Nuclear Energy: World Perspectives

Eduardo González and José María Martínez-Val

Chapter 15 in Energy Security, 2008, pp 232-243 from Palgrave Macmillan

Abstract: Abstract Nuclear energy is the technical and economic label to identify a set of activi­ties that transform the energy contained in the atomic nucleus into a useful type of energy, particularly electricity. The potential energy of the inner com­ponents of the atomic nucleus is very large, and it conveys nuclear radiation and nuclear reactions. The main reaction exploited so far is fission, which is usually induced by a free neutron. In one fission, about 0.1 per cent of the reacting mass disappears, and it is converted into heat. This is a much higher value than the corresponding level of chemical reactions. In fact, it is about 1 million times higher. This is why nuclear energy is so powerful, but it is also a cause for concern. To minimize the risks, nuclear reactors are designed and operated so that temperature and pressure values do not exceed the allowed levels.

Keywords: Atomic Nucleus; Nuclear Energy; Spend Fuel; Energy Security; Nuclear Fuel Cycle (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:palchp:978-0-230-59500-2_15

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.palgrave.com/9780230595002

DOI: 10.1057/9780230595002_15

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Palgrave Macmillan Books from Palgrave Macmillan
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().