Nuclear Power facts
While investigating facts about Nuclear Power Plant and Nuclear Power Plants In Us, I found out little known, but curios details like:
Canada's nuclear reactors (CANDU) are designed to use decommissioned nuclear weapons as fuel and can be refueled while running at full power. They're considered among the safest and the most cost effective reactors in the world.
how nuclear power works?
Canada's CANDU nuclear reactors are designed to use fuel from decommissioned nuclear weapons, can be refueled while running at full power, and are considered among the safest and most cost effective in the world.
What nuclear power plant is near me?
In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across answering what nuclear power is used for. Here are 50 of the best facts about Nuclear Power Plant Uk and Nuclear Power Plant In India I managed to collect.
what's nuclear power?
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The ash from coal power plants contains uranium & thorium and carries 100 times more radiation into the surrounding environment than a nuclear power plant producing the same amount of energy.
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Cost for solar has decreased from $101.05 per watt in 1975 to $0.447 per watt in August of 2016. The cheapest bid for unsubsidized solar is 2.42¢/kWh—cheaper per kWh than natural gas, coal, or nuclear power can provide practically anywhere in the world.
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France generates roughly 73% of it's electricity from Nuclear Power, is one of the world's largest exporters of power, and has not had a single nuclear related fatality.
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There was a second Fukushima nuclear power plant (Fukushima Daini), 10km to the south, that suffered the same crippling tsunami damage but was saved from meltdown by a capable leader and heroic staff.
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Florida passed a bill in1967 which would allow Disney to build their own nuclear power plant at Disney World, that law still stands
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The Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant that was closest to the epicenter of the 2011 tsunami in Japan but was undamaged because it far exceeded the required safety measures due to the stubbornness of one man. Fukushima famously experienced fatal meltdowns because safety measures were inadequate.
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About Karen Silkwood, a chemical technician who died in a car crash after attempting to expose unethical things done at the nuclear power plant she worked in.
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The $4billion nuclear powered supercarrier "USS Ronald Reagan" has an unlimited range distance up to 20-25 years, powered by two A4W Reactors
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Radiotrophic fungi were discovered in 1991 growing inside and around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in an environment in which the radiation level was 500x higher than in the normal environment. The fungi converts gamma radiation into chemical energy for growth.
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The Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant. It was much closer to the epicenter of the 2011 Earthquake than the Fukushima Power Plant, yet it sustained only minor damage and even housed tsunami evacuees. It's safety is credited to engineer Hirai Yanosuke who insisted it have a 14m (46FT) tall sea wall
Nuclear Power data charts
For your convenience take a look at Nuclear Power figures with stats and charts presented as graphic.
Why nuclear power is bad?
You can easily fact check why nuclear power plants are bad by examining the linked well-known sources.
Radioactive wild boars are wreaking havoc in towns nearby the Fukushima nuclear power plant, causing an estimated $15million in damage.
According to NASA, the use of nuclear power prevented an average of over 1.8 million net deaths worldwide between 1971-2009 as a result of lower air pollution from reduced coal usage. - source
Although nuclear power accounts for nearly 20% of the United States' energy consumption, only 5 deaths since 1962 can be attributed to it. - source
2500 BED (banana equivalent dose) is recognized as the maximum permitted radiation leakage for a nuclear power plant. The equivalent radiation from eating 2500 bananas. Quite literally a banana for scale.
The granite used to build the US Capitol is so radioactive that the building would fail federal safety codes regulating nuclear power plants. - source
When nuclear power was invented?
There are "nuclear divers", or people who dive into nuclear power plant cooling systems to perform maintenance on them.
How nuclear power plant works?
Radiosynthesis, a process like photosynthesis that uses the pigment melanin to convert gamma radiation into chemical energy for growth. Radiotrophic fungi were discovered in 1991 in and around Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
In the 60s and 70s nuclear-powered cardiac pacemakers were used, containing a tiny amount of plutonium encased in epoxy and titanium to resist gunshots or cremation. In 2003, over 50 living people still had them. If a coroner finds one, they're supposed to return it to Los Alamos for disposal.
Coal Power Plants generate more radiation than Nuclear Power Plants. Coal contains uranium and thorium, both radioactive elements.They occur in such trace amounts in natural coal. But when coal is burned into fly ash, uranium and thorium are concentrated at up to 10 times their original levels.
Coal power is more radioactive than Nuclear power.
Grand Central Station in NYC is radioactive due to the natural radioactive elements found in the granite used in its construction. If Grand Central Station were a nuclear power plant, it would be shut down for exceeding the maximum allowable annual dose of radiation for employees.
Nuclear power infographics
Beautiful visual representation of Nuclear Power numbers and stats to get perspecive of the whole story.