Sunday 4 December 2011

Nuclear Power Produce Nuclear Energy

Nuclear energy is a quantity of energy measured in Joules, so it has the same units as mechanical or electrical energy.

Nuclear power is the rate of production of nuclear energy, so it is Joules per second, or Watts, as other forms of power are.

Nuclear power generally refers to the heat generated during the reaction. The heat then heats water which turns a turbine that then turns a generator. One could say that there is a difference between nuclear energy and electrical energy. However, energy cannot be created or destroyed. It is either released in a chemical reaction, like in a coal powered plant or heat generated from the destruction of mass in a nuclear powered plant.

At one point in the late 60's nuclear power was going to be the future of electricity production in the US. The electricity was going to be so cheap that it would be free. The only expense passed on to the customer would be infrastructure cost. The events that took place in Chernobyl, and the ignorance of people put a stop to the plans to make America completely nuclear powered.

Nuclear power plants release zero emissions. The only waste from a nuclear power plant comes in the forum of nuclear waste. The waste from nuclear power can be safely stored and secured in an area like Yucca Mountain. The waste can be very dangerous if not handled correctly but is in such small quantities that a single semi truck can hold a years worth of waste.

The electricity generated from a nuclear power plant can be used to produce and condense hydrogen. Hydrogen can be used to power vehicles and the only by product when burned is pure water.

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