(nuclear power)

Nuclear electricity - 92% enrichment of   isotope (uranium 238) or U238 for unlimited electrical energy

Researcher  and author: Dr.   (   Afshin Rashid)



Note: Uranium atoms exist in different forms called isotopes - primarily uranium-238 or U-238 and uranium-235 or U-235. In a typical sample of natural uranium, most of the mass (99.3%) consists of U-238 atoms and a very small fraction of the total mass (0.7%) consists of U-235 atoms.

Radioactive isotopes are also called unstable isotopes. In this type of isotope, the nucleus decays in the form of alpha, beta, electron capture, etc. and reaches more stable states of energy. Although these types of isotopes are dangerous, they have useful uses in life.If a uniform fuel of uranium-238 or plutonium-239 is used in a reactor, a nuclear explosion will occur due to the uncontrollable increase in the number of nuclear fissions due to the chain process. But the chain process will not cause a nuclear explosion in a reactor, because the number of fissions in the reactor will not be large enough to cause an explosion, and this is due to the low degree of enrichment of the fuel of nuclear reactors. Natural uranium contains a small percentage (less than 1%) of uranium-235 and the rest is uranium-238 (because uranium-238 is not fissile). Most reactors in nuclear power plants use uranium with an enrichment percentage between 3% and 4%, but some of them are designed to work with natural uranium, and some of them require fuels with a  higher enrichment percentage. have.




The general form of electrical energy production in nuclear power plants is the same as in thermal power plants, with the difference that the source of heat production is not fossil fuel and the energy required to produce steam to turn the turbine is obtained from atomic interactions in the reactor. Usually, the energy from The atomic interactions in the reactor are transferred to a fluid, which can be directed directly to the turbine, or by passing through the heat exchanger, it heats another fluid and finally turns the necessary water into steam and directs it to the turbine. In the early nuclear reactors, the primary conveying fluid was water, which was directly directed to the turbine after turning into steam. The closed circuit transfers the heat produced in the reactor to water in a separate heat exchanger and turns it into steam.

Atomic interactions are done in two ways:


A) Atomic fission or fracture:

In this method, heavy elements are converted into light elements through atomic interactions and release energy. In this case, heavy elements release their internal energy by losing neutrons and reducing their weight. This process is used in existing nuclear power plant reactors

b) Atomic welding or fusion:

In this method, light elements are transformed into heavier elements by absorbing neutrons, and at the same time as they lose a small part of their weight, they release a part of their internal energy.



Conclusion:
If a uniform fuel of uranium-238 or plutonium-239 is used in a reactor, a nuclear explosion will occur due to the uncontrollable increase in the number of nuclear fissions due to the chain process. But the chain process will not cause a nuclear explosion in a reactor, because the number of fissions in the reactor will not be large enough to cause an explosion, and this is due to the low degree of enrichment of the fuel of nuclear reactors. Natural uranium contains a small percentage (less than 1%) of uranium-235 and the rest is uranium-238 (because uranium-238 is not fissile). Most reactors in nuclear power plants use uranium with an enrichment percentage between 3% and 4%.

Researcher  and author: Dr.   (   Afshin Rashid)

Specialized doctorate in nano-microelectronics