is nuclear power sustainable

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 Is it sustainable?

By Callum O’Connor 10A 1N

Introduction

Nuclear power has not been around for very long and yet we now question its ability to provide us with what we need; Its performance is not what we are questioning but the sustainability and the environmental impact it has on the planet.  More and more nuclear power plants are being built and more and more plants that being dismantled. The money needed for both assembling and disassembling power plants is beyond extreme, can the world really continue on acting in this way.  Throughout this case study I will be looking at the benefits and drawbacks of nuclear power, the critical dates in history that led to what we now have and the dangers of nuclear power but the core issue that must be stressed, that must be recognized as a priority, is questioning if nuclear power is sustainable?

Nuclear energy explained

There are two types of nuclear power, Fission and fusion, however the process used in power plants is Fission, this involves a neutron hitting a fissionable atom (usually the isotope Uranium 235 is used) causing it to become very unstable breaking apart and releasing more neutrons which also break apart more uranium atoms which do the same, this is know as a chain reaction [1i], The diagram shows this, Control rods (far right) help to control the reaction, they stop the neutrons in their path, these rods can be extended or retracted making the reaction almost completely controlled.  The moderator slows down the neutron; this gives it a better chance of creating a successful chain reaction. The moderator can sometimes be made out of graphite it is usually applied straight to the uranium as a coating but sometimes the uranium is inserted into a sleeve of graphite.

The energy released from fission heats water flowing through pipes that turns it into steam making its way to the end of the pipe furiously turning the blades of a turbine, the turbine turns a generator which creates electricity, it goes through a transformer then across the surrounding areas [1i]. The large concrete towers you sometimes see with smoke coming off from the top is actually not smoke; once the steam turns the turbine it must be condensed to water again, this is done by the steam passing in-between pipes filled with cool water known as coolant, the coolant is subsequently turned into steam as it has stolen the kinetic energy for the steam that turned the turbine [1ii].  

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The timeline

Nuclear power was not discovered by one person and was not realized over night, it was due to many famous minds and a long period of time dedicated to study, experiments and theory developing.  The following cornerstones in time are what led to the discovery and creation of nuclear energy.

  • 460-370 BC [5]- Greek philosopher named Democritus first had the theory of matter being made up of atoms [4].

  • Newton along with other scientist made an atomic model [4].

  • Late 1700s John Dalton proposed the same theory, it fitted perfectly with the ...

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