Changes for page Does nuclear energy contribute to warming?
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... ... @@ -1,4 +1,4 @@ 1 - **SPOILER:**Yes it does,...(likealmost any other activity, remember thermodynamics?) but infinitesimally especially compared to other sources. It is rediculously little!1 +Yes it does,... 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 ... ... @@ -6,90 +6,107 @@ 6 6 7 7 ## Calculate the incident infra-red solar energy at the surface of Earth. 8 8 9 -```python 10 -import math 9 + 10 +```python 11 +import math 11 11 ``` 12 12 13 13 Earth radius in meters is: 14 14 15 -```python 16 + 17 +```python 16 16 equatorial_radius = 6378e03 17 -polar_radius = 6357e03 19 +polar_radius = 6357e03 18 18 ``` 19 19 20 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 21 22 -```python 24 + 25 +```python 23 23 earth_disc_surface = math.pi * equatorial_radius**2 24 -print('irradated surface area: ', earth_disc_surface,'m^2') 27 +print('irradated surface area: ', earth_disc_surface,'m^2') 25 25 ``` 26 26 27 27 irradated surface area: 127796483130631.38 m^2 28 28 32 + 29 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 30 31 - <https://ag.tennessee.edu/solar/Pages/What%20Is%20Solar%20Energy/Sunlight.aspx>35 +https://ag.tennessee.edu/solar/Pages/What%20Is%20Solar%20Energy/Sunlight.aspx 32 32 33 -```python 34 -infrared_sol_power = 527 37 + 38 +```python 39 +infrared_sol_power = 527 35 35 ``` 36 36 37 37 Total solar infrared power available at the surface is thus: 38 38 39 -```python 44 + 45 +```python 40 40 earth_sol_power = earth_disc_surface * infrared_sol_power 41 41 print('Total power: ',earth_sol_power / 1e12, 'Tera Watt' ) 42 -print('Total power: ',earth_sol_power / 1e15, 'Peta Watt') 48 +print('Total power: ',earth_sol_power / 1e15, 'Peta Watt') 43 43 ``` 44 44 45 45 Total power: 67348.74660984274 Tera Watt 46 46 Total power: 67.34874660984273 Peta Watt 47 47 54 + 48 48 Total energy delivered over a year is thus: 49 49 50 -```python 57 + 58 +```python 51 51 earth_sol_energy = earth_sol_power * 24 * 365 52 -print('Total energy: ', earth_sol_power * 24 * 365 / 1e18, 'Exa Watt hour' ) 60 +print('Total energy: ', earth_sol_power * 24 * 365 / 1e18, 'Exa Watt hour' ) 53 53 ``` 54 54 55 55 Total energy: 589.9750203022223 Exa Watt hour 56 56 65 + 57 57 ## Calculate the total thermal energy released by all nuclear power plants on Earth 58 58 59 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 60 61 - <https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/nuclear-power-in-the-world-today.aspx>70 +https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/nuclear-power-in-the-world-today.aspx 62 62 63 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 64 65 -```python 74 + 75 +```python 66 66 electric_energy = 2563e12 67 67 efficiency = 0.33 68 68 thermal_energy = electric_energy / efficiency 69 -print('Initial thermal: ', thermal_energy / 1e12, 'Tera Watt hour') 79 +print('Initial thermal: ', thermal_energy / 1e12, 'Tera Watt hour') 70 70 ``` 71 71 72 72 Initial thermal: 7766.666666666666 Tera Watt hour 73 73 74 -```python 84 +```python 75 75 released_energy = thermal_energy - electric_energy 76 -print('Released thermal: ', released_energy / 1e12, 'Tera Watt hour') 86 +print('Released thermal: ', released_energy / 1e12, 'Tera Watt hour') 77 77 ``` 78 78 79 79 Released thermal: 5203.666666666666 Tera Watt hour 80 80 91 + 81 81 ## Ratio of solar infrared energy and heat released by nuclear power plants 82 82 83 -```python 84 -ratio = released_energy/earth_sol_energy 94 + 95 +```python 96 +ratio = released_energy/earth_sol_energy 85 85 ``` 86 86 87 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 88 89 -```python 90 -print(ratio) 101 + 102 +```python 103 +print(ratio) 91 91 ``` 92 92 93 93 8.82014744285448e-06 94 94 95 -[Jupyter notebook can be found here: https://gitlab.com/JayBeRayBearGun/energy/-/tree/master#](https://gitlab.com/JayBeRayBearGun/energy/-/tree/master#) 108 +```python 109 + 110 +``` 111 + 112 + - Extract
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... ... @@ -1,1 +1,0 @@ 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 - image
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