Nuclear energy, or nuclear power, is made in nuclear reactors (or power plants) These contain machines that can control ‘nuclear fission’ to produce electricity. The reactors need uranium for this process. Atoms of uranium are forced to break apart and as they split, they release tiny particles – ‘fission products’. Those fission products cause other uranium atoms to split, thereby starting a chain reaction. The energy that is released from this chain reaction creates heat.
The heat warms the reactor’s cooling agent (which might be water, liquid metal or molten salt) and subsequently this produces steam. The steam drives turbines and those drive generators, creating electricity.
In this section you will find essays on nuclear energy. Many argue the pros and cons of nuclear power, citing major nuclear disasters such as Chernobyl and Fukushima as examples of concerns. You will also find many essays discussing the environmental pros and cons of nuclear energy.
What is nuclear power? The definition of nuclear power: Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions that release nuclear energy; that is generating heat (boiling water that makes steam), which is used to turn turbines to generate electricity. Nuclear power is energy contained in atoms. This energy can be released as heat which turns … Read more
Abstract In short, the events that culminated to result in the Fukushima Daachi disaster in 2001 were largely unavoidable, but as with most situations of this nature sometimes the event itself is not the issue, but how it is handled. A high-caliber tsunami and earthquake created the perfect storm for a nuclear accident, with widespread … Read more
The previous Conservative-Liberal Democrat government stated that “We need to make our economy and businesses more sustainable… and also reduce our environmental impact” (Gov,2015) and one of the ways to achieve this would be for the UK to find a way of producing energy in a more sustainable and environmentally sound manner. For energy production … Read more
Nuclear hazards It is defined as the risk or danger to human health or the environment posed by radiation emanating from the atomic nuclei of a given substance or the possibility of an uncontrolled explosion originating from a fusion or fission reaction of atomic nuclear. Sources of nuclear hazards: The sources of radioactivity are both … Read more
A nuclear engineer is in charge of running nuclear power stations. It is their job to make sure that energy is produced safely and efficiently. They can also be involved in research projects. Day-to-day activities / duties and responsibilities • Monitoring the reactor and the reactions occurring inside • Looking at ways to safely dispose … Read more
On 6 and 9 August 1945 the world witnessed the advent of a new kind of weapon; capable of an incredible amount of destruction. The events that took place on those days have changed the way statesmen, military leaders, and other strategists think about waging war. The events that are alluded to are of course … Read more
1967 beginning of Nuclear Program: Late in 1967 the scientific leadership at BARC led by Homi Sethna and Raja Ramanna undertook a new effort to develop nuclear explosives one that was larger and more intense than any previous efforts. One that would lead to the successful design of a nuclear device, a device that India … Read more
Since the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, many problems have been discussed due to the nuclear power plants in the Fukushima region. This disaster caused many people to die and will affect future generations. However, what do we know about the nuclear power plants? Do we even care about them? Most of … Read more
On February 28, 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) published its health risk assessment from the nuclear accident after the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami. This report concluded that for the general population inside and outside of Japan, the predicted risks are low and no observable increases in cancer rates above baseline rates … Read more
