Nuclear energy or atomic is the energy produced in thermonuclear plants, which use uranium and other elements as fuel.
The working principle of a nuclear power plant is the use of heat (term) to generate electricity. The heat comes from the energy released by the fission of uranium atoms.
Uranium is a non-renewable mineral resource found in nature, which is also used in the production of radioactive material for use in medicine.
In addition to its use for peaceful purposes, uranium can also be used in the production of weapons, such as the atomic bomb.
Nuclear Energy in the World
As it is a highly concentrated and high-yield energy source, several countries use nuclear energy as an energy option. Nuclear power plants already account for 16% of the electricity produced in the world.
More than 90% of nuclear power plants are concentrated in the United States, Europe, Japan and Russia. In April 2018, the Russian government inaugurated the world's first floating nuclear power plant, located in the Arctic Sea.
In some countries such as Sweden, Finland and Belgium nuclear energy already represents more than 40% of the total electricity produced. South Korea, China, India, Argentina and Mexico also have nuclear power plants.
Brazil has nuclear power plants on the coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro, in Angra dos Reis, (Angra 1 and Angra 2). The construction of the Angra 3 nuclear power plant, which had been paralyzed since 1986, had its environmental license approved in July 2008.
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Advantages of Using Nuclear Energy
Despite the dangers, there are several positives in nuclear power generation.
One of the first points to highlight is that the plant is not polluting during its normal operation and that it complies with safety standards.
Likewise, a large area is not needed for its construction. In comparison, just remember how much space a hydroelectric plant needs to build a dam and the size of the flooded terrain.
Also the uranium it is a material relatively abundant in nature that would guarantee the supply of the plants for a long time. The main reserves are in India, Australia and Kazakhstan.
Disadvantages of Using Nuclear Energy
However, the risks of using nuclear energy are immense.
In addition to its use for non-peaceful purposes, such as the production of atomic bomb, the residues generated by the production of this energy represent a danger because of the toxic residues.
There is also the risk of nuclear accidents and the problem of disposal of the nuclear waste (waste composed of radioactive elements, generated in energy production processes). In addition, the contamination of the environment that causes irreversible damage to health, such as cancer, leukemia, genetic deformities, etc.
Nuclear Accidents
Since the first accident, recorded in 1952 in Chalh River, Canada, there have been many others. One of the most serious was the Chernobyl accident, which occurred in Ukraine in 1986, which exploded due to a failure of the refrigeration system.
The most recent was in 2011 at the Fukushima 1 plant on the east coast of Japan, which was hit by the earthquake and tsunami that shook the region. There was an explosion in the buildings that housed two reactors, which caused the release of radiation.
Brazil also faced the worst nuclear accident in its history when the Cesium-137 material was not properly disposed of. It is estimated that 1600 people were infected and 4 people died in this episode.
read more:
- Types of Energy
- Radioactivity
- Nuclear fusion
- Nuclear fission