Questions and Problems

1.
a) Calculate the number of joules that can be obtained from the
fissioning of 1 kg of 235U, assuming 198 MeV average
energy release per fission.
b) How much energy can be obtained from the 235U in one kg of
natural uranium?
2. BONUS Calculate how much energy, in joules, can be obtained
from burning 1 kg of coal.
3. Compare the total energy in the U.S. resources of coal and 235U.
4. In the following reaction for the spontaneous fission of 238U,
apply an appropriate conservation law to determine the number of
neutrons emitted.
5. Explain how 239Pu builds up in the fuel rods of a reactor such as
the BWR or PWR with time, and what role it plays in the operation
of the reactor.
6. BONUS Explain how the buildup of 239Pu in a nuclear reactor is
related to the manufacture of nuclear weapons.
7. BONUS Estimate the number of years that a reactor such as Zion
1 would have to run for the probability of a large release of
radioactivity from internal events to be greater than 50%, according
to NUREG-1150 (Table 6.2).
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9. It has been estimated that in the year 2020, the United States will
need 1012 W of electric power produced by one thousand
1000 MWe power plants. These would most likely be powered either
by coal or by nuclear reactors. Note: tonnes is a metric
ton, or 1000 kg
a) If the energy is provided by 235U-burning reactors, how many
tonnes of 235U will be needed annually? Assume an
efficiency of 33%.
b) How many tonnes of uranium must be mined annually?
c) If the energy is provided by coal, how many tonnes of coal must
be mined each year? Again, assume an efficiency of 33%.
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11.
a) How would the high-level radioactive waste problem be changed
if the United States went from a complete dependence
on thermal LWR reactors to fast breeder reactors?
b) What changes would be brought about in the radioactive waste
problem if all of the electric energy in the United States
were produced by fusion reactors?
12. Discuss briefly the reasons for the sharp curtailment of new
reactor orders in the United States in the 1970s.
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14. It is estimated that the Three Mile Island accident released into
the environment 20 curies of 131I, which has a half-life of 8 days.
How many curies remained after 48 days?
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 16. Describe briefly the major differences between the reactor that
was involved in the accident at Chernobyl and a typical U.S.
lightwater
reactor.
17. BONUS For a new nuclear power plant, the designers estimate
the following probabilities: The probability of a loss-of-coolant
accident is 10-3 per reactor year. The probability that the emergency
core cooling system will work is 80%. What is the probability
per reactor year that the reactor will have a loss-of-coolant accident
and be saved by the ECC system?
18. In 1999 the world produced 24×1011 kWh of electricity with
nuclear reactors. If a 1000 MWe nuclear power plant operating
continuously can produce enough plutonium for 20 nuclear bombs
each year, how many bombs could be produced from the power
plant plutonium made in 1999, assuming continuously operating reactors?