Nuclear Energy

Nuclear reactors, powered by the fissioning of heavy elements such as uranium, have many applications. These include the generation of electricity and heat, the propulsion of submarines and ships, the generation of on-board space-craft power for deep space exploration, the transmutation of long-lived radioactive elements, and the production of radioisotopes and neutrons for scientific, medical, biological and industrial applications. Future applications include using nuclear generated electricity or heat to produce hydrogen for transportation and desalinization of water.

The generation of electricity by nuclear energy is probably the most familiar application of nuclear engineering, as it currently provides about 18% of the world electricity. In some countries, the fraction of electricity obtained from nuclear energy is greater than 50 percent. In the United States, it is about 20 percent. One of the largest drivers for new nuclear generation comes from concerns created by the burning of low-cost fossil fuels the most significant of which is "global warming." This is because nuclear reactors, both existing and advanced designs, emit essentially no greenhouse gasses.

Virtually all national and international energy planners are in agreement that if the USA and the rest of the world are to meet their future energy needs without large increases in the emissions of greenhouse gases, a substantially increased contribution from nuclear energy is needed. Concerns about the high dependence of the nation's energy supply coming from unstable regions of the world and the fact that demand is catching up and overtaking existing domestic supplies of electricity have led to a resurgence of interest in the design of advanced nuclear reactors.

The safe and economical development, design, construction, and operation of nuclear energy plants and their related nuclear fuel processing facilities is a major field of engineering. Future nuclear engineering research goals are focused on (1) developing new advanced nuclear reactor designs that are naturally safe (2) developing innovative fuel cycles with lower waste burden and enhanced proliferation-resistance (3) extending the life of nuclear fuels and structures and (4) reducing the capital and operating costs of nuclear power stations. The goal is to make nuclear power the most economical, safe, and environmentally friendly way of generating electricity, thereby making a major contribution to our energy independence.