Nuclear power

Nuclear power, or nuclear energy, is the use of exothermic nuclear processes, to generate
useful heat and electricity. The term includes nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion. Presently,
the nuclear fission of elements in the actinide series of the periodic table produce the vast majority of nuclear
energy in the direct service of humankind, with nuclear decay processes, primarily in the form of geothermal
energy, and radioisotope thermoelectric generators, in niche uses making up the rest. Nuclear (fission) power
stations, excluding the contribution from naval nuclear fission reactors, provided about 5.7% of the
world's energy and 13% of the world's electricity in 2012.In 2013, the IAEA report that there are 437 operational
nuclear power reactors, in 31 countries, although not every reactor is producing electricity.[5] In addition, there are
approximately 140 naval vessels using nuclear propulsion in operation, powered by some 180 reactors. As of
2013, attaining a net energy gain from sustained nuclear fusion reactions, excluding natural fusion power
sources such as the Sun, remains an ongoing area of international physics and engineering research. More than
60 years after the first attempts, commercial fusion power production remains unlikely before 2050.

Use
Along with other sustainable energy sources, nuclear power is a low carbon power generation method of
producing electricity, with an analysis of the literature on its total life cycle emission intensity finding that it is
similar to other renewable sources in a comparison of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per unit of energy
generated. So this use in Many military and some civilian (such as some icebreaker) ships use nuclear marine
propulsion, a form of nuclear propulsion.A few space vehicles have been launched using full-fledged nuclear
reactors: 33 reactors belong to the Soviet RORSAT series and one was the American SNAP-10A.it is also use in
space from Both fission and fusion appear promising for space propulsion applications, generating higher
mission velocities with less reaction mass. This is due to the much higher energy density of nuclear reactions:
some 7 orders of magnitude (10,000,000 times) more energetic than the chemical reactions which power the
current generation of rockets. In 2011 nuclear power provided 10% of the world's electricity in 2007, the IAEA
reported there were 439 nuclear power reactors in operation in the world, operating in 31 countries.

Nuclear power plant

A nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear
reactor. As is typical in all conventional thermal power stations the heat is used to generate
steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity. The
conversion to electrical energy takes place indirectly, as in conventional thermal power plants.
The heat is produced by fission in a nuclear reactor (a light water reactor). Directly or
indirectly, water vapour (steam) is produced. The pressurized steam is then usually fed to a
multi-stage steam turbine. Steam turbines in Western nuclear power plants are among the
largest steam turbines ever. After the steam turbine has expanded and partially condensed
the steam, the remaining vapour is condensed in a condenser. The condenser is a heat
exchanger which is connected to a secondary side such as a river or a cooling tower. The
water is then pumped back into the nuclear reactor and the cycle begins again. The watersteam cycle corresponds to the Rankine cycle. A Nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and
control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. The most common use of nuclear reactors is for
the generation of electric energy and for the propulsion of ships. The nuclear reactor is the
heart of the plant. In its central part, the reactor core's heat is generated by controlled
nuclear fission. With this heat, a coolant is heated as it is pumped through the reactor and
thereby removes the energy from the reactor. Heat from nuclear fission is used to raise
steam, which runs through turbines, which in turn powers either ship's propellers or electrical
generators. Since nuclear fission creates radioactivity, the reactor core is surrounded by a
protective shield. This containment absorbs radiation and prevents radioactive material from
being released into the environment. In addition, many reactors are equipped with a dome of
concrete to protect the reactor against both internal casualties and external impacts. It has
also generator, saftey valves, cooling system, feed water pump.

Conventional fuel resources: - Uranium is a fairly common element in the Earth's crust.
Uranium is approximately as common astin or germanium in the Earth's crust, and is about
40 times more common than silver. Uranium is a constituent of most rocks, dirt, and of the

oceans. The fact that uranium is so spread out is a problem because mining uranium is only
economically feasible where there is a large concentration. Still, the world's present measured
resources of uranium, economically recoverable at a price of 130 USD/kg, are enough to last
for between 70 and 100 years. Even if the nuclear industry expands significantly, sufficient fuel
is available for centuries. If advanced breeder reactors could be designed in the future to
efficiently utilize recycled or depleted uranium and all actinides, then the resource utilization
efficiency would be further improved by an additional factor of eight.

Solid waste: - The most important waste stream from nuclear power plants is spent nuclear
fuel. It is primarily composed of unconverted uranium as well as significant quantities of
transuranic actinides (plutonium and curium, mostly). In addition, about 3% of it is fission
products from nuclear reactions. The actinides (uranium, plutonium, and curium) are
responsible for the bulk of the long-term radioactivity, whereas the fission products are
responsible for the bulk of the short-term radioactivity. it has also high-level or low-level
radioactive waste also.

Reprocessing: -Reprocessing can potentially recover up to 95% of the remaining uranium and
plutonium in spent nuclear fuel, putting it into new mixed oxide fuel. This produces a reduction in long term
radioactivity within the remaining waste, since this is largely short-lived fission products, and reduces its
volume by over 90%. Reprocessing of civilian fuel from power reactors is currently done in Britain, France
and (formerly) Russia, soon will be done in China and perhaps India, and is being done on an expanding
scale in Japan. The full potential of reprocessing has not been achieved because it requires breeder
reactors, which are not commercially available. France is generally cited as the most successful
reprocessor, but it presently only recycles 28% (by mass) of the yearly fuel use 7% within France and
another 21% in Russia. Reprocessing is not allowed in the U.S.

Nuclear fusion: - Nuclear fusion reactions have the potential to be safer and generate less radioactive
waste than fission. These reactions appear potentially viable, though technically quite difficult and have yet to be
created on a scale that could be used in a functional power plant. Fusion power has been under theoretical and
experimental investigation since the 1950s. Fusion powered electricity generation was initially believed to be
readily achievable, as fission power had been. However, the extreme requirements for continuous reactions
and plasma containment led to projections being extended by several decades. In 2010, more than 60 years
after the first attempts, commercial power production was still believed to be unlikely before 2050.

Conclusion:-Being to see the growth of nowadays nuclear reactor, we have to rethink about safety for
people who are near nuclear plant area, also about the flora and fauna of the near & world environment. we
should remember the incident about Fukushima daiichi nuclear power station.we should also see the
location of nuclear reactor ,and the number of nuclear reactor should not be close to one after another.