This document discusses nuclear energy and its applications. It begins with an introduction to nuclear energy and nuclear fission, the process by which energy is released from the nuclei of atoms. It then discusses various applications of nuclear energy including space exploration through the use of radioisotope thermoelectric generators on spacecraft, food irradiation to increase shelf life and kill bacteria, industrial uses like testing metals for flaws, and medical uses like imaging organs and detecting diseases. The document also covers advantages like large energy production without air pollution, and disadvantages such as risks from radiation and high building costs.

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Nuclear Energy

3. Group Members
 Ali Imran 16-EE-504
 Mujtaba Farrukh 16-EE-535
 Zeeshan Ahmad 16-EE-530
 Asad Raza Mehmood 16-EE-538
 Hamza Rahat 16-EE-536
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4. Table of Contents
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 Introduction
 Nuclear Fission
 Basic Principle
 Nuclear Reactor
 Application of Nuclear Energy
 Space Exploration
 Food & Agriculture
 Industrial Use
 Medical & Scientific Research
 Advantages
 Dis-advantages

5. Introduction
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6. Introduction
 Nuclear energy usually means the part of the energy of an atomic nucleus, which
can be released by fusion or fission or radioactive decay.
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7. Nuclear Fission
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8. Nuclear Fission
 Nuclear fission works by splitting the atoms apart to produce smaller atoms, and
as a result energy is released. Nuclear fission is used in nuclear power plants to
generate electricity through the splitting of the nuclei of uranium atoms.
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9. Nuclear Fission
 When atoms are joined together to form a larger atom is commonly referred to as
nuclear fusion. The sun produces energy through nuclear fusion where the nuclei
of hydrogen atoms are fused into helium atoms
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10. Basic Principle
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11. Basic Principle
 The basic principle of operation of a nuclear power plant is based on obtaining
heat energy through nuclear fission core combustible atoms. With this heat
energy, which have a vapor of water, will convert into mechanical energy in a
turbine, and finally convert mechanical energy into electrical energy by a
generator.
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12. Nuclear Reactor
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13. Nuclear Reactor
 A nuclear reactor is an installation capable of initiating, controlling and
maintaining nuclear reactions (fission usually) chain occurring in the core of the
facility.
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14. Boiling Water Reactors (BWR)
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15. Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR)
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16. Liquid-Metal Fast-Breeder Reactor
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17. Applications of Nuclear
Energy
 SPACE EXPLORATION
 FOOD & AGRICULTURE
 INDUSTRIAL USES
 MEDICAL & SCIENTIFIC USES
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18. Space Exploration
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19. Space Exploration
 Unmanned spacecraft rely on radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) for
the power they need for space exploration. RTGs use heat from plutonium to
generate electricity. They are safe, reliable and long-lived, even in the harsh
climate of our solar system.
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20. Powering Unmanned Spacecraft
 Unmanned spacecraft rely on radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) for the power they need for
space exploration. RTGs use heat from plutonium to generate electricity. The craft use this electricity to
run the computers that control their operation and collect and process the vast amounts of data,
including images, that are sent back to Earth.
 A typical RTG produces about 300 watts of electricity and will operate unattended for many years.
Voyager 1, which was launched in 1977, is at the edge of the solar system. Although now more than 9
billion miles from the sun, Voyager 1 is still transmitting data. Voyager 2, also launched in 1977, is not far
behind.
 RTGs have powered 24 U.S. space missions reliably and safely. The missions include the Apollo Lunar
Surface Experimental Packages, Pioneer 10 and 11, two Viking Mars craft, two Voyagers, and the Galileo,
Ulysses, Cassini and New Horizons spacecraft. RTGs are essential for exploration in deep space, where
spacecraft are too far from the sun to use solar power.
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21. Galileo Spacecraft Mission
 The Galileo spacecraft orbited Jupiter 35 times over a two-year period to better understand
atmospheric science, including climate change on Earth. Galileo was the first craft to fly past
an asteroid and the first to discover a moon of an asteroid. The Cassini spacecraft studied
Saturn’s rings and some of the planet’s moons. Both craft relied on RTGs to gather data and
record images of the planets.
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22. New Horizons Spacecraft Mission
 The New Horizons spacecraft, launched in 2006, is the latest NASA unmanned mission. The
craft, bound for Pluto, will reach the dwarf planet in 2015. After studying Pluto and Charon,
one of Pluto’s moons, the craft may view two newly discovered moons of Pluto. It then will fly
on to explore the rocky, icy objects in the Kuiper Belt.
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23. Food & Agriculture
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24. Food & Agriculture
 More than 40 countries have approved the use of radiation to help preserve nearly
40 different varieties of food. In agriculture, radiation has eradicated
approximately 10 species of pest insects.
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25. Food Irradiation
 In the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of irradiation for fruits,
vegetables, pork, poultry, red meat and spices.
 Food irradiation kills bacteria, insects and parasites that can cause food-borne diseases, such as salmonella,
trichinosis and cholera. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 76 million Americans are
affected by food-borne illnesses each year, and more than 5,000 die. In addition to killing bacteria, irradiation can
retard spoilage and increase the shelf life of food.
 Following an outbreak of illness traced to contaminated salad greens, the FDA in 2008 issued a final rule
approving irradiation of iceberg lettuce and spinach. The purpose was to help protect consumers from infection
by such bacteria as salmonella and E. coli, the FDA said. The foods affected by the rule are loose, fresh iceberg
lettuce and spinach and bagged iceberg lettuce and spinach. The FDA previously had approved irradiation of
these foods to kill insects and delay spoilage. However, the doses needed for those purposes are too low to
destroy most disease-causing bacteria.
 The irradiation process exposes food to gamma rays from cobalt-60, a radioisotope of cobalt. Sometimes, the
process uses electron beams or X-rays to produce the gamma rays.
 Food irradiation does not make the food radioactive, and it does not change the food any more than canning or
freezing.
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26. Agriculture
 In agriculture, radiation helps breed new seed varieties with higher yields, such as the "miracle"
rice that has greatly expanded rice production in Asia.
 By the end of the 1980s, radiation had eradicated approximately 10 species of pest insects in wide
areas, preventing agricultural catastrophes. These pests included the Mediterranean fruit fly and
the screwworm fly.
 Agricultural researchers also use radiation to:
 Develop hundreds of varieties of hardier, more disease-resistant crops—including peanuts,
tomatoes, onions, rice, soybeans and barley.
 Improve the nutritional value of some crops, as well as improve their baking or melting qualities or
reduce their cooking time.
 Pinpoint where illnesses strike animals, allowing the breeding of disease-resistant livestock.
 Show how plants absorb fertilizer, helping researchers to learn when to apply fertilizer, and how
much to use; this prevents overuse, thus reducing a major source of soil and water pollution.
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27. Industrial Uses
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28. Industrial Uses
 Among industries that use radioactive materials in their processes and products
are automobile and aircraft manufacturers, mining and oil companies, and
construction companies.
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29. Radiation Is Widely Used in Industry
 Radioactive materials also are used in industry to inspect metal parts and welds for defects; to measure,
monitor and control the thickness of sheet metal, textiles, paper napkins, newspaper, plastics, photographic
film and other products; to calibrate instruments; to manufacture ceramics and glassware; and to generate
heat or power for remote weather stations, space satellites and other special applications.
 Industries that use radioactive materials include:
 the automobile industry, to test the quality of steel in vehicles
 aircraft manufacturers, to check for flaws in jet engines
 mining and petroleum companies, to locate and quantify oil, natural gas and mineral deposits
 can manufacturers, to obtain the proper thickness of tin and aluminum
 pipeline companies, to look for defects in welds
 construction crews, to gauge the density of road surfaces and subsurface.
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30. Medicine & Scientific
Research
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31. Medical & Scientific Research
 In nuclear medical, medicine professionals inject a tiny amount of a
radioisotope—a chemical element that produces radiation—into a patient’s body.
A specific organ picks up the radioisotope, enabling a special camera to take a
detailed picture of how that organ is functioning.
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32. Medical & Scientific Research
 For example:
 Myocardial perfusion imaging maps the blood flow to the heart, allowing doctors to see whether a
patient has heart disease and determine the most effective course of treatment.
 Bone scans can detect the spread of cancer six to 18 months earlier than X-rays.
 Kidney scans are much more sensitive than X-rays or ultrasounds in fully evaluating kidney function.
 Imaging with radioactive technetium-99 can help diagnose bone infections at the earliest possible
stage.
 These kinds of diagnostic procedures involve very small amounts of radioisotopes. In higher doses,
radioisotopes also help treat disease. For example, radioactive iodine’s widespread use in therapy for
thyroid cancer results in a lower recurrence rate than drug therapy. It also avoids potentially fatal side
effects, such as the destruction of bone marrow.
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33. Advantages
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34. Advantages
 Produces Large Amount of Energy
 'Green' Energy
 No Air Pollution
 Fuel Independence
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35. Dis-advantages
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36. Dis-advantages
 Radiation
 Nonrenewable
 Huge Building Cost
 Nuclear Power Plant Accidents
 Transport of Fuel and Waste
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37. THANK YOU…!!!
Any Question…..??
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