subject: Nuclear Energy Power Plants [print this page] Nuclear power plants: Nuclear power plants:
Nuclear energy power plants convert the energy released from the nucleus of an atom (atomic energy) to the electrical energy by a process called nuclear fission.
Nuclear fission:
When a slow moving neutron strikes atom of uranium, the uranium splits into two lighter atoms with a releases enormous amounts of heat energy.
The nuclear fission reaction of heavy elements is an exothermic reaction which can release large amounts of energy both as electromagnetic radiation and as kinetic energy of the fragments
U235 + n fission + 2 or 3 n + 200 MeV
This large amount of heat released due to exothermic reaction is used to convert the water to steam which in turn generates electricity
Explanation on Nuclear Energy Power Plant
Schematic diagram:
NUCLEAR ENERGY POWER PLANT
NUCLEAR FUEL
Nuclear fuels are the heavy elements that will participate in nuclear fission reaction.
The most common a nuclear fuels are 235U and 239Pu.
NUCLEAR CHAIN REACTIONS
A chain reaction is a process in which neutrons released in fission process produce an additional fission reaction in at least one of the further nucleus. This nucleus in turn produces some neutrons, and the process repeats. If the process of producing the neutrons is controlled then the reaction is called as controlled chain reaction.
NUCLEAR REACTOR:
A nuclear reactor is a device that will initiate ,control and sustain a nuclear chain reaction
CONTROL RODS
Control rods made of a material that will absorb the excess neutrons that is produced in nuclear reaction and makes the reaction as a controlled chain reaction
The control rods contain neutron absorbers elements like graphite, boron , cadmium or indium
Steam exchangers
These are used to convert water into steam from the heat produced in a nuclear reactor core.
Heavy water (D2o)functioned as the coolant.
STEAM TURBINE
Steam turbine is a mechanical device that converts the thermal energy from highly pressurized steam to mechanical energy which in turn used for rotating the turbine.
The coolant pump makes the coolant to pressurize order of 155bar.
FEED PUMP
Steam coming out of the turbine having high temperatures, flows through the condenser for condensation and then re-circulated again.
CONDENSER
Condenser is a device which is converts the condensed vapor to liquid.
The main working principle of the condenser is to reduce the exhaust pressure at turbine to increase the efficiency.
COOLING TOWER
Cooling towers are heat removal devices used to convert waste heat to the atmosphere
Advantages and Disadvantages Nuclear Energy
ADVANTAGES:
Nuclear power generation emits a very less amounts of green house gases
It is possible to generate a high amount of electrical energy in one single plant .
Nuclear power plant is clean and tidy
DISADVANTAGES:
The problem of radioactive waste risk is high.
It is technically difficult to build a nuclear power plant with 100% security.
Uranium(nuclear fuel) is a very scarcely available resource, its supply will depleted in 60 years depending demand.
The energy is the necessity of the universe. For the completion of any work, we need energy, which are of several types as according to the need. The energy is of the several types such as kinetic energy, potential energy, heat energy, atomic energy, nuclear energy etc. Let us discuss about the nuclear energy.
natural nuclear energy
Image on Natural nuclear energy
Natural Form of Nuclear Energy
There are two types of the reaction in the scientific world. One is called the chemical energy and the other is called the nuclear energy. In the atomic reactions, the electrons of the outer most shell can take the part but in case of the nuclear reactions, the nucleus can take part in the reactions. In the nuclear reactions the parent nucleus and the daughter nucleus is not same while in the atomic reaction the parent and daughter atom remains same. The energy comes out from the nucleus is called the nuclear energy. It is of two types. Nuclear fission energy and the nuclear fusion energy. The nuclear reactions are also occurred in the nature so the energy liberated is called the natural nuclear energy. Initially when the earth was formed by the big bang, the earth is very hot and called the primitive earth. As the reactions inside the earth are the nuclear reactions, so it becomes too hot. This is due to the nuclear reactions inside the earth. The energy inside the earth is due to the nuclear fission of the radioactive reactions (it means the nucleus of the radioactive nucleus splits into two or more fragments). Now let us take the example of the sun. The energy liberated from the sun is due to the nuclear fusion of the hydrogen atoms (the two or more hydrogen nucleus atoms fuse together). These are the main examples of the natural nuclear energy.
Conclusion for the Nuclear Energy
From the above discussion, we can conclude that the amount of the natural nuclear energy is very large. We cannot create such large amount of the energy by any artificial methods. Therefore, there is a great importance of the natural nuclear energy in he universe.
