Ishika Biswas Atanu Saha

Origins and The Vision

After World War II, development of civilian nuclear program Atlantic Energy Act of 1946 1954: first commercial nuclear power program It is not too much to expect that our children will enjoy in their homes [nuclear generated] electrical energy too cheap to meter.

Lewis Strauss, Chairman of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (1954

Nuclear reactor

A nuclear reactor is a device in which nuclear chain reactions are initiated,

controlled, and sustained at a steady rate, as opposed to a nuclear bomb, in which

the chain reaction occurs in a fraction of a second and is uncontrolled causing an explotion.

STEAM GENERATORS
Steam generators are heat exchangers used to convert water into steam from
heat produced in a nuclear reactor core. Either ordinary water or heavy water is used as the coolant.

STEAM TURBINE
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into useful mechanical Various high-performance alloys and superalloys have been used for steam

generator tubing.

COOLANT PUMP
The coolant pump pressurizes the coolant to pressures of the orderof 155bar. The pressue of the coolant loop is maintained almost constant with the help of the pump and a pressurizer unit.

FEED PUMP
Steam coming out of the turbine, flows through the condenser for condensation
and recirculated for the next cycle of operation. The feed pump circulates the condensed water in the working fluid loop.

CONDENSER
Condenser is a device or unit which is used to condense vapor into liquid. The objective of the condenser are to reduce the turbine exhaust pressure to increase the efficiency and to recover high qyuality feed water in the form of

condensate & feed back it to the steam generator without any further treatment.

COOLING TOWER
Cooling towers are heat removal devices used to transfer process waste heat
to the atmosphere. Water cirulating throughthe codeser is taken to the cooling tower for cooling and reuse

ADVANTAGES
Nuclear power generation does emit relatively low amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). The emissions of green house gases and therefore the contribution of nuclear power plants to global warming is therefore relatively little. This technology is readily available, it does not have to be developed first.

It is possible to generate a high amount of electrical energy in one single plant

DISADVANTAGES

Nuclear power plants as well as nuclear waste could be preferred targets for
terrorist attacks. During the operation of nuclear power plants, radioactive waste is produced, which in turn can be used for the production of nuclear weapons. Nuclear power plants as well as nuclear waste could be preferred targets for terrorist attacks.. During the operation of nuclear power plants, radioactive waste is produced, which in turn can be used for the production of nuclear weapons

Environmental pollution of nuclear power plants. List of dangers, connected with NPPs:
Release of radioactive particles into environment. Radioactive isotopes pollution.

Water temperature increases. The threat of nuclear accidents.

The threat of nuclear terrorism.

Nuclear power plants technologies that provide safety. Reactor design flaws. Mistakes and incompetence of personnel. Major incidents regarding NPPs. Could it happen again? Used sources.

It was commonly to think that nuclear energy is absolutely safe until some serious incidents occurred on nuclear power plants of the USA(Three Mile Island), Japan(Kashiwaszki-Kariwa) and the most dangerous incident in the former USSR (Chernobyl). The last of them had very serious consequences. All these events changed the opinion of people about the safety of nuclear energy. However the danger of nuclear energy was not only in the nuclear accidents.

Release of radioactive particles Radioactive isotopes pollution Water temperature increases The threat of nuclear accidents
The threat of nuclear terrorism

Usually the radioactive particles appear from radioactive isotopes and in fission process. In most cases speaking about radioactive particles pollution, people mean gammaradiation, which is easily determinated by a Geiger counter. At the same time there are many beta-radiators, which are badly determinated by the most of existing devices.

Radioactive contamination is typically the result of a spill or accident during the production or use of radionuclides (radioisotopes), an unstable nucleus which has excessive energy. However the production of those radionuclides is controlled by filters and other equipment. The biological effects of internally deposited radionuclides depend greatly on the activity and the biodistribution and removal rates of the radionuclide, which in turn depends on its chemical form.

For the NPPs just as for the thermal power stations heat release into is typical. It is marked that the temperature of water in the area of nuclear power station is higher than without it. Because of that the balance of water evaporation is disturbed and the amount of salt in water increased. This changes can lead to extinction of some species of animals.

The most actual question appealed to NPP is the question of nuclear accidents. Thought the chances of such accident is very small the danger it carries is very serious.

Another actual question of the NPPs safety is nuclear terrorism. The NPP could be captured by terrorists and used like a nuclear weapon.

The most widespread causes of the NPP accident are:

Reactor design flaws. Mistakes and incompetence of personnel.

It is important to learn by your own mistakes. So the Chernobyl disaster were carefully examined and analyzed. After that new standards of safety and new technologies were adopted.

Well take a Chernobyl as an example for reactor design flaws. There were several serious design flaws in the Chernobyl RBMK:
The scram button that supposed to stop the reaction accelerated it instead. the heat from the graphite, which operates at 700 degrees Centigrade, flows from the graphite back through the pressure tubes and is taken away by the boiling water. "However, the problem with graphite at high temperatures is that if it is exposed to air, it will burn slowly. The RBMK reactor was a large one and it could not be put in containment.

These reactors are not used nowadays and all known design flaws are removed from new reactors.

Six human errors were identified. Two permanent operating rules were violated: not to run the reactor for any length of time at reduced power level (below 700 Megawattsthermal), and never to have fewer than thirty control rods fully inserted into the core If any one of these six errors had not been committed, the explosion would not have occurred. However its not the fault of personnel, its the fault of their not sufficient training. After Chernobyl disaster some new laws of safety were adopted.

Major incidents regarding NPPs

chernobyl Three mile island KashiwazakiKariwa
BWR

fukushima

Reactors used

A high-power, boiling water type reactor (RBMK)

TMI-2 reactor

Six boiling water reactor(BWR)

The main causes of the accident

The operators violated plant procedures and were ignorant of the safety requirements needed by the RBMK design

The sequence of certain events - equipment malfunctions, design related problems and worker errors.

Earthquake

tsunami

consequences

The Ukrainian Ministry of Public Health in April 1995 said 125,000 already dead. Economically, the consequences have been staggering: at least $300 Billion and more.

None people died. There were no environment pollution

None died. No environmental pollution.

The discovery of plutonium in soil around the plant has also caused further anxiety. the discovery of highly radioactive water outside the plant indicates contamination could seep into nature.

chernobyl

Three mile island

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa

fukushima

B F O R E

A F T E R

Yes, the causes of such disasters are well understood but theres no certitude that government and NPPs personnel will follow them. First of all some countries couldnt have enough money to develop and integrate newest technologies into NPPs. Secondly the chance of human mistakes is always exists. So there always will be chance of accident like the ones we examined.

Production plants involved in the manufacturing of weapons have also done significant harm to the environment and surrounding communities. Because the US was in such a hurry to make as many nuclear weapons as possible, there are many severely contaminated environments surrounding these sites. Of special note are Hanover Washington (evacuated in 1943), Rocky Flats Colorado (plutonium spontaneously igniting cause two major fires), and Fernald Ohio (contaminated ground water). All three of these sites are currently in the process of being cleaned up.

In New Mexico on July 16, 1945 was Trinity test, the first atomic explosion. The Trinity test spread radioactive material over a 300 square mile area, including Santa Fe, Las Vegas, and Trinidad (Colorado). Later two bodies were discovered 20 miles from the detonation locationthe couple had been living in a nearby canyon in an adobe house.

The Hiroshima bomb was nicknamed little boy (on the left) and was detonated on August 6, 1945 killing approximately 140,000 by the end of that yearand an estimated total of 200,000 altogether.Fat Man (on the right) was dropped three days later on Nagasaki killing approximately 70,000 people. Entire families were wiped out. The effects of the radiation caused birth defects in some of the survivors children, while others could no longer have babies. The physical,psychological, and environmental impacts of these atrocities can hardly be put into words.

This picture was taken by a US army medic named Henry Dittner in October 1945.

Since 1945 there has been 2,050 nuclear weapons tests world wide.This picture is of Dog Shot in the Nevada desert in 1951. The second series of tests, the first series with large scale troops present.

The morbidity study for Crossroads contains data received from 1,572 veterans of the 42,000 participating veterans. This represents a sample size of 3.74 %. The average death age of the 380 deceased veterans is 57 years. The incident of all types of cancers in deceased Crossroads Veterans is 59%. The Incidence of all types of cancer in the 1572 reporting Veterans is 35%. The leading cancer types, ranging from 23% down to 6%, are skin, prostate, lymphoma, lung, urinary, colon, and esophagus. These percentages for the most part are seen in data on Ranger, Greenhouse, Buster-Jangle, Trinity, Tumbler-Snapper, Upshot-Knothole, Castle, and Redwing. Information from veterans from other tests is needed before an analysis can be performed. Further study and data is needed to isolate target area, ie, tests, units, ships.

Depleted

uranium is whats left over from the enrichment process and is radioactive. Uranium is a heavy metal that can easily penetrate amour. Depleted uranium is currently being used in Iraq, and was used in Kosovo, the Gulf War, and Bosnia. When a depleted uranium burns, radioactive particles are release into the air. Depleted uranium is also a toxic

Nuclear Waste
There four different kinds of waste: High-level (spent fuel and plutonium waste), transuranic (contaminated tools and clothes), low and mixed low-level (hazardous waste from hospitals), and uranium mill tailings. In the US there is approximately 91 million gallons of high-level waste, 11.3 million cubic feet of transuranic waste, 472 million cubic feet of low and mixed low level waste, and 265 million tons of uranium tailings.

Skull Valley Goshutes

According to the Skull Valley Goshute Indian website the Goshute Indians in Utah recently made an agreement with a private utility to temporarily store 40,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel. The Goshute reservation is 18,000 acres, and already surrounded by other polluting industries. To the south of the reservation is the Dougway Proving Groundsa government chemical and biological weapons testing site. Also to the south is the Intermountain Power Project, which mainly makes coal-fired electricity for California. To the east is a government depository of nerve gas, and to the northeast is a low-level radioactive disposal site and toxic waste incinerator. Finally, in the north is a magnesium production plant. On the Skull Valley Goshute website it is stated that since the reservation is already surrounded by hazardous facilities, and after careful consideration and consultation with the government, scientists, and corporations, they have entered into this agreement.

Moab, Utah
This is a picture of a ten-million ton pile of uranium tailings.The pile is right next to the Colorado River,and leaks ammonia into it threatening the fish. The owners of the pile when bankrupt, so no the citizens of Moab are waiting for the Department of Energy to clean it up. The clean up will cost an estimated 64 million dollars.

Yucca Mountain
Yucca Mountain located in southern Nevada. Although this location has not been built yet, the plan is to have the waste buried deep in the mountain. Waste would be transported from all over the country in specially design railroad cars and truck trailers. The waste would then be repackaged for final burial. This plan is highly controversial

Overall, nuclear energy disproportionately effects rural communities and the communities near nuclear facilities. Uranium mining and bombing are particularly detrimental to the environment. Further, the effects of radiation (cancer, illness, and death) are significant. If you find yourself in a situation where you are being exposed to radiation, shield yourself from the blast, and then move as far away from the detonation area as possible (otherwise remain indoors).

Thank you