Nuclear Energy #1: How it all started and Everything you need to know

Nuclear Energy has been around for over 50 years.

So why talk about it?

Well you will be amazed how little you know about nuclear energy. Join me as I reveal some facts which you may not have known

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It all started in 1940 after the shock of the war and the use of atomic bomb.

By 1950 nuclear energy promised to be a peaceful derivative of the the new technology. Everyone's imagination was running wild - Would electricity become free? Would there be nuclear powered cars, planes or houses?

The future was promising, one could say, it was atomic!!

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After a few years there was a kind of atomic change. As it turned out nuclear power was far more complicated than imagined and was quite expensive.

Turning physics to engineering seemed easier on paper than was in real life. Companies saw nuclear power as a risky investment.

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But many people still saw light in this new technology and didn't abandon it - the potential of having enormously cheap electricity, the potential of being independent of oil and gas imports, a secret desire to possess atomic weapon all fueled the desire to keep the research going.

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Nuclear energy's finest hour finally came in the early 1970's, when war in the Middle East caused oil prices to skyrocket. Making many countries more eager to find cheaper sources of energy.

More than half of the number of nuclear reactors in the world today, were built between 1970 and 1985

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With so many types of reactors to choose from, it was difficult picking out the right type. But the light water reactor won the day. It wasn't very innovative or popular, but it's main advantages were:

1. It was available.
2. It worked.
3. And most importantly, it was not that expensive.

How does a light water reactor work.

source

Well it simply heats up water using an artificial chain reaction known as nuclear fission, which then turns the turbine producing what we know as electricity.

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Nuclear fission releases several million times more energy than any chemical reaction could.

Rare and unstable elements like Uranium(235) get bombarded by neutrons producing lighter elements, radiation and more neutrons

The radiation heats up the water while the new neutrons repeat the process with other uranium atoms, releasing more neutrons and radiation in a closely controlled chain reactor, which is totally different from the fast and uncontrolled reaction in an atomic bomb.

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In the light water reactor, as in any other type of reactor, a moderator is needed to control the chain reaction. In this case, ordinary water is used and is very suitable because water is used to drive the turbine anyway.

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However, light water reactor is neither the safest, most efficient nor technically okay reactor

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The nuclear energy hype barely lasted a decade

• In 1979, the nuclear energy plant in Pennsylvania barely escaped a catastrophe when it's core melted.
• In 1986, the Chernobyl catastrophe directly threatened central Europe with a radioactive cloud.
• In 2011, the Fukushima disaster raised new discussions and terrible concern.

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While in the 1980's, 218 new nuclear power reactors went live, their numbers and share of world energy power has stagnated since the end of the 80's.

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The situation Today

• Today nuclear energy meets around 10% of the World's energy demand
• As of 2017, the International Atomic Energy Agency states that 60 reactors, mostly of Generation III reactor design, are under construction around the world, with the majority in Asia.
• Most reactors were built long ago with pretty old technology. More than 80% are light water reactors.

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Today many countries are faced with the hard choice of replacing the aging reactors with expensive and more efficient modules.

OR
The choice of moving away from nuclear power towards newer or older technology with different environmental impact.

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So should we use nuclear energy?

The pros and cons of nuclear energy will be treated in subsequent posts.

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Reference:

1. Kurzgesagt
2. Wikipedia