chapter 17 nuclear energy

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33 Terms

1

Percent use in world energy use

EIA (energy information administration) predicts 28% increase in world energy use by 2040

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2

how does percent use fit into the global energy mix?

coal down, NG nuclear petroleum renewables up

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3

how does percent use fit into the US energy mix?

solar increase most, natural gas increase second, wind third

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4

how much of the world’s electricity does nuclear power provide

17%

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5

how much of the world’s total energy does nuclear power provide

4.8%

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6

Are they rising in importance or falling? or neither? why might that be?

rising bc increase in capacity use

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7

Which countries rely the most on nuclear power?

France, Belgium, Sweden in order

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8

Fusion

fusing of atomic nuclei

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9

Fission

splitting of atomic nuclei

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10

nuclear reactor

devices that produce controlled nuclear fission

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11

What uranium isotope is needed for reactors?  %?

uranium-235 .07% of all natural uranium

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12

Problems associated with enriching that .07% of uranium-235?

increase concentration to 3% BUT releases chain reaction and meltdown occurrence

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13

meltdown

nuclear accident in which coolant system fails = nuclear fuel becomes so hot it forms a molten mass. breaches to containment of reactor. contaminates outside environment with radioactivity

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14

How does a "chain reaction" work with nuclear fuels

fission reactors split uranium-235 by neutron bombardment = release more neutrons than it took to create first splitting = they strike other uranium-235 atoms = releasing more neutrons, other kinds of radiation, fission products, heat

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15

Cooling systems? How many and what is their arrangement?

primary coolant loops and pumps circulate coolant through reactor. heat leaves reactor vessel, coolant goes in

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16

moderator

primary coolant

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17

control rods

contain materials that capture neutrons, move out of core = chain reaction increases, move into core = reaction slows. full insertion = stops fission reaction

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18

What happens to the radioactive fuel waste?  What if its military? Difference?

WIPP waste isolation pilot plant in carlsbad, NM for transuranic waste disposal

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19

What is a breeder reactor?

type of nuclear reactor designed to produce more fissionable material (fuel) than it consumes = “breeding” new fuel from readily available fertile materials

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20

Basic difference between its core and a conventional nuclear core? What is produced?

breeder reactors typically don’t have moderator = allows fast neutrons to travel through core. fissile material

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21

alpha radiation

least penetrating (helium nuclei)

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22

beta radiation

moderate penetration (high-energy electrons)

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23

gamma radiation

most penetrating due to its wave-like nature (high-energy photons)

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24

What are Alpha, Beta and Gamma radiation?

three types of ionizing radiation emitted from unstable atomic nuclei during radioactive decay

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25

What changes to atomic structure result from the emission of the particles/waves?

alpha: atomic number decreases by 2, mass number decreases by 4

beta: increases atomic number by 1, decreases neutron count by 1

gamma: does not change as it only releases energy from excited nucleus

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26

Can radioactive elements enter ecosystems? How/why?

nuclear fuel cycle

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27

nuclear fuel cycle

mining/processing of uranium to controlled fission, reprocessing of spent fuel, decomissioning of power plants, disposal of radioactive waste

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28

Transmission of electromagnetic energy into and out of the atmosphere (how different gases absorb energy)

CO2 and other absorb different wavelengths, where there isn’t overlap with CO2, absorbance is greater than there would otherwise be

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29

Projections for future CO2 emissions from developed vs. undeveloped economies?

developed: decrease in CO2 emissions, undeveloped: increase

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30

Uncertainty in modeling? Why?

limitations of climate models, incomplete?

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31

How does the greenhouse effect work?

gases in atmosphere absorb (trap) infrared radiation (heat) similar to glass roof of greenhouse = warm planet’s surface

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32

Carbon cycling: Tons of emissions? Plant storage? Soil storage? flux to oceans and atmosphere?

65,500 billion metric tons. largest storage reservoir = ocean. plants store carbon via photosynthesis. soil = major carbon sink via the organic matter within it. ocean absorbs carbon dioxide from air

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33

biosphere (plants) gaining carbon?

photosynthesis: absorb C from atmosphere and use solar energy to convert it into sugars for growth. gaining 3.2 gigatons of carbon/year

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