Nuclear Renaissance 1

8/3/2019 Nuclear Renaissance 1

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Ishika Biswas

Atanu Saha


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Origins and The Vision

After World War II, development of civilian nuclearprogramAtlantic Energy Act of 19461954: first commercial nuclear power programIt is not too much to expect that our children willenjoy in their homes [nuclear generated] electricalenergy too cheap to meter.

Lewis Strauss, Chairman of the U.S.Atomic Energy Commission (1954


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Nuclear reactor

A nuclear reactor is a device in which nuclear chain reactions are initiated,controlled, and sustained at a steady rate, as opposed to a nuclear bomb, in which

the chain reaction occurs in a fraction of a second and is uncontrolled causing an

explotion.


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STEAM GENERATORS

Steam generators are heat exchangers used to convert water into steam from

heat produced in a nuclear reactor core.

Either ordinary water or heavy water is used as the coolant.

STEAM TURBINE

A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from

pressurized steam, and converts it into useful mechanical

Various high-performance alloys and superalloys have been used for steam

generator tubing.

COOLANT PUMP

The coolant pump pressurizes the coolant to pressures of the orderof 155bar.

The pressue of the coolant loop is maintained almost constant with the help of

the pump and a pressurizer unit.


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FEED PUMP

Steam coming out of the turbine, flows through the condenser for condensation

and recirculated for the next cycle of operation.

The feed pump circulates the condensed water in the working fluid loop.

CONDENSER

Condenser is a device or unit which is used to condense vapor into liquid.

The objective of the condenser are to reduce the turbine exhaust pressure to

increase the efficiency and to recover high qyuality feed water in the form of

condensate & feed back it to the steam generator without any further treatment.

COOLING TOWERCooling towers are heat removal devices used to transfer process waste heat

to the atmosphere.

Water cirulating throughthe codeser is taken to the cooling tower for cooling

and reuse


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ADVANTAGES

Nuclear power generation does emit relatively low amounts of carbon dioxide

(CO2). The emissions of green house gases and therefore the contribution of

nuclear power plants to global warming is therefore relatively little.

This technology is readily available, it does not have to be developed first.

It is possible to generate a high amount of electrical energy in one single plant


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DISADVANTAGES

Nuclear power plants as well as nuclear waste could be preferred targets for

terrorist attacks.

During the operation of nuclear power plants, radioactive waste is produced,

which in turn can be used for the production of nuclear weapons.

Nuclear power plants as well as nuclear waste could be preferred targets for

terrorist attacks..

During the operation of nuclear power plants, radioactive waste is produced, which

in turn can be used for the production of nuclear weapons


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Environmental pollution of nuclear power plants. List of dangers, connected with NPPs:

Release of radioactive particles into environment. Radioactive isotopes pollution. Water temperature increases. The threat of nuclear accidents. The threat of nuclear terrorism.

Nuclear power plants technologies that providesafety.

Reactor design flaws. Mistakes and incompetence of personnel. Major incidents regarding NPPs. Could it happen again? Used sources.


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It was commonly to think that nuclear energy is absolutely safe until someserious incidents occurred on nuclear power plants of the USA(Three Mile Island),Japan(Kashiwaszki-Kariwa) and the most dangerous incident in the former USSR

(Chernobyl). The last of them had very serious consequences. All these events changedthe opinion of people about the safety of nuclear energy. However the danger of nuclearenergy was not only in the nuclear accidents.


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Release of radioactiveparticles

Radioactive isotopes

pollution

Water temperature

increases

The threat of nuclear

accidents

The threat of nuclear terrorism


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Usually the radioactive particles appear fromradioactive isotopes and in fission process. Inmost cases speaking about radioactiveparticles pollution, people mean gamma-

radiation, which is easily determinated by aGeiger counter. At the same time there aremany beta-radiators, which are badlydeterminated by the most of existing devices.


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Radioactive contamination is typically the resultof a spill or accident during the production oruse of radionuclides (radioisotopes), an unstablenucleus which has excessive energy. However

the production of those radionuclides iscontrolled by filters and other equipment. Thebiological effectsof internally depositedradionuclides depend greatly on the activity and

the biodistribution and removal rates of theradionuclide, which in turn depends on itschemical form.


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For the NPPs just as for the thermal powerstations heat release into is typical.

It is marked that the temperature of water inthe area of nuclear power station is higherthan without it. Because of that the balanceof water evaporation is disturbed and theamount of salt in water increased. Thischanges can lead to extinction of somespecies of animals.


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The most actual question appealed to NPP isthe question of nuclear accidents. Thoughtthe chances of such accident is very small thedanger it carries is very serious.


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Another actualquestion of the NPPssafety is nuclearterrorism.

The NPP could becaptured by terroristsand used like a nuclearweapon.


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The most widespread causes of the NPPaccident are: Reactor design flaws.

Mistakes and incompetence of personnel.

It is important to learn by your own mistakes.So the Chernobyl disaster were carefullyexamined and analyzed. After that newstandards of safety and new technologieswere adopted.


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Well take a Chernobyl as an example for reactordesign flaws. There were several serious design flawsin the Chernobyl RBMK: The scram button that supposed to stop the reaction

accelerated it instead.

the heat from the graphite, which operates at 700 degreesCentigrade, flows from the graphite back through thepressure tubes and is taken away by the boiling water."However, the problem with graphite at high temperaturesis that if it is exposed to air, it will burn slowly.

The RBMK reactor was a large one and it could not be put

in containment. These reactors are not used nowadays and all known

design flaws are removed from new reactors.


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Six human errors were identified. Two permanent operating rules were violated:

not to run the reactor for any length of time atreduced power level (below 700 Megawatts-thermal), and never to have fewer than thirty

control rods fully inserted into the core If any one of these six errors had not been

committed, the explosion would not haveoccurred.

However its not the fault of personnel, its the

fault of their not sufficient training. After Chernobyl disaster some new laws of safety

were adopted.


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Major incidents regarding NPPschernobyl Three mile island Kashiwazaki-Kariwa fukushima

Reactors usedA high-power, boilingwater type reactor(RBMK)

TMI-2 reactor BWR Six boiling waterreactor(BWR)

The maincauses of the

accident

The operatorsviolated plantprocedures and wereignorant of the safetyrequirements neededby the RBMK design

The sequence ofcertain events - -equipmentmalfunctions, designrelated problems andworker errors.

Earthquake tsunami

consequences The UkrainianMinistry of PublicHealth in April 1995said 125,000 alreadydead.Economically, theconsequences havebeen staggering: atleast $300 Billion andmore.

None people died.There were noenvironment pollution

None died. Noenvironmentalpollution.

The discovery ofplutonium in soilaround the plant hasalso caused furtheranxiety. the discoveryof highly radioactivewater outside theplant indicatescontamination couldseep into nature.


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chernobyl Three mile island Kashiwazaki-Kariwa fukushima

BFO

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AFT

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Yes, the causes of such disasters are wellunderstood but theres no certitude thatgovernment and NPPs personnel will followthem. First of all some countries couldnt

have enough money to develop and integratenewest technologies into NPPs. Secondly thechance of human mistakes is always exists.So there always will be chance of accidentlike the ones we examined.


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Production plants involved in themanufacturing of weapons have also donesignificant harm to the environment andsurrounding communities. Because the US was insuch a hurry to make as many nuclear weapons as

possible, there are many severely contaminatedenvironments surrounding these sites. Of specialnote are Hanover Washington (evacuated in 1943),Rocky Flats Colorado (plutonium spontaneouslyigniting cause two major fires), and Fernald Ohio(contaminated ground water). All three of thesesites are currently in the process of being cleanedup.


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In New Mexico on July 16, 1945 was Trinitytest, the first atomic explosion. The Trinity testspread radioactive material over a 300 squaremile area, including Santa Fe, Las Vegas, andTrinidad (Colorado). Later two bodies werediscovered 20 miles from the detonationlocationthe couple had been living in anearby canyon in an adobe house.


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The Hiroshima bomb wasnicknamed little boy (on the left) and was

detonated on August 6, 1945killing approximately 140,000 by theend of that yearand an estimated total

of 200,000 altogether.Fat Man (on the right)was dropped three days later on Nagasakikilling approximately 70,000 people. Entirefamilies were wiped out. The effects of theradiation caused birth defects in some of the

survivors children, while others could nolonger have babies. The physical,psychological,and environmental impacts of these atrocitiescan hardly be put into words.


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http://www.aracnet.com/~pdxavets/1259a.gif%20hiroshima%201http://www.aracnet.com/~pdxavets/1259a.gif%20hiroshima%201


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This picture was taken by a US army medicnamed Henry Dittner in October 1945.


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Since 1945there has been2,050 nuclearweapons testsworld wide.Thispicture is of DogShot in theNevada desert in1951. The

second series oftests, the firstseries with largescale troopspresent.


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The morbidity study for Crossroads contains data receivedfrom 1,572 veterans of the 42,000 participating veterans. Thisrepresents a sample size of 3.74 %. The average death age ofthe 380 deceased veterans is 57 years. The incident of alltypes of cancers in deceased Crossroads Veterans is 59%.

The Incidence of all types of cancer in the 1572 reportingVeterans is 35%.

The leading cancer types, ranging from 23% down to 6%, are

skin, prostate, lymphoma, lung, urinary, colon, andesophagus. These percentages for the most part are seen in data on

Ranger, Greenhouse, Buster-Jangle, Trinity, Tumbler-Snapper,Upshot-Knothole, Castle, and Redwing. Information fromveterans from other tests is needed before an analysis can be

performed. Further study and data is needed to isolate target area, ie,

tests, units, ships.


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Depleted uranium iswhats left over fromthe enrichmentprocess and isradioactive. Uranium

is a heavy metal thatcan easily penetrateamour. Depleteduranium is currentlybeing used in Iraq, andwas used in Kosovo,

the Gulf War, andBosnia. When adepleted uraniumburns, radioactiveparticles are release

into the air. Depleteduranium is also a toxicl
http://www.cbc.ca/news/indepth/background/du.htmlhttp://www.cbc.ca/news/indepth/background/du.html


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There four different kinds of waste: High-level (spentfuel and plutonium waste), transuranic (contaminatedtools and clothes), low and mixed low-level(hazardous waste from hospitals), and uranium milltailings. In the US there is approximately 91 milliongallons of high-level waste, 11.3 million cubic feet oftransuranic waste, 472 million cubic feet of low andmixed low level waste, and 265 million tons of

uranium tailings.

Nuclear Waste


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According to the Skull Valley Goshute Indian website the Goshute Indians in Utah recently made an agreementwith a private utility to temporarily store 40,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel. The Goshute reservation is18,000 acres, and already surrounded by other polluting industries. To the south of the reservation is the

Dougway Proving Grounds

a government chemical and biological weapons testing site. Also to the south isthe Intermountain Power Project, which mainly makes coal-fired electricity for California. To the east is agovernment depository of nerve gas, and to the northeast is a low-level radioactive disposal site and toxicwaste incinerator. Finally, in the north is a magnesium production plant. On the Skull Valley Goshute website itis stated that since the reservation is already surrounded by hazardous facilities, and after careful considerationand consultation with the government, scientists, and corporations, they have entered into this agreement.

This is a picture of a ten-million ton pile of uranium tailings.The pile is right next to theColorado River,and leaks ammonia into it threatening the fish. The owners of the pile whenbankrupt, so no the citizens of Moab are waiting for the Department of Energy to clean it up.The clean up will cost an estimated 64 million dollars.

Moab, Utah

Skull Valley Goshutes


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Yucca Mountain located in southernNevada. Although this location hasnot been built yet, the plan is to havethe waste buried deep in themountain. Waste would be

transported from all over the countryin specially design railroad cars andtruck trailers. The waste would thenbe repackaged for final burial. Thisplan is highly controversial

Yucca Mountain


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Overall, nuclear energy disproportionatelyeffects rural communities and thecommunities near nuclear facilities. Uraniummining and bombing are particularly

detrimental to the environment. Further, theeffects of radiation (cancer, illness, anddeath) are significant. If you find yourself ina situation where you are being exposed to

radiation, shield yourself from the blast, andthen move as far away from the detonationarea as possible (otherwise remain indoors).


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Thank you

Nuclear Renaissance 1

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