Mahboobin 4:00
L01
Disclaimer—This paper partially fulfills a writing requirement for first year (freshman) engineering students at the University
of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering. This paper is a student, not a professional, paper. This paper is based on publicly
available information and may not provide complete analyses of all relevant data. If this paper is used for any purpose other
than these authors’ partial fulfillment of a writing requirement for first year (freshman) engineering students at the University
of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, the user does so at his or her own risk.
NUCLEAR ENERGY
Hongye Xu ([email protected])
WHY NUCLEAR ENERGY
When I read through the instruction of writing
assignment three, the topic of clean energy appeared in my
head immediately. As a citizen in Beijing, I have witnessed
how air pollution tortured people in this city in the past decade.
Beijing used to be a beautiful city; we had clean and dry air,
and we enjoyed the comfortable weather for most of the days
in a year. However, since 2009, heavy haze started to appear
more and more in the city. The horrible haze grew rapidly
within the next 5 years. It has already become a terrible
nightmare for all the people living in China. I would never
forget scenes I saw during the winter of 2015; for most of the
days in that winter, the city was under the cover of thick dark
haze. Grey was the dominating color of the city and everyone
had mask on his head. It was pretty much what kind of scene
I would come up with when describing how “the end of the
world” looks like. Ever since the second industrial revolution,
fossil fuels have propped up the world’s energy consumption.
Fossil fuels are such reliable sources of energy that they
helped human to reach today’s prosperous by almost their
own. However, the excessive usage of fossil fuels brought
serious consequences to human. Fossil fuels, when burning,
release carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and
particulate matter. The producing of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen
oxide, and particulate matter is the directly source of air
pollution which is extremely harmful for people’s health.
Physicists at the University of California, Berkeley,
calculated about 1.6 million people in China die each year
from heart, lung and stroke problems because of incredibly
polluted air, especially small particles of haze. [1] The severe
outcomes of burning fossil fuels have pushed us to an edge
that finding replacement sources of energy for fossil fuels is
critical for human. Nuclear energy and renewable energy are
two means for human to replace fossil fuels. However,
renewable energies, specifically solar energy, hydroelectric,
and wind power energy, are restricted by the limitation of
nature and whether. Apparently, the only choice left for us is
nuclear energy. It’s a reliable and stable source of energy that
almost excludes external influence. And compares to burning
fossil fuels, it won’t release any pollution to air.
NUCLEAR ENERGY
Countless of institutions, professional researchers, even
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering
Date of submission –11.01.2016
friction novels and movies have pictured us human’s future
with nuclear energy as the dominating source of energy. Some
of them describe nuclear energy as a powerful and essential
tool for human to reach a highly developed society with
advanced technology. While others focus on the destruction
power or the negative influences and dangerous of nuclear
energy. Such phenomenon makes the public confused about
nuclear. What is nuclear energy? Does it safe? Does it suit to
the society’s need? These are question that held by many
people around the world. The nuclear energy we are using
now comes from nuclear fission. Dr. Guven, a nuclear
engineer as well as a professor in University of petroleum &
energy studies, give the explanation of how nuclear fission
works. “The theory behind it is that a molecule of fissile
material (mostly uranium) is bombarded by neutrons, so that
it separates into two or more particles. During this process,
some mass is converted to pure energy.” [2] Comparing to
other alternative sources of energy for instance solar energy,
it’s a relatively cheap source of energy. It’s a very efficient
way of generating energy and produce almost no pollution to
air. The energy produced by 1000 grams of uranium is
approximately equals to the energy released by burning 2700
tons of coal. That means the cost of transporting uranium is
very small. Furthermore, the storage of uranium on earth is
enough for human’s current need. The potential energy
provide by the storage of uranium on earth is million times of
that of fossil fuels. Such clean and efficient energy exactly
meet human’s need. However, nuclear power is also very
dangerous for some reasons. In his article “Risks of Nuclear
Power”, Bernard L. Cohen, a well-known professor in
University of Pittsburgh, states that nuclear power is risky for
society mainly for three reasons: The effect of strong radiation
which will damage biological cells of surrounding lives;
reactor accidents that might bring destructive influences
toward surrounding area; and the radioactive wastes that
produced during the reaction. [3] These risky facts about
nuclear are indeed true and they are the main reasons for many
people to argue against nuclear power. However, as professor
Bernard explains in his following paragraphs, these risks are
mostly potential risks and have very small influence toward
human compare to other kinds of energy. [4] From my point
of view, I totally agree with the professor. These risks are not
sufficient enough to convince the world that people should
stop developing nuclear energy, because these risks have very
limited influences and we do not have a better choice. First,
Hongye Xu
magnetic confinement and Inertial confinement. “Magnetic
confinement uses magnetic and electric fields to heat and
squeeze the hydrogen plasma. Inertial confinement uses laser
beams or ion beams to squeeze and heat the hydrogen plasma.”
[6] Here, I want to specifically talk about the inertial
confinement area. Because China is at the front line of this
area. According to a piece of news released by the Universe
Today, Chinese fusion research has achieved a milestone
recently. They were able to produce hydrogen gas that was
three times hotter than the core of the Sun, and were able to
maintain this temperature for a record-breaking 102 seconds.
[7] In inertial confinement area, Chinese scientific team
contributed a great deal towards world research and is at the
leading position of controlled nuclear fusion research. I feel
proud for such achievement of my country. It’s illustrates
government’s determination on finding alternative solutions
for pollution, and it also represents the advanced technology
development of my country.
nuclear power plants are sealed with the most advanced
technology that only very small amount of radiation will be
emitted toward the surrounding world. The possibility for a
person to get cancer under the influence of radiation of a
nuclear plant is greatly lower than that of exposing himself
under the radiation of sunshine. Such tiny influence should
not be concerned when we have millions of people lost their
lives because of air pollution. Also, the places where people
built nuclear power stations are mostly far away from
human’s habitation. It will be very hard to have any influence
on human. Second, the nuclear power accidents will cost less
death compares to accidents in hydroelectric or fossil fuels
energy. And the protection of nuclear power station is
extremely strict that among more than three hundred nuclear
power plants around world, there were only three cases for
nuclear accident happened in the past 30 years. And these
accidents are all somehow related to the operation mistakes of
the station. For the radioactive wastes, it is impossible to get
rid of them with current technology and we can only berry
them so that they are isolated from the ecological system. But
such amount of harm toward environment is acceptable to
human. Nuclear energy suits to the need of countries that’s
suffering badly from air pollution. Nuclear energy as a cheap,
efficient clean energy can help my countries solve the
problem of toxic haze. Moreover, the current nuclear energy
is a good choice for not only Chinese but also the rest of the
world because we can acquire energy with little harm toward
environment. However, the researches on nuclear fusion
might provide us with almost perfect nuclear energy. The
nuclear fusion energy technology has the ability that can
provide human with cleaner and almost inexhaustible energy.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, after living under the terrible haze for
decades, I clearly recognized the importance of replacing
fossil fuels with clean energy. Nuclear energy will definitely
become the main source of energy in the future for its great
efficiency and low pollution compares to other sources of
energy. I think Chinese governments should invest more
money on the construction of nuclear energy station in order
to relief the air pollution. Furthermore, I believe that the effort
we have made towards the development of controlled nuclear
energy is totally worthy. Because the infinite potential
contained by the controlled fusion technology is the key
towards brighter future.
FUSION
SOURCE
Nuclear fusion energy uses fusion reaction instead of
fission reaction to generate energy. According to an
introduction article of fusion reaction given by the Culham
Center for Fusion Energy, fusion is the process that heats the
Sun and all other stars, where atomic nuclei collide together
and release energy. [5] Nuclear fusion energy is an ideal
energy for human. First, the reaction releases very little
amount of helium. Compare to the carbon dioxide and
pollution released by the burning of fossil fuels, it’s fair to say
that fusion energy is totally clean for environment. Second,
the storage of the two reactants – deuterium and tritium is
extremely abundant on earth. They are almost inexhaustible
for human. And compare to nuclear fission energy, nuclear
fusion creates almost no radioactive wastes. Nuclear fusion
perfectly fixes two of the biggest problems for nuclear fission.
Without the concern of reactants and radioactive wastes,
nuclear fusion energy can take human to a new era. Till now,
human has already successfully applied nuclear fusion on
hydrogen bomb. But the key to apply fusion on producing
energy is how to control the nuclear fusion. The most reliable
and realizable methods for controlled nuclear fusion are
[1] S. Borenstein. “Air pollution in China killing 4,000 people
every day.” Independent. 8.14.2015. Accessed 10.30.2016.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/airpollution-in-china-killing-4000-people-every-day10455409.html
[2] Dr. Guven. “The Role and the Essentials of Nuclear
Energy in our Future.” Academia. Accessed 10.30.2016.
http://www.academia.edu/1705935/The_Role_and_the_Esse
ntials_of_Nuclear_Energy_in_our_Future
[3] Bernard L. Cohen. “Risks of Nuclear Power.” Physics.isu.
Accessed 10.29.2016.
http://www.physics.isu.edu/radinf/np-risk.htm
[4] Bernard L. Cohen. “Risks of Nuclear Power.” Physics.isu.
Accessed 10.29.2016.
http://www.physics.isu.edu/radinf/np-risk.htm
[5] N.A. “Introduction to Fusion.” Culham Center for Fusion
Energy. Accessed 10.30.2016.
http://www.ccfe.ac.uk/introduction.aspx
[6] C. Freudenrich. “How Nuclear Fusion Reactors Work”
2
Hongye Xu
Accessed 10.30.2016
http://www.howstuffworks.com/aboutauthor.htm#freudenrich
[7]
M.
Williams.
“CHINESE
FUSION
TEST
REPORTEDLY REACHES NEW MILESTONE” Accessed
10.30.2016
http://www.universetoday.com/127398/chinese-fusion-testhits-new-high/
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank professors and writing instructors
for helping me develop my writing skill. Also, I appreciate the
help of my friends for buying me coffee.
3