What is Nuclear

Hello dear I would like to know about the Nuclear Energy so please provide me suitable information about this type energy source.

[Pathak]

Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions that release nuclear energy to generate heat which used in steam turbines to produce electricity in a nuclear power station.

Fission and Fusion

There are two fundamental nuclear processes considered for energy production: fission and fusion.

1. Fission

It is the energetic splitting of large atoms such as Uranium or Plutonium into two smaller atoms, called fission products.

To split an atom, you have to hit it with a neutron.

Several neutrons are also released which can go on to split other nearby atoms, producing a nuclear chain reaction of sustained energy release.

This nuclear reaction was the first of the two to be discovered

All commercial nuclear power plants in operation use this reaction to generate heat which they turn into electricity.

2. Fusion

It is the combining of two small atoms such as Hydrogen or Helium to produce heavier atoms and energy.

These reactions can release more energy than fission without producing as many radioactive byproducts.

Fusion reactions occur in the sun, generally using Hydrogen as fuel and producing Helium as waste.

This reaction has not been commercially developed yet and is a serious research interest worldwide, due to its promise of limitless, pollution-free, and non-proliferation features.

Problems and solutions with nuclear energy

1. Safety
The radioactive fission products are hottest when a reactor first shuts down.

This decay heat must be cooled or else the containment structures that hold the fuel and waste can breach, releasing radiation into the biosphere.

2. Safety Solutions

Nuclear energy has actually saved 1.8 million lives by displacing air-pollution related deaths.

This includes the health effects of the nuclear accidents.

3. Proliferation

The first application of fission was as an atomic bomb.

While nuclear reactors and atomic bombs are very different machines (and a reactor can never explode like a bomb),

4. Proliferation Solutions

It is important for nuclear facilities to monitor nuclear material.

5. High cost

Nuclear reactors are generally large and complex, with lots of reinforced concrete and nuclear-grade quality assurance programs.

6. Cost Solutions

If carbon dioxide is ever taxed as a pollutant, then nuclear reactors will become much more competitive.

7. Waste
When heavy atoms fission and release energy, the two smaller atoms remaining (called fission products) are often left with some extra energy to give off

8. Waste Solutions
We know of reasonable options to deal with nuclear waste safely.

Research in deep borehole technology is also looking promising.