NUCLEAR POWER

0. Introduction
Nuclear power are processes of combination and transformation of sub-atomic particles and atomic nuclei. Nuclear power provides about 6% of the word energy and 13-14% of the words electricity. From 1938 to 1939 nuclear power appeared and nuclear fission, the separation of an atom and the other element, they produce a lot of energy. But unfortunately this energy is also dangerous and one of his first use was military. In Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a course explosions and nuclear disaster. The nuclear alternative is the nuclear fission but before continuing were going to explain fundamental concepts. The name of nuclear power come from the nuclei of the atom, so we must say the definition of atom. Atom: the particles of the atom are the proton, neutron and electron. The atom is composed by a nucleus, that has protons and neutrons, at the same time has layer with the electrons. The electrons turn around the nucleus because theres attraction and repulsion. The electrons are in different levels. Atomic Number: is the number of protons which are in the atoms nucleus. Atomic Mass: is the addition of protons and neutrons. Atomic Weight: is the atoms weight. Isotope: in the nuclei of the atoms could have a different number of neutrons. To each variety we called isotope.

1. Theorical Basics.
Nuclear fusion (in developing) The opposite to the energy of fission, is the nuclear fusion, which turns out to be an inexhaustible (never ends) source, since there uses the water, an abundant, cheap and clean resource. The nuclear fusion is based on the energy that is liberated of the union between (among) the atoms. An atom is composed by a nucleus, formed for neutrons (not always) and protons. In the nature all the atoms are electrically neutral, having equal number of protons that of electrons.

Nuclear fission (the most common) It consists to divided the nuclei of a heavy atom in others elements lighter, this reaction produced a big quantities of energy. Its very productive (talking about energy) but its also too difficult to control. When this process can be control, the energy get free slowly and its transformed in electrical energy in fissions nuclear reactor, like the used in the most of nuclear plants in the world, including Spain. Nuclear fission can happen without neutron bombardment, as a type of radioactive decay. This type of fission is rare except in a few isotopes. In nuclear devices, all nuclear fission occurs as a nuclear

reaction. A bombardment-driven process that results from the collision of two subatomic particles. Many types of nuclear reactions are currently known. Nuclear fissions are importantly different from other types of nuclear reactions, in that it can be amplified and sometimes control by a nuclear chain reactor. In such reaction, free neutrons, released by each fission event can trigger more events, which in turn release more neutrons and cause more fission.

A schematic nuclear fission chain reaction. 1. A uranium-235 atom absorbs a neutron and fissions into two new atoms (fission fragments), releasing three new neutrons and some binding energy. 2. One of those neutrons is absorbed by an atom of uranium-238 and does not continue the reaction. Another neutron is simply lost and does not collide with anything, also not continuing the reaction. However one neutron does collide with an atom of uranium-235, which then fissions and releases two neutrons and some binding energy. 3. Both of those neutrons collide with uranium-235 atoms, each of which fissions and releases between one and three neutrons, which can then continue the reaction.

Nuclear plants A nuclear plant is an industrial installation used to generated electric energy from nuclear energy. Its used nuclear fuel compound by fissionable material by nuclear reactions, this produces hot and moves a turbine that transform the mechanical work into electric energy. These plants have one or more reactors. The nuclei of a nuclear reactor have a container which has an insulator of radioactivity. In the process the reaction is control by the use of complement elements that absorbed the excess of neutrons liberated, keeping control the reaction. This element is called moderators. - The control bars, the decrease or increase the speed of the reaction process. - The especial Shield, absorb the radioactivity send in form of neutrons, radiation gamma, Alfa and beta - A circuit of refrigerator decreases the T of the reactor. The installation of a nuclear plant is complex buildings by the variety of industrials technologies used and the security that they need. The nuclear energy produces a lot of electrical energy, but it also produced nuclear residues that energy dont produce atmosphere pollution; dont cause the global warming. The gases that produce the nuclear plants are steam water. The nuclear plants have 4 different parts: - The nuclear reactor, where the nuclear reaction take place - The steam generator of water - The turbine, which moves the electrical generator to produce electricity - The condenser, the get cold the stem water and it pass to liquid. The nuclear reactor where the fusion or fission of the atoms like uranium. The steam generator, transform the water into steam water that later go to the turbines, producing the moving of this and at the same time the turn the generators, generating electrical energy, by a transformer, the electricity go to the wiry which transport the electricity. The nuclear plants are always near a river, a lake or the sea, to the refrigerator circuit.

2.Environmental impact
We call nuclear problems to that event that produce a certain level of radiation that is really bad for humans. We can have nuclear accidents and incidents. In that separation we use the Ines scale. The scale INES is like the scale Richter (earthquakes) or Celsius (temperature), but if we speak about nuclear accidents. The radiation measures up in sievert. The exhibition to a sievert would cause hemorrhages; the exhibition to four sievert would cause the death in two moths; and the explosion to 2000 sieverts would cause the loss of the conscience in a few minutes and the death concerning hours. We have 3 types: - Nuclear waste with high level: 1% of the total, but they have 95% of the energy generated. They are the spent fuel. They are the most dangerous and the most difficult to eliminate - Nuclear waste with intermediate level and low level: they came for example from mining. They also are produced in hospital, and in EEUU they are 2% of the total and the have 1% of the radioactivity used in hospitals they are less dangerous. Nuclear radiation is composed by these particles: - Alpha: they are a like a core of helium, they have a very long life, but his power of penetration the matter is really little, so they are the less dangerous. - Beta: have a bigger power of penetration the matter, a wall of brick of 38 cm could decrease into a fifth the radiation. - Gamma: they are the worst of the particles.

Japan (2011) The nuclear problem in Japan has been one of the worst nuclear problems, after the nuclear accident in Chernobyl. The nuclear power station of Fukushima has a number 4 in INES scale.

In Japan there is a lot of radiation, because there was an escape of nuclear radiation. Nuclear radiation affect the air, and that is bad for humans.

CONSEQUENCES The people who were working there the day of the explosion have received 20 times the radiation that they receive in a normal day. A lot of radiation makes in a person that: destroy the nervous central system, destroy red blood cells and whites which makes to the person could have more diseases. Chernobyl (1986) It started when the equipment wanted to make a revision with the intention of increase the security of the reactor. In the revision, they simulated a cut of electrical supply, a sudden increase of reactor 4 produced the overheating in the core of the reactor and which finished making the explosion of the hydrogen which was in its. CONSEQUENCES This explosion killed directly 31 people, and the government forced the evacuation of 135.000 people, and made an international alarm because they found radioactivity in some countries of Europe. The government lied, they didnt say anything the firsts 2 weeks, and then the government said to the crowd that this explosion was a controlled accident and not alarming at all in the head office. The experts said that this explosion have killed more than 100.000 people in Ukraine, Russia and Byelorussia. The World Health Organization (WHO) made the International Programme on the Health Effects of the Chernobyl Accident (IPHECA) to investigate health consequences of the nuclear explosion. The impact in the humans has been really bad, a lot of peoples died, other got cancer, malformations The definitive close of the nuclear power station was completed in 2000.

3. Advantages
3.1. THE PRODUCTION OF GREAT ENERGY PART One third of the energy generates in Europe comes by the nuclear energy. It doesnt emit greenhouse gases that cause acid rain and without harming the ozone layer so the nuclear energy is a fundamental form of produce energy in a great part in the world. 3.2.USSING LES OILS, PRODUCE MORE ENERGY The relation between the amount of oils used and the energy obtained is positive so with this we win a save of transports, residues, etc. Using less oil we can produce more energy. Oil and gas are the main sources for heating and transport but they will be difficult that be replaced for these applications. 3.3.STOP GLOBAL WARMING Nuclear is an alternative to the fossil oils , such as the carbon and the petroleum, so this evite the problem of the global warming which have an influence more than important with the planet global warming .It produces a better qualitie of life. 3.4.APPLICATIONS OF NUCLEAR POWER Nuclear power has applications in various fields: - It can be used to convert it in mechanic energy for the transport - Industrial applications: for analysis and process control. - Medical applications: in diagnosis and therapy diseases. - Environmental applications: in determining significant quantities of pollutants into natural environment.

3.5.NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS DONT TAKE UP MUCH SPACE The nuclear power plants dont need take up too space. So this allows have them if our country hasnt got the enough money to buy very big spaces to install nuclear power plants.

3.6.RESIDUES LESS REACTIVITY Less residues generates are much less reactivity. Nuclear power plants built today are equipped with all necessary facilities for the escape of radioactive products abroad is practically zero, which is called zero radioactive discharges. 3.7.IT DOESNT POLLUTE IN A VERY DIRECT WAY A nuclear power plants doesnt pollute the atmosphere absolutely nothing, rather to the contrary, produce water vapour that helps to rain ( Depending on sites because in the are places that it contribute that there are floods)

4. DISADVANTAGES
4. 1.THE PRODUCTION OF NUCLEAR RESIDUES One of the mains disadvantages of nuclear energy is the generation of nuclear residues and the difficulty to manage them because they take a lot in lost his reactivity and dangerous. 4.2. ITS NOT ECONOMIC RESPECT TO THE ENERGY OBTEINED Other of the main disadvantages of nuclear energy is the cost. Nuclear energy in principle seems cheap, but is seems it only because it is supported economically by the government. But the cost is big respect other types of energy. The cost of producing electricity by nuclear plant is 14 cents per kilowatt-hour. This cost include the cost of energy needed to operate the plants or the park , the cost of capital invested, the cost of operation and the distribution of energy but it doesnt included the cost of storing nuclear waste , that in this case can be quite significant because it could cost between 250 and 500 millions euros per reactor. 4.3.IRREGULAR NUCLEAR POWER SECURITY Currently , nuclear industry present several dangers. These dangers, could have a great impact on the environment and living things. Thus, the nuclear powers are required times can become insufficient (Chernobyl), because they are trying to save money on construction and only gets minimal security.

4.4. FUSION NUCLEAR ENERGY -Nuclear fusion energy is unworkable because the difficulty of heating the gas to high temperatures and to maintain a sufficient number of nuclei for long enough to get an energy liberated greater than the, today it is not workable to generate the electricity necessary to heat and keep the gas is very expensive. -There will be no possibility of lifting nuclear fusion plants, at least until the middle of this century. However, nuclear fusion is an energy resource potential on a large scale, which can be very useful to meet the current energy crisis and the expected increase of demand. Critics say, nuclear fission also produces nuclear waste, although in a lower amount, and costs of experimentation are astronomical ...

4.5.RADIATION The release of large quantities of radioactive material has serious effects on public health and the environment and radiation cannot see or smell it. These factors multiply the possibility of cancer of bone, muscle or brain tumors and other pathologies.

5.The cost of nuclear energy

The nuclear energy has a competitive cost with other forms to generate energy in the countries of west, except in the regions where there is a direct access to the low cost of fossil fuels. In the 90s the cost of the fossil fuels fell, but the higher prices of gas are changing that other time. In a nuclear plant the cost of fuel is less than a plant that burn coal.

The cost of the coal, gas and nuclear plant change depending where there are.

In a nuclear plant the uranium is the think that cost more, because it has to be processed, enriched and converted into fuel elements. The uranium has the advantage that it cost is cheaper than the coal because the uranium is 20.000 times more effective than the coal. 1 kg de UO2 reactor fuel cost:

Conversion: U 3 O8 : Enrichment: Fuel fabrication: Total, approx:

7 kg U us$ x $5.5 acute;38 8 kg x $25 us$ 200

4.3 SWU x us$ 452 $105 por kg us$ 240 us$ 930

Build a nuclear plant cost more than a gas or coal plants, because in a nuclear plant they use materials that they are special, the security must be safer than the coal and gas plants.

COMPARING THE ELECTRICITY GENERATION

In this table we see the cost to build a gas, coal, nuclear and oil plants. We can see that the oil plants and more or less the gas plant are the most expensive plants to build and the coal and nuclear are the cheaper. The OECD not expected a rise of the cost the inversion in the nuclear centers. The OECD want that the competitive of nuclear power continued, but it depend the fuel costs.

6. Miscellaneous

This is the biggest nuclear plant in the world and it production is like all the nuclear plants in Spain. This plant is in Kashiwazaki and Kariwa.

In this map we have the nuclear plants that there are in Spain.

Cofrantes has the biggest nuclear plant in Spain and Cofrantes produce 1092 MW.

The countries that have nuclear weapons are Russia, USA, France, England, China... Spain is the country that can produce nuclear weapons if they want.