Unlocking the atom

Nuclear power has become the subject of widespread and intense public discussion. The book details the history of nuclear power in Great Britain, and provides clear explanations of the technology by which the energy released in nuclear fission is harnessed and converted into usable power. After outlining the properties of the atomic nucleus and the early stages in the discovery of nuclear energy, a survey is presented of the British nuclear programme which began when the first power station was commissioned at Calder Hall in 1956. The different models of nuclear reactor developed in Britain are described, in each case with the help of diagrams. These include the Magnox designs, which have been in use for some years, the more recent advanced gas-cooled and sodium-cooled reactors, and foreign systems such as the American pressurised- and boiling-water reactors. The important distinctions between thermal and fast reactors are also explained, as are reactor designs which may be able to exploit fusion power. The nuclear fuel cycle is followed closely, describing the stages by which uranium is mined and processed into fuel, involving chemical separation and isotope enrichment. Then, once the fuel has been consumed in the reactor, it must be safely removed, its by-products extracted, especially highly toxic plutonium, and its wastes treated and stored. Comprehensive safety precautions are vital in this as in every stage of the nuclear cycle, and particular attention is paid to them throughout the book: in a chapter devoted to safety consideration is given to the ramifications of the accident in 1979 at the Three Mile Island reactor in the United States. Detailed comparison is made between nuclear and other sources of energy, and the wider applications of nuclear energy are assessed. Finally, some of the social questions raised by the use of nuclear power, and also the future of this most controversial of energy sources, are discussed. (author)