Power Plant Construction and QA/QC Section 1.4– Nuclear Energy

1. Engineering Technology Division Power Plant Construction and QA/QC Section 1.4– Nuclear Energy

2. Section 1.4– Nuclear Energy Overview • Introduction • Purpose • Fission Process • Current Reactor Types • Uranium Fuel Processing • Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing • Future - Nuclear Fusion

3. Section 1.4– Nuclear Energy Purpose of Nuclear Energy First Purpose was for Nuclear Medicine - 1941

4. Section 1.4– Nuclear Energy Purpose of Nuclear Energy Second Purpose was for weapons – used 1945

5. Section 1.4– Nuclear Energy Purpose of Nuclear Energy Third Purpose was for Electrical Generation – 5/60

6. Section 1.4– Nuclear Energy Fission Process Forced vs. Natural 5 6 Fast Slow 7 1 Heat 4 Slow 2 3 Fast Decay 10 • Thermal Neutron generated from fission or decay • Thermal Neutron absorbed by 92U235 or 93Pu239 • Compound (or excited) 92U235 or 93Pu239 • Atom splits creating two fragments – mass conversion to energy. • Fast neutron produced. • Fast neutron has thermalized • Thermal Neutron absorbed by 92U235 or 93Pu239 • Fission fragment decays • First excited daughter decays • Fast neutron produced • Fast neutron absorbed by 92U238 8 11 10 Slow 9

7. Section 1.4– Nuclear Energy Reactor Types • PWR – Light Water – US - Westinghouse, Framatome • PWR – Heavy Water – CANDU - Canada • BWR – Light Water – US - GE, Toshiba • RBMK – Light Water Graphite – Soviet Union (now Russia) • GCR – Gas Cooled Reactor – England • LMFBR – Liquid Metal (Sodium) Breeder – United States • LMFBR – Liquid Metal (Lead) Breeder – Soviet Union (Russia) • MSRE – Molten Salt – Spain – Operation, US - Testing • PBR – Pebble Bed – US Lead Design • Natural Reactor – Oklo mine in Gabon, West Africa • Fission Reactor – The Sun

8. Section 1.4– Nuclear Energy Fuel Processing - US Uranium Locations

9. Section 1.4– Nuclear Energy Fuel Processing - Overview

10. Section 1.4– Nuclear Energy Fuel Processing – End product Uranium Oxide (Yellow Cake) • Each Pellet • 2.5 tons of Wood • 1 ton of Coal • 17,000 cubic feet of Natural Gas • 3 barrels of Oil (42 gallons each)

11. Section 1.4– Nuclear Energy Fuel Processing – Packaging

12. Section 1.4– Nuclear Energy Fuel Reprocessing

13. Section 1.4– Nuclear Energy Future Nuclear - Fusion Tritium + Deuterium = Helium + Neutron 3.016 + 2.014 Fusion 4.003 + 1.000 + Energy 5.030 = 5.003 + Energy (.027 amu)

14. Section 1.4– Nuclear Energy Questions?