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, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced by nuclear fission of uranium and plutonium in nuclear power plants. Nuclear decay processes are used in niche applications such as radioisotope thermoelectric generators in some space probes such as Voyager 2. Generating electricity from fusion power remains the focus of international research.
Civilian nuclear power supplied 2,586 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity in 2019, equivalent to about 10% of global electricity generation, and was the second-largest low-carbon power source after hydroelectricity. As of January 2021, there are 442 civilian fission reactors in the world, with a combined electrical capacity of 392 gigawatt (GW). There are also 53 nuclear power reactors under construction and 98 reactors planned, with a combined capacity of 60 GW and 103 GW, respectively. The United States has the largest fleet of nuclear reactors, generating over 800 TWh zero-emissions electricity per year with an average capacity factor of 92%. Most reactors under construction are generation III reactors in Asia.
Nuclear power has one of the lowest levels of fatalities per unit of energy generated compared to other energy sources. Coal, petroleum, natural gas and hydroelectricity each have caused more fatalities per unit of energy due to air pollution and accidents. Since its commercialization in the 1970s, nuclear power has prevented about 1.84 million air pollution-related deaths and the emission of about 64 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent that would have otherwise resulted from the burning of fossil fuels.
Accidents in nuclear power plants include the Chernobyl disaster in the Soviet Union in 1986, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011, and the more contained Three Mile Island accident in the United States in 1979.
There is a debate about nuclear power. Proponents, such as the World Nuclear Association and Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy, contend that nuclear power is a safe, sustainable energy source that reduces carbon emissions. Nuclear power opponents, such as Greenpeace and NIRS, contend that nuclear power poses many threats to people and the environment.
we know that the full life of radioactive sample is infinity.
and if we take one radioactive atom in the sample then it's full is measurable and short. it changes when when it emits sub atomic particles. which contradict each other.
we need to know more. the dimension of radioactive constant...
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Im working on a project and I am looking for a place to find nuclear data.
For example I'm Interested in Ferromagnetic substances in which the nuclear decay decreases by unit through Electron Capture
Is there a place where i could sort data like this?
Any info would be appreciated
I was wondering if anyone could give me any advice/past experiences about applying to the MIT phD nuclear engineering program. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
Hey guys I had a quick question about working at a Nuclear Power Plant. I want to become one of the Nuclear inspectors but I don't know which degree to go for. Is it the Nuclear Engineer because I have been noticing that more when looking more into power plants. I was going to go for a PhD in...
Hi,
I am a nuclear medicine major. Recently changed from nursing. This semester I am taking college physics I and in order to remain a full time student I took on a directed study in which you research a topic/solve problems and write a paper on the matter. I was told I should do it on...
Has anybody thought of it before?
I mean even if it were energetically expensive to harness it it might actually create more than it takes since the energy source is raining down from the heavens anyway.
Such a power plant would have to be placed at a high altitude though because most cosmic...
I have completed my graduation in Mathematics and enrolled myself in a MS course in Nuclear Engineering. I have intended to have a PhD or MPhil. Is there is any scope for students of mathematics to research in any topics grounded on mathematics in Nuclear Engineering?
Please suggest me!
Can a nuclear engineer consider himself even a nuclear physicist or an expert in nuclear physics ?
Are there some works in the aerospace industry for a nuclear engineer or an energy engineer ?
I have come across the Slater's Rules that is used to calculate the numerical value of effective nuclear charge of elements.
Can somebody please show to me the calculation of effective nuclear charge of atoms of element down the group 2 by using the Slater's rule??
I calculate by using the...
Making it short : Do gamma rays ALWAYS accompany a nuclear reaction??
I was thinking, since there are only three types of radioactive decay, alpha, beta and gamma. I don't quite understand how gamma radiation will always occur. Isn't it going to be just ONE of the three types?
/Help :)
Hey guys, I'm getting a bit confused about nuclear fusion. I understand the basics of binding energy being the energy required to split the nucleons apart etc. and the fact that in nuclear fusion you are combining two particles e.g. (2 deuterium nuclei) with a lowish binding energy to form a...
Hello. I am wondering what the job field is like for nuclear engineers that aspire to work in plasma research and implementation or things like ion propulsion, etc. I do not want to work in a plant.
Thank you.
Hey there,
I'm currently about to start a postgraduatde MSc Nuclear Science and Technology course (with most subjects looking in safety, risk assesment, fuel cycles, design and a project in damage simulation) after completing BSc Chemistry and Molecular Physics with engineering experience...
Hello all! I've graduated my undergraduate Masters in Physics with astrophysics this summer, and am now looking into doing a postgraduate Masters in The Physics and Technology of Nuclear Reactors as the area holds great interest for me.
The problem is I don't really know anything about the...
Hi All,
I know that when an atom is heated up electrons are excited to higher energy levels and upon returning to their ground/original state they release photons,
I was wondering if the same kind of thing happens during a nuclear transition and what sort of processes are going on in...
I know how Nuclear Power works so this will help you move a little faster with helping me.
Whenever I see a Specs on how they Colldown a Reactor they show you a big Pump going into the Core and turns and goes back out.
In this big Pump is Cold Watter and because it is going throu the water...
Hello, I'm an AS student and probably going to study A2. I was wondering if someone tell me how to work out these questions, step by step?
Relationship between Radius of Nucleus And Mass Number
1. By assuming that the density of the nucleus is the same for all elements in the periodic table...
I'm currently trying to figure out which field of Physics I should study. I have a huge interest in learning Astrophysics and am open to learning about nuclear physics. My current college has a great program for studying Nuclear Physics and numerous internship and research possibilities for...
I am from India and i have a bachelors in mechanical engineering. I have recently given my GRE and TOEFL with scores of 313/340 (161-quant & 152-verbal & 3.5-AWA) in gre & 110/120 in TOEFL. I am planning for MS and probably PHD in nuclear engineering. I am not interested in either hydraulics or...
The Criticality Project is the work in progress of six Columbia University students under the guidance of a Professor of Physics, Emlyn Hughes
Stationed in outside of Geneva, Switzerland, the K=1 team works in conjunction with CERN (The European Center of Nuclear Research) as it travels...
I know that gamma rays are a part of the electromagnetic spectrum and that they are also a type of nuclear radiation, created upon the decaying of a large, unstable nucleus. Is there any difference between these 2 definitions of gamma radiation? Is gamma radiation only created in the way...
Hello, new here.
I'm not sure if I've placed this in the appropriate section, but here it goes.
I have a few questions.
1) I know that when spent fuel rods come out of a reactor they are extremely hot and if not cooled, can meltdown. How long do they need to be cooled before they are...
Isn't there any better/more efficient methods of generating electricity from fission/fusion than basically using the heat to boil water to spin a turbine? I know that that there are different generations of nuclear reactor designs (with each more efficient than the last) that get better and...
Here goes another post about transitioning from Physics to Engineering...
I am 22 years old, and I will graduate with my MS in Nuclear Physics in May (current GPA: 4.0/4.0). My thesis is primarily concerned with the software development of a silicon detector that's located on a heavy ion...
Okay I'm taking an Individual Learning Course in Ontario for SPH4U and this is a Support question:
How much energy would be required to remove one neutron from nitrogen-14 isotope, given these masses?
a) N-14 isotope 14.0031 u
b) N-13 isotope 13.0057 u
Homework Equations
Knowns...
Hi everyone, I'm a counselor at a boy scout camp and we're looking at adding the Nuclear Science Merit Badge to our program. I had a couple questions about it for someone more knowledgeable than myself so hopefully someone here can help!
-Two requirements involve the construction of a cloud...
We occasionally get questions related to codes and computational methods.
There have been considerable advances in computational methods and computational systems in the field of nuclear energy and nuclear engineering. This thread serves to address previous developments and follow current...
A Lithium-6 sample (m = 12,0 mg) which was isolated in ampule V = 200 cm3,was loaded in nuclear reactor and irradiated by neutrons for a long time. Calculate the maximal pressure in reactor, T = 400 K.
The equation is
Li + n = T + α
I calculated the energy of this reaction using formula...
Can anyone tell me who is a Mechanical Engineer and works in a Nuclear Power Plant, just what their daily duties include? How they like the work environment and such. I'm interested in knowing because as a student, my university has a Co-op program. Recently, I sent out my resume to FirstEnergy...
Hello, so I am currently in a respectable physics program at Queen's University in Canada. I have finished 3 years in the degree (after 4 years, long story...), but my former GPA was around 2.0, not nearly up to the 3.0 standard. I am now considering transferring to the nuclear engineering...
"For almost all nuclei, the binding energy/nucleon is roughly the same. Hence the total binding energy of a nucleus is roughly proportional to the number A of the constituents. Every constituent of the nucleus is more or less equally strongly bound unlike electrons in atoms where the mean...
Much to my surprise, there is substantially less information on this topic on the internet than I initially thought there would be. Wikipedia has very little to go on, and I can't find any papers or serious discussions of this topic. There are many people asking similar questions on websites...
I have just finished my first year in a Nuclear Engineering PhD program at a top ranked university. My undergrad was also in NE. I am studying nuclear materials, as in fuel cladding and core structural materials, and I plan on starting a career in the subject. I am now questioning my PhD and...
Homework Statement
Calculate the amount of fission energy, in joules, that can be generated from 2kg of uranium fuel, if the U-235 represents 0.7% of the metal, and every fission reaction produces 200MeV.
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
My attempt is irrelevant before...
Hello everyone,
So I am doing a 3-2 program in Physics and Nuclear engineering. I spent my first 3 years at West chester university and am about to spend my next 2 at Penn State University Park. When its all said and done I will have a B.S. in Physics and a Minor in Mathematics from West...
The Cold War ended 20 years ago, but I still wonder: is nuclear war still a danger to mankind? How likely is it that we'll experience a nuclear war in, say, the next 20 years? I mean, it seems like there are a lot of situations that can quickly get out of hand and lead to one.
1.) A war in...
The radionuclide X has a half life of 2.58hours and is produced in a cyclotron at a constant rate by bombarding a Y target with 2.10 MeV deuterons. The target contains only the stable isoptope Y and the reaction that produces X is
Y + deuteron -> X + proton
show that energy is released in...
I am trying to build a model of CANDU reactor core using a software called DYMOLA.For this purpose,I am trying to figure out a mathematical relation between coolant temperature and Power developed in a reactor.I have the following questions:
1.What is the effect of increasing the neutron...
Hello,
Would all radioactive decay lead to a daughter nuclide in a "nuclear excited" state, and if so, would this indicate that gamma rays are emitted in order for the nuclear ground/stable state to be reached after any decay?
Also, if nuclear decay occurs b/c of the imbalance of...
Homework Statement
not an equation as such. new to this but i wanted to know what the conditions for nuclear fission are? other than high temperatue and pressure
Homework Equations
"state the conditions for fusion and hence explain why it has proved difficult to maintain a sustainable...
Hi, first poster here :$
I'm doing a case study on nuclear waste and was wondering whether it's possible to use all (or a large percentage of) the dangerous nuclear waste we currently dump, as fuel in fast reactors? Sorry if it's a stupid question to you but I don't know all that much about...
Homework Statement
The nuclear processes obey certain rules. I.e.
Conservation of energy and mass
Conservation of charge
Conservation of spin
Conservation of momentum
Conservation of lepton and baryon numbers
Use the following examples to discuss these various rules in the following...
I am going to graduate soon of a 5 year long major. The major was a general engineering with specialization in nuclear engineering.
Now I have to look for a job, but I don't know exactly what to look for. Should I look for jobs in the nuclear field, or try to broaden the search and look for...
Hi!
I entered college this semester and I planned to major in Electrical Engineering. However, I've heard that my college will begin offering Nuclear Engineering next year, and I'm wondering if I should transfer to that other field of Engineering. However, Nuclear Engineering is a relatively...
Hi, I have a question of mass defects in nuclear reactions, and some preliminary questions about nuclear reactions in general.
First of all, can all nuclear reactions be classified as either fission, fusion, or radioactivity?
Is there a mass defect / conversion of mass into energy in a...
I'm not as smart as many of you, nor is this something I've looked into deeply. I say that not only to excuse my stupidity, but also to appear modest and hopefully likeable/helpable. And I say that (as well as this) not only to appear honest, but also to begin with a little humor.
I've...