What is a Nuclear Power Plant? What are the Benefits and Harms of Nuclear Power Plants?
Like all other thermal power plants, electricity is generated in nuclear power plants by the evaporation of heated water and the rotation of water vapor turbines. Nuclear power plants are used as baseload power plants because the fuel for nuclear power plants is cheap, and it is a very difficult and long process to stop and restart them.
What are the Harms of Nuclear Power Plants?
The benefits and harms of nuclear power plants are controversial issues and the answer to the question “What are the harms of nuclear power plants?” varies depending on the point of view. Although there have been no serious accidents so far, except for the accidents at Three Mile Island (USA) in 1979, Chernobyl (Soviet Union) in 1986, and Fukushima in 2011, the concerns triggered by these accidents have made nuclear power plants controversial.
The harms of nuclear energy are stated by opponents of nuclear energy as follows:
- Nuclear waste problem: The waste from nuclear reactors does not disappear for hundreds or even thousands of years. The waste of spent nuclear fuels from the past is still stored in temporary storage facilities, and no solution has yet been developed for the long-term storage of nuclear waste.
- Nuclear weapons: Yellowcake, in the process of enriching uranium, is being developed for peaceful purposes but could easily become a weapon capable of destroying civilization.
- National security: Nuclear power plants could be attacked by terrorists, leading to massive explosions and catastrophes.
- Nuclear accidents: Although there have only been three nuclear power plant accidents in history, the consequences of these accidents can be enormous and long-lasting. In the 1986 Chernobyl accident, only 30 people living in the plant were affected at first, but soon radiation spread throughout Europe. The rarity of nuclear accidents is not so important, as even one major nuclear power plant accident can threaten millions of people.
- Cancer risk: Research shows that people living in areas close to nuclear power plants have a high risk of cancer due to a possible accident, while those working in the plant are constantly exposed to higher than normal radiation levels, increasing their risk of cancer.
What are the Benefits of Nuclear Power Plants?
Although the benefits of nuclear power plants vary depending on the point of view, the most important benefit of nuclear power plants is that they are very high-capacity baseload power plants and that their fuel is quite cheap;. However, economically controversial, they remain in operation for a long time. Besides:
Clean energy source: Nuclear power plants, which produce zero-carbon electricity, are considered environmentally friendly as they do not emit carbon emissions.
Reliable energy source: Nuclear power plants, which are used as base load power plants, generate electricity at almost any time and significantly meet the need for electricity.
Cheap electricity generation: Although the construction cost of nuclear power plants is quite high, the fuel cost is very low.
High energy density: The energy released by nuclear fission is 10 million times greater than the energy released by fossil fuel combustion.
How Safe Are Nuclear Power Plants?
Nuclear power plants are the least polluting energy production method among non-renewable energy sources. Nuclear power plants do not emit carbon emissions and do not damage the ozone layer. However, the following are taken into consideration in the installation of a nuclear power plant against possible accident and leakage risks:
- The plant is not located in an earthquake zone.
- The plant should not be located too close to an urban residential area.
- Proper protection of nuclear waste.
- Construction of the power plant in areas unsuitable for settlement, such as sea, desert, and mountains.
Do Nuclear Power Plants Emit Radiation?
Nuclear power plants emit a very low amount of radiation when all necessary regulations and inspections are carried out. A properly operating nuclear power plant emits only 1% of the natural radiation rate of its environment.
How far should you live from nuclear power plants?
How far away from nuclear power plants you should live is directly related to the size of the plant. According to a nuclear energy impact study conducted in Germany, the rate of leukemia in children living within a 5 km radius centered on a nuclear power plant is 2.2 times higher than in other regions.
In the event of a leak at a nuclear power plant, the distance may become less important, as nuclear fallout can be carried by the wind, even overseas. In the Hopa district of Artvin, which was affected by the Chernobyl disaster, cancer-related deaths account for 46% of all deaths.
Are Nuclear Power Plant Workers Exposed to Radiation?
Under normal circumstances, nuclear power plant workers are not exposed to a level of radiation that would endanger human health. According to the medical procedure, the human body can tolerate up to 53 mrem of radiation per year as natural background radiation. People living up to 80 km around a nuclear power plant are exposed to 0.01 mrem of radiation from the plant.
How is a Nuclear Power Plant Built?
The area where the nuclear power plant will be built should be as far as possible from urban settlements and agricultural land. Geographies that are not suitable for human settlement, such as sea, mountains, and desert, should be preferred. Countries usually build nuclear power plants close to border areas in order to be less affected by nuclear fallout in the event of a possible leak or accident.
Where was the first nuclear power plant built? Who is the Architect of the First Nuclear Power Plant?
The first nuclear power plant, the Chicago Pile 1 reactor, was built in 1942 by Nobel Laureate Enrico Ferni under the Stagg Field Football Field at the University of Chicago in Chicago, United States of America.
What are the Causes of Nuclear Power Plant Accidents?
In the history of world nuclear energy, there have been three accidents, Three Mile Island (TMI), Chernobyl, and Fukushima, which had an impact on people and the environment. The causes of these accidents can be summarized as technical errors, complex failures, and the impact of nature.
The Three Mile Island accident, which is referred to as the first large-impact nuclear accident in history, occurred as a result of the failure of the water cleaning filters and the discharge valve and was recognized as a large-impact accident with a score of 5 out of 7 in the situation assessment report.
What Happened in the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Accident?
The 9.0 Tohoku earthquake that occurred in Japan in 2011 and the tsunami that followed the earthquake resulted in the release of radioactive material in the accident. Japan’s Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident occurred as a result of tsunami waves reaching 14 meters, despite having a tsunami protection wall of 5.7 meters.
Why Did the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Accident Occur?
On April 26, 1986, during a power test at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant near the city of Pripyat, the Chernobyl disaster was the biggest accident in the history of nuclear energy. When a sudden power surge was noticed during the test, the emergency button was pressed. However, as a result, the power increased even more and caused a number of reactions to occur. As a result, the melting of the nuclear core occurred.
Initially, 30 people lost their lives in the Chernobyl disaster. However, 270 thousand of people living in the area of the accident had to be evacuated. It is estimated that about 6 million people were directly and indirectly medically affected by accidents.
In 2016, the wreckage of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant was covered with a steel tent weighing 36,000 tons. It is estimated that this steel barrier can prevent the release of radioactivity for 100 years.
Why is radiation harmful to human health?
Radiation is an external agent that causes cell structures to break down. This leads to thinning of cell walls or the cancerous growth of cells.
Why Do Nuclear Power Plant Workers Wear White?
Radioactivity is a reaction that occurs in the form of rays. Nuclear plant workers, therefore, wear white uniforms to reflect radioactive rays.
Do Nuclear Power Plants Smell?
Nuclear power plants do not produce odor as they do not emit any carbon or greenhouse gases due to their operating principle. However, propane gas, which is used as a storage medium, is loaded with a disturbing odor so that it can be recognized, even though it is actually odorless. In some cases, nuclear power plants can produce odors due to propane gas leakage.
Why Do Nuclear Power Plants Need Cooling Towers?
The atoms used in nuclear power plants, such as uranium, bring water to very high temperatures. Therefore, cooling towers are needed to reprocess the water vapor.
Why is France Closing Nuclear Power Plants?
France has the largest number of nuclear power plants in the European Union (EU). However, it plans to reduce the number of nuclear power plants due to their environmental impact. France, which meets 70% of its energy needs from nuclear energy, plans to reduce this rate to 50% by 2025.
How Many People Have Lost Their Lives in Nuclear Power Plants So Far?
The only nuclear power plant accident in world history that directly caused death was the Chernobyl disaster. In this accident, 30 people lost their lives. However, it is thought that approximately 6 million people were medically affected by nuclear fallout after the accident.
How Many Nuclear Power Plants Are There in the World?
There are a total of 455 active nuclear power plants in the world, and the installed capacity of these plants is 322,779 MW. In 2020, nuclear power plants in the world produced a total of 2,586,000 GWh of electricity.
Which Countries Have the Most Nuclear Power Plants?
The United States of America has the most nuclear power plants in the world, with 95 active and two under construction.
Which is the World’s Largest Nuclear Power Plant?
The world’s largest nuclear power plant is the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in Japan. The generation capacity of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Power Plant is 8,212 MW. The plant was built in 1980.
What is the Cost of a Nuclear Power Plant?
There are three types of costs for the installation of a nuclear power plant:
Capital Costs: It is the cost group that covers costs such as site preparation, construction, electricity, cooling, ventilation, information, and processing center in nuclear power plant installation. It may vary according to the size and type of nuclear power plant to be built. A medium-sized nuclear power plant, has a foundation capital of $20 billion.
Plant Operating Costs: Production process costs such as fuel, operation, decontamination, and storage of spent fuel and nuclear waste. They vary according to production capacity and capabilities.
External Costs: Insurance costs against possible risks of the nuclear facility, costs of precautions to be taken in case of accidents, and accident risks.
What Happens as a Result of a Nuclear Power Plant Explosion?
Nuclear power plants are equipped with many precautions against possibilities such as explosion and leakage. However, despite all these measures, the following consequences occur as a result of a nuclear power plant explosion or leakage:
- In the first place, radioactivity increases rapidly within 5 kilometers of the plant.
- Sudden regional explosions occur in the plant as a result of the nuclear meltdown.
- Settlements near the nuclear facility have to be evacuated.
- Nuclear leakage gets into the soil and surrounding water sources and is carried to other regions by air currents.
- Food products in the area become unusable, and the survivors are resupplied with food from outside.
- After the accident, there was an increase in radiation-related diseases such as thyroid cancer, skin cancer, and leukemia.
How does a nuclear power plant work?
Today, nuclear power plants often produce energy with pressurized water reactors, and the way they work is as follows:
The energy generated by the fission reaction heats the water vapor to high temperatures, and the resulting steam reaches the electric generator turbines. At this point, the steam has enough power to turn the turbine shaft. As the turbine shaft turns, mechanical energy is released. Alternators convert mechanical energy into alternating current. The electricity generated by the generator is sent to the area where electricity is collected by transmission lines.
The steam coming out of the turbine condenses back into water and goes back to the reactor. The condenser uses the surrounding water resources, such as the sea, river, etc., as a coolant for the steam to turn into water.
What is the Working Principle of a Nuclear Power Plant?
The working principle of nuclear power plants is as follows:
- Uranium atoms are broken down by fusion.
- The energy released is converted into heat energy by fuel rods.
- Water is heated with heat.
- The rising water vapor turns wind turbines.
- Wind turbines transmit mechanical energy to a generator.
- The generator uses mechanical energy to generate electricity.
Is a nuclear power plant more advantageous than generating electricity with solar panels?
The advantage criteria between solar power plants and nuclear power plants are as follows:
Ivanpah Power Plant, the world’s largest solar power generation plant, has a generation capacity of 392 MW, while the average nuclear power plant has a generation capacity of 1200 MW.
Solar power plants can only be built during the day and in areas with high sunshine hours, whereas nuclear power plants have no time and space restrictions.
The most advanced solar panels have a solar radiation utilization efficiency of around 20%. In nuclear power plants, efficiency and capacity utilization is around 97%.
The average lifetime of solar power plants is 20 years. Nuclear power plants can be used for 65 years.
How Many Solar Panels Do You Need to Install to Shut Down a Nuclear Power Plant?
It takes about 3 million solar panels to shut down an average-sized nuclear reactor by compensating for electricity production.
What is Nuclear Power Plant Waste?
Materials such as uranium, which nuclear power plants use as fuel, have high radioactivity and need to be isolated from the environment and stored after use. The construction of nuclear waste isolation areas and the decontamination of nuclear waste are routine operations at nuclear power plants. Nuclear waste storage facilities are usually made of thick concrete, steel, and glass and are constructed in such a way that they do not come into contact with the open air.
What is a Nuclear Reactor?
A nuclear reactor is a name given to each tower in a nuclear power plant. The sequence of operation of a nuclear reactor is as follows:
- Nuclear fuels are put into fission or fusion to generate heat.
- This heat is contained in fuel tubes.
- Water travels between the fuel tubes heat up, and vaporizes.
- The vaporized water rises and turns turbines, and the generator generates electricity.
- The water vapor passing through the turbines is taken to the cooling unit, cooled, and transferred to the reactor for reuse.
What is Nuclear Energy?
Nuclear energy is a type of energy obtained from atomic nuclei. It is expressed as the transformation of mass into energy. Heavy radioactive materials are bombarded with neutrons to create fission, the forced disintegration of the atomic nucleus. The resulting heat energy is used to generate electrical energy.
How Much Uranium Does a Nuclear Power Plant Consume in a Year?
An average-sized nuclear power plant consumes 25-30 tons of uranium per year.