Understanding
Energy - What Is Nuclear Power?
Nuclear power is one
of the most discussed sources of energy nowadays. Nuclear energy is produced by
nuclear fission or nuclear fusion of radioactive elements such as uranium. The
process of nuclear energy production is free from carbon emission. So for this reason
it is considered as an environment friendly energy source.
Nuclear energy is
produced by certain chemical reactions. These reactions produce a huge amount
of energy that is then converted to other forms of energy depending upon its
required application. The reaction generally used to produce nuclear energy is
nuclear fission. The fission reaction takes place within the nuclear reactor.
Here the nucleus of the uranium atom is hit by some foreign neutron.
This causes the
nucleus to break down into many small pieces and to release some free neutrons
from it. The released neutrons hit the other uranium atoms and they break down.
Thus a chain reaction takes place and huge amount of energy is released in the
form of heat. This energy is then converted to other suitable forms if needed.
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| Nuclear Power |
Nuclear energy is
quite popular nowadays, notwithstanding tragic accidents which have occurred at
nuclear power plants in the past. The most common source of energy today,
however, is derived from fossil fuels. Due to the excessive use of these fossil
fuels, it is predicted that their reserves will soon be exhausted.
So a new source of
energy is needed badly to meet the needs of the current age. Beside this, there
are also environmental concerns with the continued use of fossil fuels. The
burning of fossil fuel releases carbon emissions into the air, which is harmful
to the environment.
Many scientists
believe this is increasing the temperature of the atmosphere of the whole
world, as a result of what they call the greenhouse effect. The atmospheric
pollutions produced from burning fossil fuels is also directly harmful to
people and animals, having many adverse health consequences. Nuclear energy is
free from emitting carbon products, so in this way it is friendly to the
environment.
A nuclear power plant
needs less substrate than the fossil fuel using power plant. So it has less
fuel consumption too. The subject of the nuclear reaction is very sensitive,
however, because the processed uranium can be used to produce the nuclear
weapons and the nuclear waste is very harmful to the environment.
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| Nuclear Power |
So, caution should be
exercised when handling these materials. A nuclear power plant is also a
sensitive place. Radiation leaks can occur anytime if there any kind of fault
in the reactor, creating a hazardous situation for a potentially large geographical
area.
Nuclear energy needs
lot of technological support for production. Nations with the less
technological advancement are unlikely to have the facilities and support to
safely implement nuclear energy plants. Only a few countries in the world have already
implemented nuclear power as a means of electricity generation.
World politics also
presents an obstacle to the wide use of the nuclear power, as the supply of
radioactive materials necessary to achieve the requisite reactions is subject
to many restrictions.
So while from some
angles it may seem that nuclear energy generation could be a perfect solution
to the exhaustion of fossil fuels, there are quite a few objections to its
immediate widespread usage.
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