What Is Nuclear Fuel.. Nuclear fuel is, by far, one of the most efficient sources of conventional energy.
It utilizes heavy nuclei atoms, such as Uranium-235 (U²³⁵) or Plutonium-239 (Pu²³⁹), to generate vast amounts of power from limited resources. But how can such small amounts of material generate such high energy?
The Forces at Play Inside the Nucleus:
The answer lies in the fundamental physics of heavy nuclei. Inside almost every nucleus, there are protons and neutrons. Protons are positively charged, and a powerful, short-range repulsive force exists between them.
In heavy nuclei, such as U²³⁵ (which has 92 protons and 143 neutrons), this repulsion is extremely high. This powerful repulsion is countered by the binding energy, which is simply the energy responsible for holding the nucleus together and maintaining its stability.
The Energy Release from Nuclear Fuel:
Now comes the interesting part: the source of the energy from nuclear fuel. As we’ve established, binding energy holds the nucleus together.
Know About Binding Energy (In Next Article.. Stay Tuned)
During nuclear fission, a heavy nucleus like U²³⁵ is made to break into two smaller nuclei. When the nucleus splits, the binding energy that was responsible for holding the two parts together is suddenly released, as it is no longer needed to stabilize the broken nucleus.
This release is the source of the immense nuclear energy.
From just one gram of pure U²³⁵, approximately the energy equivalent of 82 tons of TNT is released. This tremendous energy comes from the binding energy released by every nucleus present in that one gram of uranium.
Conclusion:
This energy figure is based on one gram of pure U²³⁵. The required purity (or enrichment) of the uranium dramatically affects its application and safety. For example:
Nuclear Weapons use a very high enrichment of U²³⁵, often around 93.5%.
Nuclear Reactor Fuel uses a much lower enrichment, typically 3-5%.
This lower enrichment level is essential to ensure that the nuclear reaction is controlled, sustained, and safe within a power plant environment.
– Benzene
