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Nuclear Science
An Overview Of Atomic Energy
and Nuclear Power Plants
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Mr. Schimanski
Feb 17, 2015
Do we need Nuclear Power Plants ?
What do you know about
Nuclear Power Plants ??
What do you want to know about
Nuclear Power Plants ???
What’s the purpose of
all Power Plants ????
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How is Electricity made?
To make electricity you must have 3 things:
• A conductor
• A magnetic field
• Relative motion between the two
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Turbine / Generator
(generator generates electricity, every type of power plant has one)
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Electricity
Generation Sources in U.S.
0.2% GEOTHERMAL & OTHERS
3.7% OIL
9.6% GAS
21% NUCLEAR
9.5% HYDRO
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56% COAL
Commercial Power Production (Power Plants)
Commercial Power Production is the process of taking the energy
source (fuel) and turning it into electricity for consumer use.
Conservation of Energy: Energy can neither be created nor
destroyed, but it can be altered in form.
• Nuclear fuels are split, and mass is converted into energy (heat).
• Other fuels are burned, converting mass into energy (heat).
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How Do Nuclear Power Plants Work?
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The Fission Process
•Fission occurs when a neutron strikes the nucleus of a uranium
atom and is absorbed, making the atom unstable
•The unstable atom splits, releasing fission fragments and
energy in the form of heat and radiation
•When carefully controlled, these neutrons create a sustained
chain reaction
•The fission creates heat, to boil water, to make steam, to turn
the turbine and generator, to make electricity
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Nuclear Energy Comes From
Fission
Split atoms
Neutrons
Uranium atom
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Splitting Atom Releases
Neutrons, Creating Heat
Heat
Neutrons
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The Chain Reaction
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What is a Nuclear Reactor?
A huge, super strong, steel container
Nuclear fuel is contained in the reactor
What’s the purpose of the Nuclear Fuel?
It generates massive amounts of heat (from fission)
The heat boils the water to produce the steam
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What’s the purpose of the steam?
The steam is used to turn the turbine
What does the turbine due?
The turbine is connected to a generator
The generator creates the electricity
(conductor, magnetic field, and relative motion)
The turbine and generator spin at 1800 RPM !
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Where is the nuclear reactor?
Nuclear Power Plant
Where is the turbine?
Where is the
generator?
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How may different types of nuclear power
plants do you know about?
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BWR and PWR
What does BWR stand for?
What does PWR stand for?
Boiling Water Reactor
Pressurized Water Reactor
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Boiling Water Reactor (BWR)
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Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR)
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Turbine / Generator
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Safety and Security
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Reactor Levels of Containment
Containment Vessel
1.5-inch thick steel
Shield Building Wall
3 foot thick reinforced concrete
Dry Well Wall
5 foot thick reinforced concrete
Bio Shield
4 foot thick leaded concrete with
1.5-inch thick steel lining inside and
out
Reactor Vessel
4 to 8 inches thick steel
Reactor Fuel
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Redundant Safety
Systems Also
Ensure Safety
Containment Wall
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Radiation Exposure From
Different Activities (in millirem)
Natural Background Radiation (1 year)
300
Working at a Nuclear Power Plant (1 year)
115
One Diagnostic X-ray
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Living in a Stone, Brick or Concrete Building (1 year)
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One Cross-Country Flight
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Living at the Gate of a Nuclear Plant (1 year)
3
Watching TV (average person, 1 year)
Living Within 50 miles of a Coal-Fired Plant (1 year)
Living Within 50 miles of a Nuclear Plant (1 year)
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1.5
0.03
0.009
Benefits of
Nuclear Energy
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Nuclear Energy is:
•Clean
• Nuclear energy produces no greenhouse gases, ground-level ozone
formation, smog or acid rain
Coal
Oil
Natural
Gas
996
809
476
Nuclear
0
Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Metric Tons
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Nuclear Energy is:
•Safe
• You would have to live near a nuclear power plant for more than
2,000 years to get the equivalent radiation exposure of one
diagnostic medical X-ray
•Secure
• The Center for Strategic and International Studies concluded
that nuclear plants “are probably our best defended targets,”
with the industry spending $1.2 billion in security since
September 11, 2001
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Nuclear Energy is:
• Powerful
A single fuel pellet produces as much energy as 2.5
tons of wood, 3 barrels of oil, or 1 ton of coal
=
=
=
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Nuclear vs. Solar/Wind
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Nuclear Energy is:
• Powerful
A single fuel pellet produces as much energy as 2.5
tons of wood, 3 barrels of oil or 1 ton of coal
One nuclear power plant produces
enough energy to power
everything in your house
for an entire month…..
in just 4 seconds!
=
=
These nuclear fuel pellets
last 6 years!
=
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Nuclear Energy is:
•Affordable and Reliable
• Nuclear power plants have the lowest production cost of the major sources of
electricity and their costs are more predictable than most other forms of
generation
• Nuclear plants can produce electricity around the clock and in all weather
conditions
•Economically Beneficial to the Community
• Nuclear energy contributes an estimated $500 million per year for each new
plant brought online
–Jobs
–Taxes
–Philanthropy
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Who Works at Nuclear Power Plants?
• Engineers
• Nuclear, Electrical, Chemical, Mechanical, Materials,
Civil, Structural
• Professionals
• Health Physicists, Radiation Protection Technicians,
Chemists, Information Technology, Business
Management, Security, Training
• Skilled Workers
• Operators, Mechanics, Electricians, Welders, Pipe
fitters, Machinists, Carpenters, Heavy Equipment
Operators
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Questions?
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