Nuclear energy

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Introduction:

This report describes my project, in which I will be investigating on nuclear energy, energy released by the splitting or merging together of the nuclei of atoms. The areas I will be investigating on would be the different types of nuclear energy, theory of nuclear energy, and the benefits that it has brought to this world as well as benefits it will bring about in the future.

Types of nuclear energy

Nuclear energy can be obtained by namely two methods, nuclear fusion and nuclear fission. In nuclear fusion, energy is obtained by merging together nuclei of atoms while in nuclear fission energy can be obtained by splitting the nuclei of atoms into smaller nuclei. Both these reactions can produce large quantities of energy .

Nuclear energy(physics behind)

In nuclear fission, energy is obtained from the splitting of one atom into two atoms. In a conventional nuclear reactor, high-energy neutrons split heavy atoms of uranium, yielding large amounts of energy, radiation and radioactive wastes that last for long periods of time. In nuclear fusion, energy is obtained when two atoms are fused or joined together to form one atom. There are several types of fusion reactions. However, most fusion reaction involves the isotopes of hydrogen called deuterium and tritium. In a fusion reactor, hydrogen atoms come together to form helium atoms, neutrons and vast amounts of energy. It's the same type of reaction that powers hydrogen bombs and the sun. Nuclear fusion is a cleaner, safer, more efficient and more abundant source of power than nuclear fission.

2.1 Nuclear fusion

In a fusion reaction, two hydrogen atoms will combine to form helium atoms, neutrons and energy in the form of heat and light. An example of fusion reaction would be the the simple reaction of the sun. Among the several types of fusion reactions, isotopes of hydrogen, namely deuterium and tritium (Freudenrich PhD).

Examples of fusion reactions:

Deuterium-Titrium reaction:

Deuterium-Deterium reaction:

or

source: Maciek 2002

Conditions for fusion reaction

Due to the like positive charges of protons in the nucleus of hydrogen atoms, when hydrogen atoms are brought together to fuse, they simply repel. Hence, several conditions are required to achieved the fusion reaction.

Temperature: 100 million Kelvin. This high amount of heat ensures that the hydrogen atoms gain sufficient energy to overcome electrical repulsion between like charge of the protons. At these high temperatures, hydrogen is in the form of plasma, a matter high in energy in which electrons move freely about the plasma.

Pressure: High pressure is required in order to fuse hydrogen atoms together. Atoms must be within 1x10-15meters of each other to fuse together. In order to achieve such high pressure, intense magnetic fields and powerful lasers or ion beams are required (Freudenrich PhD).

Nuclear Fission

In a fission process, neutrons are bombarded at a specific nucleus and splits it into several smaller nuclei. These nuclei formed are half the original mass of the original nucleus. Apart from two nuclei formed, neutrons are also released. The products of the fission process has a sum of mass which is less than its original mass. This mass deficit is the result of some mass being converted into energy, and by using Einstein's equation of E=mc2 , we can determine the energy produced in this reaction.

Nuclear fission is a chain reaction in which it induces the fission of other nucleus from the released of neutrons from a fission process. This process repeats itself until a continuous chain reaction is produced (Atomic Archive)

Source: atomicarchive.com