Nuclear Energy

http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=9gERUtbtkRc

Trinity was the code name of the first detonation of a nuclear

device. This test was conducted by the United States Army on July
16, 1945, in the Jornada del Muerto desert about 35 miles (56 km)
southeast of Socorro, New Mexico, at the new White Sands
Proving Ground, which incorporated the Alamogordo Bombing
and Gunnery Range. (The site is now the White Sands Missile
Range.) The date of the test is usually considered to be the
beginning of the Atomic Age.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYYp
XuOUjzE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gD_T
L1BqFg

Construction of the Nautilus was made possible by

the successful development of a nuclear propulsion
plant by a group of scientists and engineers at the
Naval Reactors Branch of the
Atomic Energy Commission. In July 1951 the
U.S. Congress authorized construction of the
world's first nuclear-powered submarine, under
the leadership of Captain Hyman G. Rickover, USN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30uGYBI
GrVA

From the successful naval reactor program, plans

were quickly developed for the use of reactor steam
to drive turbines turning generators. On May 26,
1958 the first commercial nuclear power plant in the
United States, Shippingport nuclear power plant,
was opened by President Dwight D. Eisenhower as
part of his Atoms for Peace program.

Palo Verde Nuclear

Generating Station

Nuclear Energy
Outline

A renaissance of nuclear power?

What is nuclear power?
Uranium resources and the nuclear
fuel cycle
Power plant locations
Waste disposal sites and
transportation routes
Accidents

Introduction

Expected transition to nuclear power has not quite taken

place
There has been a long debate on nuclear power
Some people and countries embrace it (e.g. China building
many)
Some people and countries are abandoning it (e.g.
Germany, Japan)
Long-term consequences of decisions being made now
Questions
Who is right?
Do we need to assume the risks?
Will technology solve the shortcomings?
What will the US do?

What is Nuclear
Power?

Albert Einstein showed us that

energy and mass are the same thing,
both are inter-convertible.

E=mc2

Using mass losses during nuclear

reactions, one can calculate the
energy change of a system.

E=mc2

The Curve of Binding

Energy

The maximum binding energy per nucleon*

occurs around mass number 56, then decreases
in both directions. As one result, fission of
massive nuclei and fusion of less massive nuclei
both release energy.

*In chemistry and physics, a nucleon is

one of the particles that makes up the

atomic nucleus. Each atomic nucleus
consists of one or more nucleons, and
each atom in turn consists of a cluster of
nucleons surrounded by one or more
electrons. There are two kinds of nucleon:
the neutron and the proton. The
mass number of a given atomic isotope is
identical to its number of nucleons. Thus
the term nucleon number may be used in
place of the more common terms mass
number or atomic mass number.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTk
ojROg-t8

Energy Released

Splitting massive nuclei apart with

the release of energy is called
nuclear fission.
The joining together of less massive
nuclei with the release of energy is
called nuclear fusion

Nuclear Fission

As a nuclear reaction occurs, it has the ability to

produce a chain reaction
A chain reaction is a reaction where the products
are able to produce more products in a selfsustaining reaction series.
In order to achieve a chain reaction there must be:
A sufficient mass.
A large concentration of fissionable nuclei
The critical mass is when the mass and
concentration are high enough to sustain a chain
reaction.
A sub-critical mass is one that is too small to
achieve a chain reaction.

The fission reaction occurring when a neutron is

absorbed by a uranium-235 nucleus. The
deformed nucleus splits any number of ways into
lighter nuclei, releasing neutrons in the process.

Chain Reaction

Each fissioned
nucleus
releases
neutrons, which
move out to
fission other
nuclei. The
number of
neutrons can
increase quickly
with each
series.

Fuel and assembly

(A)These are uranium oxide fuel pellets that are

stacked inside fuel rods, which are then locked
together in a fuel rod assembly. (B) A fuel rod
assembly.

Fuel Loading

Spent fuel rod assemblies are removed and new

ones are added to a reactor head during
refueling. This shows an initial fuel load to a
reactor, which has the upper part removed and
set aside for the loading.

Nuclear Power Plants

The nuclear reactor contains the material and is

the vessel for the controlled chain reaction of
fissionable materials that will release the energy.
Usually there is a fissionable enriched material
made of 3% U235 and 97% U238 that is fabricated
into small beads and enclosed in fuel rods.
The fuel rods are locked in a fuel rod assembly by
locking collars and arranged so that pressurized
water can flow around the rods.
Control rods are made of material that can
absorb neutrons and are inserted between the fuel
rods.

Nuclear Reactor

A schematic
representation of the
basic parts of a nuclear
reactor. The largest
commercial nuclear
power plant reactors are
nine- to eleven-inchthick steel vessels with a
stainless steel liner,
standing about 40 feet
high with a diameter of
16 feet. Such a reactor
has four pumps, which
move 440,000 gallons of
water per minute
through the primary
loop.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igf96TS3Els

Nuclear
Resources

This table shows Reasonably Assured plus Inferred

Resources in the $130/kgcost category.
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf48.html

Uranium in Canada
Canada produces about
one third of the world's
uranium mine output,
most of it from two
new mines.
After 2007 Canadian
production is expected
to increase further as
more new mines come
into production.
About 15% of Canada's
electricity comes from
nuclear power, using
indigenous technology.
17 reactors provide
over 12,000 MWe of
power
http://www.uic.com.au/nip0
3.htm

http://www.world-nuclear.org/education/mining.htm

Canadian Uranium
Resources

Australian Uranium
Mines

In 2009 Australia exported over 9700 tonnes of uranium oxide

concentrate with a value of over A$ 1.1 billion. It is the world's
third-ranking producer, behind Kazakhstan and Canada.
http://www.world-nuclear.org/education/mining.htm

Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Geography of
the
Nuclear Fuel
Cycle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS89td

Power Plants and

Their Locations

World Status of Nuclear

Reactors - 2007

Current status of the nuclear industry (Sept 2007)

439 nuclear power plants in operation with a total net
installed capacity of 372,002 MW(e)
34 nuclear power plants under construction

Source: http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/reactors.htm

Nuclear Power Plants*

*Not all these power plants are operable. See web

site for details:
http://www.insc.anl.gov/pwrmaps/map/world_map.p

Number of Reactors in
Operation Worldwide
(as of 5 Sept 2005)

http://www.iaea.org/cgi-bin/db.page.pl/pris.oprc

Nuclear Share of
Generation - 2004

http://www.iaea.org/cgi-bin/db.page.pl/pris.nucs

Number of Reactors by Age

(as of 5 Sept 2005)

http://www.iaea.org/cgi-bin/db.page.pl/pris.nucs

Nuclear Power Plants in

Europe

Nuclear Power Plants in

South and East Asia

Reactors in the Far East

Nuclear Power in India

Location

Type/Capacity

Tarapur

BWR/2x160 MWe

Rajasthan

PHWR/1x100, 1x200 MWe and 2 X 220 Mwe

Kalpakkam PHWR/Unit 1-170 MWe Unit 2-220 MWe

Narora

PHWR/2x220 MWe

Kakrapara

PHWR/2x220 MWe

Kaiga

2 PHWR units of 220 MWe

India's Nuclear Power Program has

14reactors in operation that includes 2
Boiling Water Reactors (BWR) and 12
Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR). It
has 8 power reactors under construction at
present of which two PHWRs of 540 MWe
capacity each are at Tarapur in Maharashtra,
four 220 Mwe capacity power reactors two
http://www.dae.gov.in/power/nucpwr.htm
each at Kaiga (Karnataka) and Rawatbhata

Nuclear Power in Russia

According to the
World Energy Council,
at the end of 1999
there were twentynine different nuclear
generating facilities
installed at nine
different sites located
throughout Russia.
They were responsible
for producing roughly
fifteen percent of all
electricity output for
that year. In October
of 2000, the Russian
government stated
that their country
planned on tripling
their amount of
nuclear output from

Nuclear Power
Uzbekistan
Uzbekista
n does
possess
significan
t uranium
deposits
that have
been
utilized
since the
Soviet
period.
The
reserves
rank 7th
Uzbekistan has one nuclear reactor located at the Institute of Nuclear Physics
worldwid
in Ulugbek, north of Tashkent. This reactor is operated primarily for research
and fissile material is monitored and transported under the Tripartite e.
Initiative, an agreement between the US, Russia, and the IAEA.

Nuclear Power in Iran

http://cns.miis.edu/research/iran/images/mapbig.gif

Nuclear Power in S.
Korea Korea has 20 nuclear

ttp://www.khnp.co.kr/infor/info2_06.jsp

power plants in
operation at four sites.
These are all owned by
Korea Hydro and
Nuclear Power
Company Limited
(KHNP), and were
previously owned by
the parent Korea
Electric Power
Corporation (KEPCO).
Sixteen plants are
pressurized-water
reactors (PWR), and
the others are CANDU
Pressurized HeavyWater Reactors
(PHWR). In 2000,
these plants

http://nucleartourist.com/world/spain.htm

Nuclear Power in Spain

Spain currently has nine nuclear power plants in operation. Spains

Prime Minister, Jose Zapatero recently announced plans to phase out
nuclear power in favor of renewable energy sources such as wind. In
2001, it was reported that nuclear plants generated 27.2% of Spains
electricity production

Nuclear
Power in
U.K.

Nuclear Power in Mexico

Laguna

Verde, located in
Veracruz. Consists of two units,
each rated at 674 Mwe
The plant uses a once-through
salt water cooling system. 290
Km Northeast of Mexico City

Nuclear Power in Brazil

Brazil presently has two
operational nuclear
power plants in Angra
dos Reis (Angra I and
Angra II) with a total
installed capacity of
1,982 MWe . These
facilities were
responsible for
approximately 1.7% of
the country's electric
power generation in
2001. Construction had
begun on Angra III, but
political and economic
factors have delayed its
completion. The plant
would generate an
additional 1,300 MW of
generating capacity in

Nuclear Power in Bolivia

Uranium mines
near Oruro and
Potosi

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

Hydroelectric

0.31

0.31

0.31

0.31

0.31

0.31

0.31

0.31

0.33

0.36

0.40

0.38

Nuclear

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Geothermal/Solar/
Wind/Bioma
ss

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

Conventional
Thermal

0.33

0.39

0.39

0.39

0.45

0.50

0.50

0.50

0.66

0.70

0.94

0.95

Total Capacity

0.63

0.70

0.70

0.70

0.76

0.80

0.80

0.81

0.99

1.06

1.35

1.33

Pakistans two
operating uranium mines
are in the north-central
part of the country, at
Dera Ghazi Khan and
Lahore, though several
new potential sites are
being explored. Uranium
enrichment takes places
at the Dr. A.Q. Khan
research in Kahuta, near
Islamabadm, named for
the infamous founder of
Pakistans nuclear
weapons program. Khan
began the program in
Nuclear
Generating
450 MW (2.5% of
1976,
and by 1986
Capacity
total)
Pakistan was able to
Uranium
Reserveshighly
[unknown]
produce
enriched
#uranium.
of Civilian Nuclear
3 (1 under
Plants

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/pakistan.html

construction)

Nuclear Power in
Ukraine

Chernobyl Power
Station

http://www.insc.gov.ua/plants/index.html

Individual Plants in
Ukraine

Nuclear Power in
Kazakhstan
Uranium
deposits were
discovered in
Kazakhstan in
the late 1950s.
Kazakhstan has
large quantities
of uranium, with
reserves of
around 1.5
million tons
(Energy
Information
Administration,
2005). Once
discovered,
Kazakhstan
became the

The U.S. Nuclear

Picture

U.S. Nuclear Power

Plants

Nuclear Power Plants US

U.S. Nuclear Facilities

Nuclear Waste

Nuclear Waste

52,000 tons (47,000 metric tons) of spent fuel from

commercial, military, and research reactors, as well
as 91 million gallons (345 million liters) of
radioactive waste from plutonium processing.
Most reactors lie east of the Mississippi River,
guaranteeing a cross-country trip by road and rail to
transport the high-level waste to the proposed 50billion-dollar repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.

Storage pond for spent fuel

at a reprocessing plant in
the U.K.

Waste Disposal

Nuclear waste is predominately comprised of

used fuel discharged from operating nuclear
reactors.
In the United States, the roughly 100 operating
reactors will create about 87,000 tons of such
discharged or spent fuel over the course of
their lifetimes. Sixty thousand tons of this waste
is destined for geologic disposal at the Yucca
Mountain site in Nevada, along with another
~10,000 tons of so-called defense waste.
Worldwide, more than 250,000 tons of spent fuel
from reactors currently operating will require
disposal.

Waste Dilemma

These numbers account for only high-level

nuclear waste generated by present-day
power reactors.
Rather conservative projections of nuclear
power growth worldwide in the coming
decades indicate that by year 2050, almost 1
million tons of discharged fuel requiring
disposal could exist.
Such projections would indicate the need to
build and commission a repository on the
scale of Yucca Mountain somewhere in the
world roughly every three to four years.

Location of Fuel Cycle

Facilities

http://www.nrc.gov/materials/fuel-cycle-fac/location-maj-facilities.html

Depleted Uranium Waste

Each of these steel cylinders
at the Paducah Gaseous
Diffusion Plant in Kentucky
holds 14 tons (13 metric tons)
of depleted uranium left over
from an enrichment process
that changes ore to fuel for
reactors. The nations 770,000
tons (700,000 metric tons) of
depleted uraniumare not
officially classified as waste,
because the dense material
can be used as ammunition
Photograph by Peter Essick
and tank armor. Uranium
processing at Paducah has
tainted local groundwater. To
help alleviate the problem, the
government is experimenting
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0207/feature1/zoom4.html
with chemicals to dissolve the

DoE Representative Rail,

Truck, and Barge Routes to
Yucca Mountain

http://www.citizenalert.org/yuccanew/mapmed.htm

Arizona

Illinois

http://www.state.nv.us/nucwaste/states/states.htm

Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Some 50 miles (80 kilometers) of tunnels in Yuccas volcanic tuff

could hold 77,000 tons (70,000 metric tons) of waste. DOE has
judged the site to be scientifically sound, and President Bush
approved it earlier this year. Hotly disagreeing, the state of
Nevada exercised its right to veto, which Congresscan override.
Even with a go-ahead, DOE must prove the Yucca facility will
meet EPA requirements that radiation be safely contained for
10,000 years.
http://www.nrc.gov/waste/hlw-disposal/photo-loc.html

Long-Term
Warning Markers

U.S. Nuclear Facilities

Costs of San Onofre

Nuclear Power Plant
Closure
The San Onofre Nuclear

Generating Station
(SONGS) was closed
abruptly in February 2012.
During the previous decade,
SONGS had produced about
8% of the electricity
generated in California, so
its closure had a
pronounced impact on
Californias wholesale
electricity market, requiring
large and immediate
increases in generation
from other sources.

Costs of San Onofre

Nuclear Power Plant
Closure

We find that the SONGS closure

increased the cost of electricity
generation by $370 million
during the first twelve months.
This is a large change,
equivalent to a 15% increase in
total generation costs. The
SONGS closure also had
important implications for the
environment, increasing carbon
dioxide emissions by 9.2 million
tons over the same period.
Valued at $35 per ton (IWG
2013), this is $330 million worth
of emissions, the equivalent of
putting more than 2 million
additional cars on the road.