Types of fuel
The primary fuel types for nuclear reactors include:
Although little amounts of Uranium-235 are required inside the reactor core, Uranium-235 only accounts for a minimal amount of the naturally occurring Uranium: about 99.3% of naturally occurring Uranium is Uranium-238 whereas Uranium-235 only accounts for nearly 0.7%. This is where new nuclear technology has become crucial in being able to limit the need for Uranium-235. The According to Peter Hodgson and Dennis Anderson, "While current ‘thermal reactors’ burn only uranium-235, which accounts for just 0.7% of natural uranium, so-called ‘fast reactors’ can burn the remaining 99.3% of the uranium” (Hodgson and Anderson 4). With the use of Fast Neutron Reactors (known as "fast reactors" or "breeder reactors"), the fuel consumption of the dwindling supply of Uranium-235 can be decreased which could potentially extend the duration that nuclear fuel is able to last for.
- Uranium-235
- Uranium-238
- Plutonium-239
Although little amounts of Uranium-235 are required inside the reactor core, Uranium-235 only accounts for a minimal amount of the naturally occurring Uranium: about 99.3% of naturally occurring Uranium is Uranium-238 whereas Uranium-235 only accounts for nearly 0.7%. This is where new nuclear technology has become crucial in being able to limit the need for Uranium-235. The According to Peter Hodgson and Dennis Anderson, "While current ‘thermal reactors’ burn only uranium-235, which accounts for just 0.7% of natural uranium, so-called ‘fast reactors’ can burn the remaining 99.3% of the uranium” (Hodgson and Anderson 4). With the use of Fast Neutron Reactors (known as "fast reactors" or "breeder reactors"), the fuel consumption of the dwindling supply of Uranium-235 can be decreased which could potentially extend the duration that nuclear fuel is able to last for.
Image to the left depicts Uranium pellets that are used in nuclear reactors. The picture on the right depicts the electron configuration of Plutonium.
**Picture of Uranium pellets from source |
Energy output
One of the many incredible aspects of nuclear power is the very minimal amount of fuel actually required to power a reactor for a long duration of time. A statistic from the Nuclear Energy Institute compares Uranium to other fossils fuels in the energy output that each source is capable of.
May Fawaz-Huber also depicts the continuous ability to output energy of nuclear power plants due to the fuel used in the nuclear reactors. She compares nuclear energy with renewable energy sources by saying that wind and solar power are able to produce electricity at an “intermittent nature,” whereas nuclear power is able to generate energy at a continuous rate, all day long, and it is does little harm to the environment (Fawaz-Huber 1). Later on in her article, she expounds upon this continuous energy output by explaining that nuclear power maintains the cleanliness of the air, has a continuous output of power, and a fuel source that can generate energy at a constant rate for nearly 18 months before the nuclear reactor has to be refueled (Fawaz-Huber 2). This means that nuclear power plants are able to operate non-stop for nearly 1.5 years before they have to be refueled. However, this was not the case for a power plant in LaSalle, Illinois, which according to the Nuclear Energy Institute, has the longest operating period without having to refuel of 739 days ("US" 1).
Overall, nuclear power is set apart from other industries due to the high energy output to fuel consumption ratio. This allows a smaller amount of fuel required for a nuclear reactor to operate whilst being able to produce equivalent amounts of energy to its fossil-fuel counterparts.
Overall, nuclear power is set apart from other industries due to the high energy output to fuel consumption ratio. This allows a smaller amount of fuel required for a nuclear reactor to operate whilst being able to produce equivalent amounts of energy to its fossil-fuel counterparts.
**Figure 1 from source