $5 per thousand cubic feet through 2022. If true, this will be a challenge for nuclear power. 8 Environment One of the most significant benefits of nuclear energy is that it is a reliable power generation source. This means that a nuclear power plant can produce energy nonstop. It also does not produce any carbon emissions, unlike fossil fuels, which release tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and it is one of the leading causes of climate change. The other side of it is that nuclear power plants also cause something called “thermal pollution”. The power plant uses water from the lake or ocean, referred to as cooling water, to condense steam back into the water. 9 They not only use ocean water but also leave waste that remains dangerously radioactive for thousands of years after it is produced. The accumulation of it will become an issue once power plants run out of storage space. Currently, there are no long-term storage solutions for radioactive waste, with most being stored in above-ground facilities or other types of storage that are more expensive and potentially less secure. 10 Conclusion Both sides of nuclear energy have been shown. As a consequence of its meaningful performance, its exceptional energy capacity to reach any corner of the world, and without too many unsatisfactory environmental impacts, it could be considered the energy of the future. On the other hand, nuclear energy has been seen as dangerous energy. It can be employed as a weapon of war, generating panic in the population. Explosions have occurred in the accidents, and also populations close to nuclear power plants have reported having diseases such as cancer. But despite all of the above, it was considered that although nuclear energy has many disadvantages, it also has a lot of beneficial information. Nuclear power generates low sums of pollution and is a clean energy source by securing our air quality. This is done at a low cost and in the same way as creating jobs. By being a reliable energy source, it generates zero carbon emissions. That is why it is an optimistic energy supply for the future. 2

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