Polytechnic University of the Philippines

College of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Department

Answer Key

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement on the Subject

MEEN 30305: Power Plant Design with Renewable Energy

Submitted by:
Aldea
Amante
Collera
Flogio
Lorenzo
Pablico
San Gaspar
Telan
Ugsod

BSME 4 - 3

Submitted to:
Engr. Robert Michael Corpus
Instructor

February 2023
 Polytechnic University of the Philippines
College of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Department

I. TERMINOLOGIES (20 pts)

1. It is the splitting of an atom's nucleus by neutron bombardment into fission
fragments. Nuclear fission
2. The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred in what year? 1986
3. What is the formula of the mass-energy equivalence? E=mc2
4. ______________ are inserted or drawn when the reaction needs to slow down or
increase respectively. Control rods
5. Who discovered the nucleus of the atom? Ernest Rutherford
6. The ______________ is the most common type of nuclear reactor used for the
generation of electricity. It uses ordinary water as both the moderator and the
coolant. Pressurized water reactor
7. It is a term used to describe the process of converting fertile material to fissile
material. Breeding
8. It houses the fuel rods, control rods, moderator, reflector and shielding. Reactor
vessel
9. ______________ is the most widely used fuel by nuclear power plants for nuclear
fission. Uranium or U235
10. It is combining two or more light atoms of the same charge into a relatively heavier
atom. Nuclear fusion
11. A reactor containing no moderator and employing fast or high-energy neutrons. Fast
Reactors
12. Absorb the heat from the fuel core and then release the heat to the water in the
same generator. Coolant
13. One of two or more forms of an element that have the same chemical properties but
different atomic weights because of different numbers of neutrons in the atom.
Isotopes
14. This is the first alternative to the light-water types as it is still liquid-cooled and can
either be pressurized-coolant or boiling-coolant type. It uses heavy water or
deuterium as coolant. Heavy water reactor or HWR
15. Relationship between energy and frequency. Also known as the “Energy Wave
Theory”. Planck-Einstein Equation
16. Give at least 1 future aspect of nuclear power plants. Cost, Safety, or Waste
Management
17. This term implies that the reactor produces more fuel than they consume. Breeder
18. Give at least 1 factor that affects nuclear power plants. Water supply, proximity to
grid, seismicity, geology, meteorology, or hydrology
19. Emittance of matter or energy without outside intervention. Radioactivity
20. In 1898, who discovered and observed Radium? Marie Curie
 Polytechnic University of the Philippines
College of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Department

II. PROBLEM SOLVING (80 pts)

Use:
Mass of proton = 1.00759 a.m.u.
Mass of neutron = 1.00898 a.m.u.
Mass of electron = 0.0005486 a.m.u.

1. What is the wavelength, in centimeters, of the most energetic x-rays from 150,000 volt
tube? (10 points)
SOLUTION:
Where:
E = energy (in ergs)
h = Planck’s Constant = 6.62 x 10-27 erg-second
c = Velocity of light in cm/s = 3 x 1010 cm/s
𝜆 = Wavelength

Thus,
(1) Convert energy into ergs unit
E = 150,000 electron volt (1.602 x 10-12 ergs)
E = 2.403 x 10-7 ergs

(2) Substitution
E = hc / 𝜆
𝜆 = hc / E
𝜆 = (6.62 x 10 erg-second)(3 x 1010 cm/s) / 2.403 x 10-7 ergs
-27

Then,
𝜆 = 8.265 x 10-10 cm

2. Determine the energy (in MeV) needed to pull off 2 neutrons from oxygen-18 to form
oxygen-16, given that the mass values of oxygen-18 and oxygen-16 are 17.999161
a.m.u., and 15.994915 a.m.u. respectively. (10 points)
SOLUTION:

The energy needed to pull off 2 neutrons from oxygen-18 is equal to the binding
energy of the last 2 neutrons.
 Polytechnic University of the Philippines
College of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Department

Solving for the mass defect:

∆𝑚 = 18. 012875 − 17. 999161
∆𝑚 = 0. 013714 𝑎. 𝑚. 𝑢.
Converting mass defect into binding energy:
931 𝑀𝑒𝑉
∆𝐸 = 0. 013714 𝑎. 𝑚. 𝑢. × 1 𝑎.𝑚.𝑢.
∆𝐸 = 12. 767734 𝑀𝑒𝑉

3. The motors of an atomic ice-breaker deliver 30000kW. Calculate the fuel consumption
of a reactor per day if its efficiency is 22%. Average fission energy release of
uranium-235 is 200 MeV. What would be the daily amount of 29300 kJ/kg coal needed
(in metric tons) to obtain the same power, if the efficiency now is 78%? (20 points)
SOLUTION:
Solving for the energy released by uranium-235 per kg, given that average energy
released is 200 MeV:
23 −13
200 𝑀𝑒𝑉 6.022×10 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑠 1 𝑚𝑜𝑙 1000 𝑔 1.6022×10 𝐽 13
𝐸= 1 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚
× 1 𝑚𝑜𝑙
× 235𝑔
× 1 𝑘𝑔
× 1 𝑀𝑒𝑉
= 8. 21 × 10 𝐽/𝑘𝑔
Solving for the daily energy input of the reactor:
7 7
𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = 𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 = 30000𝑘𝑊 = 3 × 10 𝑊 = 3 × 10 𝐽/𝑠
7 24 ℎ𝑟 3600 𝑠 11
𝐷𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 = 3 × 10 𝐽/𝑠 · 1 𝑑𝑎𝑦
· 1 ℎ𝑟
= 25. 92 × 10 𝐽
11
𝐷𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 25.92×10 𝐽 12
𝐷𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 = 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦
= 0.22
= 11. 78 × 10 𝐽
Solving for the fuel consumption of the reactor:
12
11.78×10 𝐽
𝑚𝑈 = 13
8.21×10 𝐽/𝑘𝑔
𝑚𝑈 = 0. 14348 𝑘𝑔 𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑢𝑚
Solving the daily energy input for the coal:
11
𝐷𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 25.92×10 𝐽 11 8
𝐷𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 = 𝐶𝑜𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑏𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦
= 0.78
= 33. 23 × 10 𝐽 = 33. 23 × 10 𝑘𝐽
Solving for the daily coal consumption:
8
33.23×10 𝑘𝐽 1 𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒
𝑚𝑐𝑜𝑎𝑙 = 29300𝑘𝐽/𝑘𝑔
× 1000 𝑘𝑔
𝑚𝑐𝑜𝑎𝑙 = 113. 41297 𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑠
 Polytechnic University of the Philippines
College of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Department

4. A power of 6 MW is being developed in a nuclear reactor. Assume that the average

energy being released per fission is 200 MeV. How many kg of U235 would be used in
1000 hours? (20 points)
SOLUTION:
(1) Solve for number of atoms which undergo fission:
10
𝑁𝑜𝑡𝑒: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑔 1 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑡 = 3. 1 𝑥 10 𝑓𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑
Hence, the fission rate for 6 MW is:
10 6 17
= (3. 1 × 10 𝑓𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑)(6 × 10 𝑊) = 1. 86 × 10

(2) Solve for number of atoms (or nuclides) which would undergo fission in 1000 hours:
17 23
= (1. 86 × 10 ) × (1000 × 3600) = 6. 696 × 10

(3) Now, 235 kg of U235 contains 6.02 × 1026 nuclides, hence:

23
235 (235 𝑘𝑔) × (6.696×10 )
𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑈 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑑 = 26
6.02 × 10
235
𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑈 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑑 = 0. 2614 𝑘𝑔

5. Calculate the binding energy per nucleon for an alpha particle whose mass defect is
calculated as 0.0292amu. (20 pts)
SOLUTION:
Mass defect = 0.0292amu
(1) Convert mass defect into kg,
1 amu = 1.6606 x 10-27 kg
Thus,
Mass defect = (0.0292 amu)( 1.6606 x 10-27 kg) = 0.04848 x 10-27 kg/nucleus

(2) Convert this mass into energy using E = mc2.

Where, c = 2.9979 x 108 m/s

E = (0.04848 x 10-27 kg/nucleus)(2.9979 x 108 m/s)2

E = 0.4357 x 10-11 J/nucleus

(3) Convert energy in terms of kJ/mole:

Convert to mole by multiplying with the Avogadro number (6.022 x 10 23 nuclei/mol)
−11 23
(0.4357 𝑥 10 𝐽/𝑛𝑢𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑢𝑠)(6.022 𝑥 10 𝑛𝑢𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑖/𝑚𝑜𝑙)
𝐸= 1000 𝐽/𝐾𝐽
9
𝐸 = 2. 62378 𝑥 10 𝑘𝐽/𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒