GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY USING NUCLEAR ENERGY

GENERATION OF NUCLEAR ENERGY:-

PRINCIPLE-

THE NUCLEAR ENERGY IS GENERATED BY USING THE PRINCIPLE OF CONTROLLED CHAIN REACTION (NUCLEAR FISSION) IN ANUCLEAR REACTOR.

NUCLEAR REACTOR:-

 IT IS A DEVICE IN WHICH NUCLEAR FISSION IS MAINTAINED AS A SELF SUPPORTING YET CONTROLLED CHAIN REACTION.IT WAS FORMERLY KNOWN AS ATOMIC PILE.

CONSTRUCTION:-

FISSIONABLE MATERIAL (FUEL):- THE FISSIONABLE MATERIAL USED IN THE REACTOR IS CALLED THE FUEL OF THE REACTOR.

URANIUM ISOTOPE (U²³⁵)

THORIUM ISOTOPE (Th²³²)

PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES (Pu²³⁹, Pu²⁴⁰ &Pu²⁴¹)

THESE ARE THE MOST COMMONLY USED FUEL IN THE REACTOR.

MODERATOR: - MODERATOR IS USED TO SLOW DOWN THE FAST MOVING NEUTRONS. MOST COMMONLY USED MODERATORS ARE GRAPHITE AND HEAVY WATER.

CONTROL MATERIAL: - CONTROL MATERIAL IS USED TO CONTROL THE CHAIN REACTION AND TO MAINTAIN A STABLE RATE OF REACTION THIS MATERIAL CONTROLS THE NUMBER OF NEUTRONS AVAILABLE FOR THE FISSION .FOR EXAMPLE CADMIUM RODS ARE INSERTED INTO THE CORE OF THE REACTOR.

COOLANT: - COOLANT IS A COOLING MATERIAL WHICH REMOVES THE HEAT GENERATED DUE TO THE FISSION IN THE REACTOR COMMONLY USED COOLANTS ARE WATER, CARBON DIOXIDE, AND NITROGEN ETC.

PROTECTIVE SHIELD: - A PROTECTIVE SHIELD IN THE FORM OF ACNCRETE THICK WALL SURROUNDS THE CORE OF THE REACTOR TO SAVE THE PERSONS WORKING AROUND THE REACTOR FROM THE HAZARDOUS RADIATIONS.

WORKING

 A FEW ₉₂U²³⁵NUCLEI UNDERGO FISSION LIBERATING FAST NEUTRON .THESE FAST NEUTRONS ARE SLOWED DOWN TO AN ENERGY ABOUT 0.025EV BY THE SURROUNDING MODERATOR(GRAPHITE) THROUGH ELASTIC COLLISIONS.WHEN THE REACTOR BECOMES CRITICAL ,SELF SUSTAINED CONTROLLED CHAIN REACTION. THE FISSION PRODUCES HEAT IN THE NUCLEAR REACTOR CORE. THE COOLANT TRANSFERS THIS HEAT FROM THE CORE TO THE HEAT EXCHANGER,WHERE STEAM IS FORMED THIS STEAM PRODUCED AT A VERY HIGH PRESSURE RUNS A TURBINE AND THE ELECTRICITY IS OBTAINED AT THE GENERATOR.THE DEAD STEAM FROM THE TURBINE CONDENSES INTO WATER AND IS RETURNED TO THE HEAT EXCHANGE.THE PROCESS REPEATS AND WE GET CONTINUOUS SUPPLY OF ENERGY IN THE FORM OF ELECTRICITY.

TO SAVE THE PERSONS WORKING AROUND THE NUCLEAR REACTOR FROM HARMFUL RADIATIONS A THINK CONCRETE WALL KNOWN AS SHIELD IS PROVIDED AROUND THE CORE OF THE REACTOR.THE CORE OF THE REACTOR ALSO PRODUCES RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPES.

PLUTONIUM IS THE BEST FUEL AS COMPARED TO OTHER FISSIONABLE MATERIAL.IT IS BECAUSE FISSION IN PLUTONIUM CAN BE INITIATED BY BOTH SLOW AND FAST NEUTRONS MOREOVER IT CAN BE OBTAINED FROM  U^238.