Last modified by Gijs Zwartsenberg on 2021/06/11 13:28
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1 +science|jupyter|python|energy|nuclear|gitlab
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1 -Yes it does,... but infinitesimally especially compared to other sources. It is rediculously little!
1 +**SPOILER:** Yes it does,...(like almost any other activity, remember thermodynamics?) but infinitesimally especially compared to other sources. It is rediculously little!
2 2  
3 3  # Redundant thermal energy released by nuclear power plants vs. the thermal energy as provided by the sun
4 4  
... ... @@ -6,107 +6,90 @@
6 6  
7 7  ## Calculate the incident infra-red solar energy at the surface of Earth.
8 8  
9 -
10 -```python
11 -import math
9 +```python
10 +import math
12 12  ```
13 13  
14 14  Earth radius in meters is:
15 15  
16 -
17 -```python
15 +```python
18 18  equatorial_radius = 6378e03
19 -polar_radius = 6357e03
17 +polar_radius = 6357e03
20 20  ```
21 21  
22 22  Approximate Earth surface exposed to solar irradiance can be calculated from  $\pi\cdot r^2$. This can be though of as a disc (plane) facing the sun (i.e. perpendicular to the rays) that is illuminated by sunlight.
23 23  
24 -
25 -```python
22 +```python
26 26  earth_disc_surface = math.pi * equatorial_radius**2
27 -print('irradated surface area: ', earth_disc_surface,'m^2')
24 +print('irradated surface area: ', earth_disc_surface,'m^2')
28 28  ```
29 29  
30 30   irradated surface area:  127796483130631.38 m^2
31 31  
32 -
33 33  Sunlight's composition at ground level, per square meter, with the sun at the zenith, is about 527 watts of infrared radiation, 445 watts of visible light, and 32 watts of ultraviolet radiation.
34 34  
35 -https://ag.tennessee.edu/solar/Pages/What%20Is%20Solar%20Energy/Sunlight.aspx
31 +<https://ag.tennessee.edu/solar/Pages/What%20Is%20Solar%20Energy/Sunlight.aspx>
36 36  
37 -
38 -```python
39 -infrared_sol_power = 527
33 +```python
34 +infrared_sol_power = 527
40 40  ```
41 41  
42 42  Total solar infrared power available at the surface is thus:
43 43  
44 -
45 -```python
39 +```python
46 46  earth_sol_power = earth_disc_surface * infrared_sol_power
47 47  print('Total power: ',earth_sol_power / 1e12, 'Tera Watt' )
48 -print('Total power: ',earth_sol_power / 1e15, 'Peta Watt')
42 +print('Total power: ',earth_sol_power / 1e15, 'Peta Watt')
49 49  ```
50 50  
51 51   Total power:  67348.74660984274 Tera Watt
52 52   Total power:  67.34874660984273 Peta Watt
53 53  
54 -
55 55  Total energy delivered over a year is thus:
56 56  
57 -
58 -```python
50 +```python
59 59  earth_sol_energy = earth_sol_power * 24 * 365
60 -print('Total energy: ', earth_sol_power * 24 * 365 / 1e18, 'Exa Watt hour' )
52 +print('Total energy: ', earth_sol_power * 24 * 365 / 1e18, 'Exa Watt hour' )
61 61  ```
62 62  
63 63   Total energy:  589.9750203022223 Exa Watt hour
64 64  
65 -
66 66  ## Calculate the total thermal energy released by all nuclear power plants on Earth
67 67  
68 68  Nuclear energy now provides about 10% of the world's electricity from about 440 power reactors. In 2018 nuclear plants supplied 2563 TWh of electricity.
69 69  
70 -https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/nuclear-power-in-the-world-today.aspx
61 +<https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/nuclear-power-in-the-world-today.aspx>
71 71  
72 72  Nuclear power plants usually have efficiency about 33%. In modern nuclear power plants the overall thermodynamic efficiency is about one-third (33%), so 3000 MWth of thermal power from the fission reaction is needed to generate 1000 MWe of electrical power.
73 73  
74 -
75 -```python
65 +```python
76 76  electric_energy = 2563e12
77 77  efficiency = 0.33
78 78  thermal_energy = electric_energy / efficiency
79 -print('Initial thermal: ', thermal_energy / 1e12, 'Tera Watt hour')
69 +print('Initial thermal: ', thermal_energy / 1e12, 'Tera Watt hour')
80 80  ```
81 81  
82 82   Initial thermal:  7766.666666666666 Tera Watt hour
83 83  
84 -```python
74 +```python
85 85  released_energy = thermal_energy - electric_energy
86 -print('Released thermal: ', released_energy / 1e12, 'Tera Watt hour')
76 +print('Released thermal: ', released_energy / 1e12, 'Tera Watt hour')
87 87  ```
88 88  
89 89   Released thermal:  5203.666666666666 Tera Watt hour
90 90  
91 -
92 92  ## Ratio of solar infrared energy and heat released by nuclear power plants
93 93  
94 -
95 -```python
96 -ratio = released_energy/earth_sol_energy
83 +```python
84 +ratio = released_energy/earth_sol_energy
97 97  ```
98 98  
99 99  The ratio of thermal energy released by all nuclear power plants in the world over the period of a year, to the total delivered thermal energy by the sun over the period of a year is given below.
100 100  
101 -
102 -```python
103 -print(ratio)
89 +```python
90 +print(ratio)
104 104  ```
105 105  
106 106   8.82014744285448e-06
107 107  
108 -```python
109 -
110 -```
111 -
112 -
95 +[Jupyter notebook can be found here: https://gitlab.com/JayBeRayBearGun/energy/-/tree/master#](https://gitlab.com/JayBeRayBearGun/energy/-/tree/master#)
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1 +Yes it does,...(like almost any other activity, remember thermodynamics?) but infinitesimally especially compared to other sources. It is rediculously little! The ratio of thermal energy released by all nuclear power plants in the world over the period of a year, to the total delivered thermal energy by the sun over the period of a year is 8.82014744285448e-06
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1 +clear-power-for-all_LOGO.png

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