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Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy

Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy rather than just read about it. In short: Whether nuclear power should be considered a form of renewable energy is an ongoing subject of debate. Legal definitions of renewable energy usually exclude nuclear energy technologies, with the notable exception of the U.S. state of Utah.

Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy — main illustration
Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Whether nuclear power should be considered a form of renewable energy is an ongoing subject of debate. Legal definitions of renewable energy usually exclude nuclear energy technologies, with the notable exception of the U.S. state of Utah. Dictionary-sourced definitions of renewable energy technologies often omit or explicitly exclude mention of nuclear energy sources, with an exception made for the natural nuclear decay heat generated within the Earth. The most common fuel used in conventional nuclear fission power stations, uranium-235 is "non-renewable" according to the United States' Energy Information Administration, the organization, however, is silent on the recycled MOX fuel. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory does not mention nuclear power in its "energy basics" definition. In 1987, the Brundtland Commission (WCED) classified fission reactors that produce more fissile nuclear fuel than they consume (breeder reactors, and if developed, fusion power) among conventional renewable energy sources, such as solar power and hydropower. The monitoring and storage of radioactive waste products is also required upon the use of other renewable energy sources, such as geothermal energy.

Definitions of renewable energy

Renewable energy flows involve natural phenomena, which with the exception of tidal power, ultimately derive their energy from the sun (a natural fusion reactor) or from geothermal energy, which is heat derived in greatest part from that which is generated in the earth from the decay of radioactive isotopes. Renewable energy resources exist over wide geographical areas, in contrast to other energy sources, which are concentrated in a limited number of countries.

Fission fuel supply In 1987, the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), an organization independent from, but created by, the United Nations, published Our Common Future, in which a particular subset of presently operating nuclear fission technologies, and nuclear fusion were both classified as renewable. That is, fission reactors that produce more fissile fuel than they consume - breeder reactors, and when it is developed, fusion power, are both classified within the same category as conventional renewable energy sources, such as solar and falling water. To fulfill the conditions required for a nuclear renewable energy concept, one has to explore a combination of processes going from the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle to the fuel production and the energy conversion using specific fluid fuels and reactors, as reported by Degueldre et al. (2019). Extraction of uranium from a diluted fluid ore such as seawater has been studied in various countries worldwide. This extraction should be carried out parsimoniously, as suggested by Degueldre (2017). An extraction rate of kilotons of U per year over centuries would not modify significantly the equilibrium concentration of uranium in the oceans (3.3 ppb). This equilibrium results from the input of 10 kilotons of U per year by river waters and its scavenging on the sea floor from the 1.37 exatons of water in the oceans. For a renewable uranium extraction, the use of a specific biomass material is suggested to adsorb uranium and subsequently other transition metals. The uranium loading on the biomass would be around 100 mg per kg. After contact time, the loaded material would be dried and burned (CO2 neutral) with heat conversion into electricity, e.g. The uranium ‘burning’ in a molten salt fast reactor helps to optimize the energy conversion by burning all actinide isotopes with an excellent yield for producing a maximum amount of thermal energy from fission and converting it into electricity. This optimisation can be reached by reducing the moderation and the fission product concentration in the liquid fuel/coolant. These effects can be achieved by using a maximum amount of actinides and a minimum amount of alkaline/earth alkaline elements, yielding a harder neutron spectrum. Under these optimal conditions, the consumption of natural uranium would be 7 tons per year and per gigawatt (GW) of produced electricity.e.g. The coupling of uranium extraction from the sea and its optimal utilisation in a molten salt fast reactor should allow nuclear energy to gain the label renewable. In addition, the amount of seawater used by a nuclear power plant to cool the last coolant fluid and the turbine would be ~2.1 gigatons per year for a fast molten salt reactor, corresponding to 7 tons of natural uranium extractable per year. This practice justifies the label renewable.

Conventional fission

Nuclear fission reactors are a natural energy phenomenon, having naturally formed on Earth in the past. For example, a natural nuclear fission reactor in present-day Oklo, Gabon was discovered in the 1970s. It ran for a few hundred thousand years, averaging 100 kW of thermal power during that time. Conventional manmade nuclear fission power stations largely use uranium, a common metal found in seawater and rocks around the world, as its primary fuel source. Uranium-235 "burnt" in conventional reactors, without fuel recycling, is a non-renewable resource, and if used at present rates would eventually be exhausted. This is similar to geothermal energy derived from the natural nuclear decay of the large but finite supply of uranium, thorium, and potassium-40 present within the Earth's crust. Due to nuclear decay, this renewable energy source will eventually run out of fuel. The Sun's energy will too be exhausted.

Breeder reactors

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy: Proportions of the isotopes, U-238 (blue) and U-235 (red) found in natural uranium, versus grades that are enriched. light water reactors and the natural uranium capable CANDU reactors, are primarily powered only by the U-235 component, failing to extract much energy from U-238. While by contrast uranium breeder reactors mostly use U-238/the primary constituent of natural uranium as their fuel.[12]
Proportions of the isotopes, U-238 (blue) and U-235 (red) found in natural uranium, versus grades that are enriched. light water reactors and the natural uranium capable CANDU reactors, are primarily powered only by the U-235 component, failing to extract much energy from U-238. While by contrast uranium breeder reactors mostly use U-238/the primary constituent of natural uranium as their fuel.[12]
Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy: A cutaway model of the 2nd most powerful presently operating fast breeder reactor in the world. The (BN-600), at 600 MW of nameplate capacity is equivalent in power output to a natural gas CCGT. It dispatches 560 MW to the Middle Urals power grid. Construction of a second breeder reactor, the BN-800 reactor was completed in 2014.
A cutaway model of the 2nd most powerful presently operating fast breeder reactor in the world. The (BN-600), at 600 MW of nameplate capacity is equivalent in power output to a natural gas CCGT. It dispatches 560 MW to the Middle Urals power grid. Construction of a second breeder reactor, the BN-800 reactor was completed in 2014.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy

In research
Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Nuclear power, Renewable energy, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy in simple terms?

Whether nuclear power should be considered a form of renewable energy is an ongoing subject of debate. Legal definitions of renewable energy usually exclude nuclear energy technologies, with the notable exception of the U.S. state of Utah.

Why does Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy.

Tags

  • Nuclear power
  • Renewable energy

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