Nuclear Energy Notes Form 1 PDF

NUCLEAR ENERGY
Nuclear energy originates from the splitting of uranium atoms – a process called fission.
This generates heat to produce steam, which is used by a turbine generator to generate
electricity.
Because nuclear power plants do not burn fuel, they do not produce greenhouse gas
emissions.
Advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power

stations
Generating electricity using nuclear reactors carries high risk but offers large rewards. In
operation, a very small amount of nuclear fuel will consistently generate a very large
amount of electricity and generate very little polluting material.
However, the financial costs of building and decommissioning a nuclear power station
are very large, and the waste produced will remain radioactive - hazardous to humans
and the environment - for thousands of years.
Advantages Disadvantages
Waste is radioactive and safe disposal is

Produces no polluting gases.
very difficult and expensive.
Local thermal pollution from wastewater

Does not contribute to global warming.
affects marine life.
Very low fuel costs. Large-scale accidents can be catastrophic.
Low fuel quantity reduces mining and Public perception of nuclear power is
transportation effects on environment. negative.
High technology research required benefits Costs of building and safely

other industries. decommissioning are very high.
Cannot react quickly to changes in

Power station has very long lifetime.
electricity demand.
WIND ENERGY
Wind farms have massive wind turbines.
As the blades turn, the turbines generate electricity.
There are windmill pumps in Zimbabwe so we know that the country is suited to
wind power.
Currently Zimbabwe does not have any wind turbines but the government has done
a study to identify areas suitable for wind farms.
Advantages of wind power
Clean & Environment friendly Fuel source: – It doesn’t pollute air like power
plant relying on combustion of fossil fuel. It does not produce atmospheric
emissions that cause acid rain or greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide (CO2) or
methane (CH4)). Noise and visual pollution are both environmental factors, but
they don’t have a negative effect on the earth, water table or the quality of the air
we breathe.
Renewable & Sustainable: – Winds are caused by heating of atmosphere by the

sun, earth surface irregularities and the rotation of the earth. For as long as the sun
shines the wind blows, the energy produced can be harnessed and It will never run
out, unlike the Earth’s fossil fuel reserves.
Cost Effective: – Wind energy is completely free. There’s no market for the
demand and supply of wind energy’s, It can be used by anyone and is one of the
lowest price renewable technologies available today, depending upon the wind
resource and the particular project’s financing.
Industrial and Domestic Installation: – Wind turbines can be built on existing

farms or ranches where most of the best wind sites are found. Wind turbines uses
only a fraction of the land which causes no trouble in work for the farmers and
rancher, providing landowners with additional income paid by the owners of the
wind power plants. Many landowners opt to install smaller, less powerful wind
turbines in order to provide part of a domestic electricity supply.
Job Creation: – Jobs have been created for the manufacture of wind turbines, the
installation and maintenance of wind turbines and also in wind energy consulting.
According to the Wind Vision Report, wind has the potential to support more than
600,000 jobs in manufacturing, installation, maintenance, and supporting services
by 2050.
Disadvantages of Wind Energy
Fluctuation of Wind and Good wind sites: – Wind energy has a drawback that it
is not a constant energy source. Although wind energy is sustainable and will never
run out, the wind isn’t always blowing. This can cause serious problems for wind
turbine developers who will often spend significant time and money investigating
whether or not a particular site is suitable for the generation of wind power. For a
wind turbine to be efficient, the location where it is built needs to have an adequate
supply of wind energy.
Noise and aesthetic pollution: – Wind turbines generate noise and visual
pollution. A single wind turbine can be heard from hundreds of meters away.
Although steps are often taken to site wind turbines away from dwellings. Many
people like the look of wind turbines, others do not and see them as a blot on the
landscape.
Not a profitable use of land: – Alternative uses for the land might be more highly
valued than electricity generation.
Threat to wildlife: – Birds have been killed by flying into spinning turbine blades.
However, it is believed that wind turbines pose less of a threat to wildlife than
other man-made structures such as cell phone masts and radio towers. Most of the
problems have been resolved or greatly reduced through technological
development or by properly siting wind plants.

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NUCLEAR ENERGY

Advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power

Waste is radioactive and safe disposal is

Local thermal pollution from wastewater

Very low fuel costs. Large-scale accidents can be catastrophic.

High technology research required benefits Costs of building and safely

Cannot react quickly to changes in

Renewable & Sustainable: – Winds are caused by heating of atmosphere by the

Industrial and Domestic Installation: – Wind turbines can be built on existing

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