NUCLEAR REACTORS

SEBASTIAN FIGUEROA

 A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships.

 Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 1314% of the world's electricity

In 2007, the IAEA reported there were 439 nuclear power reactors in operation in the world,[ operating in 31 countries. Also, more than 150 naval vessels using nuclear propulsion have been built.

HOW IT WORKS
Nuclear reactors convert the thermal energy released from nuclear fission. This works because of a physical process called fission where atoms splits releasing energy and heat. This elements can make turbines move by producing steam. Generators are in charged of converting circular movements from the turbine into energy

FISSION
When atomic nucleus such as uranium-235 or plutonium239 absorbs a neutron the nucleus splits into two or more nucleus releasing kinetic energy, gamma radiation and free neutrons. A portion of these neutrons will release more neutrons, and so on. This is known as a nuclear chain reaction. This nuclear chain reaction can be controlled by using neutron poisons and neutron moderators to change the portion of neutrons that will go on to cause more fissions. Nuclear reactors generally have automatic and manual systems to shut the fission reaction down if unsafe conditions are detected.

Neutrons obtain in the fission procces come with very high speed. In order to assure the chain reaction is necesarry to reduce the cinetic energy from the neutron using another material called moderator

BINDING ENERGY
The total energy required to break up a nucleus into its constituent protons and neutrons can be calculated from DELTA E=mc2 called nuclear binding energy. It we divide the binding energy of a nucleus by the number of protons and neutrons we get the binding energy per nucleon. Using this we can estimate the energy released fission processes

 The kinetic energy of fission products is converted to thermal energy when these nucleous collide with nearby atoms. Some of the gamma rays produced during fission are absorbed by the reactor Heat is produced by the radioactive decay of fission products This decay heat source will remain for some time even after the reactor is shut down. A kilogram of (U-235) converted via nuclear processes releases approximately three million times more energy than a kilogram of coal burned conventionally (7.2 1013 joules per kilogram of uranium-235 versus 2.4 107 joules per kilogram of coal)

HEAT GENERATION

COOLING
A nuclear reactor coolant usually water but sometimes a gas or a liquid metal or molten salt is circulated past the reactor core to absorb the heat that it generates. The heat is carried away from the reactor and is then used to generate steam. This steam will make the turbines spin

COOLING TOWERS
Are needed by some plants to dump the excess heat that cannot be converted to energy due to the laws of thermodynamics. These are the hyperbolic icons of nuclear energy. They emit only clean water vapor.

Reactor type

Main Countries

Number

GWe

Fuel

Coolant

Moderator

Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR)

US, France, Japan, Russia, China

271

270.4

enriched UO2

water

water

Boiling Water Reactor (BWR)

US, Japan, Sweden

84

81.2

enriched UO2

water

water

Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor 'CANDU' (PHWR)

Canada

48

27.1

natural UO2

heavy water

heavy water

Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR & Magnox)

UK

17

9.6

natural U (metal), enriched UO2

CO2

graphite

Light Water Graphite Reactor (RBMK)

Russia

11

10.4

enriched UO2

water

graphite

Fast Neutron Reactor (FBR)

Russia

0.6

PuO2 and UO2

liquid sodium

none

Other

Russia TOTAL

4 436

0.04 399.3

enriched UO2

water

graphite

The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units (SI), named The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion or transfer.

The gigawatt is equal to one billion watts

The amount of energy extracted from nuclear fuel is called its burnup,which is expressed in terms of the heat energy produced per initial unit of fuel weight. Burn up is commonly expressed as megawatt days thermal per metric ton of initial heavy metal.

ADVANTAGES
Nuclear power costs about the same as coal, so it's not expensive to make and its much more effcient Does not produce smoke or carbon dioxide, so it does not contribute to the greenhouse effect. Produces huge amounts of energy from small amounts of fuel. Produces small amounts of waste. Nuclear power is reliable.

DISADVANTAGES
Although not much waste is produced, it is very, very dangerous. It must be sealed up and buried for many thousands of years to allow the radioactivity to die away. Nuclear power is reliable, but a lot of money has to be spent on safety - if it does go wrong, a nuclear accident can be a major disaster.

Diablo canyon nuclear power plant

Laguna Verde Nuclear Power Plant

 The nuclear fuel cycle begins when uranium is mined and enriched. After usage in the power plant, the spent fuel is delivered to a reprocessing plant (2) or to a final repository (3) for geological disposition. In reprocessing 95 % of spent fuel can be recycled to be returned to usage in a power plant (4).

 Spent nuclear fuel stored underwater and uncapped at the Hanford site inWashington, USA.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gERUtbt kRc&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXvc5jQVk VI&feature=related