Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, the demand for energy has
increased dramatically year after year.
Fossil Fuels
Today, the majority of this demand is met with the combustion of fossil fuels.
With the recent disaster at Fukushima as well as the ever-present effects of the
events at Chernobyl and Three-Mile Island, nuclear power has lost some of the
enthusiasm that once surrounded it. Because of the rising costs and harmful effects
on the environment caused by fossil fuels, people are looking for ways to replace our
dependence upon them.
Renewable
While renewable such as hydroelectric, solar, and wind energy have proven to be
worthy replacements, they are still a ways off from meeting our needs.
Nuclear Fuels
Nuclear, on the other hand, has all of the technology required to be used on a large
scale. In the U.S., Nuclear accounts for 21% of the electricity produced whereas
coal contributes 41%, natural gas 24%, renewable 12%, and petroleum only 1%.
Despite the current level of adoption, there is still a lot of misconceptions and
fear surrounding nuclear energy. Now, let's see how most nuclear power plants
actually work. First, you have the fuel, usually, Uranium, which must be mined,
enriched, and then formed into pellets that are placed in rods within the reactor.
The atoms of Uranium undergo a controlled chain reaction that emits heat.
Pressurized water around the reactor vessel is heated and circulated through pipes
in a steam generator, which produces water vapor that spins a turbine attached to
a generator. After leaving the turbine, the steam is condensed so that the cycle can
continue. The benefits of using nuclear fuels are numerous. The lack of carbon
emissions, the ability to create huge amounts of energy, and the reliability of power
production are all extremely important. As there are no fossil fuels used in the
consumption of Uranium, direct carbon emissions are nonexistent and indirect
emissions are limited to the construction of the facility and obtainment of fuel.
Unlike many renewable methods, nuclear plants do not depend on the conditions around them to function, which would make them perfect for the constant base load
of the electrical system. The main concerns surrounding nuclear energy are safety,
waste management, and total expense. Contrary to popular belief, nuclear is among
the safest sources of energy that is currently in use.
Despite the seemingly huge impact reported by the media, there have been no
deaths as a direct result of the meltdowns at either Fukushima or Three Mile Island.
Even in the case of Chernobyl, the total number of expected deaths is quite low.
In comparison, deaths due to the use of coal are over 10,000 per year in the U.S.
alone. However, deaths are not the only impact that an accident can have.
They can force people out of their homes and change the land around them for a
very long time.
Treatment Of Waste
For the treatment of waste, there are two main options that are currently employed;
containment and reprocessing. Containment is the placement of exhausted fuel into
safe containers where it will remain for a very long time. The second, more
expensive method, reprocessing, treats the waste so that it can be used within a
reactor again. Nonetheless, reprocessing is not currently practiced in the U.S. due
to a lack of facilities necessary. Furthermore, costs come mainly from the building
and regulation of plants. These high initial costs can be mitigated by focusing on uprating current plants instead of building many new ones. Finally, technologies are
being developed which can further decrease these disadvantages. So then, how
can nuclear play into our energy future? Combined with renewable sources, nuclear energy allows us to enjoy our energy needs without the impact on our
environment that is coupled with fossil fuels.
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