The Pros And Cons Of Nuclear Energy

First we have to ask ourselves what is nuclear energy? It is the energy that is released during a nuclear reaction. A nuclear reaction releases the nuclear forces that bind the center of an atom together; fission and fusion are the only two methods of releasing the nuclear energy. Today's nuclear power plants use fission to produce energy, which allows them to generate electricity on a large scale. Fission is a nuclear reaction that results in the splitting of an atom. Nuclear energy uses fuel made from mined and processed uranium to make steam and generate electricity. Uranium is a naturally occurring semi-radioactive element. Uranium-235 is an isotope found as approximately 0.7 percent of natural uranium. Uranium-235 can undergo fission, making

The fuel as stated before is uranium 235 and it is manufactured into small round fuel pellets. A single pellet is less than an inch long, but produces the energy equivalent to a metric ton of coal. The pellets are lined up to end-to-end into fuel rods that are about 12 feet long. Over 200 of these rods are grouped into what is known as the reactor vessel. The process of producing electricity begins when uranium atoms are split via fission by particles known as neutrons. Uranium 235 breaks apart when it collides with a neutron witch make it easy to split and make energy. Once an atom of uranium 235 is split, neutrons from the uranium atom are free to collide with other uranium 235 atoms creating a chain reaction producing enormous amounts of heat. This reaction is controlled by the control rods which absorb neutrons being released. The Control rods are inserted among the fuel assembly rods that hold the uranium pellets. When the rods are in place, they absorb the atomic particles that would normally initiate the chain reaction. These are used to regulate the fission process when the rods are lifted away from the uranium filled rods it allows for fission