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Nuclear Energy
Nuclear energy covers technology of reactors, different types of reactors, their history and development, exploitation in different countries, operating experiences, problems of nuclear waste.
6,180 Questions
Used fuel assemblies are typically considered .?
Used fuel assemblies are typically considered radioactive waste and pose a potential hazard to human health and the environment. Proper handling, storage, and disposal of used fuel assemblies are essential to minimize these risks. Technologies for recycling or reprocessing used fuel are being explored to reduce the amount of waste generated and recover valuable materials.
Brakes are to a car as control rods are to a nuclear-fission chain reaction?
Brakes in a car are used to slow down or stop the vehicle, while control rods in a nuclear-fission chain reaction are used to control and regulate the reaction by absorbing neutrons and managing the rate of fission. Both systems play a critical role in ensuring safety and stability in their respective mechanisms.
Brakes are to a car as control rods are to a nuclear-fission chain reaction - true or false?
True. Brakes control the speed of a car by reducing its kinetic energy, while control rods in a nuclear reactor control the rate of fission reactions by absorbing neutrons and reducing the chain reaction. Both mechanisms are essential for safely managing the system.
Engineers increase the concentration of uranium-235 atoms in nuclear fuel during what process?
Enrichment
What is the Hight of stack of 500mw power plant?
The height of a stack in a 500 MW power plant can vary depending on the design and technology used. On average, the stack height for a power plant of this size could range from 50 to 150 meters. Regulations and environmental factors also influence the final height of the stack.
Gas turbine power is more expensive per kilowatt-hour than nuclear power because the cost of natural gas, which is used as a fuel in gas turbines, tends to fluctuate more compared to the relatively stable fuel costs associated with nuclear power generation. Additionally, gas turbines have lower efficiency levels compared to nuclear power plants, resulting in higher operational costs. Lastly, building and maintaining gas turbine power plants typically require more frequent maintenance and replacement of components, adding to the overall operational costs.
Write the three steps that show how a power plant and cooling system works.?
- The power plant generates electricity by burning fuel or using a nuclear reaction to produce heat, which is used to create steam.
- The steam powers a turbine connected to a generator that produces electricity.
- The cooling system uses water or air to dissipate excess heat produced during the power generation process, preventing overheating and ensuring efficient operation of the plant.
In the cores of stars nuclear reactions convert helium to?
In the cores of stars, nuclear reactions convert helium to heavier elements like carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen through processes like fusion. This conversion of helium to heavier elements releases energy and is essential for the life cycle of stars.
This type of nucleus is formed during a solar nuclear reaction by the fusion of four nuclei.?
A helium nucleus, also known as an alpha particle, is formed during a solar nuclear reaction by the fusion of four hydrogen nuclei.
What does a furnace do on a power station?
A furnace on a power station is typically used to generate heat by burning fuel such as coal, natural gas, or oil. This heat is then used to produce steam which drives turbines to generate electricity. Essentially, the furnace plays a key role in the process of converting fuel into electrical energy.
How do gamma rays relate to the PET scanner?
A PET scanner is a positron emission tomography imaging system. It takes advantage of the fact that some radioisotopes undergo radioactive decay by the emission of a positron. This form of decay, by the way, is beta decay, or beta plus decay, to be more specific. The positron is a form of anti-matter, and it is actually an anti-matter electron.
When a positron is emitted from an atomic nucleus, it travels a short distance (slowing down all the while), and then "combines" with an electron in what is called mutual annihilation. When a positron and electron capture each other, their entire mass is converted into electromagnetic energy. This energy appears in the form of two high energy gamma rays, and they leave the event in opposite directions (to be picked up by a pair of detectors). That is the connection of gamma rays to the PET scanner.
There is a bit more to the machine, as the pair of detectors is rotated about what is to be imaged. Further, whatever is to be imaged is moved through the "ring" about which the detectors spin. The connection between the machine and the gamma ray has, however, been established. The PET scanner detects the gamma rays emitted from the mutual annihilation of positrons and electrons.
What is a nuclear power plants original energy form?
Assuming "FROM". Supernova stars. As stars age, they run out of hydrogen for fusion. Large stars can fuse heavier and heavier elements... such as uranium. When they run out of stuff to fuse, they can collapese and explode. The stars blew up, spreading the uranium around the universe... and when new solar systems form, that uranium is part of their make up and available via mining to create nuclear energy.
What are the dangers of non-ionising radiation?
Non-ionizing radiation can still pose health risks, including skin burns, tissue damage, and potential long-term effects such as an increased risk of cancer. Prolonged exposure to certain types of non-ionizing radiation, such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or high-powered microwave radiation, can have harmful effects on the body. It is important to limit exposure to sources of non-ionizing radiation and take preventive measures, such as wearing protective clothing or using shielding devices.
What is the conclusion of nuclear model?
The conclusion of the nuclear model is that an atom has a small, dense nucleus at its center containing positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons, with negatively charged electrons orbiting around it. This model explains the stability of atoms and the behavior of subatomic particles within them.
Which particle is commonly used to initiate a fission chain reaction?
Neutrons are commonly used to initiate a fission chain reaction. When a neutron collides with a nucleus of a fissile material like uranium-235 or plutonium-239, it can split the nucleus, releasing more neutrons and causing a chain reaction.
Can gold be created on earth by a fusion reaction?
Gold can be created on Earth through nuclear reactions, such as the fusion of heavier elements in the core of supernovae or in particle accelerators. However, the amount of energy required to produce gold through fusion is currently much higher than the value of the gold produced, making it not economically feasible.
What are two common sources of nuclear energy?
Two common sources of nuclear energy are nuclear fission, where atoms are split to release energy, and nuclear fusion, where atoms are combined to release energy. Nuclear power plants use nuclear fission to generate electricity, while nuclear fusion is a process being researched as a potential future source of clean energy.
What energy conversion takes place in a nuclear power plant?
In a nuclear power plant, nuclear energy is converted into heat through a process called nuclear fission. The heat produced is used to generate steam, which in turn drives a turbine connected to a generator to produce electricity.
What is the process of two or more atomic nuclei joining together to form a single nucleus called?
The process of two or more atomic nuclei joining together to form a single nucleus is called nuclear fusion. This process releases a large amount of energy and is the same process that powers the sun and other stars.
Explain the purpose of the heat exchanger in the nuclear power plant.?
The heat exchanger is the device built for efficient heat transfer from one medium to another, whether the media are in direct contact or the media are separated by a solid wall so that they never mix.
Where does fusion and fission take place?
Fusion reactions occur in the core of stars, where extremely high temperatures and pressures allow atomic nuclei to overcome their electrostatic repulsion and merge. Fission reactions are generally carried out in nuclear reactors, where heavy atomic nuclei such as uranium or plutonium are bombarded with neutrons to split into smaller nuclei and release energy.
Who was involved in the three mile island?
The Three Mile Island partial core meltdown in 1979 involved the operators of the nuclear power plant, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, utility company Metropolitan Edison, and various government agencies. The incident raised concerns about nuclear safety and emergency preparedness.
What harm can radiation cause us?
Radiation exposure can lead to cell damage, increased risk of cancer, and potential genetic mutations. Acute exposure to high levels of radiation can cause immediate tissue damage and radiation sickness. Long-term effects can include an increased risk of developing cancer or other health issues.
Can nuclear reactions create new elements?
When atoms undergo nuclear fission , the result is always two different atoms very much less massive than the parent. For fusion, the resulting atom or atoms are usually of a different element, but not always.
Part of the trick to understanding this is that in these types of reactions, the numbers of protons and neutrons going in has to be the same as the number coming out, though some of the decay reactions other than fission turn a proton into a neutron or the other way around. Another thing to remember is that the number of protons determines the element of an atom.
FusionWhen we fuse atoms, we are taking neutrons and protons from the nuclei of the two atoms and putting them into a single daughter atom. A typical example of a fusion reaction is:12H + 12H --> 23He + 01n
In this reaction, the symbol 12H represents hydrogen (atomic symbol H), with the 2 indicating the number of protons plus the number of neutrons, and 1 being the number of protons; this can be read as hydrogen-2. Similarly, 23He is helium-3, and 01n is a silly way to represent a neutron, but it makes the balancing of the equation obvious.
We might imagine that fusion always produces an atom of a new element, but this is not the case. It is possible to fuse two helium atoms to produce a heavier helium atom plus a pair of protons, which are essentially hydrogen atoms. A reaction follows:
23He + 23He --> 24He + 11p + 11p
So two atoms of helium are combined to produce one atom of helium plus a couple of particles.
FissionAtoms have to be pretty heavy to undergo fission, which is what happens when one atom splits into two atoms. Again, the number of protons is kept the same in fission, as is the number of neutrons. But here, the parent atom has a number of protons, and the daughter atoms combine to have that number of protons. Clearly fission cannot happen without the daughter atoms being entirely different from the parent. An example equation for fission is as follows (but bear in mind that the uranium fission equation can take many different forms with many different results):92235U --> 3692 Kr + 56140Ba + 2 01n
Other types of decayThere are many other types of nuclear decay with a single atom undergoing some sort of change to produce another single atom. In most of them, the daughter atom is of a different element than the parent, but this is not true in all cases. In decay involving producing only a gamma ray, for example, there is only a slight change in the mass of the atom. For example:99mTc --> 99Tc + gamma
