C V RAMAN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

BHUBANESWAR

NUCLEAR POWER

Presented by:
Nishkarsh Thakur
What is Nuclear Power?

 Nuclear power is energy harnessed from the nuclei of heavy

atoms. Current reactors access nuclear energy through fission,
which is the splitting of the atoms. Fusion, when atoms fuse
together, produces much more power, but it requires stellar
temperatures.
 Nuclear reactors split atoms of uranium to produce nuclear
power.
Renewable or Nonrenewable?

 Technically, it is nonrenewable. There is a finite amount of

uranium in the ground. However, technologies are being
invented to extract uranium in seawater.
When was it discovered?

 Radiation was discovered by Marie Curie. Her groundbreaking work

led others to research nuclear energy. Uranium itself, the fuel of
nuclear reactors, was discovered in 1789 by Martin Klaproth, a
German chemist. He named it after the planet Uranus, which had been
discovered that year.
 Marie Curie and Martin Klaproth, some important people related to
nuclear power
How has it changed?

 The main change in nuclear power since it was discovered is its

efficiency, as the graph illustrates.
What are its fuel?

 The three most relevant fissile

isotopes which are used as nuclear
fuels are Uranium-233, Uranium-
235 and Plutonium-239. When the
unstable nuclei of these atoms are
hit by a slow-moving neutron, they
split, creating two daughter nuclei
and two or three more neutrons.
These neutrons then go on to split
more nuclei. This creates a self-
sustaining chain reaction that is
controlled in a nuclear reactor, or
uncontrolled in a nuclear weapon.
How do we get Uranium from its stored state?

 Uranium must be enriched before

it is used. This is because natural
uranium contains very little of U-
235, the isotope which is useful in
nuclear reactors.
How is nuclear energy used today?

 A fission nuclear power plant is generally composed of a nuclear

reactor, in which the nuclear reactions generating heat take
place; a cooling system, which removes the heat from inside the
reactor; a steam turbine, which transforms the heat
in mechanical energy; an electric generator, which transform the
mechanical energy into electrical energy.
Who uses nuclear power?

 Nuclear power is used to

make electricity. Since
electricity is very
commonly used, many
industries and countries
use it.
 This graph shows the
nuclear electricity
production in many
countries.
What are the advantages of nuclear power?

 It has a relatively low cost.

 Although it is easier to access uranium from the ground, it can
also be extracted from seawater. This makes for a lot of uranium.
 Nuclear reactors are becoming very efficient, producing more
electricity for less fuel.
 Nuclear reactors release much less radiation and fossil fuels than
coal plants.
What are the disadvantages of nuclear power?

 Nuclear reactors produce nuclear waste. This is potentially

dangerous.
 It is possible for nuclear reactors to melt down, releasing small
amounts of radiation.
 Reactor fuel can be reprocessed. It is technically possible to use
this to make nuclear weapons.
 Uranium mining has potential damage to the environment.
Nuclear power in future
 Nuclear energy may be vital in the future.
Nonrenewable energy produces greenhouse
gases, which may come with heavy
consequences. It will most likely be part of
the future.
 In addition, new technologies are being
developed. Some are designed to be more
efficient, some are designed to be safer, and
some are even using fuels other than
uranium.
 Some scientists are also attempting to design
fusion reactors. These will release
tremendous energy and are expected to be
safer. However, nuclear fusion presents
technological difficulties. It is unlikely that An experimental fusion
we will be able to use fusion very soon reactor
Are we using more nuclear power than in the past?

 Our nuclear power consumption has indeed gone up, as this graph
illustrates
References

 http://world-nuclear.org/Nuclear-Basics/How-does-a-nuclear-
reactor-make-electricity-/#.UmE5M3Csgyo
 http://world-nuclear.org/Nuclear-Basics/How-is-uranium-ore-
made-into-nuclear-fuel-/#.UmE6VnCsgyo
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pebble_bed_modular_reacto
 http://world-nuclear.org/info/Nuclear-Fuel-Cycle/Power-
Reactors/Nuclear-Power-Reactors/#.UmE9GHCsgy
 http://www.triplepundit.com/2009/02/nuclear-energy-pros-and-
cons/
 http://science.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-power4.htm
 http://web.mit.edu/nuclearpower/pdf/nuclearpower-summary.pdf
THANK YOU.