Nuclear energy is a form of energy released from the nucleus, which is made up of protons and neutrons at the center of atoms. This source of energy can be produced in two ways: fission - when the nuclei of atoms split into several parts - or fusion - when the nuclei fuse together.
Nuclear power used for electricity generation around the world today is through nuclear fission, while the technology to generate electricity from fusion is in the R&D stage. This article will explore nuclear fission.
What is nuclear fission?
Nuclear fission is a reaction in which the nucleus of an atom splits into two or more smaller nuclei, releasing energy.
For example, when struck with a neutron, the nucleus of an atom of uranium-235 splits into two smaller nuclei, for example a barium nucleus and a krypton nucleus, and two or three neutrons. These extra neutrons would collide with other surrounding uranium-235 atoms, which would also split and generate additional neutrons in a multiplication effect, thus producing a chain reaction in a fraction of a second.
Every time a reaction occurs, energy is released in the form of heat and radiation. Heat can be converted into electricity in a nuclear power plant, just as the heat from fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil is used to generate electricity.
How does a nuclear power plant work?
Inside nuclear power plants, nuclear reactors and their equipment operate and control chain reactions fueled by uranium-235 to produce heat through fission. The heat heats the reactor's cooling agent, usually water, to produce steam. Steam is then sent to spin turbines, which activates an electric generator to create low-carbon electricity.
Find out more about the different types of nuclear power reactors on this page.
Mining, enrichment and disposal of uranium
Uranium is a metal that can be found in rocks around the world. Uranium has several naturally occurring isotopes, which are forms of an element that differ in mass and physical properties but with similar chemical properties. Uranium has two basic isotopes: uranium-238 and uranium-235.Uranium-238 makes up most of the world's uranium, but cannot generate a fission chain reaction, while uranium-235 can be used to produce energy by fission, but it accounts for less than 1 percent of the world's uranium.
For natural uranium to be more likely to undergo fission, it is necessary to increase the amount of uranium-235 in a given sample through a process called uranium enrichment. Once uranium is enriched, it can be effectively used as a nuclear fuel in power plants for three to five years, after which it is still radioactive and follows stringent guidelines to protect people and the environment. have to follow. Used fuel, also known as spent fuel, can also be recycled into other types of fuel for use as new fuel in specialized nuclear power plants.
Nuclear waste
The operation of nuclear power plants generates waste with varying levels of radioactivity. These are managed differently depending on the level and purpose of their radioactivity. Watch the animation below to know more about this topic.
Radioactive waste management
Radioactive waste makes up a small portion of all waste. It is a by-product of the millions of medical procedures, industrial and agricultural applications that use radiation and nuclear reactors that generate about 11% of global electricity each year. This animation explains how radioactive waste is managed to protect people and the environment from radiation now and in the future.
Nuclear power and climate change
Nuclear power is a low-carbon source of energy because, unlike coal, oil or gas power plants, nuclear power plants practically do not produce CO2 during their operation. Nuclear reactors generate about a third of the world's carbon-free electricity and are important in meeting climate change goals.
Next-generation nuclear power plants, also called innovative advanced reactors, will generate far less nuclear waste than today's reactors. It is expected that they could be under construction by 2030.
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