Transcript Nuclear Power

Nuclear Power
By: Jace Wherry
Nuclear energy is created from the
splitting of uranium atoms in a
process called fission. Fission
releases energy that can be used to
make steam, and the steam is used
to power a turbine to
generate electricity.
At nuclear power plants, the heat to
make the steam is created when
uranium atoms split – called fission.
There is no combustion in a nuclear
reactor. Here's how the process
works. Pressurized Water Reactors
(also known as PWRs) keep water
under pressure so that it heats, but
does not boil.
Advantages
Nuclear power stations do not
produce smoke particles to pollute
the atmosphere or emit gases that
contribute to acid rain.
Nuclear power produces a small
volume of waste (although that
waste is radioactive)
Nuclear power stations do not
contribute to carbon emissions - no
CO2 is given out - it therefore does
not contribute to global warming.
Disadvantages
Disposal of nuclear waste is very
expensive. As it is radioactive it has
Nuclear accidents can spread
'radiation producing particles' over a to be disposed of in such a way as it
wide area, This radiation harms the will not pollute the environment.
cells of the body which can make
humans sick or even cause death.
Illness can appear or strike people
years after they were exposed to
Decommissioning of nuclear power
nuclear radiation and genetic
stations is expensive and takes a long
problems can occur too. A possible
time. (In fact we have not yet
type of reactor disaster is known as a decommissioned one!)
meltdown. In a meltdown, the
fission reaction of an atom goes out
of control, which leads to a nuclear
explosion releasing great amounts of
radioactive particles into the
environment.
World Nuclear Association
Nuclear technology uses the energy
released by splitting the atoms of
certain elements. It was first
developed in the 1940s, and during
the Second World War to 1945
research initially focussed on
producing bombs by splitting the
atoms of particular isotopes of
either uranium or plutonium.