Thermal & Nuclear Electricity – Quick Review

Thermal Electricity Generation

• Fossil fuels (crude oil, natural gas, petroleum, coal) burned ➜ chemical $\to$ heat energy.
• Water in boilers $\to$ high-pressure steam $\to$ super-heated steam.
• Steam spins turbines (mechanical energy) ➜ generators convert to electricity.

Environmental Impacts

1. Air pollution: $\mathrm{CO<em>2}$, $\mathrm{CO}$, $\mathrm{SO</em>2}$, etc. ➜ health issues, acid rain.
2. Soot & ash ➜ respiratory problems.
3. Mining ➜ water pollution, habitat loss.
4. Thermal pollution of cooling water ➜ aquatic life decline.

Mitigation

• Use electricity efficiently (turn off devices, energy-saving tech).
• Build higher-efficiency plants.
• Shift to renewable sources (solar, wind, hydro).

Nuclear Electricity Generation

• Fuel: enriched uranium.
• Key components: reactor, coolant, turbine, generator, containment.
• Process:
  1. Nuclear fission = splitting nucleus into smaller parts, releasing energy.
  2. Chain reaction: self-sustaining, repeating fissions produce continuous heat.
  3. Heat boils coolant ➜ steam spins turbines ➜ generators produce electricity.

Environmental Impacts

1. Radioactive waste – long-lived, hazardous.
2. Hot-water discharge ➜ thermal pollution of rivers/oceans.
3. Uranium mining ➜ habitat destruction, water contamination.

Mitigation

• Efficient electricity use.
• Safer reactor designs & containment.
• Proper radioactive-waste handling & disposal.
• Increase share of renewable generation.

Quick Recall

1. Nuclear fission: splitting an atomic nucleus into two or more smaller nuclei, releasing energy.
2. Chain reaction: repeating series of fissions where emitted neutrons trigger further fissions.
3. Five gases from fossil-fuel combustion: $\mathrm{CO<em>2}$, $\mathrm{CO}$, $\mathrm{SO</em>2}$, $\mathrm{NO<em>x}$, $\mathrm{CH</em>4}$.
4. Objections to a local thermal plant: air pollution & health risks, soot/ash emissions, water & habitat pollution, warming of local water bodies.