Nuclear energy

Is a nuclear plant fundamentally different from a coal plant?

no, they both use fuel to make heat (steam), to spin turbine, to make electricity

How much water do nuclear power plants need for cooling tower?

672 gal/MWH, similar to coal plant, but nuclear often larger

How much water do nuclear power plants need for once-through at river, and throughput?

269 gal/MWh for once through at river, but needs 44,350 gal/MWh throughput

What is an advantage of wind/solar over nuclear?

Wind/solar do not need water, nuclear needs a lot of water

How much energy per reaction does nuclear make vs coal?

a few MeV, vs coal which is a few eV

The nucleus is held together by what competing forces?

Coulomb repulsion (protons push apart), Volume energy (binds nucleus together). If total energy is negative: stable element, if total energy positive: unstable element

What is the most stable element?

Iron

Fission

A nuclear reaction in which a massive nucleus splits into smaller nuclei with the simultaneous release of energy, happens in elements heavier then iron

Fusion

Elements lighter than iron can fuse with each other to release energy

Spontaneous fusion

Natural radioactivity- happens slowly

Induced fusion

hit a nucleus with a neutron to split it and release energy

Fusion chain reaction

Hitting a nucleus (like uranium nucleus) with a neutron released energy, lighter elements, and 3 neutrons. You need to capture at least 1 of these neutrons to continue the reaction (if you capture to many, nuclear explosion. Goal is to strike a balance)

How do reactors stay stable?

Moderation: slowing neutrons down. Fuel rod design: geometry affects reaction rate. Cooling: prevent overheating / melting

Nuclear waste

Remains unsolved

Economic / political problems of nuclear energy (pretty opinionated, but whatever)

+Interaction of technology with capitalist system that is unable to prioritize safety over profit for few and exploitation of many

+Building of Generation 4 reactors would be safer, but are not being built due to cost

+Yellow cake, uranium mining by child labor in Africa or destruction of Grand canyon

Future of fission energy

Declining in US (it generates 20% of our energy but declining), being phased out in Germany, and faces public opposition in Korea

What are issues plaguing the building of nuclear plants?

Nowadays it is slow and expensive: often delayed and going over budget by a lot

Trend of reactor startups vs shutdowns

There was rapid growth of nuclear reactor startups in the 1970s-1980s, slowed and declined after. Only China is experiencing a growing shift

Who generates the most nuclear power?

The US

Connection between nuclear energy and nuclear weapons

The decline of nuclear arms requires ramping down civil use of nuclear power, as both use the same materials, science, and knowledge. Nuclear power gives an excuse to make nuclear arms

Problems with fusion

Have not been done on earth in a controlled way, although there was a joke that it is 'always thirty years away' there have been projects recently that are pushing the research

What does fusion require?

Extremely high temperatures, over 150 million K. Cold fusion is not real

How do you make plasma hot?

By adding energy and preventing energy from getting hot

Heating methods for plasma (ways to add energy)

Friction in plasma, rf Waves, particle injection

How do you prevent energy from getting out as you heat plasma?

Use magnetic confinement the plasma does not touch container walls, no conduction losses only radiaiton

Fusion pros

Less long-lived waste, and safer (Plasma is just hydrogen)

Fusion cons

Needs advanced radiation hard ceramics, still needs a lot of water, still has waste, and large scale only