Summary
Nuclear engineering is the engineering discipline concerned with the design and application of systems that make use of the energy released by nuclear processes. The most prominent application of nuclear engineering is the generation of electricity. Worldwide, some 440 nuclear reactors in 32 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. 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 Thermal hydraulics and heat transfer. In a typical nuclear power plant, heat generates steam that drives a steam turbine and a 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 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.
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