Nuclear power

1
Nuclear power

• By Christopher Kemple, Alex Madaya, Patrick
  Verrastro, and Heather Shutt

2
The Social Spectrum

• A compromised reactor core can be dangerous
• Meltdowns can be fatal!
• Radiation leaks can cause death to people in the
  community
• The safety precautions are very expensive
• Nuclear Power is not renewable
• Uranium

• But there are precautions that prevent reactors
  from becoming compromised
• But Nuclear Power is one of the safest energy
  forms
• 10-50 thousand people die each year from
  Respiratory disease
• 300 are killed in mining accidents
• No Americans have seriously been injured or
  killed from Nuclear Power
• Nuclear Power is sustainable

• Against Nuclear Power

• For Nuclear Power

http//members.tripod.com/funk_phenomenon/nuclear/
procon.htm
3
People seem to be very concerned about this!

• In the 1990s Nuclear Power was the fastest
  growing energy source
• In 2005 it was the slowest!

http//www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/nuclear.htm
adv
http//photoblog.dralzheimer.stylesyndication.de/i
mages/nuclear_power_plant_cattenom_by_dralzheimer.
jpg
4
Three Mile Island

• Located near Harrisburg
• Was classified as a partial meltdown
• The facility did not have enough coolant to
  supply the core.
• The radioactive mass never made it past the steel
  outlining in the containment structure
• The special concrete put in as an added
  precaution gave the workers at Three Mile Island
  enough time to stop the disaster.

http//members.tripod.com/funk_phenomenon/nuclear/
procon.htm
5
Three Mile Island

• http//img.timeinc.net/time/daily/2009/0903/3mile_
  island_0326.jpg

6
Chernobyl

• Located in the Ukraine
• In 1986 the worst case disaster took place
• A fire destroyed the casing of the core
• Released radioactive isotopes into the atmosphere
• Death toll
• 31 died initially
• 15,000 died later as the result of the radiation

http//members.tripod.com/funk_phenomenon/nuclear/
procon.htm
7
Chernobyl before the disaster in 1986

• http//www.tynevalley-ccl.org/images/Ucraina,20Ch
  ernobyl20Il20Sarcofago.jpg

8
Chernobyl after the disaster in 1986

• http//www.tynevalley-ccl.org/images/Chernobyl-Ope
  npit.jpg

9
Environmental Problems

• Waste Disposal
• The byproduct of fission remains radioactive
• Storage facilities are not sufficient to store
  the worlds nuclear waste
• Transportation of the waste can be risky
• Radiation
• Can cause cancer, radiation sickness, and genetic
  mutation

http//members.tripod.com/funk_phenomenon/nuclear/
procon.htm
10
Environmental Problems

• Nuclear Power is not renewable
• It is sustainable but the Uranium needed to power
  nuclear plants in limited
• Similar to the issue related with fossil fuels.
• The realitynuclear power is clean
• And the power plants dont require huge amounts
  of uranium.
• It seems like a viable option as an alternative
  form of energy.

http//www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/radiation/rad-health-
effects.html
11
The Reality of Radiation Exposure

• Radiation is naturally present in our environment
• It is artificially produced by X-rays and by
  Microwaves
• Humans have defense mechanism against many types
  of damage caused by radiation
• Our bodies are not helpless
• The effects radiation can have on our bodies
• It can injure of damage cells
• Cells can die
• Cells can incorrectly repair

http//www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/radiation/rad-health-
effects.html
12
The Reality of Radiation Exposure

• Radiation doses of 200 rems can cause radiation
  sickness
• Only if we receive a large amount all at once
• If we used nuclear power we would only receive an
  extra 2/10 of a millarem each year
• Even if there was an accident there are safety
  precautions taken to ensure the safety of the
  surrounding community

http//members.tripod.com/funk_phenomenon/nuclear/
procon.htm
13
What Are These Safety Precautions?

• The pressure vessel is surrounded by a thick
  concrete wall
• This is inside of a sealed steel containment
  structure
• Which is inside of a steel reinforce concrete
  dome that is 4 feet thick
• There are sensors on the dome to detect changes
  in radiation and humidity

http//members.tripod.com/funk_phenomenon/nuclear/
procon.htm
14
This is an example of the safety precautions
implemented

• http//www.nei.org/filefolder/safety_cutway.jpg

15
Political Issues (the overview)

• Public demand for safety precautions are on the
  rise.
• The nuclear fuel cycle is a popular target for
  terrorists
• It can also be a pathway leading to nuclear
  weapons
• Storing nuclear waste is problematic, and the
  storage facilities the U.S. has are being filled
• International demand for nuclear energy is
  growing dramatically.

http//www.sandia.gov/ERN/nuclear-energy/index.htm
l
16
Political Issues

• The U.S. government needs to deal with a broad
  range of threats to the public.
• These security concepts are not limited to U.S.
  soil but need to be global in nature.
• With the heightened fear of terrorism in the
  United States the government needs to ensure
  people that there is limited danger in order to
  develop nuclear power.

http//www.sandia.gov/ERN/nuclear-energy/index.htm
l
17
Political Issues

• Since the Atomic Bomb dropped on Hiroshima people
  have been afraid of what nuclear power could lead
  to
• Over 10,000 people were killed in Hiroshima
• Many countries have nuclear weapons
• Ex) the US and Russia
• Many are working on developing them
• N. Korea, S. Africa, India, Iran, Iraq

http//library.thinkquest.org/3471/nuclear_politic
s.html
18
Political Issues

• Reactors produce radioactive waste
• Which is dangerous because it can kill humans who
  come into contact with this waste
• The U.S. plans to move its nuclear waste to an
  underground storage facility in the year 2010

http//www.freewebs.com/hoseo_environmental_club/R
ad-symbol20(Big).JPG
http//library.thinkquest.org/3471/nuclear_politic
s.html
19
Political Issues

• England is already dependent on nuclear power
• Japan will soon be dependent upon Nuclear Energy
• The U.S. has a total of 110 nuclear reactors
• Nuclear power has to potential to supply the
  U.S.s energy needs

20
Environmental Problems

• Water Consumption
• The harvesting of Uranium can consume large
  amounts of water
• For example, the Roxby Downs mine in South
  Australia uses 35 million liters of water each
  day
• Waste Heat
• The heated water from cooling down the rods is
  discharged into a local river or lake.
• In some cases this heat increase can effect the
  behavior of fish and aquatic life.

http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power
21
Environmental Problems

• Other waste
• Other waste, such as gas, liquid, and solid waste
  produced through the process of purifying the
  water through evaporation.
• High Level Waste
• The waste from a power plant still contains
  radiation and can be harmful to the environment

http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power
22
Environmental effects of accidents

• Severe environmental contamination is possible
  when a nuclear accident occurs.
• The Chernobyl accident released large amounts of
  radioactive contamination, killing many and
  rendering an area of land unusable to humans for
  an indeterminate period.
• The habitability of the area for animals,
  however, has been less clear.
• Some researchers have claimed to have detected
  reduced numbers of insects and spiders, while
  others have claimed that wildlife has flourished
  due to the absence of humans.

http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power
23
Political Problems

• Very few political problems regarding nuclear
  power exist.
• The main being that a nuclear power plant makes a
  prime target for a terrorist attack as a meltdown
  would create large scale damage.

24
Developed Countries

• 2007 14 of electricity of world power came from
  nuclear power
• Development increased from 1960 to about 1985
  production increased then leveled off
• A clean reliable energy source to use but start
  up costs are a lot 6-10 billion, most efficient
  way would just run the power plant as long as
  possible and possible add onto the power plant
• USA's nuclear power plants are already about 98
  efficient

25

• Top is the power generated, Bottom is the active
  power plants

26
Developed Countries Problems

• Most countries cant afford to get enough funding
  to set up a power plant in an ideal location
• Nuclear waste disposal is a current problem now
• Safely transporting waste to locations can cause
  problems
• Mining it can be costly and can hurt the
  environment by extracting uranium from underground

27
Undeveloped Countries

• Would be helpful in the long run but the cost to
  build and operate would be a problem
• Like developed countries waste disposal is still
  a problem
• It wouldn't be able to help a place like Africa
  because of the weak economy
• Mining for the Uranium would be a problem for an
  undeveloped country finding where the uranium
  is and extracting it might be hard

28
Do Any laws or regulations prevent the
development of nuclear energy in the U.S.? other
industrialized countries? Non-industrialized
countries?

• WANO- World Association of Nuclear Operation
• -Enormous opportunities to do more work in
  former communist
• countries, such as china, with improving
  safety.
• (www.belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu)
• BNFL- British Nuclear Fuels plc
• -In charge of material accountancy with Mayak
  production
• association in Europe (www.belfercenter.ksg.har
  vard.edu)
• Us Government
• -Seeking to strengthen International standards
  for securing
• weapons-usable material, the nuclear industry
  in many
• countries has been actively resisting these
  needed reforms. (www.belfercenter.ksg.harvard.ed
  u)

29

• IAEA-international atomic energy agency
• -Helps countries upgrade nuclear safety
• -Prepares for responses to emergencies
• -Cover nuclear installations, radioactive
  resources, radioactive
• material in transport, and radioactive
  waste(www.iaea.org)
• Euratom- European Atomic Energy Association
• -Furthering nuclear fuels, monitoring use of
  nuclear materials, and
• cooperating with other countries and
  international
• organizations.(www.europa.edu)
• NRC- U.S. Nuclear regulatory Commission
• -Protects health and safety or public.
• -Regulates design, construction, and operation
  of new commercial
• nuclear power facilities
• -Operating licenses, authorization, and
  construction permits are required(www.nrc.gov)

30

• U.S. department of energy-National Nuclear
  Security Administration (NNSA)
• -Reduces global danger from weapons of mass
  destruction
• -Promotes international nuclear safety and
  nonproliferation (www.energy.gov)
• WNA- World Nuclear Association
• -Insurances are required to cover all expenses
  , liable for any
• damage.(www.energy.gov)

31
What is the life expectancy of nuclear energy
reserves?

• The design life for nuclear power plants is
  suppose to last 30 to 40 years.
• - Most that exist now have been operating for
  about 20 or more
• years.(www.iaea.org)
• Many people want to do away with nuclear power.
  However it is here to stay. (www.energy.gov)