nuclear power Flashcards
what is nuclear power
the use of nuclear reactors that release energy to generate heat
what are the two nuclear fuels
uranium and plutonium
how does nuclear power work
heat = steam in boiler
steam drives turbine
generator produces electricity
how many countries use nuclear power
31
why do only 31 countries use nuclear power
needs large investment as the building of station is expensive
why was there slow growth of nuclear power between 1990 - 2010
as stations where being decommissioned people feared nuclear
what % of nuclear power does the USA generate
32%
what percentage of the USA energy mix comes from nuclear
20%
what percentage of nuclear energy do france produce
17%
what percentage of nuclear power does russia produce
7%
which three countries produce the most nuclear energy
USA, France, Russia
how much of the french energy mix comes from nuclear
75%
what are the advantages of nuclear power
small amount of waste
no greenhouse gases
large reserves of uranium
relatively low running costs
what are the disadvantages of nuclear power
dangerous when it goes wrong
area dangerous for a long time after a spill
expensive to shut down reactors
what year did fuckishima happen
2011
where was fuckishima
japan
what happened at fuckishima
reactor exploded
how many people where evacuated at fuckishma
200,000
explain the fuckishima case study
japan 2011 nuclear reactor explodes 200,000 evacuated 600 died Result of earthquake and tusnami
where is hinkley point
somerset
how many jobs did hinkley point generate
25,000
what percentage of profits from hinkley point goes to UK companies
64%
how much CO2 does hinkley point reduce a year
9 million tonnes
where is chernobyl
ukraine
when did chernobyl take place
1986
what happened at chernobyl
a reactor exploded = fire = plume of highly reactive fallout flies into the atmosphere over a large area
where did the plume from chernobyl go
western russia, europe, eastern north america with light nuclear rain falling as far as london
Which European country is against nuclear power
Germany
What physical events happened alongside fuckishma causing the reaction
Earthquakes and tusnami
Which two country’s are paying for the construction of Hinckley point
China and France
How much did China and France invest into Hinkley point
£20 billion
How long does hinkley point take to be built
10 years
Which countries get the remaining profits from hinkley point
Chin and France
Why does nuclear increase a country’s energy security
The stations are reliable
How many stations build up hinkley point
3 (ABC)
What is happening to hinkley point A
Being decommissioned
What is happening to hinkley point B
Built in 1960 still in use
What is happening to hinkley point C
Being built (cost £20 billion)
What is the problems with burnt uranium fuel
Toxic - hard to dispose of
How many died as a result of fuckishma
600
What happened to Germany’s nuclear power points after fuckishma
All stations where decommissioned
Why did Germany decommission their stations
Scared due to fuckishma
Wanted to use renewables
Why is nuclear not renewable
Because eventually the reserves of uranium and plutonium will run out meaning that it is not a renewable source - while development in technology might find other renewable fuels
What are the reasons for an increase in nuclear
Cleaner energy than fossil fuels
Efficiency
Reliability
Growing demand / growing population
WHy does efficiency increase the amount of nuclear used
Small amount of resource for large amount of energy
Reliable
Why is reliability a reason for an increase in nuclear power
Production
Energy security
Government policy
Why does a growing population increase the amount of nuclear used
Growth of LICs and HICs need to find ways to generate power with little resource there is increased demand for larger population.
What are the reasons for a decrease in nuclear power
Cost
Fear of the hazards (Chernobyl)
Why does cost cause a decrease in nuclear power
Building costs
Decommissioning costs
Why does fear cause a decrease in nuclear power
Long term health problems
Causes areas to be dangerous when something goes wrong
Chernobyl disaster 1986
