Budny 10:00
L18
THE FUTURE OF NUCLEAR POWER: CAN IT BE SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE?
Jacob Rasko (jtr39@pitt.edu)
NUCLEAR POWER AT ITS’ FINEST
BUILDING A NUCLEAR REACTOR
Imagine a world that was completely independent of
fossil fuels for energy. Nuclear Power demonstrates a way to
accomplish this in the near future. I believe this is a
challenge that the Engineering community faces, due to the
growing global energy crisis. Unlike burning coal for
energy, Nuclear Power has no harmful side effects to the
environment if done responsibly and is sustainable for many
years to come. It uses a readily available source of fuel,
which is Uranium. Uranium can be mined out of the ground
or taken out of the seawater. The fact that the Earth is
seventy percent water, this makes it very accessible all over
the world. I believe that Nuclear Power could solve our
energy problems with the right safety measures in place. To
ensure a future in Nuclear Energy, we have to engineer a
safe way to harness the power of the Nuclear Fission.
Designing a Nuclear Power plant is a never-ending
struggle. Most Nuclear Power plants being built are based on
designs that were new when the color television was
introduced [2]. As the article Danger Zone stated, “Nuclear
Reactors don’t evolve at the same rate as computers; decades
of testing is necessary to ensure they are safe” [2]. The
evolution time of new Nuclear Reactor designs shows the
engineering communities commitment to safety. New
designs are now under research but they must incorporate
important lessons learned from Nuclear Accidents, such as
Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, and Fukushima [2]. To avoid
these severe accidents, Nuclear Power plants are design with
the concept of defense in depth [3]. The Bulletin of the
Atomic Scientists states that, “Defense in Depth refers to
multiple layers of protection aimed at reducing risks to both
the public and workers” [3]. Many different safety
mechanisms contribute to the defense in depth and evolution
of Nuclear Reactor design.
THE POWER BEHIND THE ATOM
As Debra Miller stated in the Introduction of the book
Nuclear Energy, “Nuclear Energy is obtained from splitting
apart atoms ... in a process known as fission” [1]. This is the
most important aspect of any Nuclear Power plant. Without
the splitting of Uranium atoms there would be no energy
production. Once the atom is split, there is an enormous
amount of energy released, which is used to heat water and
create steam that spins steam turbines [1]. Due to the
radioactive nature of using Uranium in Nuclear Fission and
the high heat it produces, very stringent safety measures
must be put in place.
SAFETY PROCEDURES OF NUCLEAR
POWER
When looking at the design of Nuclear Reactors, there are
multiple different procedures used to ensure the safety of the
environment and people in proximity to the reactor. The
need for safety in Nuclear Power is even more important
with the possibilities of its growth and risk factors for an
accident.
Containment Structures
SUSTAINABILITY OF NUCLEAR FISSION
Nuclear Fission involves the use of the radioactive
element Uranium. Uranium is a widely available resource in
Earth’s crust and in the sea. On land, Uranium can be mined
in many locations. Open pit, underground, and heap
leaching are just a few ways Uranium is mined from the
Earth’s crust. It is also starting to be acquired from the
Earth’s seawater. The process of acquiring it from the sea
will become a useful and sustainable option to obtain
Uranium for the future. This is a very new method of
securing this resource. Due to the fact that Earth is seventy
percent water, this can be a very sustainable way to obtain
Uranium. As we engineer new ways to acquire Uranium, we
will become more efficient and in return make Nuclear
Power a more sustainable energy source. Not only can we
obtain Uranium in a sustainable way, we can also build the
Nuclear Reactors with safety at the forefront.
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering 1
2013/10/01
Every Nuclear Reactor in the United States is surrounded
by a primary containment structure that is designed to
minimize the release of radioactive material into the
environment [4]. As James P. Argyriou states in the book
Nuclear Power Plants, “Containments must be strong
enough to withstand the pressure created by the large
amounts of steam that may be released from the reactor
cooling system during an accident” [4]. These standards
ensure that even under extreme circumstances, there will be
no leaks or contaminants released to the environment.
Containment Structures also contain a steel liner that covers
the inside of the structure [4]. This acts as an extra barrier to
prevent gas from escaping through the holes that may form
in the concrete structure. Contained inside the containment
structure is the reactor core, which is secured by another
safety procedure, the coolant system.
Jacob Rasko
Coolant Systems
IS NUCLEAR POWER THE FUTURE OF
ENERGY?
With nearly every Nuclear Reactor core design, the main
component of the safety procedures is the coolant systems.
This is the process of water flowing through the reactor core
to not only react with it and create steam but to also cool the
core. It is always a closed loop that never contacts the
outside environment under normal conditions [4]. In other
designs, the coolant system is completely separate than the
steam system. Overall though, the coolant systems main job
is to keep the reactor core at optimal temperature for safe
operation of the Nuclear Power plant. When this cooling
system fails, one of the only backup systems are an
emergency core cooling system.
Looking into Nuclear Power is a vital step engineers
around the world should take to solving the global energy
crisis. I believe that Nuclear Power is the answer to our
energy concerns but is not as safe as it could be. Safety
procedures should be reevaluated and redesigned to
accommodate present day challenges in Nuclear Engineering
and Power. Natural causes, human nature, and mechanical
failure all should be aspects of safety procedures in Nuclear
Power. Nuclear Engineering and Nuclear Power are a major
engineering challenge in today’s society. A safe and
sustainable solution should be and can be pursued so future
generations can benefit from the use of Nuclear Power.
Emergency Core Cooling System
SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE NUCLEAR
POWER
In the absence of the coolant systems, the uncovered
reactor core would continue to generate extreme amounts of
heat that can lead to a reactor meltdown [4]. In this case, an
emergency cooling system would provide water to cool the
reactor core. Explained by James P. Argyriou in the book
Nuclear Power Plants, “A low-pressure ECCS sprays water
from the suppression pool into the reactor vessel on top of
the fuel assemblies” [4]. An ECCS provides makeup water
for the loss of coolant systems. It must be big enough to
cover the intake of the largest coolant system pipe. The
Emergency Core Cooling System ensures that a meltdown of
the core does not happen. Accidents like this are a result of a
complete failure of safety procedures.
Nuclear Power demonstrates a way to gain independence
from fossil fuels. This challenge that the engineering
community faces, is due to the growing global energy crisis.
Unlike burning coal for energy, Nuclear Power has no
harmful side effects to the environment and is sustainable
through many years to come if used in a responsible way. I
believe that Nuclear Power could solve our energy problems
with the right safety measures in place. Personally, a Nuclear
Disaster has affected my close family with the Three Mile
Island Reactor. Redesigning important safety measures
would ensure a safe future in Nuclear Energy. To ensure a
sustainable and safe energy source for years to come we
have to engineer a safe way to harness the power of the
Nuclear Fission with Nuclear Engineering.
SAFETY FAILURES: ACCIDENTS IN
NUCLEAR POWER
Accidents in Nuclear Power happen for a variety of
reasons. Most commonly they are the result of human error
and faulty equipment [1]. Safety methods built into the
Nuclear Reactor do not account for the factor of human
error. The worst accident dealing with Nuclear Power is the
Chernobyl accident in Ukraine. This accident gave example
for the horrific things Nuclear Power is capable of. In the
book Perspectives on Modern History: Chernobyl David
Erik Nelson states, “An operator error caused a power surge
that blew the roof of the reactor unit ...” [5]. When safety
procedures are ignored or brought offline, as in the case of
Chernobyl, it increases the chance of an accident. You could
build the safest Nuclear Reactor but could still have a
disaster because of human error. This is why Nuclear Power
safety cannot be answered with just one solution. Past
accidents give us examples and valuable information to learn
from and engineer safer ways to build and use Nuclear
Power.
RESOURCES
[1] D. A. Miller. (2010). Nuclear Energy. Farmington Hills,
MI: Greenhaven Press. (Print Book). pp. 16-109
[2] “Danger Zone.” (2013). Academic Search Premier.
(Online
Article).
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph
&AN=87878293&site=ehost-live
[3] D. Kim, J. Kang. “Where nuclear safety and security
meet.” (2012). Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. (Online
Article). 10.1177/0096340211433021
[4] J. P. Argyriou. (2012). Nuclear Power Plants. New
York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. (Print Book). pp. 1-23
[5] D. E. Nelson. (2010). Perspectives on Modern World
History: Chernobyl. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomas Gale.
(Print Book). pp. 1-17
ADDITIONAL SOURCES
(2013). “Grand Challenges for Engineering. (Online Video).
http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/challenges.aspx
2
Jacob Rasko
(2013). “Nuclear Power Reactors.” World Nuclear
Association.
(Online
Article).
http://worldnuclear.org/info/Nuclear-Fuel-Cycle/PowerReactors/Nuclear-Power-Reactors/#.UkfCWBZAyfQ
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I want to thank my friend Jenna for helping me focus and
work on this paper. My parents also deserve thanks for
always being there for me and giving me encouragement.
My writing instructor, writing center tutor, and Professor
also deserve thanks for teaching me new ways to improve
my writing.
3