Nuclear Electric Energy Conversion

Zapanta, Jed Ellison C. | EE153 B8

Abstract Nuclear to electric energy
conversion, nuclear fission and fusion,
nuclear reactors and solved problems
presented as part of the research paper
submitted to the energy conversion
course.

II. Nuclear Electric Energy Conversion

Index terms Nuclear energy, electric

energy, conversion, nuclear reactors,
fission, fusion
I. Introduction
Nuclear energy is the energy inside the core
or nucleus of an atom. It originates from the
splitting of Uranium atoms. This releases
energy and produces steam, which is then
fed to a turbine and generates electricity.
Nuclear power is also a low carbon power
generating method. Since the beginning of
the use of nuclear power, an approximated
amount of 64 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide
has been prevented. However, safety as well
as health concerns rise up from the use of
nuclear energy. Since Uranium is a nonrenewable resource, it is mined from the
earth. Mining, enrichment of uranium as
well as transportation of uranium causes
fossil fuel emissions. Large amounts of
water is also used, thus it could affect lakes,
rivers and aquatic life. Among others
include the water discharges of heavy metals
and solids, spent fuel containment, and
radioactive waste generated from nuclear
plants.

Fig. 2.1
Fig. 2.1 is an example of a nuclear reactor.
From this diagram we can see how nuclear
energy is converted into electrical energy,
process by process. (1) This is the reactor
vessel. It houses the fuel rods. They contain
uranium pellets. When neutrons hit a
uranium atom, the atoms splits, releasing
two or more neutrons and this process
continues which thus produces large
amounts of heat. Water flows inside the
vessel. It needs to stay in aqueous or liquid
form, thus (2) a pressurizer is installed,
which stops the boiling of water. (3) The
reactor coolant pump, which is tasked to
circulate the hot pressurized water from the
reactor to the (4) steam generator. Water
will flow a number of times here. A second
stream of water outside these pipes will
make contact with the pipes filled with hot
pressurized water, which in turn turns them
into steam. This steam will pass through (5)

turbines, which make them, spin and convert

the heat produced from the reactor vessel
into mechanical energy. This turbine is
connected
to
a
generator.
With
electromagnetic fields inside the generator,
mechanical energy is converted into
electrical energy. A transformer converts it
into high voltage energy. Power lines (6)
transport this high voltage power to (7) grids
that contain transformers that lower down
the voltage into usable levels.
III. Nuclear Fission and Fusion
Nuclear fusion and nuclear fission are two
ways on how using the nuclear energy that
will emerge from such processes could be
used to generate power. However, both use
different methods on converting energy.
Nuclear Fission is the splitting of neutrons
of an atom due to a collision from a neutron
of another atom, or when atoms splits into
many and smaller nuclei called fission
products.
Nuclear Fusion is the opposite process of
nuclear fission. From the word itself, it fuses
two nuclei by collision and they join
together to form a heavier atom. When this
happens, a high amount of energy or
temperature is released. Either way, both
produce energy that could be converted into
another form of energy. Some notable facts
about nuclear fission include: it produces
highly radioactive particles, takes little
energy to split atoms, has greater energy
released compared to other chemical
reactions but less than that of nuclear fusion,
and Uranium if mainly used to fuel power
plants. For nuclear fusion, some facts
include: it produces very few radioactive

particles; an extremely high energy is

required to fuse nuclei, a very high amount
of energy is released upon fusion, which is
greater than that of nuclear fission, and
Hydrogen isotopes are the primary fuels for
experimental fusion power plants.
IV. Nuclear Reactor
A nuclear reactor, basically, is a plant that is
tasked to convert nuclear energy into
electrical energy. Nuclear reactors are not
only used for electrical energy but also for
ship propulsion, space use, and even used
for powering up submarines. In a more
technical sense, it contains and controls
sustained nuclear chain reactions producing
electricity,
moving
aircraft
carriers,
producing medical isotopes for imaging and
for cancer treatment as well as research for
the further advancement of nuclear usage.
V. Types of Nuclear Reactor
1. Pressurized Water Reactor the most
common type of reactor. It uses water as a
coolant as well as steam generator. It has a
strong negative void coefficient which
makes the coolant also the moderator for
continuing the nuclear chain reaction. The
secondary loops within this type also keep
the radioactive materials apart from the
turbines, which makes maintenance easy.
However, if a pipe blows up, pressurized
coolant escapes, which means backup
cooling systems must be utilized. Also, if
uses uranium and other non-renewable
materials, thus shortage is inevitable.
2. Boiling Water Reactor Second most
common nuclear reactor. It has only one
coolant loop. It has simpler plumbing

reducing costs. Power levels can be

increased by just simply speeding up the jet
pumps, which gives less boiled water and
more moderation. But since liquid and
gaseous water are just in one system, safety
analysis becomes more difficult. Primary
coolant is also directly connected to the
turbines, thus if a leak occurs, turbines get
damaged and maintenance is thus
complicated.
3. Sodium Cooled Fast Reactor This is
the first electricity-producing nuclear
reactor. These reactors are cooled by liquid
Sodium metal. Sodium is heavier than
hydrogen, thus neutrons move faster at
higher speeds. They also use metal or oxide
fuel, and you can burn anything you want in
them. It can burn many other fuels and is not
only limited to Uranium. It can burn its own
waste. Metallic fuel and excellent thermal
properties of Sodium makes safer
operations. The reactor will shut itself down
and cool decay heat without using any
backup system or people working, relying
only on physics. However, Sodium is
reactive to air and water. Leaks in the pipes
result into sodium fires. Also, not much
operating experience has been accumulated
for this type of reactor.
4. Canada Deuterium Uranium
Reactors These are Canadian designed
reactors containing heavy water, wherein
H2O has an extra neutron, making it a
Deuterium instead of Hydrogen. It can
absorb many fewer neutrons than hydrogen
and can operate using only natural Uranium.
They require very little enrichment; can be
refuelled even during operation and are very
flexible, which means it can use any type of

fuel. However, neutron absorption in

Deuterium leads into Tritium which is
radioactive and leaks in small amounts.
5. High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor
These uses little pellets of fuel backed into
either hexagonal compacts or into larger
pebbles. Gas such as Helium and Carbon
Dioxide is passed rapidly through the
reactor. They have low power density which
makes them promising to be used outside of
generating electricity. They can be operated
at very high temperature which leads to
greater thermal efficiency. Also, every
pebble of fuel has its own containment
structure, adding another barrier between the
radioactive material and the environment.
But, at very high temperatures, materials to
be used for housing such temperature is very
hard to find, in addition neutrons collide
while this happens, and not many materials
can stay structurally sound under these
conditions. If gas also stops flowing, the
reactor heats up very quickly. Cooling
systems must always be ready. Also, there is
not much operating experience using this
kind of reactor.
6. Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor
These are very unique since they use molten
fuel. There is no need to fear for a meltdown
since they are already melted and the reactor
is designed to contain such states. They
constantly breed new fuel, eliminating
concerns over energy sources. They can also
be maintained online, eliminating the need
to shut down during refuelling. No cladding,
which means less neutron-absorbing
material in the core, leading to better
neutron
efficiency.
However,
the
disadvantages include: radioactive gaseous

fission products are not contained in pins. If

a breach occurs, all of the fission gases are
released. Also the presence of an online
reprocessing facility with incoming premelted fuel is a proliferation concern. And
finally, there is very little experience in
handling and operating such reactor.
VI. Solved Problems
1. If 0.190 a.m.u. are converted to energy for
every nucleus of U-235 that undergoes the
fission process, show that the energy
released is indeed approximately 0.9 MeV.
Solution:

1.66056 1027
1
= 177
= 177

177
1 235

6 1023
1

1 235
1 235
1
0.235 235

1.52 1016
1

= 6.90 x 1010
3. Calculate how many kilograms of U-235
are there in 100 Kg of Uranium Oxide,
U3O8.

= 2

= 0.190

*for fission of U-235, taking into account

that there are 6x1023 atoms in one mole and
that the molar mass is 235 grams, we have:

Solution:
3108

(6.242 1012 )

= .

Molar Mass U = 238 grams

Molar Mass O = 16 grams
% =

% =

3
3 8

3 238
3 238 + 8 16

%U = 0.85 = 85%
2. Show that the fission of 1 Kg of Uranium235 releases approximately a million times
more energy than the combustion of 1Kg
coal.

Solution:
10000
1

%U 235 = (0.07)(0.85) = 0.6

2.2
1
= 2.2 104

4. Calculate how much U-235 is needed for

the lifetime of a nuclear power plant that
produces 1000 MW of electricity. Consider
the life time of the plant is 30 years and that
its efficiency is 34%. Assume that the
efficiency of conversion of nuclear energy to

heat is 100% and that the power plant

operates at 100% capacity.

[3] http://www.nnr.co.za/what-is-nuclearenergy/

Solution:

[4]http://www.edfenergy.com/energyfuture/
generation-nuclear

(109 J/s)

3.15 10 7

1055

= 3 1013

At 34% efficiency
3 1013

13

= 8.8 10

1
0.34

30

= 2.6 10

[8]http://www.diffen.com/difference/Nuclea
r_Fission_vs_Nuclear_Fusion
[9]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_reac
tor

15

2.6 1015
1

[6]http://www.iea.org/topics/nuclearfissiona
ndfusion/
[7]http://chemistry.about.com/od/nuclearche
mistry/a/Nuclear-Fission-NuclearFusion.htm

For 30 years:
8.8 1013

[5]http://ofnuclearenergy.com/how-nuclearpower-plant-work.html

1 235
1011

[10]http://science.howstuffworks.com/nucle
ar-reactor.htm
[11]http://www.whatisnuclear.com/articles/n
ucreactor.html

5. Determine the mass energy equivalent of

1kg of gasoline.
= 1
= 2
= 1(3108 )2
=
References
[1] http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energyand-you/affect/nuclear.html
[2]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power