The Revolution of Nuclear Technology in Nuclear Power Plants

8/8/2019 The Revolution of Nuclear Technology in Nuclear Power Plants

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The Revolution of Nuclear Technology in Nuclear Power Plants

A nuclear power plant is a part of the revolution in nuclear technology. While a nuclear

reactor is a place where nuclear chain reactions begin or controlled and supported at fixed rate.

Although, nuclear chain reactions also occur in a nuclear bomb, but the reaction occurs is

uncontrolled till can cause death? However, nuclear reactors are mostly important to mankind for an

energy source for the generation of electric power. There are various types of nuclear reactors are

used for power production. In spite of various types, the central part of a nuclear reactor is called

the core. The core consists of fuel, moderator, and coolant. So, how do nuclear reactor works?

Water is heated by the utility scale to produce steam, which is then converted to electricity. Of

course, nuclear energy in the reactor is used to create heat that is produced by fusion and

radioactive decay. When a neutron is absorb by a relatively large fissile atomic nucleus such as

uranium-235, plutonium-239, or plutonium-241, the atomic nucleus likely to undergo nuclear fission.

The nucleus will split into two lighter nuclei, which released fission products that are gamma

radiation, kinetic energy, and free neutrons. Later, these neutrons would be absorbed by other

fissile atoms and cause further fission events. As a result of these, more neutrons will be released.To cause more fission, we do know that nuclear chain reactions can be controlled by neutron

poisons and neutron moderators which change the portion of neutrons. As the velocity of neutrons

is fast, a medium called neutron moderator is used to slow the velocity. Thereby, turning them into

thermal neutrons that have the ability to sustain a nuclear chain reaction especially uranium-235.

Therefore, this is how a nuclear reactor works.

Lately the world was rocked by the statement of the Republic of Iran president, Mahmoud

Ahmadinejad. He confesses to the world that Iran was running a nuclear energy program for the

safety of Iran which is one of the neighbours of Iraq. In mid-2004, Iran began the processing of

nuclear fuel as part of its plan to achieve self-sufficiency in civilian nuclear power production.

Eventually Iran's plan was demolished by the IAEA. This shows that there is fear around the world

that having a nuclear power plant would bring whether good effect if use for electric energy

purposes or severe bad effects if it is use for mass destruction weapons.

Observing this, do you think that nuclear power plants are safe for humankind that lives in

country that practise nuclear power? From my present point of view, I think nuclear is safe as far as

it brings benefit to us. For instance, a nuclear power plant would bring a lot of benefits to people

around the world without depending on hydroelectricity dams and generators. Safety would be first

to think of, thus the new nuclear reactor technology offers us much safety with well computer

systems. As a matter of fact, the latest components of nuclear reactor are much better engineered

than before. Besides that, nuclear power can also be used for naval ships. In fact, Malaysia is in talksamong the cabinets to invent a nuclear power plant reactor in this country. Although, the cost

initially is quite high, nuclear power plants are quite economic as it can be run as long as possible.



On contrary of what I think now, previously I think nuclear power plant will bring a big risk to

humankind as what has happen in recent years. One most feared accident is when the core is heated

to an enormous temperature till can because fuel rods melt down. This can cause the molten fuel to

burn through the floor and enter the ground polluting water supplies. In an accident happen in 1979

at the Three Miles Island nuclear plant in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania about half of the fuel melted. Butthe accident was under control before the fuel broke through the reactor. At even serious more

accidents that killed thirty people and hundreds nearby residents which developed severe radiation-

related illnesses happened in Chernobyl, Ukraine. The reactors graphite moderator was overheated,

resulting explosions and fires. The roof was blown off the building causing radioactive substance to

release. In a town called Tokaimura, Japan experienced the worst nuclear accident. It happens

because the workers mixed too much uranium, which enabled an uncontrolled chain reaction. This

cause dozens of people exposed to radiation. Referring to the previous accidents, it is important to

choose a well educated operators and a good programming of computer system so that it can lead

precaution to operators before severe accidents happen.

Perhaps , I think nuclear power plant would certainly be a part of life for people around the

world to gain electric energy as technology is advancing rapidly. Statistics done by international

energy outlook 2007 , showed that only fourteen percent of the worlds electricity powered by

nuclear. In contrast, statistics of the year 2005 stated that fifteen percent of the worlds electricity

and worlds energy is provided by nuclear power. EIA reported that are 439 nuclear power reactors

in operation around the world, operated in thirty one countries. However, an earth quake that

occurred in western Japan in 16 July 2007 shut down seven reactors. This result a slight dropped of

percentage in the year of 2007. One of the largest consumers of electrical energy from nuclear

power plants is France which its percentage of usage is seventy eight percent whereas United States

America produces the most nuclear energy, with nuclear power providing nineteen percent of the

electricity it consumes. According to the EIA, during 1980 one new nuclear reactor started operating

up for every seventeen days on mean. So, by the year 2015 the rate of nuclear reactor would

increase to one every five days.

As what I have stated before, the new nuclear reactor technology offers us more safety. This

can be seen through the parts of a nuclear reactor. For example, control rods. To produce a

continuous fixed supply of energy, the chain reactions occur in nuclear reactor must be controlled

carefully. The reaction may initiate to run out of control and if the fission is too little the reaction will

die out. The role of control rod is to regulate chain reactions. Apart from that, it is made of material

such as metal cadmium that absorbs free neutrons. The control rods would help to slow the reaction

when they are lowered. Thus, the more lower the rods is placed, the slower the reaction. Usually in

most design the control rods will drop into the core automatically to shut down the reactor during

emergency. Besides that, nuclear power plants use large amount of water for cooling. In fact, wasteheat which is formed by two third of energy produced by nuclear power plant is carried away into

the water. The fact is the water remains uncontaminated by radioactivity. The water will either be

sent into cooling towers or discharged into ponds or lakes. Furthermore, nuclear industry provides a

huge volume of low-level radioactive waste in the form of contaminated items such as clothes and

materials which the reactor is built upon decommissioning. This steps has been took by Nuclear

Regulatory Commission in the United States to enable low level materials turned into handled waste.

Initially, the cost to build a nuclear power plant is quite high. Therefore, its better to be run the



reactor as long as possible or create an additional blocks in existing facility. From a research done by

experts, they predict that fossil fuels price increase and heavy metal fossil emission fuel are use.

Consequently, new technology such as plants and national energy will renew the demand of nuclear

power plants. There are only four companies worldwide that are China First Industries, OMX Izhora

and Doosan Heavy Industries for production of nuclear power plants, but there is a possibility of

impediment. This company have the capacity to forge single piece containment vessel which helpsto reduce radiation leak. For example, Japan Steel Work can only make four reactors a year but the

demand of utilities across the world is in advance of any actual need. So, Japan Steel Works will

double its production in the next two years. Another company which are able to make large forgings

that is required for reactor pressure vessel is OMX, a Russian company. There are upgrading

themselves to manufacture three or four reactor vessel in the future. A report from an anti-nuclear

once stated that even if Finland and France build European Pressurized water Reactor (EPR), China

and Japan started an additional twenty plants, Korea or Eastern Europe added one or other plant,

the global trend of nuclear power plant will likely experience a downfall. Actually, it is quite

impossible because a power plant have long lead times that maybe ten years or more. Furthermore,

China plans to build more than 100 plants, while in the US their licence has been extended to sixty

years for almost half of it reactors. As a matter of fact, they are considering building thirty more new

power plants.

Overall, I should say that not every nuclear program brought destruction to the world like what

happens during the World War Three. The town of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed. The

effects of nuclear explosion were damn awesome until the victims were unable to describe and

imagine. If we could remind about our country history in that year of 1945, even Nippon armies gave

up the war in Malaysia and return to their respected country, Japan as result of that terrifying year.

In spite of that, the world has never experienced a nuclear war, where countries attack each other

with mass destruction weapons. In this matter nuclear would serve as deterrent or method of

preventing attack. According a cover story from Newsweek," The only thing that can keep nuclear

bombs out of the hands of terrorist is a brand new science of nuclear forensics". In brief ,we should

just control this thing out with the policy IAEA and just use nuclear technology engineered for

civilians or mankind around the globe

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The Revolution of Nuclear Technology in Nuclear Power Plants