Nuclear energy (Atomic energy) is a branch of energy dealing with the production of electrical and thermal energy by converting nuclear energy.
Typically, a nuclear fission chain reaction of uranium-235 or plutonium nuclei is used to produce nuclear energy. Nuclei fission when a neutron hits them, producing new neutrons and fission fragments. Fission neutrons and fission fragments have high kinetic energy. As a result of collisions of fragments with other atoms, this kinetic energy is quickly converted into heat.
Although in any field of energy the primary source is nuclear energy (for example, the energy of solar nuclear reactions in hydroelectric power plants, fossil fuel power plants, the energy of radioactive decay in geothermal power plants), nuclear energy refers only to the use of controlled reactions in nuclear reactors.
Nuclear energy is produced in nuclear power plants, used in nuclear icebreakers, nuclear submarines; The United States is implementing a program to create a nuclear engine for spaceships In addition, attempts were made to create a nuclear engine for aircraft (nuclear aircraft) and “nuclear” tanks.
Over the 40 years of development of nuclear energy in the world, about 400 power units have been built in 26 countries with a total energy capacity of about 300 million kW. The main advantages of nuclear energy are the high final profitability and the absence of emissions of combustion products into the atmosphere (from this point of view, it can be considered as environmentally friendly), the main disadvantages are the potential danger of radioactive contamination of the environment with fission products of nuclear fuel in an accident (such as Chernobyl or at the American Trimile station Island) and the problem of reprocessing used nuclear fuel.
Let's look at the advantages first. The profitability of nuclear energy consists of several components. One of them is independence from fuel transportation. If a power plant with a capacity of 1 million kW requires about 2 million t.e. per year. (or about 5 million low-grade coal), then for the VVER-1000 unit it will be necessary to deliver no more than 30 tons of enriched uranium, which practically reduces fuel transportation costs to zero (at coal-fired stations these costs amount to up to 50% of the cost). The use of nuclear fuel for energy production does not require oxygen and is not accompanied by constant emissions of combustion products, which, accordingly, will not require the construction of facilities for purifying emissions into the atmosphere. Cities located near nuclear power plants are mostly environmentally friendly green cities in all countries of the world, and if this is not the case, then this is due to the influence of other industries and facilities located in the same area. In this regard, TPPs give a completely different picture. An analysis of the environmental situation in Russia shows that thermal power plants account for more than 25% of all harmful emissions into the atmosphere. About 60% of emissions from thermal power plants occur in the European part and the Urals, where the environmental load significantly exceeds the maximum limit. The most severe environmental situation has developed in the Ural, Central and Volga regions, where the loads created by the deposition of sulfur and nitrogen in some places exceed the critical ones by 2-2.5 times.
The disadvantages of nuclear energy include the potential danger of radioactive contamination of the environment in the event of severe accidents such as Chernobyl. Now at nuclear power plants using reactors of the Chernobyl type (RBMK), additional safety measures have been taken, which, according to the conclusion of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), completely exclude an accident of such severity: as the design life is exhausted, such reactors should be replaced by new generation reactors of increased security. Nevertheless, a turning point in public opinion regarding the safe use of nuclear energy will apparently not happen soon. The problem of radioactive waste disposal is very acute for the entire world community. Now there are already methods for vitrification, bitumenization and cementation of radioactive waste from nuclear power plants, but areas are required for the construction of burial grounds where this waste will be placed for eternal storage. Countries with a small territory and large population density experience serious difficulties in solving this problem.
The advantages of nuclear energy in comparison with other types of energy production are obvious. High power and low total cost of energy at one time opened up great prospects for the development of nuclear energy and the construction of nuclear power plants, profitability. In most countries of the world, the advantages of nuclear energy are still taken into account today - more and more power units are being built and contracts are being concluded for the construction of nuclear power plants in the future.
Also, one of the advantages of nuclear energy is that the use of nuclear fuel is not accompanied by a combustion process and the release of harmful substances and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which means that the construction of expensive facilities for purifying emissions into the atmosphere will not be required. A quarter of all harmful emissions into the atmosphere come from thermal power plants, which has a very negative impact on the environmental situation of cities located near them, and on the state of the atmosphere in general. Cities located close to nuclear power plants operating normally fully experience the advantages of nuclear energy and are considered one of the most environmentally friendly in all countries of the world. They carry out constant monitoring of the radioactive state of the earth, water and air, as well as analysis of flora and fauna - such constant monitoring makes it possible to realistically assess the pros and cons of nuclear energy and its impact on the ecology of the region. It is worth noting that during the observations in the areas where nuclear power plants are located, deviations of the radioactive background from normal were never recorded, unless it was an emergency.
The advantages of nuclear energy do not end there. In the context of an impending energy famine and depletion of carbon fuel reserves, the question of fuel reserves for nuclear power plants naturally arises. The answer to this question is very optimistic: the diluted reserves of uranium and other radioactive elements in the earth’s crust amount to several million tons, and at the current level of consumption they can be considered practically inexhaustible
But the advantages of nuclear energy extend not only to nuclear power plants. Atomic energy is used today for purposes other than supplying the population and industry with electrical energy. Thus, one cannot overestimate the advantages of nuclear energy for the submarine fleet and nuclear icebreakers. The use of nuclear engines allows them to exist autonomously for a long time, move over any distance, and allows submarines to stay under water for months. Today, the world is developing underground and floating nuclear power plants and nuclear engines for spacecraft.
Considering the advantages of nuclear energy, we can safely say that in the future humanity will continue to use the capabilities of nuclear energy, which, if handled carefully, pollutes less environment and practically does not violate ecological balance on our planet. But the advantages of nuclear energy have significantly faded in the eyes of the world community after two serious accidents: Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 and at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant in 2011. The scale of these incidents is such that their consequences can cover up almost all the advantages of nuclear energy known to mankind. For a number of countries, the tragedy in Japan became the impetus for reworking their energy strategy and shifting emphasis towards the use of alternative energy sources.
Prospects for the development of nuclear energy.
When considering the prospects for nuclear energy in the near (before the end of the century) and distant future, it is necessary to take into account the influence of many factors: limited reserves of natural uranium, the high cost of capital construction of nuclear power plants compared to thermal power plants, negative public opinion, which led to the adoption in a number of countries ( USA, Germany, Sweden, Italy) laws restricting the nuclear energy industry’s right to use a number of technologies (for example, using Pu, etc.), which led to the curtailment of the construction of new capacities and the gradual withdrawal of spent ones without replacement with new ones. At the same time, the presence of a large reserve of already mined and enriched uranium, as well as uranium and plutonium released during the dismantling of nuclear warheads, the presence of advanced breeding technologies (where the fuel unloaded from the reactor contains more fissile isotopes than was loaded) removes the problem of limiting natural uranium reserves, increasing the capabilities of nuclear energy to 200-300 Q. This exceeds the resources of organic fuel and makes it possible to form the foundation of world energy for 200-300 years to come.
But advanced breeding technologies (in particular, fast breeder reactors) have not moved to the stage of mass production due to lagging behind in the field of reprocessing and recycling (extracting “useful” uranium and plutonium from spent fuel). And the most common modern thermal neutron reactors in the world use only 0.50.6% uranium (mainly the fissile isotope U238, the concentration of which in natural uranium is 0.7%). With such a low efficiency of uranium use, the energy capabilities of nuclear energy are estimated at only 35 Q. Although this may be acceptable for the world community in the near future, taking into account the already established relationship between nuclear and traditional energy and the setting of growth rates of nuclear power plants throughout the world. In addition, the technology of expanded reproduction creates a significant additional environmental burden. Today, it is quite clear to specialists that nuclear energy, in principle, is the only real and significant source of providing electricity to humanity in the long term, which does not cause such negative phenomena for the planet as Greenhouse effect, acid rain, etc. As you know, today energy based on fossil fuels, that is, on the combustion of coal, oil and gas, is the basis for the production of electricity in the world. The desire to preserve fossil fuels, which are also valuable raw materials, the obligation to set limits for CO emissions; or reduce their levels and the limited prospects for large-scale use of renewable energy sources all indicate the need to increase the contribution of nuclear power.
Taking into account all of the above, we can conclude that the prospects for the development of nuclear energy in the world will be different for different regions and individual countries, based on the needs and electricity, the scale of the territory, the availability of fossil fuel reserves, the possibility of attracting financial resources for the construction and operation of such a rather expensive technology, the influence public opinion in a given country and for a number of other reasons.

“Nuclear Energy” - Economic growth and energy GOELRO-2. Energy and economic growth The role of nuclear generation. Economic growth and energy Innovative scenario of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. Source: Ministry of Energy. Source: Research by Tomsk Polytechnic University. Increasing energy efficiency - saving 360 - 430 million toe Energy intensity of GDP in 20 - 59-60% of 07.

“Nuclear power plants in Russia” - Scheme of operation of nuclear power plants. Floating nuclear power plant (FNPP). Operating principle of nuclear power plants. Classification of nuclear power plants by type of energy supplied. Classification of nuclear power plants by reactor type. Producing electricity at nuclear power plants. Operating nuclear power plants in Russia. Characteristics of VVER-1000. Geography of the planned deployment of floating nuclear power plants in Russia. Designed nuclear power plants.

“Atomic danger” - Probabilistic analysis of nuclear safety. Invalid zone. Safety and risk. Probabilistic analysis. RU safety analysis. Risk analysis. Distribution in various fields of science. Risk assessment methodology. Amount of risk. Social values. Foreign approaches to the problem of "risk". Simplification of the probabilistic approach.

“Nuclear Energy of Russia” - It is necessary to switch to the dry method of storing spent nuclear fuel. State and immediate prospects for the development of nuclear energy in the world. The principle of inherent safety: Development of radiochemical production for fuel reprocessing. Nuclear and Radiation Safety Complex (NRS). Creation of alternative suppliers of basic equipment to the current monopolists.

“Problems of nuclear energy” - The problem of rapid depletion of organic natural energy resources is especially acute. Classification of nuclear reactors. 1 kg of natural uranium replaces 20 tons of coal. Nuclear power does not consume oxygen and has negligible emissions during normal operation. Nuclear power.

“Nuclear power plant” - Presentation on physics on the topic “Nuclear technology”. Sources of information used. Fuel element (fuel element). The most famous reactor using controlled nuclear fusion is the sun. The figure shows a diagram of the operation of a nuclear power plant. Thermonuclear reactors. Nuclear power plants differ in the type of reactor and the type of energy supplied.

There are 12 presentations in total

Nuclear energy is mainly associated with the Chernobyl disaster that occurred in 1986. Then the whole world was shocked by the consequences of the explosion of a nuclear reactor, as a result of which thousands of people suffered serious health problems or died. Thousands of hectares of contaminated territory where it is impossible to live, work and grow crops, or an ecological way of producing energy that will be a step towards a brighter future for millions of people?

Pros of nuclear energy

The construction of nuclear power plants remains profitable due to minimal energy production costs. As you know, thermal power plants need coal to operate, and its daily consumption is about a million tons. To the cost of coal are added the costs of transporting fuel, which also costs a lot. As for nuclear power plants, this is enriched uranium, and therefore there are savings on the cost of transporting fuel and on its purchase.


It is also impossible not to note the environmental friendliness of the operation of nuclear power plants, because for a long time it was believed that it was nuclear energy that would put an end to environmental pollution. Cities that are built around nuclear power plants are environmentally friendly, since the operation of reactors is not accompanied by the constant release of harmful substances into the atmosphere, and the use of nuclear fuel does not require oxygen. As a result, the ecological catastrophe of cities can only suffer from exhaust gases and the work of other industrial facilities.

Cost savings in this case also occur due to the fact that there is no need to build treatment facilities to reduce emissions of combustion products into the environment. The problem of pollution in large cities today is becoming more and more urgent, since often the level of pollution in cities where thermal power plants are built exceeds by 2 - 2.5 times the critical indicators of air pollution with sulfur, fly ash, aldehydes, carbon oxides and nitrogen.

The Chernobyl disaster became a great lesson for the world community, in connection with which it can be said that the operation of nuclear power plants is becoming safer every year. At almost all nuclear power plants, additional safety measures were installed, which greatly reduced the possibility that an accident similar to the Chernobyl disaster would occur. Reactors like the Chernobyl RBMK were replaced by new generation reactors with increased safety.

Disadvantages of nuclear energy

The most important disadvantage of nuclear energy is the memory of how almost 30 years ago an accident occurred at a reactor, the explosion of which was considered impossible and practically unrealistic, which became the cause of a worldwide tragedy. It happened this way because the accident affected not only the USSR, but the whole world - the radioactive cloud from what is now Ukraine went first towards Belarus, after France, Italy and so reached the USA.

Even the thought that one day this could happen again is the reason that many people and scientists oppose the construction of new nuclear power plants. By the way, the Chernobyl disaster is considered not the only accident of this kind; the events of the accident in Japan at Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant And Fukushima NPP – 1, on which as a result powerful earthquake A fire started. It caused a meltdown of nuclear fuel in the reactor of block No. 1, which caused a radiation leak. This was a consequence of the evacuation of the population who lived 10 km from the stations.

It is also worth remembering the major accident at , when hot steam from the turbine of the third reactor killed 4 people and injured over 200 people. Every day, due to human fault or as a result of the elements, accidents at nuclear power plants are possible, as a result of which radioactive waste gets into food, water and the environment, poisoning millions of people. This is what is considered the most important disadvantage of nuclear energy today.

In addition, the problem of radioactive waste disposal is very acute; the construction of burial grounds requires large areas, which is a big problem for small countries. Despite the fact that the waste is bitumenized and hidden behind layers of iron and cement, no one can assure everyone with certainty that it will remain safe for people for many years. Also, do not forget that the disposal of radioactive waste is very expensive; due to the savings in costs for vitrification, combustion, compaction and cementation of radioactive waste, leaks are possible. With stable funding and a large territory of the country, this problem does not exist, but not every state can boast of this.

It is also worth noting that during the operation of a nuclear power plant, as in every production, accidents occur, which causes the release of radioactive waste into the atmosphere, land and rivers. Tiny particles of uranium and other isotopes are present in the air of cities where nuclear power plants are built, which causes environmental poisoning.

conclusions

Although nuclear energy remains a source of pollution and possible disasters, it should still be noted that its development will continue, if only for the reason that it cheap way to get energy, and hydrocarbon fuel deposits are gradually being exhausted. In the right hands, nuclear energy can indeed become a safe and environmentally friendly way of producing energy, but it is still worth noting that most disasters occurred due to human fault.

In problems related to the disposal of radioactive waste, international cooperation is very important, because only it can provide sufficient funding for the safe and long-term disposal of radiation waste and used nuclear fuel.

Pros and cons of Nuclear Power Plants “Let the atom be a worker, not a soldier.” Pros and cons
Nuclear power plants
“Let the atom be a worker, and
not a soldier."

NPP design

Nuclear power plant (NPP) - nuclear installation for energy production

Pros and cons of nuclear power plants

Pros of nuclear power plants

Car for transportation of nuclear fuel

10. A huge advantage of a nuclear power plant is its relative environmental cleanliness.

11. There are no such emissions at nuclear power plants.

12.

13. The most powerful nuclear power plants in the world

14.

15.

16. Disadvantages of nuclear power plants

17.

18. The volume of radioactive waste is very small, it is very compact, and it can be stored in conditions that guarantee that it will not leak out.

19. Bilibino Nuclear Power Plant is the only nuclear power plant in the permafrost zone.

20.

21. A peaceful atom must live

Municipal treasury educational institution

Klimshchinskaya high school

Nuclear energy: pros and cons

research in physics

Serkov Vadim,

10th grade student

Supervisor: Golubtsova Irina

Viktorovna, physics teacher

Klimshchina

2016

Table of contents

I.Introduction................................................... ........................................................ .......3

II.Main part

Nuclear energy……………………………………………………4

1.1.Generation of atomic energy……………………………………4

1.2. History of the development of nuclear energy…………………………..7

1.3.Economic importance of energy……………………………10

1.4. Volumes of nuclear electricity production. ………..……12

1.5.Advantages of nuclear energy……………………………………...14

1.6. Disadvantages of nuclear energy…………………………………….15

2.Results of a sociological survey…………………………………19

III.Conclusion……………………………………………………………..22

IV.List of used literature………………………………….24

Introduction

April 26 marks 30 years since the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

A huge amount of radioactive substances flew into the sky and scattered. People at Chernobyl were exposed to 90 times more radiation than when the bomb fell on Hiroshima. According to estimates Russian Academy sciences, Chernobyl disaster resulted in the death of 60 thousand people in Russia and 140 thousand in Belarus and Ukraine. 30 years is a long time for a person, but not for humanity. This tragedy made people think: “ Atomic Energy“Is this good or evil?”

I also tried to find the answer to this question in order to help my peers understand it in the future.

Purpose of the study:identify people's attitudes towards nuclear energy.

Tasks:

- studying the processes of obtaining atomic energy

Studying the history of nuclear energy development

Exploring the Importance of Nuclear Energy

Identifying Nuclear Energy Problems

Development of diagnostic material on the research problem

Conducting a social survey among people of different ages

Analysis of the results of the social survey

Subject of study:human attitude to nuclear energy issues

1.Nuclear energy

1.1.Production of atomic energy

Nuclear energy ( nuclear energy ) is an industryenergy , engaged in the production of electrical and thermal energy by converting nuclear energy.

Typically used to generate nuclear energy or . Nuclei split when hit , this produces new neutrons and fission fragments. Fission neutrons and fission fragments have a large . As a result of collisions of fragments with other atoms, this kinetic energy is quickly converted into .

Fuel cycle

Nuclear energy is based on the use of , a set of industrial processes of which constitute the nuclear fuel cycle. Although there are Various types fuel cycles, depending both on the type of reactor and on the characteristics of the final stage of the cycle, in general there are common stages.

Mining of uranium ore.

Uranium Ore Grinding

Uranium dioxide separation, so-called. yellow hake going to the dump.

Conversion to gaseous.

The process of increasing the concentration of uranium-235 is carried out at special isotope separation plants.

Reconversion of uranium hexafluoride into uranium dioxide in the form of fuel pellets.

Production of fuel elements (abbr.) from pellets, which in assembled form are introduced into the core of a nuclear reactor of a nuclear power plant.

Extract.

Cooling of spent fuel.

Disposal of spent fuel in a special storage facility.

During operation in processes Maintenance The resulting low-level radioactive waste is removed. When the reactor itself reaches the end of its service life, dismantling is accompanied by decontamination and disposal of reactor parts.

Nuclear reactor

Nuclear reactor - a device designed to organize a controlled self-sustaining system, which is always accompanied by the release of energy.

The first nuclear reactor was built and launched in December 1942 under the leadership of. The first reactor built outside the United States was launched in. In Europe, the first nuclear reactor was the installation that started operating in Moscow under the leadership. There were already about a hundred nuclear reactors of various types operating in the world.

There are different types of reactors, the main differences in them are due to the fuel used and the coolant used to maintain the desired temperature of the core, and the moderator used to reduce the speed of neutrons that are released as a result of the decay of nuclei, to maintain the desired speed of the chain reaction.

The most common type is the light water reactor, which uses enriched uranium as fuel and uses ordinary or “light” water as both the coolant and moderator. It has two main varieties:

1. Where rotating steam is generated directly in the core.

   Where steam is generated in a circuit connected to the core by heat exchangers and steam generators.

The graphite moderator has become widespread due to its ability to efficiently produce weapons-grade plutonium and the ability to use unenriched uranium.

Heavy water is used as both the coolant and moderator, and the fuel is unenriched uranium, used mainly in Canada, which has its own deposits of uranium ores.

1.2.History of the development of nuclear energy

The first nuclear fission chain reaction was carried out on December 2, 1942, using uranium as fuel and graphite as a moderator. The first electrical energy from nuclear decay energy was produced on December 20, 1951 at the Idaho National Laboratory using the EBR-I (Experimental Breeder Reactor-I) fast breeder reactor. The power produced was about 100 kW.

On May 9, 1954, a stable nuclear chain reaction was achieved at a nuclear reactor in the city. The 5 MW reactor operated on enriched uranium with graphite as a moderator, and water with a normal isotopic composition was used for cooling. On June 26 at 17:30, the energy generated here began to be supplied to consumers.

Nuclear power plant (NPP) - for production in specified modes and conditions of use, located within the territory defined by the project, in which (reactors) and a set of necessary systems, devices, equipment and structures with the necessary workers (), intended for the production of electrical energy, are used for this purpose. energy).

Nuclear transport energy

Nuclear-powered ship (nuclear-powered ship) - a general name for a ship that ensures the propulsion of the vessel. A distinction is made between nuclear-powered ships: civil (transport ships) and nuclear-powered ships (heavy).

Warships - nuclear and, and the world's first aircraft carrier , the world's longest military war, in 1964 during a record trip around the world, during which they covered 49,190 km in 65 days without refueling.

In December 1954, the first one went into operation.

Russian 1994

In 1958, the first stage of the second Soviet nuclear power plant began producing electricity, with a capacity of 100 MW. In 1959, the world's first non-military nuclear-powered vessel was launched.

Nuclear energy, as a new direction in energy, was recognized at the 1st International Scientific and Technical Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, held in Geneva in August 1955, which marked the beginning of international cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

In the early 1970s, there were visible prerequisites for the development of nuclear energy. The demand for electricity grew, the hydropower resources of most developed countries were almost completely used, and prices for basic types of fuel increased accordingly.

In 1975, construction of a nuclear power plant began in the Smolensk region (Desnogorsk), which was commissioned in 1982.

There are three in commercial operation at SAPP with uranium-graphite channel reactors . The electrical capacity of each power unit is 1 GW, the thermal capacity is 3.2 GW. Power units with RBMK-1000 reactors are single-circuit. Communication with carried out by six voltage 330 kV (Roslavl-1, 2), 500 kV ( , ), 750 kV (Novo-Bryansk, Belorusskaya).

1.3.Economic importance of nuclear energy

Share of nuclear energy in general production electricity in various countries.

In 2014, nuclear energy provided 2.6% of all energy consumed by humanity. The nuclear energy sector is most significant in industrialized countries, where there is insufficient natural resources, and. These countries produce from 20 to 74% (in France) of electricity per .

In 2013 world production nuclear energy increased for the first time since 2010 - compared to 2012, there was an increase of 0.5% - to 6.55 billion MWh (562.9 million tons of oil equivalent). The largest energy consumption from nuclear power plants in 2013 was in the United States - 187.9 million tons of oil equivalent. In Russia, consumption amounted to 39.1 million tons of oil equivalent, in China - 25 million tons of oil equivalent, in India - 7.5 million tons.

According to a report (IAEA), as of 2013 there were 436 operating nuclearenergy , that is, reactors producing recycled electrical and/or thermal energy in 31 countries of the world (in addition to energy ones, there are also research and some others).

Approximately half of the world's nuclear power generation comes from two countries - the United States and France. Nuclear power plants produce only 1/8 of their electricity, but this accounts for about 20% of global production.

The absolute leader in the use of nuclear energy was. The only one located on its territory generated more electrical energy than the entire republic consumed (for example, in 2003, Lithuania generated a total of 19.2 billion , of which 15.5 are Ignalina NPP). Having an excess of it (and there are other power plants in Lithuania), the “extra” energy was sent for export.
However, under pressure (due to doubts about its safety - the INPP used power units of the same type as), the Ignalina NPP was finally closed (attempts were made to ensure the continued operation of the station after 2009, but they were unsuccessful), now The issue of constructing a modern nuclear power plant on the same site is being resolved.

1.4.Volumes of nuclear electricity production by country

Countries with nuclear power plants.

Nuclear power plants are being operated and new power units are being built. Nuclear power plants are in operation, and construction of new power units is planned. There are no nuclear power plants, stations are being built. There are no nuclear power plants, the construction of new power units is planned. Nuclear power plants are in operation; construction of new power units is not planned yet. Nuclear power plants are in operation and a reduction in their number is being considered. Civil nuclear power is prohibited by law. No nuclear power plant.

In 2014, the world's nuclear power plants produced a total of 2,410 energy, which amounted to 10.8% of global electricity generation.

The world leaders in nuclear power production for 2014 are: