Nuclear Energy

Nuclear Energy

Introduction

Nuclear energy is considered the energy of the future, its output assumes the fission of the atomic nucleus. At the core of a reactor is where it all happens: the fuel rods added to it containing fissionable isotope. The water or other liquid, performs a circular motion around the nucleus and steals all the heat generated by nuclear fission reaction.

The highly heated liquid obtained in process one, flows into a steam generator where steam is then routed to a turbine connected to a generator. The steam carries the movement in the turbine, generating electricity.

The steam produced in the process two is condensed and recycled through the generator, and thus the production of nuclear energy in the form of a closed system becomes constant, that is, a renewable energy source (Lenzen, 2008).

Discussion

The use of nuclear energy has high risks but also benefits in return. This makes the use of nuclear power is far from generating consensus. This energy can be seen as a possible escape from the high consumption and dependence on oil, but like all other energies we take stock of the advantages and disadvantages of their use.

Nuclear energy is the energy released in a nuclear reaction, that is, during processing of atomic nuclei. Some isotopes of certain elements have the ability to transform into other isotopes or elements through nuclear reactions, emitting energy in the process. It is based on the principle of the equivalence of energy and mass (noted by Albert Einstein ), according to which nuclear reactions occur during processing of mass into energy. It was discovered by Hahn and Meitner with the observation of a nuclear fission after irradiation of uranium with neutrons.

Nuclear technology has as one of its purposes to generate electricity. Taking advantage of the heat released in the reaction to heat the water until it becomes steam, and thus moving a turbo generator. This can happen in a controlled nuclear reaction in a reactor of a nuclear power plant or a wildly bomb. In other applications takes advantage of ionizing radiation emitted.

There are two types of energy sources used to produce nuclear energy, uranium and thorium, two miners radioactive, although uranium is the most used and known, due to uranium reserves are abundant, which does not affect its exhaustion in the short or medium term. Uranium is used as fuel in nuclear reactors, in the form of oxide, metal alloy, or even carbide (Apergis, Payne, Menyah, & Wolde-Rufael, 2010).

Some reactors use natural uranium, but the vast majority, as in the case of reactors moderated and cooled with normal water, which equip more than two thirds of nuclear use as fuel, enriched uranium.

Uranium is a chemical element with symbol U and mass equal to 238 (92 protons and 146 neutrons). Uranium is found when the temperature is in the solid state. It was the first element to reveal radioactive properties and was discovered in 1978. The nuclear reaction is the change in the composition of the atomic nucleus ...