Nuclear Power

What Nuclear Power is

• Nuclear power is a well-established method of electric power generation.
• It generates about 17 percent of world electricity supplies.
• It is produced by enhancing the radioactive decay of naturally fissile materials.

How We Obtain This Energy

• To exploit this energy source, companies mine uranium ore and, by a process called uranium enrichment, increase the concentration of U-235 to about 4 percent.
• Enriched uranium is formed into fuel rods or pellets, which are placed inside a nuclear reactor and bombarded by neutrons.

What Nuclear Power is used for

• electricity for homes
• offices
• factories

Power Plants

• Nuclear power, in plants known as fission breeder reactors, heats water to very high temperatures, creating steam that drives large turbines attached to electrical generators.
• A nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear reactor.
• Nuclear power, in plants known as fission breeder reactors, heats water to very high temperatures, creating steam that drives large turbines attached to electrical generators.
• As is typical in all conventional thermal power stations the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to an electric generator which produces electricity.

Nuclear Energy pros

• Lower carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere
• low operating cost
• Large power-generating capacity able to meet industrial and city needs
• Known, developed technology “ready” for market

Nuclear Energy Cons

• High-known risks in an accident.
• Unknown risks.
• Long construction time.
• Waste lasts 200 – 500 thousand years

Nuclear Energy facts

• Nuclear power plants generate about 20% of U.S. electricity
• Nuclear energy comes from uranium, a nonrenewable resource that must be mined
• American nuclear energy facilities are the highest regulated plants in the world, subject to scrutinous observations and regulations

Youtube video

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcOFV4y5z8c