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edited by Jan Rhebergen
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1 -science|jupyter|python|energy|nuclear|gitlab
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1 -# Redundant thermal energy released by nuclear power plants vs. the thermal energy as provided by the sun
2 -
3 -This notebook is a first stab at an approximate calculation to get an idea of the magnitude of the redundant thermal energy that is released by nuclear power plants as compared to that which is supplied by the sun through irridiating Earth.
4 -
5 -## Calculate the incident infra-red solar energy at the surface of Earth.
6 -
7 -```python
8 -import math
9 -```
10 -
11 -Earth radius in meters is:
12 -
13 -```python
14 -equatorial_radius = 6378e03
15 -polar_radius = 6357e03
16 -```
17 -
18 -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.
19 -
20 -```python
21 -earth_disc_surface = math.pi * equatorial_radius**2
22 -print('irradated surface area: ', earth_disc_surface,'m^2')
23 -```
24 -
25 - irradated surface area:  127796483130631.38 m^2
26 -
27 -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.
28 -
29 -<https://ag.tennessee.edu/solar/Pages/What%20Is%20Solar%20Energy/Sunlight.aspx>
30 -
31 -```python
32 -infrared_sol_power = 527
33 -```
34 -
35 -Total solar infrared power available at the surface is thus:
36 -
37 -```python
38 -earth_sol_power = earth_disc_surface * infrared_sol_power
39 -print('Total power: ',earth_sol_power / 1e12, 'Tera Watt' )
40 -print('Total power: ',earth_sol_power / 1e15, 'Peta Watt')
41 -```
42 -
43 - Total power:  67348.74660984274 Tera Watt
44 - Total power:  67.34874660984273 Peta Watt
45 -
46 -Total energy delivered over a year is thus:
47 -
48 -```python
49 -earth_sol_energy = earth_sol_power * 24 * 365
50 -print('Total energy: ', earth_sol_power * 24 * 365 / 1e18, 'Exa Watt hour' )
51 -```
52 -
53 - Total energy:  589.9750203022223 Exa Watt hour
54 -
55 -## Calculate the total thermal energy released by all nuclear power plants on Earth
56 -
57 -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.
58 -
59 -<https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/nuclear-power-in-the-world-today.aspx>
60 -
61 -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.
62 -
63 -```python
64 -electric_energy = 2563e12
65 -efficiency = 0.33
66 -thermal_energy = electric_energy / efficiency
67 -print('Initial thermal: ', thermal_energy / 1e12, 'Tera Watt hour')
68 -```
69 -
70 - Initial thermal:  7766.666666666666 Tera Watt hour
71 -
72 -```python
73 -released_energy = thermal_energy - electric_energy
74 -print('Released thermal: ', released_energy / 1e12, 'Tera Watt hour')
75 -```
76 -
77 - Released thermal:  5203.666666666666 Tera Watt hour
78 -
79 -## Ratio of solar infrared energy and heat released by nuclear power plants
80 -
81 -```python
82 -ratio = released_energy/earth_sol_energy
83 -```
84 -
85 -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.
86 -
87 -```python
88 -print(ratio)
89 -```
90 -
91 - 8.82014744285448e-06
92 -
93 -```python
94 -
95 -```
clear-power-for-all_LOGO.png
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1 -xwiki:XWiki.jan_rhebergen
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1 -27.7 KB
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1 -**SPOILER:** Yes it does,...(like almost any other activity, remember thermodynamics?) but infinitesimally especially compared to other sources. It is rediculously little!
2 -
3 -# Redundant thermal energy released by nuclear power plants vs. the thermal energy as provided by the sun
4 -
5 -This notebook is a first stab at an approximate calculation to get an idea of the magnitude of the redundant thermal energy that is released by nuclear power plants as compared to that which is supplied by the sun through irridiating Earth.
6 -
7 -## Calculate the incident infra-red solar energy at the surface of Earth.
8 -
9 -```python
10 -import math
11 -```
12 -
13 -Earth radius in meters is:
14 -
15 -```python
16 -equatorial_radius = 6378e03
17 -polar_radius = 6357e03
18 -```
19 -
20 -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.
21 -
22 -```python
23 -earth_disc_surface = math.pi * equatorial_radius**2
24 -print('irradated surface area: ', earth_disc_surface,'m^2')
25 -```
26 -
27 - irradated surface area:  127796483130631.38 m^2
28 -
29 -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.
30 -
31 -<https://ag.tennessee.edu/solar/Pages/What%20Is%20Solar%20Energy/Sunlight.aspx>
32 -
33 -```python
34 -infrared_sol_power = 527
35 -```
36 -
37 -Total solar infrared power available at the surface is thus:
38 -
39 -```python
40 -earth_sol_power = earth_disc_surface * infrared_sol_power
41 -print('Total power: ',earth_sol_power / 1e12, 'Tera Watt' )
42 -print('Total power: ',earth_sol_power / 1e15, 'Peta Watt')
43 -```
44 -
45 - Total power:  67348.74660984274 Tera Watt
46 - Total power:  67.34874660984273 Peta Watt
47 -
48 -Total energy delivered over a year is thus:
49 -
50 -```python
51 -earth_sol_energy = earth_sol_power * 24 * 365
52 -print('Total energy: ', earth_sol_power * 24 * 365 / 1e18, 'Exa Watt hour' )
53 -```
54 -
55 - Total energy:  589.9750203022223 Exa Watt hour
56 -
57 -## Calculate the total thermal energy released by all nuclear power plants on Earth
58 -
59 -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.
60 -
61 -<https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/nuclear-power-in-the-world-today.aspx>
62 -
63 -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.
64 -
65 -```python
66 -electric_energy = 2563e12
67 -efficiency = 0.33
68 -thermal_energy = electric_energy / efficiency
69 -print('Initial thermal: ', thermal_energy / 1e12, 'Tera Watt hour')
70 -```
71 -
72 - Initial thermal:  7766.666666666666 Tera Watt hour
73 -
74 -```python
75 -released_energy = thermal_energy - electric_energy
76 -print('Released thermal: ', released_energy / 1e12, 'Tera Watt hour')
77 -```
78 -
79 - Released thermal:  5203.666666666666 Tera Watt hour
80 -
81 -## Ratio of solar infrared energy and heat released by nuclear power plants
82 -
83 -```python
84 -ratio = released_energy/earth_sol_energy
85 -```
86 -
87 -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.
88 -
89 -```python
90 -print(ratio)
91 -```
92 -
93 - 8.82014744285448e-06
94 -
95 -[Jupyter notebook can be found here: https://gitlab.com/JayBeRayBearGun/energy/-/tree/master#](https://gitlab.com/JayBeRayBearGun/energy/-/tree/master#)
1 +Yes it does,... but infinitesimally especially compared to other sources. It is rediculously little!
Extract
... ... @@ -1,1 +1,1 @@
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
1 +

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