What is Nuclear Energy

What is nuclear energy? How is nuclear energy defined? Nuclear energy comes either from spontaneous nuclei conversions or induced nuclei conversions. Material Properties

What is Nuclear Energy

Nuclear energy comes either from spontaneous nuclei conversions or induced nuclei conversions. Among these conversions (nuclear reactions) belong for example nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion. Conversions are associated with mass and energy changes. One of the striking results of Einstein’s theory of relativity is that mass and energy are equivalent and convertible, one into the other. Equivalence of the mass and energy is described by Einstein’s famous formula:

E=MC2 - Nuclear energy — This formule describes equivalence of mass and energy.

, where M is the small amount of mass and C is the speed of light.

What that means? If the nuclear energy is generated (splitting atoms, nuclear fussion), a small amount of mass (saved in the nuclear binding energy) transforms into the pure energy (such as kinetic energy, thermal energy, or radiant energy).

Example:

The energy equivalent of one gram (1/1000 of a kilogram) of mass is equivalent to:

89.9 terajoules
25.0 million kilowatt-hours (≈ 25 GW·h)
21.5 billion kilocalories (≈ 21 Tcal)
85.2 billion BTUs

or to the energy released by combustion of the following:

21.5 kilotons of TNT-equivalent energy (≈ 21 kt)
568,000 US gallons of automotive gasoline

Any time energy is generated, the process can be evaluated from an E = mc² perspective.

Nuclear Binding Energy – Mass Defect

Conservation of Mass-Energy

At the beginning of the 20th century, the notion of mass underwent a radical revision. Mass lost its absoluteness. One of the striking results of Einstein’s theory of relativity is that mass and energy are equivalent and convertible one into the other. Equivalence of the mass and energy is described by Einstein’s famous formula E = mc². In words, energy equals mass multiplied by the speed of light squared. Because the speed of light is a very large number, the formula implies that any small amount of matter contains a very large amount of energy. The mass of an object was seen to be equivalent to energy, to be interconvertible with energy, and to increase significantly at exceedingly high speeds near that of light. The total energy of an object was understood to comprise its rest mass as well as its increase of mass caused by increase in kinetic energy.

In special theory of relativity certain types of matter may be created or destroyed, but in all of these processes, the mass and energy associated with such matter remains unchanged in quantity. It was found the rest mass an atomic nucleus is measurably smaller than the sum of the rest masses of its constituent protons, neutrons and electrons. Mass was no longer considered unchangeable in the closed system. The difference is a measure of the nuclear binding energy which holds the nucleus together. According to the Einstein relationship (E = mc²) this binding energy is proportional to this mass difference and it is known as the mass defect.

E=mc² represents the new conservation principle – the conservation of mass-energy.

Nuclear Binding Curve

Nuclear binding energy curve.
Source: hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu

If the splitting releases energy and the fusion releases the energy, so where is the breaking point? For understanding this issue it is better to relate the binding energy to one nucleon, to obtain nuclear binding curve. The binding energy per one nucleon is not linear. There is a peak in the binding energy curve in the region of stability near iron and this means that either the breakup of heavier nuclei than iron or the combining of lighter nuclei than iron will yield energy.

The reason the trend reverses after iron peak is the growing positive charge of the nuclei. The electric force has greater range than strong nuclear force. While the strong nuclear force binds only close neighbors the electric force of each proton repels the other protons.

Example: Mass defect of a 63Cu

Calculate the mass defect of a ⁶³Cu nucleus if the actual mass of ⁶³Cu in its nuclear ground state is 62.91367 u.

⁶³Cu nucleus has 29 protons and also has (63 – 29) 34 neutrons.

The mass of a proton is 1.00728 u and a neutron is 1.00867 u.

The combined mass is: 29 protons x (1.00728 u/proton) + 34 neutrons x (1.00867 u/neutron) = 63.50590 u

The mass defect is Δm = 63.50590 u – 62.91367 u = 0.59223 u

Convert the mass defect into energy (nuclear binding energy).

(0.59223 u/nucleus) x (1.6606 x 10^-27 kg/u) = 9.8346 x 10^-28 kg/nucleus

ΔE = Δmc²

ΔE = (9.8346 x 10^-28 kg/nucleus) x (2.9979 x 10⁸ m/s)² = 8.8387 x 10^-11 J/nucleus

The energy calculated in the previous example is the nuclear binding energy. However, the nuclear binding energy may be expressed as kJ/mol (for better understanding).

Calculate the nuclear binding energy of 1 mole of ⁶³Cu:

(8.8387 x 10^-11 J/nucleus) x (1 kJ/1000 J) x (6.022 x 10²³ nuclei/mol) = 5.3227 x 10¹⁰ kJ/mol of nuclei.

One mole of ⁶³Cu (~63 grams) is bound by the nuclear binding energy (5.3227 x 10¹⁰ kJ/mol) which is equivalent to:

14.8 million kilowatt-hours (≈ 15 GW·h)
336,100 US gallons of automotive gasoline

Example: Mass defect of the reactor core

Calculate the mass defect of the 3000MW_th reactor core after one year of operation.

It is known the average recoverable energy per fission is about 200 MeV, being the total energy minus the energy of the energy of antineutrinos that are radiated away.

The reaction rate per entire 3000MW_th reactor core is about 9.33×10¹⁹ fissions / second.

The overall energy release in the units of joules is:

200×10⁶ (eV) x 1.602×10^-19 (J/eV) x 9.33×10¹⁹ (s^-1) x 31.5×10⁶ (seconds in year) = 9.4×10¹⁶ J/year

The mass defect is calculated as:

Δm = ΔE/c²

Δm = 9.4×10¹⁶ / (2.9979 x 10⁸)² = 1.046 kg

That means in a typical 3000MWth reactor core about 1 kilogram of matter is converted into pure energy.

Note that, a typical annual uranium load for a 3000MWth reactor core is about 20 tonnes of enriched uranium (i.e. about 22.7 tonnes of UO₂). Entire reactor core may contain about 80 tonnes of enriched uranium.

Mass defect directly from E=mc²

The mass defect can be calculated directly from the Einstein relationship (E = mc²) as:

Δm = ΔE/c²

Δm = 3000×10⁶ (W = J/s) x 31.5×10⁶ (seconds in year) / (2.9979 x 10⁸)²= 1.051 kg

Nuclear Energy and Electricity Production

Today we use the nuclear energy to generate useful heat and electricity. This electricity is generated in nuclear power plants. The heat source in the nuclear power plant is a nuclear reactor. As is typical in all conventional thermal power stations the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity. In 2011 nuclear power provided 10% of the world’s electricity. In 2007, the IAEA reported there were 439 nuclear power reactors in operation in the world, operating in 31 countries. They produce base-load electricity 24/7 without emitting any pollutants into the atmosphere (this includes CO2).

Nuclear Energy Consumption – Summary

Nuclear Reactor — Pressure vessel of PWR.

Consumption of a 3000MWth (~1000MWe) reactor (12-months fuel cycle)

It is an illustrative example, following data do not correspond to any reactor design.

Typical reactor may contain about 165 tonnes of fuel (including structural material)
Typical reactor may contain about 100 tonnes of enriched uranium (i.e. about 113 tonnes of uranium dioxide).
This fuel is loaded within, for example, 157 fuel assemblies composed of over 45,000 fuel rods.
A common fuel assembly contain energy for approximately 4 years of operation at full power.
Therefore about one quarter of the core is yearly removed to spent fuel pool (i.e. about 40 fuel assemblies), while the remainder is rearranged to a location in the core better suited to its remaining level of enrichment (see Power Distribution).
The removed fuel (spent nuclear fuel) still contains about 96% of reusable material (it must be removed due to decreasing k_inf of an assembly).

Annual natural uranium consumption of this reactor is about 250 tonnes of natural uranium (to produce of about 25 tonnes of enriched uranium).

Annual enriched uranium consumption of this reactor is about 25 tonnes of enriched uranium.

Annual fissile material consumption of this reactor is about 1 005 kg.

Annual matter consumption of this reactor is about 1.051 kg.

But it corresponds to about 3 200 000 tons of coal burned in coal-fired power plant per year.

What is Nuclear Energy – Definition