1. CH.19
CONVENTIONAL
ENERGY
1 9 . 5 N U C L E A R P O W E R
Z AC H AN D E R S O N
AD AM C O R E

2. NUCLEAR POWER
• Beginning in the early 1950’s, President Eisenhower wanted to
move towards a more nuclear-powered society. He
presented “Atoms for Peace” speech before the United
Nations in 1953, pushing for nuclear-powered generators to
provide clean, abundant energy.
• He pushed for nuclear energy as an alternative resource
because it would fill the deficit that came from shortages of oil
and natural gas.
• This was also a very cheap form of energy.
• Between 1970-1974 American utilities ordered 140 new
reactors for power plants.
• However in recent decades, increasing construction costs,
declining demand for electric power and safety issues have
made nuclear energy far less favorable.

3. NUCLEAR REACTORS
• The most commonly used fuel in nuclear power
plants is U₂₃₅, which is a naturally occurring
radioactive isotope of uranium.
• Usually U₂₃₅ makes up less than 1% of uranium ore.
• Many people who are exposed to uranium mines
suffer from lung cancer due to high levels of radon
and dust.

5. NUCLEAR REACTORS (CONTINUED)
• U₂₃₅ concentrations must reach 3%, so it can be
formed into cylindrical pellets.
• 100 rods together make up a fuel assembly. These
fuel assemblies are packed together in a heavy
steel vessel.
• The radioactive uranium particles produced are
unstable and undergo nuclear fission, releasing
energy and neutrons.

6. FISSION PROCESS

7. REACTOR DESIGNS
• 70% of the nuclear plants in the world are
pressurized water reactors, (PWR) where water
circulates through the core and absorb heat as it
cools the fuel rods.
• There is a simpler, but dirtier and more dangerous
reactor is the boiling water reactor (BWR). In this
model, water from the reactor core boils to make
steam, which directly drives the turbine-generators.

8. REACTOR USES
• Britain, France, and the former Soviet Union all
use a common reactor design that uses
graphite, both as a moderator and as the
structural material for the reactor core. Britain
uses MAGNOX, while in the Soviet the RBMK was
used.
• These were all originally thought to be safe due
to graphite’s high capacity for both capturing
neutrons and dissipating heat.
• One of the most well known disasters was at
Chernobyl, caused from burning graphite.

9. ALTERNATIVE DESIGNS
• HTGCR- High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor
• PIUS- Process-Inherent Ultimate Safety reactor

10. HTGCR
• Fuel pellets are encased in ceramic.
• Helium is used as the coolant.
• All Coolant can be lost and no meltdown will occur.
• Examples: Brown’s Ferry Reactor in AL (failed)
• General Atomic in Europe (successful)
• Suffered complete coolant loss—survived.

11. PIUS

12. BREEDER REACTORS
• Special reactors
that create fuel
from U238.

13. BREEDER REACTORS
• Advantages • Disadvantages
• Create enough fuel • Has to be run at
to power nuclear high temperature so
plants for 100+ years water can’t be
• Use an abundant used as coolant.
form of uranium Liquid Na is used.
• Produce weapons
grade plutonium.