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Nuclear engineering is the engineering discipline concerned with designing and applying systems that utilize the energy released by nuclear processes.[1][2]
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.[3] In the future, it is expected that nuclear fusion will add another nuclear means of generating energy.[4] 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,[5] without adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.[6]
What nuclear engineers do
Nuclear engineers work in such areas as the following:[7][8][9]
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
Nuclear security (detection of clandestine nuclear materials)[12]
Nuclear engineering even has a role in criminal investigation,[13] and agriculture.[14]
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.[15]
History of nuclear engineering
Nuclear engineering was born in 1938, with the discovery of nuclear fission.[16] 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 bomb was code named Gadget[17] which was used in the Trinity Nuclear Test.[18] The weapon was believed to have a yield of around 20 kilotons of TNT.
The first nuclear reactor to generate electricity was Experimental Breeder Reactor I (EBR-I), which did so near Arco, Idaho, in 1951.[19] 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 appears to be the Shippingport Atomic Power Station, which produced electricity in 1957.
In the United States, nuclear engineers are employed as follows:[20]
Electric power generation 25%
Federal government 18%
Scientific research and development 15%
Engineering services 5%
Manufacturing 10%
Other areas 27%
Worldwide, job prospects for nuclear engineers are likely best in those countries that are active in or exploring nuclear technologies[citation needed]:
"Austria operates one central radioactive waste management and interim storage facility –
Nuclear Engineering Seibersdorf GmbH (NES) for pre-disposal management including
treatment, conditioning and interim storage of low- and intermediate level radioactive waste (LILW)."[21] Nuclear Engineering Seibersdorf GmbH (NES) collects, processes, conditions, and stores radioactive waste and does decontamination and decommissioning of nuclear facilities for the Republic of Austria.[22]
Organizations that provide study and training in nuclear engineering include the following:
Region/Country
Schools and Training
Africa
The IAEA has 45 Member States in Africa. "The IAEA's technical cooperation (TC) programme is the main mechanism for assisting Member States in the peaceful, safe and secure application of nuclear science and technology."[23] Education in nuclear and radiation safety is a component.
Asia
Asian Network for Education in Nuclear Technology (ANENT).[24]
Texas A&M UniversityZdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=Nuclear_Engineering Text je dostupný za podmienok Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License 3.0 Unported; prípadne za ďalších podmienok. Podrobnejšie informácie nájdete na stránke Podmienky použitia.