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Nuclear Energy Interview
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ON November 28, the Zavala Young Scientists class was privileged to visit the Balcones Research Center’s Nuclear Engineering Teaching Lab. Sean O’Kelly, who works at the lab gave us a guided tour of the facility, which was offline for cleaning at the time. At the end of the tour Mr. Kelly graciously answered many questions, some of which are included below. |
Question 1: What are some advantages and disadvantage of nuclear power?
O’Kelly: There are several advantages of nuclear power plants. We are not a power plant here but we are using the same fuel from 1963, so the point is that the fuel does not get used up very quickly in a nuclear reactor. Nuclear energy doesn’t put anything polluting in the air since the fuel is not burned as it is in fossil fuel plants. However, the nuclear fuel itself is dangerous, since it is radioactive, and when you let it out of a sealed up tube it can be very harmful.
Question 2: What happened to the Chernobyl nuclear plant?
O’Kelly: The Chernobyl wasn’t a nuclear explosion. It happened when the water overheated and the graphite started on fire. The pressure built up in the popes and one of them blew up. So they buried it in cement so radiation wasn’t able to get to people.
Question 3: What happens when you are exposed to radiation?
O’Kelly: The body can only handle so much radiation and when it is exposed to a lot, your body starts to lose white blood cells and then it stops functioning. To know if you have radiation sickness you will receive symptoms like the ones you get when you get a stomach virus. To live you have to take antibiotics. If you’re really sick you have to get a blood transplant.
Question 4: How much of our electricity comes from nuclear energy and what do you think about its future?
O’Kelly: The percent of nuclear energy in Texas is 14%, in the United States, 20%. In France, the percent is 90 for the electricity that comes from nuclear energy. There are three new designs of nuclear power plants in this country but we can’t build them until the government approves them. Once the government agrees to the new designs I think there will be a lot of nuclear reactors built in the next ten years.
Nuclear Team: Kaelie, Stacey, Sharon, Victoria