Nuclear energy
Nuclear Energy
The splitting of uranium atoms generates nuclear energy. The heat from this fission process is used to drive a turbine to generate electricity. The operation of a nuclear reactor and the related electric generating equipment is only one part of an interconnected set of activities. The production of a reliable supply of electricity from nuclear fission requires mining, milling, and transporting uranium; “enriching” uranium and packing it in appropriate form; building and maintaining the reactor and associated generating equipment; and treating and disposal of spent fuel. These activities require extremely sophisticated and interactive industrial processes and many specialized skills.
Great Britain took an early lead in developing nuclear power. By the mid-1950s, several nuclear reactors were producing electricity in that country. The first nuclear reactor to be connected to an electricity distribution network in the U.S. began operation in 1957 at Shipping port, Pennsylvania. Six years later, the first order was placed for a commercial installation to be built without a direct subsidy from the Federal government. This order marked the beginning of an attempt to rapidly convert the world’s electric generating systems from fossil fuels to nuclear energy. The attempts faltered because of rapidly increasing costs, regulatory delays, declining demand for electricity, and a heightened concern for safety.
Questions about the safety and economy of nuclear power have created perhaps the most emotional battles yet fought over energy. The nuclear advocates believe that no realistic alternative exists to increased dependence on nuclear power. They recognize that some problems remain but continue to maintain that solutions will be found. The most effective nuclear opponents, on the other hand, emphasize a number of unanswered questions about the environment: 1)what are the effects of low-level radiation over long periods? 2)What is the possibility of a major accident at a nuclear power plant? 3)What would be the consequences of such an accident? 4)How can nuclear power’s waste products, which will be dangerous for centuries, be permanently isolated from the environment? These safety questions helped cause changes in specifications for and delays in the construction of nuclear power plants, further driving up costs and helping to create a second argument: Is electricity from nuclear power plants less costly, equally costly, or more costly than electricity from coal-fired plants?
Despite rapidly escalating oil and gas prices and escalating environmental problems with coal, these political and economic problems caused an effective moratorium on new orders for nuclear power plants, even before the 1979 near meltdown at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and the 1986 partial meltdown at the Chernobyl plant north of Kiev in Ukraine. The latter accident caused some victims and cases of radiation sickness, and it released a cloud of radioactivity that traveled widely across the northern hemisphere.
To split - расщеплять
uranium atoms - атомы урана
fission process - процесс расщепления
nuclear reactor - ядерный реактор
to be related - быть связанным
equipment - оборудование
to be interconnected - быть взаимосвязанным
reliable supply - надежная поставка
nuclear fission - деление ядра
mining - разработка месторождений
milling - измельчение
enriching - обогащение
appropriate form - соответствующая форма
associated generating equipment - связанное генерирующее
оборудование
disposal of spent fuel - утилизация использованного
топлива
sophisticated - сложный
interactive industrial process - взаимодействующий
промышленный процесс
specialized skill - специальная квалификация
early leadership - ранее лидерство
nuclear power - атомная энергия
nuclear reactor - ядерный реактор
electricity distribution network - электрическая распределительная
сеть
to begin operation - начать эксплуатироваться
first order - первый заказ
commercial installation - коммерческая установка
direct subsidy - прямая субсидия
attempt - попытка
to convert rapidly - быстро переводить
electric generating system - электрическая генерирующая
система
fossil fuel - ископаемый источник топлива
to falter - дрогнуть
rapidly increasing cost - быстро растущая стоимость
regulatory delay - регулирующая задержка
declining demand - уменьшающаяся потребность
heightened concern - повышенное беспокойство
safety - безопасность
emotional battle - эмоциональная схватка
nuclear advocate - сторонник атомной энергетики
realistic alternative - реальная альтернатива
increased dependence - увеличившаяся зависимость
to recognize - признать
solution - решение
most effective - наиболее эффективный
nuclear opponent - противник атомной энергетики
unanswered question - вопрос без ответа
low-level radiation - низкая радиация
possibility - возможность
major accident - крупная авария
consequence - последствие
waste product - отход
permanent isolated - постоянный
to be isolated - быть изолированным
delay in the construction - задержка в строительстве
nuclear power plant - атомная электростанция
driving up cost - повышать стоимость
less costly - менее дорогой
equally costly - равный в цене
more costly - более дорогой
rapidly escalating - быстро растущий
effective moratorium - эффективный запрет
new order - новый заказ
partial meltdown - частичное расплавление
latter accident - последняя авария
victim - жертва
radiation sickness - лучевая болезнь
cloud of radioactivity - радиоактивное облако
northern hemisphere - северное полушарие