Nuclear Flashcards
What was the major reason people talked about nuclear energy again?
it doesn’t produce co2, so it could help with global warming
How many nuclear power plants in US/world?
100 in US
400 in world
What is the approx. power of a full-size nuclear reactor?
1000 MW
Why did the US nuclear energy peal even though no new licenses were given out since the three-mile island event in the 1970s?
There were licenses granted right before the event. Those sites were constructed between 1970-1990, leading to the peak in nuclear production in the 1990s.
Which country produces the highest percentage of its electricity from nuclear, which is least, how much in US?
Most - France 77%
Least - China 2%
US - 19%
What other products contain uranium?
granite, ceramic dishes
What happens during nuclear fission?
An atom of uranium 235 absorbs a neutron, uranium 236 into two smaller atoms and releases neutrons. Neutrons are used to continue fission
U 238 turns into Pu 239
What isotope of U is used for nuclear fission?
Uranium 235
Alpha radiation
2 protons and 2 neutrons leave
can be stopped by human skin
beta radiation
protons increase by 1, neutrons don’t change
can penetrate skin but can’t go through whole body
gamma radiation
neither protons nor neutrons change
can penetrate bone
What are moderators?
mediums that reduce the speed of fast neutrons
turns them into thermal neutrons capable of sustaining a nuclear chain reaction
i.e. light/heavy water, graphite
nuclear fusion
two or more nuclei come close enough to form more nuclei and subatomic particles
What are the percentages of different types of energy on the world’s primary energy consumption?
crude oil: 38% coal: 26% natural gas: 23% nuclear: 6% hydroelectric: 6% geothermal/renewable: 1%
What are the percentages of different types of energy of the world’s electricity production?
coal: 38% natural gas: 20% nuclear: 16% hydro: 16% oil: 7% renewables: 2%
What are typical fission products?
U-233, U-235, PL-239
ultracentrifuges
separate matter in molecules on the basis of differences in weight
Who are the world’s biggest two Uranium producers?
Canada, Kazakhstan, Namibia
What is the different between the open and closed nuclear fuel cycle?
open: fuel not reprocessed
closed: fuel reprocessed and reused
What was the envisaged nuclear waste site in the US?
Yucca Mountain
what is the situation today in terms of terminal nuclear waste repositories?
no repository or license application for one
