Business, Thought, and Management Articles --- Nuclear Power --- Atmic Reactor
Atomic reactor is the equipment to make continuously stable nuclear reaction. Fission will generate a large amount of radioactive substance with explosive energy. Nuclear power generation is to generate electricity using the heat energy by controlling the nuclear reaction in the reactor.
Atomic reactor is the equipment to make continuously stable nuclear reaction. Fission will generate a large amount of radioactive substance with explosive energy. Nuclear power generation is to generate electricity using the heat energy by controlling the nuclear reaction in the reactor.
There are many different types of atomic reactors depending on the purpose such as for power generation, for military use, and for research. Among them, many of nuclear power generation use the reactors called "light-water reactors".
The light-water reactor is the reactor using light water to slow down the speed (reduce energy) of neutrons that are mediated role and cause the fission reaction. Light water is the purified general water.
The light-water reactor has features that the moderator is cheap (because it is water), it can be constructed relatively compact (low construction cost), and its fuel are less likely to be used for military purposes. On the other hand, there are issues pointed out that its thermal efficiency is low, there are many work with exposures of workers, there are large radioactive waste, and it is difficult to change the power output.
There are two kinds of light-water reactors, that are BWR (boiling water reactor) and PWR (pressurized water reactor). In Japan, both BWR and PWR are built and operated for commercial use.
BWR creates the steam by evaporating the water in the reactor, send the steam to the outside of the reactor to turn the turbine. Steam is cooled in the condenser and will be back to the water. The condensed water will be back into the reactor by the pump.
It is a relatively simple structure as a nuclear reactor, and has been widely used in nuclear power from an earlier time.
However, it can increase radioactive waste since water in the reactor go into turbine and condenser. Also, it let workers to be exposed to radiation more.
On the other hand, PWR heat the pressurized water in the primary cycle, the the evaporate the water of the secondary cycle system at the steam generator (heat exchanger) to turn the turbine.
Since the primary cycle system of water in the reactor does not come up to the turbine, it is said to be advantageous for the occurrence of worker exposure and radioactive waste amount compared to the BWR.
However, the complicated piping increases work load for maintenance and inspection etc. In addition, for the loss by passing the heat exchanger, power generation efficiency is lower than the BWR.
Fission Energy
Nuclear power is basically the power generated by the nuclear reaction. Nuclear reaction has mainly nuclear fission and nuclear fusion. Nuclear power generation that is operating currently in commercial takes advantage of the fission energy of uranium-plutonium.
Atmic Reactor
Atomic reactor is the equipment to make continuously stable nuclear reaction. Fission will generate a large amount of radioactive substance with explosive energy. Nuclear power generation is to generate electricity using the heat energy by controlling the nuclear reaction in the reactor.
Power Generating Plant
Power generation plant will generate the power by the generator. In order to move the generator, you need the power. In the case of nuclear power plant, it creates the steam that was heated by the nuclear reaction energy, thereby turns the turbine.
Radioactive Waste
When operating nuclear power plant, radioactive waste will be made. Radioactive waste is waste that contains radioactive substances. Processing of radioactive waste has concerns of its risk and the impact to the environment, it has become a major issue of nuclear power.
Workers and Their Health
Those who supports the operation of nuclear power plant are the workers who work there. Workers sometimes have to work side-by-side with danger at high radiation area. And their health management is a big issue.
Safety Design and Quality Management
Fission energy is explosively large, nuclear reaction is dangerous accompanied by radioactivity. So, variety of safety design shall be applied to nuclear power so that any accidents or failures shall never occur.
Correspondence in Case of Accident
If the accident occurs in a nuclear power plant, it will have a significant impact on a wide range of people. Depending on the correspondence in case of accident, it can harm many people's lives and health, cause pollution in wide area and ocean, and will be criticized from the international community.
Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Plant
The nuclear power plant will be gradually aging by continuous long-term operation. Outdated nuclear power plants will have to stop the operation, and must be decommissioned. The nuclear power will also have a big issue for this "decommissioning".
The Future of Nuclear Power
How the future of nuclear power will be that have variety of issues? How the nuclear power should be? Let's think about he future of nuclear power here.
Should the Nuclear Power Be Eliminated?
There are opinions that we should be without nuclear power. That says, we should abolish the nuclear power plants because nuclear power is dangerous, has concerns like accidents and radioactive waste, and it is not promising as an energy source.
Future of Energy Policy
How our energy policy will be in future? What should we consider the use of energy from now? Let's think about the future of energy policy here.
