Geography

Nuclear Energy
Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be
obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay, and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, most of the
electricity from nuclear power is produced by nuclear fission of uranium and plutonium in
nuclear power plants.
Scientifically, nuclear energy is the energy in the nucleus, or core, of an atom. Atoms are tiny
units that make up all matter in the universe, and energy is what holds the nucleus together.
There is a huge amount of energy in an atom's dense nucleus.
Nuclear energy provides about 10% of the world's electricity from about 440 power reactors. It
provides about one-quarter of the world's low-carbon electricity. Nuclear is the world's second
largest source of low-carbon power (26% of total in 2020). With more than 400 commercial
reactors worldwide, including 93 in the United States, nuclear power continues to be one of the
largest sources of reliable carbon-free electricity available.
So, how does a nuclear power plant work?
We begin by looking at an electric motor. A motor consists primarily of two major components:
a stator, which stands still, and a rotor, which rotates within the stator. When electricity is
applied to the motor, electromagnets within the stator and the rotor push and pull on each other
in a way that causes the rotor to rotate. The magnets in the stator pull magnets in the rotor toward
them, and then, as the rotor magnets pass by reverse themselves and push the rotor magnets
away. The electrical energy applied to the motor results in mechanical energy in the rotor.
But that same machine can be used in reverse: if some outside force causes the rotor to spin,
the interaction of the magnets causes electricity to be produced: the "motor" is now a
"generator," producing electrical energy because of the mechanical energy applied to its rotor.
This is the most common way to make large quantities of electricity.
The nuclear reactor helps a rotor spin, although indirectly. A nuclear reactor generates heat, the
fuel rods get hot because of the nuclear reaction. That is used to boil water, and the steam from
that boiling water is used to spin the rotor. When the rotor spins, electricity comes out of the
stator.
When water boils, the steam that is produced occupies much more physical space than the
water that produced it.
If you pump water through a heat source — like a nuclear reactor, or a coal-fired boiler — that
is hot enough to boil the water, the exiting steam will be travelling much faster than the water
going in. That steam runs through a machine called a turbine, which acts basically like a
sophisticated windmill. But the physical structure is different from a windmill, and a large
turbine can be far more powerful than any windmill that has ever been made. The effect is the
same, though: the steam, or wind, causes part of the machine to spin, and that spinning part can
be connected to a generator to produce electricity.
The steam leaving the turbine is collected in a device called a condenser — essentially a metal
box the size of a house, with thousands of pipes running through it. Cool water flows through the
pipes, and the steam from the turbine is cooled and condenses back into water. Then the water is
pumped back through the heater and the cycle continues.
The fuel rods are suspended in a water bath contained in a large metal container that’s like a
gigantic pressure cooker. A typical "reactor vessel" might be 15 feet in diameter and 20 feet high,
and some are much larger than that. In some types of reactors, the water is allowed to boil, and
the heat generated in the fuel rods is carried away in steam. These are called "boiling water
reactors" (abbreviated to "BWR"). In others, the water is held at a very high pressure — on the
order of 2000 pounds per square inch. (That is more than 60 times the pressure in the tires of a
typical car.) In that situation, the water cannot expand and cannot boil.
The water in that type of reactor carries the heat away while remaining liquid, and that heat is
then transferred to another water system where the boiling occurs. This transfer takes place in a
device is named a "steam generator." These are called "pressurized water reactors" (or "PWR").
A small PWR might have two steam generators. A large one might have four. Some have three.
The steam from all the steam generators is typically combined into a single "main steam line"
that carries the steam to the turbine, so the reactor and all of the steam generators act together as
a single steam source.
The water from the condenser is pumped directly into the reactor vessel for a BWR, or into the
steam generators for a PWR.
So now that we know how a nuclear plant works, let’s see why it is a good energy source.
Here are a few advantages of nuclear power:
1. It’s a low-carbon energy source.
2. It has a small carbon footprint compared to alternatives like fossil fuels.
3. It’s key to combating climate change and reaching net zero.
4. It’s safe and reliable – providing us with power whatever the weather.
5. Countries that use nuclear and renewable energy together are the most successful at combating
climate change.
In the UK and other countries worldwide, there’s a huge increasing demand for energy. We
need to keep powering our homes, workplaces, and cities – but we also need to make sure we’re
being responsible for the planet and protecting it for generations to come. Nuclear power is a
low-carbon energy source that’s reliable, so it’s part of the solution for providing us with a long-
term energy source that can meet our demand for energy while also keeping carbon dioxide
(CO2) emissions low. Nuclear power can also provide larger amounts of energy than other
sources.
 Of course, there are also some disadvantages. Nuclear power generates waste from the material
used and there are concerns about possible accidents or leaks, since uranium is (unfortunately)
not a renewable source. One of the drawbacks of this material is its high radioactivity, as well as
having a very long half-life.
But since we think that the pros outweigh the cons, we are willing to ignore the negatives.
Nuclear energy is a reliable and acceptable source of energy, which is already being used
nowadays in countries all over the world.

Notes:
*A motor consists primarily of two major components: a stator, which stands still, and a rotor,
which rotates within the stator. [add text definitions for stator and rotor in video]
After second-last paragraph, add information in presentation [text in video].
End of video, insert thank you and group name, group numbers [ending audio].

Reference:
https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/advantages-and-challenges-nuclear-energy#:~:text=Clean
%20Energy%20Source&text=It%20generates%20nearly%20800%20billion,cars%20off%20of
%20the%20road. (For Presentation)

Narration:
Paragraphs 1-4 (Nuclear power is the use… mechanical energy in the rotor.)
KMT
Paragraphs 5-8 (But that same machine… a generator to produce electricity.)
KML
Paragraphs 9-12 (The steam leaving the turbine… steam generators for a PWR.)
Zwe
Paragraphs 13-16 (So now that we know… in countries all over the world.)
Khay