Nuclear power

is the date of the biggest nuclear meltdown in history. While the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, a.k.a. the USSR, was in control of Ukraine, it built multiple nuclear power plants. However, these nuclear power plants were not as safe as the ones built in the west-ern countries due to the lack of a safety culture in the USSR. Soviet Russia had boasted how its nuclear power plants were the safest ones in the world in previous press conferences addressing the nuclear meltdown at Three Mile…

of Calgary Fundamentals of Nuclear Energy Najee Elbaroudi James Cody Webber Taylor Donegan Mar 28/16 Abstract One of the most effective ways of converting the natural energy stored in the Earth into usable electricity for everyday life is through the use of nuclear chain reactions created in nuclear reactors. Countries such as China, South Africa and the US have implemented a special kind of reactor to capture the vast amount of energy given off by these nuclear reactions. The Pebble Bed…

Is Thorium a good alternative? Thorium is a slightly radioactive metal that is made in rocks and soils, it is a significant replacement for uranium in the nuclear energy sector. As we continue to remain uncertain of our future supply of uranium, thorium is being seriously considered as an alternative to uranium to provide us with nuclear power at not only a reasonable cost but is also abundantly safe. For example, India has been looking at thorium for years, according to the US Geological…

a supply of nuclear fuel in the form of a molten salt mixture. A Molten Salt Reactors, such as Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor produces energy using a liquid nuclear fuel, not a solid fuel. MSRs also use a coolant that remains liquid at atmospheric pressure. LFTRs are designed to convert Thorium, an inexpensive and abundant material, into Uranium-233 which can then undergo nuclear fission. Other types of MSR can use spent uranium, depleted uranium, or plutonium, eliminating nuclear waste from…

74The most important lesson learned from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster is to prepare for the worst-case scenario. The world should recognize the need to consider the maximum potential seismic events greater than the ones observed or recorded. The experience from the Fukushima incident shows how there is a need for a consistent and comprehensive plan for pre-earthquake and post-earthquake response actions. Preparing for the worst-case scenario is a necessity when dealing with high…

Do you know how nuclear power is made? It all starts with an element on the periodic table called uranium that stands at number ninety-two. It gives off power in a single way, using uranium 235 and 238. Fission is this process of removing protons and electrons from unstable nuclei, converting them to lead. This process gives of anywhere from 1 to 5 MeV (million electron volts). You can even produce more energy by splitting the unstable nuclei even further. This type of power can, with just 75…

Renewable Energy: A Way to Change the World In 2010 the U.S. had more than 500 coal burning power plants. Before the year was over 180 of these plants have closed and more are scheduled to close (Brown). The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is now lowering. Today many new types of alternative energy sources are taking over. Harmful fossil fuels, including coal and oil, were previously used to make all the energy possible. These are however very harmful and nonrenewable. Wind, Solar,…

Photovoltaics convert sunlight directly into electricity. Solar thermal generators use sunlight to heat water and produce electricity from steam. Hydro-electric power plant generates electricity. Tidal power seems to be the most successful development of energy from the ocean. Wind power is used to produce electricity as it has high energy potential. Biofuels have been and remain a major source of energy throughout the history of civilisation. Geothermal energy is categorised…

Just thirty years ago, April 26th, 1986, one of the world’s largest nuclear meltdowns occurred in Pripyat, Ukraine. The workers of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant were running a system test on reactor four and there was a sudden, unexpected power surge. When the workers attempted to conduct an emergency shut off even more power was produced. This caused the reactor vessel to crack and allow air into the core. The core ignited and the fire sent a large plume of highly radioactive smoke. For the…

renewable energy implementation is essential around the world to ensure a sustainable worldwide community and healthy environment. Each and every day more CO2 is wildly thrown into the air by common energy producing practices such as coal burning and nuclear reactors. These practices are reckless and are absolutely detrimental to the surrounding ecosystem and even ecosystems hundreds of miles away. Implementation of wind energy as the major player of the energy sector will cut carbon emissions…