Nuclear power plants produce electricity through a process called nuclear fission. Uranium-235 is used as fuel and splits into parts when hit by neutrons, releasing energy. This energy heats water to produce steam that spins turbines to generate electricity. While nuclear power has benefits like being efficient and producing low emissions, it also has risks like radioactive waste storage and potential disasters. Three major nuclear disasters include the incidents at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima.

1. Nuclear Power

2. You should know how nuclear
power is generated
You should know the benefits
and risks of nuclear power

3. Fission
Fission - Splitting a heavy
nucleus into two nuclei
with smaller mass
numbers.

4. A Fission Reactor

5. Deuterium – Tritium Fusion
Reaction
Fusion - Combining two light nuclei to
form a heavier, more stable nucleus. The
sun makes its energy by fusion.

6. What is nuclear energy?
Power plants use heat to produce electricity.
Nuclear energy produces electricity from heat
through a process called fission. Nuclear power
plants use the heat produced by fission of certain
atoms.
1. Nuclear fission
nucleus of atom is split into parts,
produces free neutrons and
energy

7. Nuclear Fuel: Uranium
2. Uranium-235
Fission of U-235 splits nucleus
in two pieces
releases neutrons for chain
reaction
Nuclear fission chain
reaction  releases energy in
the form of heat
The fuel used in
nuclear power
plants is an
isotope of the
radioactive
element uranium
http://www.ecolo.org/photos/uranium/uranium-black.jpg
92
U
Uranium

8. Nuclear Reactors
3. Nuclear Reactor  device built
to sustain a controlled nuclear
fission chain reaction
www.pbase.com/pbrakke/image/44279993
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Crocus-p1020491.jpg
Main Components of Nuclear
Reactor:
- reactor vessel
- tubes of uranium
- control rods
- containment structure
control rods control
radioactivity, absorbs
neutrons
Containment structure
contains the reaction
in at least 3 feet of
concrete!

9. The Nuclear Power Plant
Fission occurs
in the reactor
vessel. Heat is
produced.
The heat is used
to heat water to
create steam
The steam is
used to turn the
turbine in the
generator to
produce
electricity
The steam is
cooled in the
condenser to
return to the
liquid phase.
4. Nuclear power plant
consists of all the
parts needed to create
electricity by using
nuclear energy

10. 1. nuclear fission
2. Uranium-235
3. nuclear
reactor
4. nuclear power
plant
Key Components of
Nuclear Energy

11. - U.S. produces about 31%
of world’s nuclear power
- consumes about 22%
GA Power plants Plant
Hatch and Plant Vogel
20% of Ga’s energy is from nuclear power
Plant Hatch
Baxley, GA
Plant Vogtle
Waynesboro, GA
Nuclear Power Production in Georgia

12.  Efficient – 91%!
 High energy production from a small
amount of fuel
 Low greenhouse gas emissions so it
doesn’t contribute to global warming
or acid rain
 Low pollution
 Reliable 24/7
 Cheaper than other energy sources
except Hydroelectric
 We don’t have to rely on other
countries for our fuel

13.  Storage and disposal of hazardous
wastes. The half-life of 239 Pu (the
radioactive waste from nuclear power
plants is 24,000 years!)
 Proliferation (rapid growth) of nuclear
materials
 Potential terrorist applications
 High startup costs and expenses to close
down
 Danger of meltdown

14. Three Mile Island- Harrisburg, PA
Chernobyl – Russia
Fukushima- Japan

15. Three Major Nuclear
Disasters
• Three Mile Island- Harrisburg, PA
• Chernobyl – Russia
• Fukushima- Japan

16. Three Mile Island
Pennsylvania, USA

17. Chernobyl
Largest nuclear disaster in history.

18. Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
Nuclear disaster occurred as a result of an 8.0 earthquake and tsunami.

19. NUCLEAR DISASTER VIDEOS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLPAigMuBk0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZFKuRY7dx0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbBk0Y6cQZQ