Radiation and Nuclear Power - Assignment Example

?PA and Section # of Physics Assignment Question If I would have designed this reactor I would have installed emergency shutdown system for all the plants and a strict evacuation plan in case of any earthquake. Also, I would have made a plan for regular check-ups, for all the electric circuitry and leaks in all the units. These plans will have to be carried out in a periodic manner. This will ensure that any leaks or undue repair is not left on site, making it dangerous for the future. There are certain standards set as to assert the safety standard of any nuclear power plant. The organization that regulates the policies around the globe is known as IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency). This organization has set a certain benchmark; which are actually, major concerns of a nuclear reactor in any country of the world. Some on the concerns are: 1. Testing of emergency situations, if and when they happen. 2. Equipment and actions to adhere the consequences of such an emergency. 3. Probability calculations of units failing and their back-ups. 4. Examining the worst possible scenario and creating an emergency plan accordingly. 5. Actions taken, in the event of radiation emissions form the plant. 6. Proper training of the men working in these facilities. 7. Anti-earth quake and anti-flood systems, which have to be, installed (Hugh, 2011). Question 2 There are three types of radiation particles namely alpha, beta and gamma particle radiations. Alpha radiations have been defined as helium nuclei, comprising of two protons and two neutrons. It is considered to be very stable. Beta radiations have been defined as fast moving electrons formed by nuclear decay, whereas gamma radiations are known to be high frequency, short wavelength electromagnetic radiation (Cheng et al, 2000). All three of these radiations have certain benefits and disadvantages. The disadvantage of alpha particle is that when it in inhaled, can cause damage to lungs and the respiratory system. Beta rays cause disorder in the molecular structure of humans, whereas gamma rays can directly damage the human tissue, since they are very high energy rays. Along with these disadvantages, there are some benefits as well. Alpha particles are used to detect smoke for engaging a fire alarm or water sprinkler. Beta particles are used to find thickness of aluminum foil, its variables and capable of treating cancer patients as well. Gamma radiations are used to locate flaws in pipes, other steel products for leaks and the integrity of welds in them (Cheng et al, 2000). Medical benefits of radiations can be seen in the use of x-rays and treatment of cancer, whereas non-medical use of radiation can be seen in industries, for detection of leaks and welding faults in different metal mediums. Also for non-medical use, the rays are used for inspection on the production line to check emptiness or the thickness of materials like aluminum. (Cheng et al, 2000). Question 3 Apart from nuclear power, there are other ways to produce energy like hydroelectric, fossil fuel burning, solar and wind power. All these methods have a lot of advantages and disadvantages. Some of them will be depicted here. Hydroelectric power is free of cost, as water flow is easily available all around the world but the drawback is the amount of expenditure involved to build dams and huge water turbines. Furthermore, the environmental hazard for hydroelectric power generation is the disturbance of the ecological habitat of the aquatic life in the region. Fossil fuel is the best form of energy as it provides predictable and a constant power source but the major drawback falters this form of energy. It is the fossil fuel that is not a reusable or renewable source and is becoming scarce from the world at a very rapid rate. Solar and wind power both have almost the same kind of advantage and disadvantage. The setup for both is very expensive and is unpredictable in nature but the best advantage of these sources of power is the free and unlimited availability of power till the sun comes out and the wind blows. Moreover, fossil burning emits huge amount of carbon monoxide which in turn gives way to the greenhouse effect, whereas wind and solar setups disturb the natural landscape of the area where they are installed (Nicolai, 2007). Many complaints have been lodged about the whirly sound, which the wind farms make near the villages or residential areas. These complaints are properly document in researches that have been carried out by various environmentalists. Question 4 Diffraction is defined as the apparent bending of light waves around obstacles to spread in different direction to give different effects. Life will be unimaginable without this natural phenomenon. The beauty of nature will, for instance, will not be seen as the sunlight will not be diffracted when in lands on the natural scenery. Also various real life applications involve diffraction. If diffraction was not available as a phenomenon, at present we would have been deprived of using CDs and DVDs, would have no credit cards and most importantly we would not be able to hear someone when we are behind a tree, wall or any partial obstacle. Therefore life without diffraction will be impossible to imagine, as light or sound will not reach us until and unless we are standing directly in line with the source (Andrew, 2000). Question 5 It is complicated as it revolves around photons and particles that are very small in size. Therefore, they cannot be seen by the naked eye and hence their interpretation is difficult to the common man who does not have mathematic skill compared to Einstein. The major fact beyond visual understanding is the behavior of light quantum packets, which have both properties, of a wave as well as that of a particle. For example a coin, which has either a head face or a tail, which is easily understood but the same does not hold true in the case of microscopic particles. They have various other measuring factors like microscopic length, surface density etc. Question 6 Physics skills are required everywhere in daily life. In the office, these skills are required to earth appliances in the office, like a computer monitor or a coffee machine, to ensure the safety of fellow workers and the appliance in case of a short circuiting. Also; when rushing towards a meeting, for which I am late, I will need friction to stop myself. Moreover, my physics skill will be needed when a bell is not working or a fellow colleague has a faulty lamp switch. Simple knowledge about electrical connection can assist me in understanding and fixing the problem. These skills; will also be necessary to place shades in the window, as such to bring shade in the place where required. All these things are learned from basic physics and elementary physics’ experiments in the physics laboratory. One does not have to be a genius; to apply the theory of shadow formation, friction or angles in the work place, to solve common life problems. Question 7 Many postulates of general relativity are different from the concepts of classical physics, mainly concerning the passage of time, space, motion of bodies in free fall and the propagation of light. The examples of such difference are gravitational time dilation, gravitational red shift of light and gravitational time delay. This has absolutely changed the way people perceived the laws of physics in the previous century which is now termed as classic physics. The modern concepts have generated the term modern physics, due to which people have altered their view regarding time and space. Time and space, in the previous century, were not thought to be scientifically significant factors in analytic calculations but the general and special theory of relativities have changed this perception. Now time and space are considered as a defining factor for any postulation. The main thing that has changed, with the introduction of relative theories, is the perception of mankind in the modern era. Terminology like “light years” is used frequently in layman vocabulary depicting the change in modern times. Question 8 For translating an electrical signal into sound, speakers have an electromagnet and a metal coil, to create a magnetic field when electricity is passing through it. This metal coil acts, just like a normal magnet. It has a very important property; that when the current is reversed, the poles of the magnet are reversed. Inside the speaker, the electromagnet is placed in face with the permanent magnet. The permanent magnet is fixed in a position, whereas the electromagnet is movable. As electric pulses pass through the coil, the direction of electromagnet flips at a rapid pace, creating a vibrating movement. This electromagnet is attached to a flexible material, some form of a plastic that can amplify the vibrational acoustics, pumping them into the air. The frequency of the vibration decides the pitch and the strength of the sound, which are being generated. To reproduce different frequencies, speakers often use different sized cones dedicated to high, medium and low frequencies. The box in which the speakers are placed is use for acoustics, meaning the spreading of sound when sound waves reflect from inside the box to produce a special effect. This acoustic effect is just like that of a guitar, where the hollow portion makes the sound surround in the area, where it is being played. Question 9 In a gas turbine, the air is compressed by the compressor and fuel is mixed at the first stage. This gas then becomes the source of energy in the system, which the engine turns into rotating energy of the rotors and blades. This type of turbine can handle large flows of air through the intake, making it the perfect candidate for aircraft jet-engines. The steam turbine on the other hand has rotting blades that work on the principle of steam engine, apart from having the piston system in the steam engine. It utilizes dynamic pressure of steam and converts thermal energy into mechanical energy. This engine, therefore, is used as the power source in thermal and nuclear power plants. Diesel engine is an engine with an internal combustion engine. It uses air, which is heated to a higher temperature and induced into high temperature cylinder with fuel mixed in it. The fuel when jetted into this cylinder combusts automatically, giving the required output power. This engine has economical advantage over others, as is uses inexpensive oil as fuel. Therefore, the diesel engine is a preferred power source ships and automobiles. Coming to the Otto engine, this is also known as the gasoline engine and is mostly used in cars now days. It uses a spark plug and piston assembly to operate. Mixture of fuel and air is compressed in the first stage and the mixture than explodes with the help of a spark, which in turn produces mechanical power. Its light weight and heavy power are the reasons for being preferred as an engine in automobiles. The Stirling engine consists of two pistons and utilizes the working gas repeatedly, without any valve. The main difference of this type of engine from all the other engines is the use of a generator to attain high efficiency in the output power. This engine has not been applied in the practical field yet, as the operating cost remains very high. According to the U.S. energy information, the whole world uses 84,249,000 barrels per day for all kinds of engines. In the future, I see that the oil reserves are going to run out causing more wars. Even after the wars the oil will not be sufficient to fulfill the needs of the whole world and hence, alternate sources will be the only solution left for all the nations. Alternate sources of energy have been well researched and documented. Furthermore, the scientists claim the capability to attain full independence from oil and usable products of energy, like coal and fossil fuel, if and only, when the alternate energy strategy is taken seriously by the governments. Question 10 According to some researches carried out in US, it would require almost 10 percent the area of USA to provide solar energy for all the demands in it by the year 2050. Similarly the same ratio will be used for all countries of the world to reach a rough estimate. Therefore 10 % of the land in the whole world will be used to create solar energy for the whole world by the year 2050. The most important fact mentionable here; is that solar panels do not always need separate area to be installed, therefore they can be installed on already used land, like on rooftops of hoses, building and factories. Question 11 Wind energy; which is the most blossoming alternate energy source in the commercial market, is the ability to produce energy with the help of the wind. Wind energy has had a huge impact in the energy industries. Wind farms have been set up in various windy cities of the world to produce large amounts of electricity. The output power produced has been increasing by the day since this method was used first. Wind mill produces energy with the help of wind. Wind farms are made up of many individual wind powered turbines. Wind turns the blades on the wind mill tower, which in turn drives a motor that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy, producing large amount of electricity for just the initial cost of installment. In its initial stages, the wind turbine construction cost is more than the cost of the energy produced but as the time goes on; there are no additional costs to the setup. It takes about 10 years to produce cheaper units of electricity than the assets used to install such a device. Some claims are, that the wind farms are bringing noise pollution to the surrounding area due to their noise. Anyhow, this pollution is far better than the one caused by burning of fossil fuel, which in turn also damages the ozone layer and causes the greenhouse effect. Question 12 Car and aero plane will take that much energy just to start up, and not even to initiate a startup, therefore an intelligent guess cannot be made. However a bicycle will have to be driven for three kilometers to absorb 140 calories which are present inside a can of sugary soft-drink. In the same volume, hydrogen fuel will have more energy than gasoline or sugary drink as the energy density of hydrogen fuel is much more than the two. Bio-diesel does make a lot of sense since it is a reusable form of energy. As energy is created from the deterioration of dead plants and animals; therefore, this can be a way forward in the future when the oil in the world goes dry. Question 13 It is estimated that a total of 4316 nuclear plants will be constructed by 2050 to meet the world requirements. According to some researches and journals; 400,000 cubic yards of concrete is needed per plant, therefore making it 1726400000 cubic yards of concrete needed in 2050. Making an intelligent speculation, a fuel melt-down might be expected once in 20,000 years of reactor operation. According to some researches, in 2 out of 3 melt-downs there would be no deaths, in 1 out of 5 there would be over 1000 deaths and in 1 out of every 100,000 meltdowns there would be 50,000 deaths. The average for all meltdowns comes out to be about 400 deaths, making it 40000 deaths in between 2050 to 2150. In 1963 the death rate related to coal mining incidents was about 80000 deaths per year but in 2010 it went down to 11000 per year, therefore if the same exponential fall remains by 2050, the rate will be 1000 deaths per year (approximately). References Andrew, N. (2000). Dynamic fields and waves of physics. CRC Press. p. 102.ISBN 9780750307192. Chalres chew, Leong See Cheng, Chow Siew Foong, (2000). Physics a course for O levels second edition, Singapore times media pvt ltd Gusterson, H. (2011). The lessons of Fukushima". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Retrieved 05-05-2011 from http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/columnists/hugh-gusterson/the-lessons-of-fukushima. Hugh, G. (16 March 2011). "The lessons of Fukushima". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Kirchner, Nicolai D. (2007) Renewables to Energy security. Agence internationale de l’energie Read More