nuclear energy

Nuclear energy

India is fifth largest energy  consumer  in the world and coming decades its consumption would only increase in keeping with its growth. Therefore to secure its energy needs by reaching out to a global  milieu becomes need our.

World energy needs are going through the roof with global electricity demand  expect more than double by 2050. The nuclear energy industry is stepping up to fill anticipated gaps. As countries look at ways to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels, nuclear  power is emerging at the top of the agenda for most governments in Asia Pacific region .Regional leaders are looking at nuclear power as part of their country energy mix to meet exponential demand of their future needs.

Nuclear power is an alternative energy source for India at present.

On the other hand Russia ,and the independent republics have continue to operate existing power plant to have un safe reactor design .As Asia countries such as Japan ,Taiwan ,and south Korea have to come to rely on heavily on electricity generated from nuclear power as their economies have expanded rapidly. More than half of south Korea electricity generated  in nuclear power plants  while  forty plants supply nearly one third of Japan electricity. Elsewhere in North America ,Canada  produces about  one fifth electricity from their nuclear reactors.

From summery we can  see that nuclear power is viewed in some quarters as most appropriate technology for generating electricity. Hence is brief description of how nuclear power plant work

Generating electricity in a nuclear power plant.

The nuclear fission reactions that occur in  a power plant reactor involve a controlled chain reaction in which nuclei  of  radio-active isotopes, usually uranium 235, are split or fashioned when bombarded by neutrons. The energy released by splitting the nuclei of U- 235  atom  is used  to heat water. The steam from this heated water as in conventional thermal electric power plants, drives turbines that turn  electric generation. It is more ironic that this extra ordinary complex and costly technology is used to accomplished the very simple task of heating water. More than  80 per cent  worlds nuclear power plants  have light water reactors (LWR) which use ordinary water as the “moderaler” to determine the critical speed at which neutrons must strike the uranium atom U-235 in nuclear fuel elements in order for fission to occur.

Most remaining reactor use either heavy water (deuterium oxide) or solid graphite ( a form of carbon ) moderating medium .

To sustain that size nuclear program to long term future, it would be   necessary to switch over regime that use of fuel most effectively than  conventional once through cycle.

There  are three possibilities

1. Uranium resource can be extended by 20-30 percent by reprocessing the spent fuel.
2. Ultimately a fast reactor, with breeding  ratio  of 1.0 or more of pu-239 and  U-238 would expand fuel resource by factor of 50 more. Fast  reactor technology based on oxide fuel and sodium cooling has been  developed in many countries but France commercialized these reactors for regular use. The safety characteristics of sodium  cooled reactor have proved to be good. The fuel and fuel assemblies have worked well but the technology as whole prove to be difficult mainly due to problem in heat exchangers.
Thirdly
3. The resource could be extended by use of U-232  obtained from TH-232 in a breeder cycle.

One conclude that there is no urgent need of commercialize fast reactor but there is need to continue development of more efficient  way of using uranium fuel when resource constraints may appear.

Advantage of nuclear energy

With nuclear power air pollution is minimal. When nuclear power plants operating as designed they emit only minuscule amount of  radiation-in fact less than  some coal fired power plants. Further  more they emit no smoke ,particulates or nitrogen and sulphar pollutants as do fossil power plants.

There is less impact from mining and transportation than fossil fuel ,compared with coal most used fuel for electricity production much less uranium ore is needed to generate equal amount of electricity. This means there is considerably less land disturbance and fewer transport problems and lower costs with uranium. 

Fission fuel may last indefinitely .In addition India importing uranium from Russia .world wide there are reprocessing facilities operating in England ,France, India and Japan .

Nuclear liability bill

The nuclear liability bill passed in India is unfortunately not attractive to American or Indians. It is not line with international conventions therefore its also interest of Indian  companies like Bharat Forge, L&T,G.V.K,Releince Energy, Tata power companies that will be engaged in Indian civil nuclear programme as well as world’s  nuclear renaissance -they ultimately want  a liability regime in line with international convention. The signing convention on supplementary compensation (CSC) is very positive step. Ultimately laws  will be brought in line domestically to align with international convention prescribed  by international atomic energy. If laws are brought in line with that then it will be much more amenable towards Indian ,Americans and French companies that understand that we have to work together with minimum liability in  unlikely event of a nuclear accident.

As India energy sector expanding world wide we should promote use of nuclear energy for civil electricity generation by attracting the investments from foreign investors. NPCIL  already  planning to set up imported light water reactors based  a capacity of 40,000 M.W. BY 2020.

As India planned to add additional power generating capacity 1,00,000 M.W. during 12th five year plan and same quantity of  additional generating capacity during 13th five year plan the it all the way necessary to promote nuclear energy on large scale.