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It is is hard to split a nucleas

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11y ago
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15y ago

Dealing with spent fuel from nuclear reactors presents a number of engineering challenges. Let's look at them. The spent fuel still has a good deal of unburned fissionable material within it. If an unfriendly group was to secure a spent fuel bundle, they may be able to recover enough fissionable material to construct a nuclear weapon. And as spent fuel is extremely "dirty" in the radiological sense, the group could very well make a huge radioactive mess by opening up the fuel elements. As stated above, the fuel is sealed within fuel elements with a great deal of highly radioactive residue. The radiation levels associated with this large group of radionuclides are very high, and the half lives of many of the isotopes of the radioactive elements is very long - thousands to tens of thousands of years. Spent fuel generates a lot of heat, even after its been allowed to cool for weeks after shutdown. When it is removed, it needs to be sunk in a holding pool to keep it cool. Only after a long period of months is it cool enough to be removed to a casket for transport to a permanent storage facility. Caskets for transport must be specially engineered to withstand accidents on roadways or railways. The last thing we need is a broken fuel bundle anywhere. Transportation logistics must be tightly controlled for security reasons. Long term storage facilities must be set up to provide a stable and secure environment for thousands if not tens of thousands of years. The stuff inside the fuel rods is incredibly radioactive. It is not cost effective to try to cut it open and reprocess it. The radiation hazards and the risks far outweigh the benefits of cutting open spent fuel elements. Our friends at Wikipedia have an article on spent fuel. It isn't out of reach for a non-technical person.

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12y ago

A potential danger always exists within the reactor site itself. Although the ideal theoretical reactor appears relatively simple, in reality a reactor requires state-of-the-art engineering technology. Numerous back-up systems are designed for safety. The chain reaction must be completely controlled at all times. Critical mass cannot be exceeded and this requires the fine coordination of complex equipment. Experience has shown us that all equipment, no matter how well designed, is subject to human error and material failure. Radiation leaks could cause death and destruction to all nearby life. Heat produced is always a polluting ingredient. Before making any final judgments of the value of nuclear energy, let's investigate some aspects of these problems.

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13y ago

Nuclear energy has many pros and cons about it. The energy is generated by heating a radioactive element to the point where it releases steam. This steam is then used to move huge fans attached to machines that generate energy. (Sort of like a windmill farm) The good news is that nuclear energy is very clean to use as a natural energy source. The bad news is that if the pumps and machines used to keep it safely contained fail, then too much radiation will be released into the air causing health problems, and a nuclear meltdown.

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14y ago

IF IT IS FOR THE CROSSWORD:

it starts with 'd' and it maybe drainage

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13y ago

Nuclear power produces nuclear waste, which can be dangerous. Nuclear power can also be used to produce material for nuclear weapons.

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The Fam Bam

Lvl 3
3y ago

nuclear waste will cause radation and takes a long time to become safe

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14y ago

It is difficult to dispose of wastes

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11y ago

fuel

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Q: What are some problems associated with the use of nuclear fission to supply energy needs?
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Related questions

Which is not a problem associated with the increase of nuclear energy?

Three problems associated with nuclear waste


Is not a problem associated with the increased use of nuclear energy?

Three problems associated with nuclear waste


Outline on nuclear energy?

Definition: energy from nuclear fission or fusion: the energy released by nuclear fission or fusion


What is one benefit associated with nuclear fission reaction?

Energy production is one of the benefits.It gives off a lot of energy


How does nuclear fission generates energy?

The heat released by nuclear fission is transformed in electrical energy.


Is a nuclear fission a chemical energy?

The energy released is nuclear energy.


Which is not a problem associated with the increase use of nuclear energy?

Three problems associated with nuclear waste


Nuclear energy that is used to power nuclear powerplants?

Nuclear energy generated by nuclear fissions of nuclear fuels.


What is nuclear energy made from?

In general, nuclear energy comes from the energy associated with atomic nuclei. There is nuclear fusion, which happens in stars and in fusion weapons, and there is nuclear fission. Nuclear fusion is the "combining" of lighter atomic nuclei to create heavier ones, and many fusion reactions release energy. (Again, think of stars.) In contrast, nuclear fission is the "splitting" of atomic nuclei to release energy. The latter is technology that we've come to use fairly widely, and we have developed fission nuclear weapons and the nuclear reactor to tap nuclear energy via fission. Let's look at the latter device, the reactor. The fission of nuclear fuel (also known as atomic fuel, such as uranium or plutonium) is where we get nuclear energy. And what happens during nuclear fission is that the nuclei of fuel atoms absorb neutrons and fission (split), releasing lots of energy. In fission, that larger atomic nucleus breaks into a pair of smaller ones, and these fission fragments recoil with a lot of kinetic energy. The fuel traps the fission fragments, and the energy they came away with is converted into thermal energy in the fuel. We derive nuclear energy by tapping the energy of formation of atomic nuclei via fusion or fission. This is advanced technology that is less than a century old. We're still working to use it well and wisely.


Occurs when a large nucleus splits releasing energy and two smaller nuclei?

Nuclear fission.


What is it when energy is released through fission or fusion?

Nuclear energy


Is fission reverse energy?

No, nuclear fission is not reversible energy. It is irreversible process.