With the world looking to eliminate its carbon footprint in the atmosphere, many started searching how to use alternatives to create energy such as the sun, wind, and nuclear. But many are still skeptical about the last one: so how is nuclear energy part of the future as a potential solution?
What is nuclear energy?
Nuclear energy is the use of nuclear reactions and is a form of energy released from the core of atoms made up of protons and neutrons. It can be obtained from nuclear fission and nuclear fusion reactions. For now, the nuclear energy created by fission is used to produce electricity while the energy created by fusion is still in the R&D phase (Research and Development).
How is it created?
Nuclear power comes from fission. In this process, atoms are split releasing energy. This step produces heat used by nuclear plants to produce steam by heating water. The steam is then used to spin large turbines that generate electricity. Nuclear plants cool the steam back into water in a structure called a cooling tower or using water from nearby ponds, rivers,... This cooled water is then reused to produce steam.
How could it be used?
The electricity produced from nuclear energy can be used to power homes, hospitals... In fact, it is providing a significant portion of the world’s low-carbon electricity. Nuclear power has also essential uses across sectors such as consumer products, medicine, scientific research, transport...
What are its advantages and disadvantages?
Advantages
First of all, nuclear energy is a low carbon source of energy, nuclear power plants practically don’t produce CO2 and don’t completely alter the environment around them.
The energy produced is clean, renewable, and doesn’t release greenhouse gases. Also, the steam powering the turbines is recycled in the cooling tower. Excess steam is released into the atmosphere where it does the same harm as the water vapor.
Disadvantages
The residues from nuclear energy are radioactive and can affect many materials around them including the environment. They also can be extremely toxic. Protective clothes worn, tools... are considered radioactive waste + any other materials that have been in contact with radioactive dust. Materials like this stay radioactive for a long time ( about a thousand years).
Thankfully the government regulates how to dispose of these things so they don’t contaminate anything else.
Where is it used right now?
Only countries that have signed the NUCLEAR-NON PROLIFERATION TREATY can get the uranium (most widely used fuel to produce nuclear energy since its atoms split easily; it is also a common element as it is found in rocks all over the world) or plutonium. Therefore, most nuclear plants are located in the developed countries (USA, FRANCE, CHINA, ...).
-https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/nuclear-energy/ -https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/non-power-nuclear-applications/overview/the-many-uses-of-nuclear-technology.aspx
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