Opinion Article - (2022) Volume 10, Issue 3
Applications Of Nuclear Energy And Its Limitations
Andrew Kelvin*Received: 17-Aug-2022, Manuscript No. JSG-22-77826; Editor assigned: 19-Aug-2022, Pre QC No. JSG-22-77826 (PQ); Reviewed: 05-Sep-2022, QC No. JSG-22-77826; Revised: 13-Sep-2022, Manuscript No. JSG-22-77826 (R); Published: 22-Sep-2022, DOI: 10.51268/2736-187X.22.10.81
Description
Nuclear energy is the type of energy created by the fission process. Electricity is generated in a variety of ways, including solar panels, coal combustion, and maybe by collecting the heat from atoms that split apart. Nuclear energy is created by splitting atoms apart to produce power. Steam is used in thermal power plants to convert heat into energy. Heat is generated in nuclear power plants when atoms split apart, a process known as fission. When atoms collide, heat is released. When the method is repeated, a chain reaction occurs. Uranium is the substance used in the nuclear power plant's fission process. The two basic nuclear processes studied are fission and fusion.
Applications
Nuclear power
Nuclear power can be used for a variety of purposes other than electricity generation. Seawater desalination, hydrogen production, district heating and process heating for industry (glass and cement manufacturing, metal production), refining, and synthesis gas production are examples of heat-requiring uses.
Nuclear techniques are used to identify and evaluate the qualities of various materials, to measure pollution levels, to sterilize and disinfect components, to monitor and improve industrial processes, and to change chemical, physical, and biological properties in order to create novel materials.
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon (also known as an atom bomb, atomic bomb, nuclear bomb, or nuclear warhead, and colloquially as an A-bomb or nuke) is an explosive device that generates a nuclear explosion through nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear bomb). Both types of bombs produce a significant quantity of energy from relatively small amounts of stuff. Nuclear weapons are the most lethal, brutal, and indiscriminate weapons yet devised. They are unlike any other weapons in terms of the degree of damage they produce, as well as their uniquely persistent, spreading, genetically harmful radioactive fallout.
Limitations
The growth of nuclear energy is hampered by a variety of complex factors, one of which is nuclear waste. Nuclear power implementations are limited because, while nuclear energy does not emit CO2 like fossil fuels, it does produce a harmful byproduct from uranium-fueled nuclear cycles: radioactive fission waste. There is also a bad political perception connected with nuclear facilities and nuclear weapons, making rapid expansion of nuclear energy problematic.
Furthermore, because of the fissile plutonium components of the waste, which might be reused as bomb fuel, nuclear power facilities could be ideal targets for terrorists. Although the fuel cost of producing power using nuclear energy is very low, highly experienced employees are still required to build, maintain, and monitor the operations to assure the plant's safety and process.
Expensive to construct
Nuclear power facilities are relatively inexpensive to operate but relatively expensive to build. Aside from the expense of building a power plant, nuclear reactors must budget for waste, which must be stored in cooled buildings with tight security standards. All of the costs and expenditures make nuclear power somewhat expensive in the beginning.
Generation of radioactive waste
While nuclear energy generation produces no emissions, a byproduct of radioactive waste is created. To avoid damaging the environment, garbage must be stored in secure facilities. Radiation is not toxic in small doses, but radioactive waste from nuclear power plants. Radioactive waste storage is a major challenge and expense for nuclear power plants.
Restricted fuel supply
To create electricity, nuclear power plants rely largely on thorium and uranium. Before the supply of thorium and uranium runs out, a nuclear fusion or breeder reactor must be built; otherwise, electricity generation will be impossible. Due to dwindling resources, nuclear power is currently only a costly short-term alternative for electricity generation.
Impact on the environment
The most substantial environmental impact is caused by the destructive process of uranium mining. Uranium may be mined using both open-pit and subterranean methods. Open-pit mining is generally a safe technique for miners, although it produces radioactive waste, causes erosion, and occasionally pollutes water supplies. Underground mining poses a significantly larger risk of radiation poisoning to miners than open-pit mining.