Nuclear engineering · Lablypedia

In a nutshell

Nuclear engineering is the engineering discipline concerned with designing and applying systems that utilize the energy released by nuclear processes. The most prominent application of nuclear engineering is the generation of electricity. Worldwide, some 439 nuclear reactors in 31 countries generate 10 percent of the world's energy through nuclear fission. In the future, it is expected that nuclear fusion will add another nuclear means of generating energy. Both reactions make use of the nuclear binding energy released when atomic nucleons are either separated (fission) or brought together (fusion). The energy available is given by the binding energy curve, and the amount generated is much greater than that generated through chemical reactions. Fission of 1 gram of uranium yields as much energy as burning 3 tons of coal or 600 gallons of fuel oil, without adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

Related on Lably

Through Nuclear fission, Nuclear binding energy and Nucleon

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History

Nuclear engineering was born in 1938, with the discovery of nuclear fission. The first artificial nuclear reactor, CP-1, was designed by a team of physicists who were concerned that Nazi Germany might also be seeking to build a bomb based on nuclear fission. (The earliest known nuclear reaction on Earth occurred naturally, 1.7 billion years ago, in Oklo, Gabon, Africa.) The second artificial nuclear reactor, the X-10 Graphite Reactor, was also a part of the Manhattan Project, as were the plutonium-producing reactors of the Hanford Engineer Works.

The first nuclear reactor to generate electricity was Experimental Breeder Reactor I (EBR-I), which did so near Arco, Idaho, in 1951 on December 20. EBR-I was a standalone facility, not connected to a grid, but a later Idaho research reactor in the BORAX series did briefly supply power to the town of Arco in 1955.

The first commercial nuclear power plant, built to be connected to an electrical grid, is the Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant, which began operation in 1954. The second is the Shippingport Atomic Power Station, which produced electricity in 1957.

For a chronology, from the discovery of uranium to the current era, see Outline History of Nuclear Energy or History of Nuclear Power. Also see History of Nuclear Engineering Part 1: Radioactivity, Part 2: Building the Bomb, and Part 3: Atoms for Peace.

See List of Commercial Nuclear Reactors for a comprehensive listing of nuclear power reactors and IAEA Power Reactor Information System (PRIS) for worldwide and country-level statistics on nuclear power generation.

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Sub-disciplines

Nuclear engineers work in such areas as the following:

Nuclear reactor design, which has evolved from the Generation I, proof-of concept, reactors of the 1950s and 1960s, to Generation II, Generation III, and Generation IV concepts
Nuclear reactor physics, which deals with the applied study and engineering applications of neutron diffusion and fission chain reaction to induce a controlled fission rate in a nuclear reactor for energy production
Thermal hydraulics and heat transfer. In a typical nuclear power plant, heat generates steam that drives a steam turbine and an electric generator that produces electricity
Materials science as it relates to nuclear power applications
Managing the nuclear fuel cycle, in which fissile material is obtained, formed into fuel, removed when depleted, and safely stored or reprocessed
Nuclear propulsion, mainly for military naval vessels, but there have been concepts for aircraft and missiles. Nuclear power has been used in space since the 1960s
Plasma physics, which is integral to the development of fusion power
Weapons development and management
Generation of radionuclides, which have applications in industry, medicine, and many other areas
Nuclear waste management
Health physics
Nuclear medicine and Medical Physics
Nuclear criticality safety
Health and safety
Instrumentation and control engineering
Process engineering
Project Management
Quality engineering
Reactor operations
Nuclear security (detection of clandestine nuclear materials)
Nuclear engineering even has a role in criminal investigation, and agriculture.

Many chemical, electrical and mechanical and other types of engineers also work in the nuclear industry, as do many scientists and support staff. In the U.S., nearly 100,000 people directly work in the nuclear industry. Including secondary sector jobs, the number of people supported by the U.S. nuclear industry is 475,000.

Employment

In the United States, nuclear engineers are employed as follows:

Electric power generation 25%
Federal government 18%
Scientific research and development 15%
Engineering services 5%
Manufacturing 10%
Other areas 27%

Job prospects for nuclear engineers worldwide are not available, but the IAEA estimates that nuclear energy capacity will grow by 40% (an additional 514 GW(e)) to 2.5 times current capacity (an additional 950 GW(e)) by 2050. Countries with existing nuclear energy capacity and those actively exploring nuclear energy are listed in the following.

Education

Organizations that provide study and training in nuclear engineering include the following:

Organizations

American Nuclear Society
Asian Network for Education in Nuclear Technology (ANENT) https://www.iaea.org/services/networks/anent
Canadian Nuclear Association
Chinese Nuclear Society
International Atomic Energy Agency
International Energy Agency (IEA)
Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF)
Korea Nuclear Energy Agency (KNEA)
Latin American Network for Education in Nuclear Technology (LANENT) https://www.iaea.org/services/networks/lanent
Minerals Council of Australia
Nucleareurope
Nuclear Institute
Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)
Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa (NIASA)
Nuclear Technology Education Consortion https://www.ntec.ac.uk/
OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)
Regional Network for Education and Training in Nuclear Technology (STAR-NET) https://www.iaea.org/services/networks/star-net
World Nuclear Association
World Nuclear Transport Institute

More in General

EngineeringApplied science and research TechnologyUse of knowledge for practical goals Electrical engineeringBranch of engineering Research and developmentGeneral term for activities in connection with corporate or governmental innovation Civil engineeringEngineering discipline focused on physical infrastructure Problem solvingProcess of achieving a goal by overcoming obstacles