Nuclear
Energy
Nuclear
energy is the energy stored inside an atom by the forces that hold together the
nucleus of an atom.
Scientists
have learned how to capture large amounts of energy from these forces, which
can be used to generate electricity.
History
The
idea of nuclear power began in the 1930s when physicist Enrico Fermi first
showed that neutrons could split atoms.
In
1942, Fermi led a team that achieved the first nuclear chain reaction under a
stadium at the University of Chicago, USA.
This
was followed by a series of milestones in the 1950s, the first electricity
produced from atomic energy at Idaho's Experimental Breeder Reactor I in 1951,
the first nuclear power plant in the city of Obninsk in the former Soviet Union
in 1954 and the first commercial nuclear power plant in Shippingport,
Pennsylvania, USA, in 1957.
The
Process
The
most fundamental formula for understanding how nuclear energy is produced is
E=mc².
This
formula demonstrates that matter can be converted into energy.
It
also demonstrates that a large amount of energy can be generated from a very
small amount of matter.
Nuclear
energy
Nuclear
energy is the energy at the centre of an atom.
Atoms
make up everything around us and the whole universe.
In
a process called fission, atoms are broken apart and energy is released.
This
energy can be used to generate electricity at power plants.
The
primary way this energy is produced is with the help of uranium, which is a
common element and the key element in the production of nuclear energy.
In
fission, a tiny particle called a neutron hits a uranium atom.
The
atom then splits and more neutrons are produced; this results in a chain
reaction that releases large amounts of energy.
This
energy is used to make water boil, which turns turbines to generate
electricity.
This
process is carried out in a nuclear reactor-a place in the power plant where
fission takes place.
Applications
Nuclear
energy can be used for various purposes, especially in industrial applications.
The
most common one is for the generation of electricity.
However, in recent times, the applications of nuclear energy have skyrocketed.
Recent
developments have allowed nuclear energy to help with the desalination of
water, hydrogen production, district heating or cooling and the extraction of
tertiary oil resources.
In
addition to this, the medical sector also benefits as it uses radiation to
diagnose and treat diseases such as cancer.
Radiation
can also be used to genetically modify crops. For example, a vegetable can be
changed so that it is more resilient to poor soil. Significant demand for
nuclear energy for industrial applications is expected to increase because of
steadily increasing energy consumption, the limited availability of fossil
fuels and the increased sensitivity to the environmental impacts of fossil fuel
combustion.
Advantages
Nuclear
energy doesn't release any harmful gases into the environment and is dubbed as
one of the cleanest energy sources compared to fossil fuels.
Nuclear
power plants are the most reliable source of energy, which means it is
extremely rare that there will be lapses in the generation of energy.
Nuclear
energy requires less fuel, which means that there is less expenditure on
resources.
As
technology continues to advance, nuclear energy is becoming an increasingly
safe and stable option for energy production.
Disadvantages
It
is extremely expensive to build and take care of a nuclear power plant.
There are times when freak accidents can occur as seen with Chernobyl, Ukraine, where a nuclear power plant exploded in 1986.
However, with advancements in
technology, these accidents have been significantly mitigated.
Sometimes,
radioactive waste may be produced, which harms the surrounding area.
Every
18 to 24 months, a power plant must shut down to remove its spent uranium fuel,
which becomes radioactive waste.
Nuclear
power plants use large quantities of water for steam production and for
cooling.
Some
nuclear power plants remove large quantities of water from lakes or rivers,
which could affect fish and other aquatic life.
