NUCLEAR ENERGY

What is nuclear energy?

Nuclear energy is a powerful source of energy,
generated during a nuclear reaction, by change
in the nucleus of an atom. The source of nuclear
energy is the mass of the nucleus and energy
generated during a nuclear reaction is due to
conversion of mass into energy (Einstein's
Theory).
TWO WAYS TO OBTAIN NUCLEAR ENERGY:
1. Nuclear fission
2. Nuclear fusion
 NUCLEAR FISSION

Nuclear fission reaction, the nucleus of a heavy

radioactive element like uranium, plutonium or thorium
splits up into smaller nuclei, when bombarded by low
energy neutrons. A huge amount of heat is generated in this
process, which is used in nuclear power plants to generate
electricity.
 NUCLEAR FUSION
Nuclear fusion reaction involves the combination or fusion of two
light elements to form a heavier element and release uncontrollable
energy. Thus it cannot be used to generate electricity, unlike fission
reaction. Did you know that the sun’s energy is generated by nuclear
fusion reaction? The heat and light that we get from Sun, is all due to
the continuous reactions going on inside it. We can now imagine how
much energy would be released in the nuclear fusion reaction, that it
is the source of sun’s energy
 BRIEF INTRO
 Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to
generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide
about 5.7% of the world's energy and 13% of the world's
electricity.
 There were 439 nuclear power reactors in operation in the
world, operating in 31 countries.
 Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy contend that nuclear
power is a sustainable energy source that reduces carbon
emissions.
 Just as many conventional thermal power stations generate
electricity by harnessing the thermal energy released from
burning fossil fuels, nuclear power plants convert the energy
released from the nucleus of an atom via nuclear fission that
takes place in a nuclear reactor.
 The heat is removed from the reactor core by a cooling system
that uses the heat to generate steam, which drives a steam
turbine connected to a generator producing electricity.
 LIFE CYCLE
 A nuclear reactor is only part of the life-cycle for nuclear
power. The process starts with mining (see Uranium mining).
Uranium mines are underground, open-pit, or in-situ leach
mines.
 The uranium ore is extracted, usually converted into a stable
and compact form such as yellowcake, and then transported
to a processing facility. The yellowcake is converted to
uranium hexafluoride, which is then enriched using various
techniques
 The fuel rods will spend about 3 operational cycles (typically 6
years total now) inside the reactor, generally until about 3% of
their uranium has been fission,
 then they will be moved to a spent
fuel pool where the short lived
isotopes generated by fission can
decay away.
 After about 5 years in a spent fuel
pool the spent fuel is radioactively
and thermally cool enough to
handle, and it can be moved to dry
storage casks or reprocessed.
 URANIUM
 Uranium is a fairly common element in the Earth's crust.
Uranium is approximately as common as tin or germanium in
Earth's crust, and is about 40 times more common than silver.
 Uranium is a constituent of most rocks, dirt, and of the
oceans. The fact that uranium is so spread out is a problem
because mining uranium is only economically feasible where
there is a large concentration.
 The cost of nuclear power lies for the most part in the
construction of the power station.
Therefore the fuel's contribution to the overall
cost of the electricity produced is relatively small,
so even a large fuel price escalation will have
relatively little effect on final price.
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF A NUCLEAR
REACTOR
 ADVANTAGES
 Almost 0 emissions (very low greenhouse gas emissions).
 They can be sited almost anywhere unlike oil which is mostly
imported.
 The plants almost never experience problems if not from
human error, which almost never happens anyway because
the plant only needs like 10 people to operate it.
 A small amount of matter creates a large amount of energy.
 A lot of energy is generated from a single power plant.
Current nuclear waste in the US is over 90% Uranium.
 If reprocessing were made legal again in the US we would
have enough nuclear material to last hundreds of years.
 Modern reactors have two to ten times more efficiency than
the old generation reactors currently in use around the US.
New reactor types have been designed to make it physically
impossible to melt down.
 As the core gets hotter the reaction gets slower, hence a
run-away reaction leading to a melt-down is not possible.
 DISADVANTAGES
 Nuclear plants are more expensive to build
and maintain.
 Waste products are dangerous and need to be
carefully stored for long periods of time. The
spent fuel is highly radioactive and has to be
carefully stored for many years or decades
after use. This adds to the costs.
 There is presently no adequate safe long-term
storage for radioactive and chemical waste
produced from early reactors some of which
will need to be safely sealed and stored for
thousands of years.
 Nuclear power plants can be dangerous to its surroundings and
employees. It would cost a lot to clean in case of spillages.
 There exist safety concerns if the plant is not operated correctly or
conditions arise that were unforeseen when the plant was
developed, as happened at the Fukushima plant in Japan.
 nuclear plants can render hundreds of square miles of land
uninhabitable and unsuitable for any use for years, decades or
longer, and kill off entire river systems .
 A lot of waste from early reactors was stored in containers meant
for only a few decades, but is well past expiration and, resulting,
leaks are furthering contamination.
 Early nuclear research and experimentation has created massive
contamination problems that are still uncontained.
 INDIA’S NUCLEAR ENERGY
 Nuclear power is the fourth-largest source of electricity in
India after thermal, hydroelectric and renewable sources of
electricity.
 As of 2012, India has 20 nuclear reactors in operation in six
nuclear power plants, generating 4,780 MW while seven other
reactors are under construction and are expected to generate
an additional 5,300  MW.
 India has been making advances in the field of thorium-based
fuels, working to design and develop a prototype for an atomic
reactor.
 The country has also recently re-initiated its
involvement in the LENR research activities , in
addition to supporting work done in the fusion power
area through the ITER initiative.
 Using thorium and low-enriched uranium, a key part of
India's three stage nuclear power programme .
 Madras
 Kaiga
 Kakrapar
 Rajasthan
 Narora
 Kanupp
 Chasnupp
 Tarapur
 Kudankulum
 HISTORY OF NUCLEAR ENERGY IN INDIA
 India emerged as a free and democratic country in 1947, and
entered into the nuclear age in 1948 by establishing the
Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), with Homi Bhabha as the
chairman. Later on the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)
was created under the Office of the Prime Minister Jawahar
Lal Nehru. Initially the AEC and DAE received international
cooperation, and by 1963 India had two research reactors and
four nuclear power reactors.
 In spite of the humiliating defeat in the border war by China in
1962 and China's nuclear testing in 1964, India continued to
adhere to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy).
 On May 18, 1974 India performed a 15 kt Peaceful Nuclear
Explosion (PNE).
 The western powers considered it nuclear weapons proliferation
and cut off all financial and technical help, even for the
production of nuclear power. However, India used existing
infrastructure to build nuclear power reactors and exploded both
fission and fusion devices on May 11 and 13, 1998.
 The international community viewed the later activity as a
serious road block for the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty; both deemed essential to stop
the spread of nuclear weapons. India considers these treaties
favoring nuclear states and is prepared to sign if genuine nuclear
disarmament is included as an integral part of these treaties.