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Are Nuclear Fission Power Stations

a Safe Alternate Energy Source?Christopher Hughes S08

SACE Num er !"#$8"#%

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Physics 5ehin' NuclearFission!

6un'own on the physics ehin' nuclear .ssion!

( Heat an' steam must e create' to generate electrical power

( Heat comes from a chain reaction- which in turn- is instigate' fromnuclear .ssion

( Nuclear .ssion in7ol7es splitting an atom9 to release large amounts ofenergy

( :ranium is the most common fuel use'

( Splitting an :ranium atom with a neutron- creates more neutrons aswell as energy- thus starting the chain reaction

Fissionreaction of:ranium

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How to Control theHeat!

( A massi7e amount of energy an' heat is create' in thenuclear .ssion process

( ;o 4eep the reactors from o7erheating- water is use' as

the coolant

( ;he water also pro7es to e useful as it is a source ofsuperheate' steam- which in turn- can help power theelectric generator

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3hat Happene' atCherno yl?

( &n the case of Cherno yl- it was a com ination of poor reactor'esign an' human error that cause' the e/plosion an' .re

( As far ac4 as $,B+- was the plant 'esigns re ecte' Dat out

y the 5ritish as eing completely 'angerous( Cherno yl ha' no thic4 layer of concrete to trap ra'ioacti7ity

incase it lea4e' &t also ha' no emergency ac4up coolant

( ;he reactor was essentially a time om - remaining safe as

long as the operator 'i'n t2t ma4e a mista4e

;he reactor hallat Cherno ylseen efore thee/plosion

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Conclusion

( :ltimately- running a safe nuclear power station relieshea7ily on maintaining the perfect alance etween toomuch an' too little heat

( Howe7er- with the constant a'7ancements in technology- aswell as the e7er nearing threat of glo al warming- nuclearpower is ecoming a more an' more tempting option

;he Cherno ylplant- two tothree 'ays afterits reactore/plosion

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5i liography

3e sites!

( ;an- 5 @*008 Nuclear Physics. A7aila le!http!GGwww entan meGcherno ylG?page nuclearphysics =ast accesse'8th Aug *0$#

( 1ayr- 3 @*00+ Chernobyl's Aftermath. A7aila le!http!GGwww spiegel 'eGinternationalGspiegelGcherno yl s aftermath thepompeii of the nuclear age a B$$+8B html =ast accesse' 8th Aug *0$#

( :n4nown @*00+ The Physics of a Disaster. A7aila le!http!GGwww computernew ie infoGwheat'oggG*00+G0BG*8Gthe physics of a

'isasterG =ast accesse' 8th Aug *0$#

5oo4s!

( 6- Iraham @$,8+ The Chernobyl Catastrophe 3est Esse/! 3aylan'=imite' p B *B