The document discusses nuclear power and nuclear reactors. It defines key terms like radioactivity, atoms, isotopes, and different types of radioactive decay. It describes the basic structure of atoms and how fission and fusion reactions work to produce energy. It also summarizes the two most common types of nuclear reactors - pressurized water reactors and boiling water reactors. Nuclear power produces no greenhouse gas emissions and was the cheapest source of electricity in 1999.

1. CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - UNIVERSITY
POWER PLANT ENGG by rnavarro jr DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Nuclear Power

2. What is radiation? or radioactivity?
Radioactivity: The spontaneous decay of an
unstable atomic nucleus, giving rise to the
emission of radiation.
Radiation: The emission and propagation of
energy by means of electromagnetic waves or
particles.

3. What is an atom?
Atom: A particle of matter which cannot be
broken up by chemical means. Atoms have a
nucleus consisting of positively-charged protons
and uncharged neutrons of the same mass. The
positive charges on the protons are balanced by
a number of negatively-charged electrons in
motion around the nucleus.

4. Basic Structure of the Atom
• The atom is comprised of a nucleus, which
contains protons and neutrons. Electrons orbit
the nucleus held in place by electrostatic forces.

5. What is an isotope?
Isotope: An atomic form of an element having a
particular number of neutrons. Different
isotopes of an element have the same number
of protons but different numbers of neutrons
and hence different atomic mass, eg. U-235, U-
238. Some isotopes are unstable and decay to
form isotopes of other elements

6. What are naturally radioactive
elements?
• polonium
• astatine
• radon
• francium
• radium
• actinium
• thorium
• proctinium
• uranium

7. Types of Radioactive Decay
• alpha decay
• beta decay
• spontaneous fission
4 different kinds of
radioactive rays are
produced.
> alpha rays
> beta rays
> gamma rays
> neutron rays

8. What is an alpha decay?
-spontaneously throw off an alpha particle that
is made of two protons and two neutrons
example:
Americium-241
-used in smoke detectors
-becomes neptunium 237
-half of the atoms decay in 458 years

9. What is a beta decay?
- a neutron in the nucleus spontaneously turns
into a proton, an electron and a third particle
called an antineutrino
- ejects electron and antineutrino while protons
remains in the nucleus
example:
Tritium(Hydrogen-3)
-becomes helium-3 atom

10. What is spontaneous fission?
-splits instead of throwing off an alpha or beta
particle
example:
fermium-256
-becomes xenon-140 and palladium-112
-also ejects 4 neutrons, known as “prompt
neutrons” if absorbed by other atoms,
causes decay or fission or when they
collide causes “gamma rays” or if thrown
into space becomes “neutron rays”

11. Natural Danger
Ionizing radiation – when it interact with an
atom it can knock off an orbital electron, loss of
an electron can cause problems, including
everything from cell death to genetic
mutations(leading to cancer)

12. Penetration of Radioactive particles

13. Fission

14. Fission

15. Fusion

16. Fission is the release of
energy by splitting heavy
nuclei such as Uranium-235
and Plutonium-239
Fusion is the release of
energy by combining two
light nuclei such as
deuterium and tritium
How does a nuclear plant work?
• Each fission releases 2 or 3
neutrons
• These neutrons are slowed
down with a moderator to
initiate more fission events
• Control rods absorb neutrons
to keep the chain reaction in
check
• The goal of fusion
research is to confine
fusion ions at high
enough temperatures and
pressures, and for a long
enough time to fuse
• This graph shows the
exponential rate of
progress over the decades
Controlled Fission Chain Reaction
Confinement Progress
• Magnetic Confinement
uses strong magnetic fields
to confine the plasma
• This is a cross-section of
the proposed International
Thermo-nuclear
Experimental Reactor
(ITER)
• Inertial Confinement uses
powerful lasers or ion
beams to compress a pellet
of fusion fuel to the right
temperatures and pressures
• This is a schematic of the
National Ignition Facility
(NIF) being built at
Lawrence Livermore
Nuclear Power Plant
There are two main confinement approaches:
The energy from the
reaction drives a steam
cycle to produce
electricity
Nuclear Power produces no greenhouse gas emissions; each year
U.S. nuclear plants prevent atmospheric emissions totaling:
•5.1 million tons of sulfur dioxide
•2.4 million tons of nitrogen oxide
•164 million tons of carbon
Nuclear power in 1999 was the cheapest
source of electricity costing 1.83 c/kWh
compared to 2.04 c/kWh from coal
D
T
D-T Fusion
4He
3.52 MeV
Neutron
14.1 MeV

17. Nuclear Reactor

18. Nuclear Reactor

19. Reactor Types
• PRW—Pressurized Water Reactor—does not boil, but uses the pressure of
the water to heat a secondary source of water that generates electricity.
Most popular (accounts for 65% of reactors world wide). Considered a light
water reactor.
• BRW—Boiling Water Reactor—boils water (coolant) that makes steam to turn
turbines. Conducive to internal contamination. Also considered a light water
reactor.
• RBMK—Graphite-moderated pressure tube boiling-water reactor similar to
BWR but uses graphite and oxygen. Complex and difficult to examine.
• CANDU—Canadian Deuterium Uranium—Doesn’t use enriched fuel. Has lots
of tubes and internal contamination issues.
• Magnox—Gas cooled reactor. Cooled with carbon dioxide or helium, and
uses natural uranium. (UK and France).
• AGR—Advanced Gas-cooled—also cooled with carbon dioxide or helium.
Uses enriched uranium. (UK).
• Fast Breeder—high temperature gas reactor. Uses U235, U238, and
Plutonium 239. Very dangerous because it uses liquid sodium in the primary
circuit and in inflammable with air and explosive with water.

20. Most Common Type of Nuclear
Power Plants
Boiling Water Reactor (BWR)
-uses the heat from fission to heat water until it boils. The
water from the reactor and that water that is turned into
steam are the same

21. Most Common Type of Nuclear
Power Plants
Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR)
-keeps water under pressure so that it heats up but doesn’t
boil. Water from the reactor and water that is turned into
steam are in separate pipes

22. CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - UNIVERSITY
POWER PLANT ENGG by rnavarro jr DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

23. CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - UNIVERSITY
POWER PLANT ENGG by rnavarro jr DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

24. CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - UNIVERSITY
POWER PLANT ENGG by rnavarro jr DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

25. CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - UNIVERSITY
POWER PLANT ENGG by rnavarro jr DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

26. CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - UNIVERSITY
POWER PLANT ENGG by rnavarro jr DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

27. CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - UNIVERSITY
POWER PLANT ENGG by rnavarro jr DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

28. CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - UNIVERSITY
POWER PLANT ENGG by rnavarro jr DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

29. CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - UNIVERSITY
POWER PLANT ENGG by rnavarro jr DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

30. CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - UNIVERSITY
POWER PLANT ENGG by rnavarro jr DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

31. CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - UNIVERSITY
POWER PLANT ENGG by rnavarro jr DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

32. CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - UNIVERSITY
POWER PLANT ENGG by rnavarro jr DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

33. CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - UNIVERSITY
POWER PLANT ENGG by rnavarro jr DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

34. CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - UNIVERSITY
POWER PLANT ENGG by rnavarro jr DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

35. CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - UNIVERSITY
POWER PLANT ENGG by rnavarro jr DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

36. CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - UNIVERSITY
POWER PLANT ENGG by rnavarro jr DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

37. CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - UNIVERSITY
POWER PLANT ENGG by rnavarro jr DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

38. CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - UNIVERSITY
POWER PLANT ENGG by rnavarro jr DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING