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Nuclear Energy in the U.S.

Nuclear Energy in the U.S. . Juliet, Thurman, Conner, and Taylor. What is Nuclear Energy? . What is it? Capturing atomic nuclei for energy use for people Two kinds: Fission Fusion Most common form of fission involves splitting Uranium 235. Fission. What is it?

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Nuclear Energy in the U.S.

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  1. Nuclear Energy in the U.S. Juliet, Thurman, Conner, and Taylor

  2. What is Nuclear Energy? • What is it? • Capturing atomic nuclei for energy use for people • Two kinds: • Fission • Fusion • Most common form of fission involves splitting Uranium 235

  3. Fission • What is it? • Splitting of two atoms into smaller pieces • Fission produces smaller pieces of the atom, along with more energy, and electromagnetic radiation • Fission of Uranium produces resources by; Produces heat -> produces steam -> steam drives turbines to create electricity

  4. Fusion • What is it? • Pairing small atoms together to become one to release large amounts of energy

  5. History • 1939- development of nuclear fission began in labs • 1940- Manhattan project (secret military objective to build the first nuclear weapon Atomic Bomb) • 1950’s-1980- popularity of nuclear energy was an increased way of producing energy • 1980’s- popularity decreased due to cost restraints

  6. Current Statistics in the U.S. • 61 Nuclear Power Plants • 99 Nuclear Reactors • Spread among 30 states • Makes up about 19% of the U.S. energy • No way to get rid of the waste

  7. How Much Does the World Produce in Nuclear Energy?

  8. Waste from Nuclear Energy • Budget of $32 million set aside for the storage of the waste • Stored underground and in the reactors • Waste keeps piling up • Affects the surrounding environment where it is stored

  9. Waste from Nuclear Energy cont. • Low-level waste • Includes items that have been contaminated by radioactive material • Intermediate-level waste • Filters, steel components, other various parts of the reactor • High-level waste • -Highly radioactive materials produced as a byproduct of the reaction from nuclear fission

  10. How Waste Is Managed • Two acceptable and regulated methods of storing nuclear waste • Spent Fuel Pools: are placed in the reactor and contain at least 20 feet of water, there are neutron absorbing materials placed as a barrier in the fuel pool • Dry Cask Storage: developed as an alternative when fuel pools began, allows waste that has spent a year in the fuel pool is placed in leak-confined steel cyclinders

  11. Future of Nuclear Energy in the U.S. • Use of nuclear power within the states appears limited • Optimists may believe there will be a surge with nuclear power once again due to more efficient plants and safer more advanced equipment • Nuclear power is quickly becoming outsourced as an energy resource by other forms of energy such as natural gas • The cost of continuing to run nuclear power plants and stockpile the waste is beginning to outweigh the rewards and efficiency of nuclear energy

  12. Works Cited • http://www.nei.org/Issues-Policy/Nuclear-Waste-Management • http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/nuclear-fuel-cycle/nuclear-wastes/radioactive-waste-management/ • http://vtdigger.org/2014/05/19/legacy-americas-nuclear-power-plants-spent-fuel-place-put/ • http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/nuclear-fuel-cycle/nuclear-wastes/radioactive-wastes---myths-and-realities/ • http://fusioned.gat.com/what_is_fusion.html • http://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/dry-cask-storage.html • http://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/pools.html • http://www.nrc.gov/waste/low-level-waste.html • http://www.nrc.gov/waste/high-level-waste.html • http://www.nrc.gov/waste.html • http://www.world-nuclear.org/nuclear-basics/what-are-nuclear-wastes-/

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