Nuclear Fission (original) (raw)
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The history of nuclear energy is a centuries-old story. It starts from the ancient Greek philosophers who first developed the idea that all matters are composed of invisible particles called atoms and continues until now. The significant demarcation for the usage of nuclear energy is World War II. In the years just before and during World War II, nuclear research focused mainly on the development of defense weapons. Later, scientists concentrated on peaceful applications of nuclear technology. An important use of nuclear energy is the generation of electricity. After years of research, scientists have successfully applied nuclear technology to many other scientific, medical, and industrial purposes.
Himalayan Physics
Nuclear energy is the latest energy source to be used on a large scale. It has tremendous potentiality to meet the growing demand of energy without degrading the environment. Presently the nuclear fission of some heavy elements of the periodic table produces the vast majority of nuclear energy in the direct service of humankind. So nuclear energy produced by nuclear fission and its impacts are the main focus of this article.The Himalayan Physics Year 5, Vol. 5, Kartik 2071 (Nov 2014)Page: 51-58
Benefits, Drawbacks, and the Path Forward for Nuclear Fission
Technium: Romanian Journal of Applied Sciences and Technology
In nuclear fission, a radioactive material like Uranium-235 is induced to decay into a different element, converting some of its mass into energy in the process. This process extracts stupendous quantities of energy without CO2 emissions. Nuclear fission is safe, preserving lives and likely the environment, although more research is needed regarding radioactive waste; it creates a bonanza of high-paying jobs; and it is essential to replacing coal and combating climate change. High upfront costs are an issue, and nuclear fission requires significant government regulation and support; further research into thorium-based power may provide progress on cost. To save lives, I recommend significantly increasing nuclear power’s use in the United States.
The Development of Nuclear Power Reactors and the Nuclear Industry
Science Policy Reports, 2013
There was one more military step prior to the "peaceful" application of nuclear power. The United States Navy was not involved in the Manhattan Project, but wanted to use the idea of nuclear energy to power a submarine, so that it could operate for a long period under water. Admiral H. Rickover, the chief engineer of the USS Nautilus' nuclear power plant, adopted the Westinghouse proposal of a "pressurized water reactor" (PWR) and successfully built "S1W" in the 1950s in Idaho. USS Nautilus, the first nuclear submarine, was launched in 1954 (USS Nautilus, Wikipedia). Rickover was then involved in developing commercial land-based nuclear reactors. The first practical nuclear reactor was designed for use in submarines, where space is quite limited, and security is of utmost importance. All submarines adopted the use of a PWR, a typical example of which is the reactor TMI-2, which is shown in Fig. 8.2. GE developed a simpler design: a "boiling water reactor" (BWR). Many original designers were aware of the various design problems of reactors of this type, but were forced to resign when they made their observations known. The cooling system was particularly vulnerable. Yet, this same design, as well as the PWR type mentioned earlier, was used for the majority of commercial nuclear power plants. The first commercial nuclear plant (of the PWR type) was approved by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) in 1953 in the United States, built at Shippingport, Pennsylvania, and went into operation at the end of 1957. The nuclear reactor of the Fukushima power plant is of the BWR type (Hall 2011; Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear disaster, Wikipedia). That is, the "nuclear power generator can be said to be a direct descendant of a military device". There is another military connection. Many countries (and both their industry and government), including even Japan, were interested in "peaceful" nuclear power, with an eye on the possible military applications when the need arises. The ordinary nuclear reactor based on U-235 produces a lot of Pu-239 (240, etc.), which can be used to produce atomic bombs. There were also economic reasons for E. Ochiai, Hiroshima to Fukushima, Science Policy Reports,
The idea of an atom began with the Greek philosopher Democritus, who proclaimed all matter consisted of tiny particles. He called them ''atomos,'' the Greek word for ''indivisible.'' He couldn't prove they existed but centuries later other scientists did. Nuclear energy is energy in the nucleus of an atom. There is enormous energy in the bonds that hold atoms together. Nuclear energy can be used to make electricity.
Perspectives on research reactor utilization
Physica B: Condensed Matter, 2002
The current state of research reactors around the world is summarized using information from the Research Reactor Database. Some current trends of research reactors in advanced and developing countries are described. The need for strategic planning is emphasized, and elements of a typical strategic plan are presented. The problems of reactor lifetime extension, nuclear fuel cycle issues, and decommissioning are briefly discussed. It is concluded that research reactors will continue to be vital elements of the nuclear infrastructures in many countries, and that the IAEA can help countries solve their problems of utilization, safety, lifetime extension, fuel cycle, and decommissioning.
The Medical , Agricultural , and Industrial Applications of Nuclear Technology
2003
The majority of our citizens are aware of the contributions of nuclear technology to the production of electricity via commercial nuclear power plants. But most are unaware that the impact of this technology is even greater for non-power applications. The world of medicine, agriculture, and modern industry has been substantially improved by the harnessing of radioisotopes, and new applications continue to make major humanitarian contributions to our quality of life.
Fusion Engineering and Design, 2018
Fusion waste will not contain transuranics and fission products like fission. Other than volumes and total radioactive inventories, a comparison among radioactive material production in different energy sources should take into account the different nature of radioactive nuclides, in terms of their hazard potential. A convenient comparison can be made with the total radiotoxicity indices. We have performed such a comparison considering fusion power plant models, GEN II PWR and GEN IV fission reactors, and ashes from a coal-fired power plant, than bear naturally occurring radioactive materials. The results are normalized, and total indices have been calculated considering the complete materials and fuel cycle for the reactors. Fusion compares favorably with fission, as expected. If low activation materials are used, fusion radiotoxicity indices, after a cooling time of the same order of magnitude as the interim storage envisaged, are also even lower than that of coal ashes.