Nuclear energy key terms
NET ZERO
Nuclear energy key terms
a method to advance ( while also quietly building a nuclear arsenal ).
2021 : There are now 443 nuclear reactors in 30 countries across the world .
These are the top five nuclear electricity generating countries and the nuclear share of total national annual electricity generation :
United States : 19.3 % France : 71.5 % China : 4.1 % Russia : 17.5 % South Korea : 23.4 %
So with such extensive popularity , what are the reasons for – and against – using nuclear energy ?
• Cladding : A metal barrier surrounding the uranium fuel , separating it from the water in the reactor coolant system .
• Coolant : Water which cools the nuclear fuel by passing through the reactor vessel .
• Control rods : Metal rods used to control the fission process , or shut the reactor down .
• Control Room : Where the nuclear plant is controlled from .
• Core : Where the risky business takes place
• Fission : A process which splits an atom into two new atoms . When uranium atoms split inside a nuclear reactor , heat is produced .
• Nuclear waste : anything which has become dangerously radioactive after being used in the nuclear energy process . This includes : fuel , reactor components and even
work clothing .
• Radioactivity : Nuclear radiation alters the behavior of cells and damages DNA , which can cause radiation sickness or even cancer
• Reactor : A massive steel container , which holds the core and the coolant .
• Shielding : Materials installed to prevent radiation from escaping into the environment .
• Uranium : One of the heaviest naturallyoccurring elements with a melting point of 1132 ° C , Uranium is effectively burned during the fission process within the nuclear reactor . This heat is used to create steam , to turn a turbine , to provide electricity .
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